Can’t I blame you for my fat gut???

Well, it’s official; we’re one of the fattest nations on earth.

Australia; the chubby country. Has a ring to it, doesn’t it? Fat kids, Fat adults, diabetes through the roof, heart disease, bowel cancer, colon cancer, shorter life expectancies predicted and more obesity-related disease than ever before. At the same time, we are inundated with breakthrough medical research, mountains of weight-loss products, diet books, miracle solutions (no really, this is the one), health clubs, trainers and more get-skinny-fast options than ever before. But stand back and take a look; we’re fatter than ever.

Fortunately for us all, it’s not our fault.

We can all breathe a collective sigh of relief because, apparently, the current obesity epidemic is not about personal responsibility, self control or choices; it’s all about big nasty corporations manipulating our subconscious and turning us into junk food-buying zombies who are incapable of reading labels or making informed choices.

Not too long ago, I was watching the news and to my amazement the lead story was about the public pandemonium caused by the opening of a Krispy Kreme Donut franchise. Police, news helicopters, camera crews, reporters, barricades, placard-waving protesters and of course, hundreds of people lining up for hours for their slice, or should I say, box (apparently no-one buys individual donuts any more) of tastebud-heaven. And while I found the notion of a donut store opening being the most news-worthy item of the day incredible, and people’s willingness to camp overnight to get donuts even weirder, the thing which really interested me was the protesters, complete with their anti-junk food signs and the public backlash (from some members of the food police) condemning the opening of the new franchise.

Now according to some, organisations like Krispy Kreme are single-handedly destroying the health and waistlines of Australians. And while I acknowledge that in 2006 we have instant access to more high fat, high sugar, low nutrition food than ever before, I think it’s also important that someone stands up and screams out

“nobody is forcing anyone to eat this stuff!”

Now, I’m not a fast food advocate and I don’t want to be seen (or read) to be defending any particular company, but what fast food companies do is make it, market it and sell it; not illegal last time I checked (and not unlike virtually any company trying to sell any product). It is then up to the individual who has the capacity to think, reason and make a choice (all good things to do) to determine whether or not they become a customer. As I listened to the donut devotees being interviewed while they waited patiently in line, it was apparent that they had chosen to drive to the store, chosen to stand in line for hours, chosen to eat the donuts and therefore (in my humble opinion) chosen to increase their chances of ending up, or remaining, obese. Perhaps I am simplifying a complex problem…. but then again, maybe it’s time someone did.

Some people preach that obesity is the result of the increasing number of fast food options, soft drinks in schools, clever marketing and drive thru restaurants. I reckon it’s more about the decisions we make and the things we do in a world full of ever-increasing options. Maybe we need to stop trying to blame someone or something else for our own crappy choices and big fat bodies. Perhaps instead of ‘protecting’ our kids from all the evil temptations we should be educating them, teaching them how to make informed and responsible decisions around food and empowering them to develop practical skills which will enable them to deal with the everyday challenges that life provides.

By the way, fast food might be around for a while yet.

What if getting (and staying) in shape is not about all that ‘external stuff’ but rather, it’s all about the ‘internal’ stuff; how we think, feel, react, process, rationalise and most importantly, choose to behave around food. What if the whole obesity issue is really about us? What if it’s not about fast food at all? What if it’s not about the multi-national food giants? Somebody forgot to point out that right now in Australia we also have more low-fat, low-salt, low-sugar and low GI products available than ever before. In conjunction with the introduction of compulsory nutritional information labels, surely obesity then becomes a choice.

NO stop it! It can’t be… I want to blame someone!

What concerns me as an educator, student of human behaviour and a bloke who listens to excuses on a daily basis, is that it appears we are becoming a nation of blamers.