An Observation
An interesting observation of human behaviour is that, at a time in our history when we have never been more informed, educated or equipped (in terms of resources) to deal with obesity, to make informed decisions and to create optimal health, we (we the global collective) have never been fatter. Take a peek at the WHO (World Health Organisation) statistics and you’ll discover that, despite our ever-increasing knowledge, awareness and understanding of all things ‘health’, we’re still a bunch of fatties.
Being an ex-fatty, I’m fully qualified to use the word, so don’t get all precious on me.
Tip-Toe-ing Through the Obvious
Have you noticed how some people choose to be offended by the obvious truth? Reality doesn’t sit well with some folk. Saying that many Australians have parked themselves at Fat-Central is not an insult, hypothesis or an opinion; it’s a fact. Take a look around. We simply eat more than we need and we do it often. Sure we can rationalise it, explain it and justify it twenty different ways, but the outcome is the same: obesity.
Here’s a few interesting quotes from a recent(ish) Forbes Magazine article on the topic.
“In a list of the countries with the greatest percentage of overweight people, Nauru tops a list of countries with the greatest percentage of overweight people, with an alarming 94.5% of its adult population (ages 15+) classified as such, based on the most recent estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO). The Federated States of Micronesia, Cook Islands, Niue and Tonga round out the top five, all with a portly population of over 90%.”
“Australia has tipped the scales at the 21st most weightiest country (out of a survey of 194 countries). 67.4% of Australian adults over the age of 15 are considered overweight – a disturbing statistic.”
“The U.S. weighs in at No. 9, with 74.1% of those over 15 years old considered overweight. But given that its population is nearly 20,000 times that of Nauru, clearly the U.S.’s size belies its rank.”
The following list might interest you. It’s the twenty-five fattest countries in the world (194 countries were surveyed). The figure in the right column indicates what percentage of the total population of that country is over-weight.
| Rank | Country | % |
| 1. | Nauru | 94.5 |
| 2. | Micronesia, Federated States of | 91.1 |
| 3. | Cook Islands | 90.9 |
| 4. | Tonga | 90.8 |
| 5. | Niue | 81.7 |
| 6. | Samoa | 80.4 |
| 7. | Palau | 78.4 |
| 8. | Kuwait | 74.2 |
| 9. | United States | 74.1 |
| 10. | Kiribati | 73.6 |
| 11. | Dominica | 71.0 |
| 12. | Barbados | 69.7 |
| 13. | Argentina | 69.4 |
| 14. | Egypt | 69.4 |
| 15. | Malta | 68.7 |
| 16. | Greece | 68.5 |
| 17. | New Zealand | 68.4 |
| 18. | United Arab Emirates | 68.3 |
| 19. | Mexico | 68.1 |
| 20. | Trinidad and Tobago | 67.9 |
| 21. | Australia | 67.4 |
| 22. | Belarus | 66.8 |
| 23. | Chile | 65.3 |
| 24. | Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) | 65.2 |
| 25. | Seychelles | 64.6 |
I know!
Interestingly, Australians have a reputation for being a sun-soaked, sport-loving, easy-going people. Sadly, the days of us Aussies being perceived as a fit, healthy, active, outdoorsy group of people is fast becoming part of our history. The current truth is that, while we still produce some incredible athletes on the world stage, most Aussies play no sport, most don’t follow any kind of structured exercise program (consistently), the majority over-eat regularly, obesity-related conditions are on the rise, incidental and occupational activity is down and more than two-thirds of our population is over-weight.
Apart from that, things are awesome. 
The Obvious Question
So the obvious question is: with all of the resources we have at our fingertips (books, CD’s DVD’s, programs, websites, psychologists, trainers, health-clubs, weight-loss centres, pills, powders, gizmos, gadgets, dieticians, and even TV programs dedicated to losing weight) – why are we still so horribly out of shape?
The Feather-Ruffling Answer
I know the following answer will ruffle a few feathers but before anyone starts pouting, shouting or stamping their feet, I’d ask that you consider my thoughts on the matter objectively, logically and unemotionally. If, once you’ve done that, you still think I’m an idiot, then that’s okay. You won’t be the first.
Let me begin my answer with a question.
Have you ever accidentally eaten a hamburger? What about a tub of ice-cream? A block of chocolate? Piece of cake? “Oops, I thought that chocolate cake was actually…. er, an… apple… my bad.” What about alcohol? Put up your hand if you’ve ever accidentally drunk five beers. Three? And what about fast-food? Have you ever accidentally gone to a fast-food restaurant, accidentally ordered something (full of fat, salt and calories), accidentally eaten it and then realised you weren’t in the fruit shop after all!? “Damn, how did I get here?”
Me either.
Every time I have eaten too much food (and there have been many times), it was my choice. It may not have been my pre-meditated plan but it was my decision in that moment, in that situation, in that place. Yep, all me. I’ll take responsibility because nobody held a gun to my head and it was no accident. It was a conscious decision. Stupid, but conscious. Every time I’ve eaten the wrong types of food (again, many times), that was my choice also. Despite my knowledge, my understanding and my alleged intelligence, I still made stupid choices.
Tasty, but stupid.
Can I blame the government, the fast-food giants, my genetics, my ageing body, my slowing metabolism, the clever marketing, my sore knees and my lack of time for my current physical condition? Sure, if I want to.
Will it make me leaner? Nope. Healthier? Nope. Am I fooling anyone? Nope?
What We Choose
Of course, none of us make a conscious decision to be fat (as such) but we do consciously choose what goes into our mouth. We choose the fruit or the cake. The chicken salad or the greasy burger. We choose to sit on the couch or to go for a walk. We choose to stop the exercise program or to continue. We choose to stay in bed or go to the gym. We choose to complain about our genetics or to maximise them. We choose to get grumpy or to get busy. We choose to make excuses or to make changes.
For most of us (not all), our physiology (shape, size, weight, body-composition) is largely a reflection of the decisions we make with our food, exercise and lifestyle. Sure I could make this discussion longer, more complex and more sciencey but do I really need to?
Choose well Grasshoppers. Your body will thank you. 
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Another fabulous post Craig. I am fat, I can finally admit it. I will make better choices. You are right. No Buts.
Why do you chose to help so many people Craig? People need to take responsibility for their own action.
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Totally agree with you Craig. People need to take ownership of their body. I’m a fatty and on my way to a better body. Its my fault I am fat, not my genetics, hormones or whatever.
Blame the victim again
This paragraph is the best piece or writing I have ever seen on a self help site:
Have you ever accidentally eaten a hamburger? What about a tub of ice-cream? A block of chocolate? Piece of cake? “Oops, I thought that chocolate cake was actually…. er, an… apple… my bad.” What about alcohol? Put up your hand if you’ve ever accidentally drunk five beers. Three? And what about fast-food?
We did it. We finally did it!
After years of hard work, more and more pies, sausage rolls, dim sims and all sorts of other junk, we finally did it.
What a sad reflection of society we have become.
Shame on us Australia!
Talia
Hi Harpo,
Sorry I haven’t commented in a while … I’ve been off, having a life!!! Just kidding … I have no life
This post is vintage Harper! No punches pulled, lay the blame squarely where it belongs … at my feet.
I am hanging my head in shame. Yep, I – on occassion – eat too much and sometimes I’m a little lax on the workout front. But I also have successes too: today, at work, I had a real hankering for grease … I thought about a burger for a very long time. I may have even dribbled a little. Then I went out to the kitchen and nuked my chicken stir-fry … and it was good! Ladies and gentlemen … we have a winner (today!). If I’m honest, this is a battle that rages most days!
Thanks for the reminder Craig!
Em
( ) x
PS: Kindly stop using that photo of me? It was unauthorised and I may have to launch legal proceedings, separate from my husband and try to sell my story for $1m … any takers??
As someone who is fat. I have no intention of losing weight. I work hard. I work with my hands, I go swimming twice a week. I go to the gym 3 times a week. I play indoor soccer. Just because you are fat does not mean you are unfit.
Obesity is an interesting table topic. What annoys me is how so many people can convince themselves that its all about ‘willpower.’ Its not. It’s about self discipline and being committed to living your life in line with your core values. If health and fitness isn’t important to you then of course you are going to come up with a bunch of ridiculous excuses why you can’t (or haven’t or wont) lose weight.
Try being surrounded by 1,250 odd ironman athletes. That was me two weeks ago. I felt like a fish out of water. I felt fat. In comparison to ‘them.’ But I was there to achieve the same goal as them: to finish. Sure, I had other goals too (namely, to have fun and to learn shit loads) and one of those wasn’t to come across the line in 12hrs. But that isn’t to say that may not be one of my goals in the future.
Craig – you’ve said many times before to surround yourself with positive people who inspire you to be your best. I believe I did that at Ironman New Zealand. It was amazing. I was so inspired. Awards night was super amazing. And funny.
I’m going to be much leaner, lighter, stronger, faster at Ironman Western Australia 2010 (Dec 5). BRING IT ON!
Jules
PS. After swimming 3.8km, riding 180km and running a full 42.2km marathon I must say its a novel ‘excuse’ to eat lots of chocolate and hot cross buns and icecream for 7-10 days afterwards
But I really must stop eating crap and get back to eating like an ironman. I’M AN IRONMAN! Sorry, it’s still pretty new for me. I gotta keep reminding myself.
That was a really good article.
Thanks for such a reasonable and clear reflection on this topic of overweight people and fat countries. It should definitely help lots of people who are struggling with their eating.
Hey Michael
What do you mean, Blame the Victim? Do the mean those victims that chose to be overweight?
Geez Craig, I was hoping we could blame:
Mc Donald’s
Burger King
KFC
Nandos
Pizza Hut
Dunkin Donuts
Donut King
Not everyone is fat Michael, just the ones who choose to eat unhealthy and the ones who choose not to exercise.
MKR
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When I discovered your post I have to tell you I was completely surprised. I can remember when we immigrated to Australia we thought everyone surfed and lived by the beach. What has happened?
God bless you Craig for bringing this to our intention.
Elle
I think part of the issue lies with the need for instant gratification – kinda like impulse buying on a maxed-out credit card. Buy now, pay later. Feel a sugar rush now and who cares about how I’ll feel in an hour…
Maybe these things stem from the same underlying cause. Whatever it is, several countries have a serious problem on their hands…
Where the hell is Belarus?
Ugh, the truth is a bitter pill to swallow! I swear that cheeseburger just flung itself at me
I frequently remind myself that I am fat because I am choosing to be so. The good news is that I am exercising regularly again and have finally gotten into the habit of bringing a healthy lunch to work with me. My problem is impulse control when faced with food at work, like cookies, cake, etc. It’s hard to turn down “free” good food. Sigh.
Interesting that so many relatively small islands are on the list . . .
Craig,
Obesity is all about people using food as a drug. Sure we live in a culture of convenience but most overweight people crave the foods which pack on the pounds. Cheap, easy, and a quick high.
More people than ever are educated but unless the knowledge is put into practice the obesity epidemic will continue.
Yup…..its true. Its all choice. Ive made bad choices in the past, no matter what had happened to me beforehand to affect how I was feeling, I was the one who put that junk into my own mouth.
Im feeling so much better about my choices since I decided to take them one at a time. Each meal at a time. Each one the healthiest option available.
Thats not to say dont be prepared for healthy living, just dont overthink things.
I will go through my life making the best choice I can, one at a time, and I will get where I want to be (well, that and literally running my a$$ off as well!!LOL!)
I must say though, I do LOVE the feeling of control and power I have. Sounds a bit wierd, but I love the feeling that I can have ANYTHING I WANT, but I CHOOSE to have the healthy option.
Thanks again Craig. Keep em coming Big Boy!!
Hi Craig.
Good stuff here. It is ridiculous that we have all this knowledge and the statistics are as they are. It almost doesn’t make sense, but then it does.
I would also add that obesity statistics don’t say good things about any health-related professions, and health-related knowledge that is taught. The point of all the upgrades we have made in society have been to improve conditions for people. I like that Michelle Obama has a focus on childhood obesity at this time, but it is sort of odd that doctors are not teaming up to revamp the problems that lead to it. I’m not blaming any specific person, but if I’m a highly intelligent or highly influential person in a society where a high percentage of people are so fat that their lives are substantially affected, and I’m not doing anything to build support to counter it, it doesn’t say good things about me.
The kiwis would have to be happy with this Craig. Finally they have beaten us at something. That’s because they eat so much fash and chaps
Mark
Morning Craig,
I feel I can add something to this one.
I found myself 4yrs ago at the weight of 121.8kg, I was killing myself, I was fat, sad, angry and full of self doubt and excuses. I had trouble walking up the stairs to my own house. I could hardly do up my shoelaces.
Today I am 56kgs lighter. I worked my arse off literally. It took me the better part if 2yrs to lose it and I reckon I lost about 70kgs over the course of it as I would put the odd kilo back on here and there during my weightloss journey when Christmas or Easter etc would come along but it was my decision if I gave up or kept going, I chose to keep going. I have now maintained my weightloss for 2yrs.
It was my choice to put the food in my mouth, I was the one who made myself fat, and I was the one who could fix it. Yes there were things in my life and my past that made me sad and angry and I used food to comfort myself etc but it was my choice to do that just as it was my choice to stop doing it.
I believe our society needs to stop looking for excuses for our undesirable behaviours, we label and medicate eveything and at the end of the day if everyone looked hard enough we would all find something to say to everyone “look look this happened to me and now I cant help myself”, there are excuses for all types of behaviour these days.
I know I will be offending some people but I do not believe in people being victims of advertising etc, its a choice. There are people in this world that go through the most horrendous of circumstances (war, famine, torture, death) these people are victims not the person who shoves too much food in their mouth.
I was Fat and I made that choice, me, myself and I, sucky choice to make but never the less my choice.
So glad I made the choice to fix it, loving life now and I now run up my front stairs lol.
Love Mel
Blue Mountains NSW
Craig – Beautifully said (again)
Michael – WTF ??? Victim (of obesity) is a state of mind
Jules – Good on YOU ! Hang onto your eurphoria
To everyone else who wants to justify their fattness – CHOOSE LIFE !!
You are going to think I am silly but here goes. Are the salads at McDonalds ok or not?
Melinda
The is a wakeup call for Australia!
The other worrying thing is that we’re now seeing diabetes in kids as young as 10 years old. This means we have an epidemic on our hands which no-one seems to be worried about. Plus we’re managing to keep people alive for longer “thanks” to medication. No wonder our health care system is bursting at the seams.
I quickly grabbed these definitions of victim from the web:
1. One who is harmed or killed by another.
2. A living creature slain and offered as a sacrifice during a religious rite.
3. One who is harmed by or made to suffer from an act, circumstance, agency, or condition.
4. A person who is tricked, swindled, or taken advantage of.
5. A person who suffers injury, loss, or death as a result of a voluntary undertaking.
Note definitions 1-4 appear to be where the person has little or no control over their circumstances. Clearly being fat doesn’t fit into 1-4. So that just leaves number five. Note the word VOLUNTARY.
Choosing not to be a victim is also voluntary.
And Michael I am not doing this to pick on you in fact quite the opposite it is from the heart with love – Tough love
Have a great day everyone.
AMEN!!! You can lead a horse to water but you don’t hold it down and shove the hose down it’s throat! Own your own choices, and then make better ones!
Yeah – I have choosen to be fat. I admit that. Life is all about choices.
Now I have to actually be concious of them. At the moment I make choices by not making choices. I just live in my habits and go with the flow. I excercise (consistently) but I am not losing weight because I am still eating everything in sight.
I need to think before I eat – or probably more importantly for me – drink
(Soft drink addict here – grrrrrrr – darn you sugary sweetness).
Totally agree with you Craig, my problem is, some people are so precious about how fat they are and how unhealthy they are that we as a society can’t really talk about it openly as it might offend people. In my circle of friends out of 6 of us 4 us are overweight and don’t excercise enough. I am very lean, due to the fact that i watch what I put in my friggin mouth and I do 5 km of “something” 6 days a wk. (walking, running, cycling etc) I hate it when people look at me like it comes easy and like I don’t have to work hard for the body I have. It really annoys me, I feel like my freinds despise the fact that I am a size 10 and cannot feel anything but resentment.
Get real, I say, and get off your arse. Stop feeling sorry for yourselves.
This table is very surprising to me. What is the definition of overweight in this study? Is it based on BMI? Could I be 1kg overweight and considered overweight but obviously not obese?
Craig is back – hard core!
Wow… I am just grateful i am in 1/3 however i do know it is just for today!
Just wanted to put in my 2 cents worth & stick up for the Polynesians…… have you seen the Polynesian rugby players?? COR!!! Now they’re a bunch of overweight but fit & powerful people.
Consider my butt kicked!!!!
Sometimes I just think I’m an idiot & yep…. I am!! It IS that simple!! Choose wisely & lose the fat. Move your butt & lose the fat. I chose 2 have TWO choclate animals yesterday. I chose a white one cos I thought “Ooh havent had a white freddo in ages…..but I’ll get a caramello koala as backup in case I need to get rid of the white chocolate taste” I didnt enjoy the white one & felt gross for a while & decided to get rid of the taste with 2 plums I had….which yes, I should have had in the first place BUT they werent very nice…..so just as well I had a koala as backup. WHICH……tasted rather crappola also!! Grrrrrrrr……!!
So……grumpy with yourself for eating rubbish….or grumpy with yourself cos you crave rubbish….. the latter is the mindset I really NEED to get out of my head!!
“Ooh yummy lettuce leaves with a backup tomato….you bewdy!!”
;-p
Thanks again oh wise one!!
PS I’m half Tongan & I reckon I will ALWAYS be classed as overweight. I gain muscle quite easily….as well as fat……but that’s probably my Dutch side!! ha ha ha
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Completely all true and very motivational.Im 50 and I nearly died last year from Pulmonary Embolisms.That was partially due to weight and inactivity. Medication played a part too, but actually when I think of it – I possibly wouldnt have been on the medication if I hadnt had the weight and been inactive. I know Im not as active as I could be, but I also know Im pushing myself to get out and do something every day now and I will succeed and I am eating properly and healthily now. Im not on a diet, Im just doing what I should have been doing all along.
My PT thinks we are evolving into a different species as in Wall E the movie. He could be right
There is a woman in America who weighs 273kg and is striving to get to 400kg so she can be the worlds fattest woman with her husbands encouragement. She pays for her food via websites that allow men to pay to see her eat!. What a sick world
If anorexics are hospitalised when they get below a certain BMI why aren’t obese people hospitalised when they get over a certain BMI?
To tackle the obesity problem we need to tackle the mental health problems first. it’s not willpower,it’s not motivation,it’s not self esteem it’s something else that no diet, pill or gym is ever going to fix. The government needs to pour more money into mental health services to help all the people who are hurting and soothing themselves with food,alcohol, drugs etc. My two bobs worth!
a minute on the lips centuries on the hips.
It’s all very scary Craig
Hope you are well
Candy
Now this is indeed a post from the Craig Harper I believe to know (based on your books). I believe it, have been very fat, have been very lean and fit and at the moment could be fitter than I am now. I have highs and lows in my training and my dedication to myself at times and been conflicted by the desire to start a family. Especially when you have been advised medically to slow down, put on weight etc. I’m happy to admit that I consciously choose all of these states of being, it wasn’t until it came to my consciousness that I realised I could choose without the pathetic emotions that disabled me with past efforts. Now I deal with the fact that I am of average fitness (for me), average weight (for me) and need to find the person inside of me worthy of all the things I felt when I was the leanest, fittest person I had ever been. Well done, a great post, enjoying your articles immensely!
Seems like if you’re overweight and don’t want to be, the hard question is why you’re actually committed to staying big.
Is it fear of uncovering your best self?
Or is it really about the food?
Lisa from country #9
“Have you ever accidentally eaten a hamburger? What about a tub of ice-cream? A block of chocolate? Piece of cake? “ Aaahhhh bloody brilliant, laughing my a*#e off here!! Can I use that??
Thanks as always Craig.
@Candy, I haven’t heard that expression before but think it is absolutely wonderful. “A minute on the lips centuries on the hips”.
So true.
What are these “pingbacks”??
Hi Guys – loving your input today. Sorry I don’t have time for individual responses but I appreciate your thoughts, feedback and opinions…
Welcome to our Newbie commentors – nice to meet you.
Devil’s advocate
Craig – your oversimplification of weight gain, which is an extremely complex public health issue, is worrying. Indeed, it is dangerous, please read on.
I take particular issue with your ‘excessive weight gain is due to a lack of will power’ rhetoric. This leads to a culture of victim blaming. This approach can be very harmful because those suffering would be under the impression that the fault lies within. This leads to further compounding the issue, and serves no one.
One must be very careful when tackling complex behavioural and biological public health challenges. I feel it my duty to comment on your article.
At a superficial level weight gain may appear to be about controlling calories in (eating) and calories out (physical activity) out. However, in reality it is a lot more complex than this.
The obesity epidemic is likely to be caused by many factors, including: expanding portion sizes, computer games, high-fructose corn sweeteners, automobile-dependent community designs, food advertising everywhere, transportation investments to support
only automobile travel, more and cheaper foods high in fat and sugar, school facilities off limits to the community, soft drinks in schools, Internet entertainment options, and ubiquitous fast food (Sallis and Glanz 2000).
Consider this quote from some public health scholars on this issue:
“The consensus among public health experts is that changes in genes,biology, and psychology at the individual level cannot explain the rapidrise in obesity, so the explanation must lie in broader environmental,policy, and societal changes” (Sallis and Glanz 2000)
I urge you, and your readers, to read more widely on these issues. In particular, some of the following articles can lead to a more educated and balanced view on this issue.
Brug, J. (2006). “Order is needed to promote linear or quantum changes in nutrition and physical activity behaviors: a reaction to ‘A chaotic view of behavior change’ by Resnicow and Vaughan.” Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 3: 29.
Hawley, J. A. and D. W. Dunstan (2008). “The battle against obesity-attacking physical inactivity as a primary means of defense.” Nat Clin Pract Endocrinol Metab 4(10): 548-9.
Levine, J. A., M. W. Vander Weg, J. O. Hill and R. C. Klesges (2006). “Non-exercise activity thermogenesis: the crouching tiger hidden dragon of societal weight gain.” Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 26(4): 729-36.
Sallis, J. F. and K. Glanz (2009). “Physical activity and food environments: solutions to the obesity epidemic.” Milbank Q 87(1): 123-54.
I think if people saw food as fuel for the body rather than pleasure for the mind, we would have less of an obesity epidemic on our hands. We tend to reach for the feel good foods, rather than nutrional foods full of vitamins and minerals.
Now, when I feel hungry at night, instead of reaching for chocolate or cake or chips, i’ll go for a handful of nuts or an apple or a peppermint tea. I feel much healthier and happier for my wiser food choices.
You wouldn’t knowingly put crappy fuel in your car, so why would you knowingly put crappy food in your mouth day in day out.
At every meal now, I stop and think, what nutrional value is this giving me? If the answer is no nutrional value whatsoever, I will not eat it.
Devils Advocate.
I believe you are still missing the base point in Craigs message. I as an individual decide what goes in my mouth and how much or little I consume and how much or little I exercise.
Yes there are numerous issues and influences that effect me and what I consume and how I exercise but it is ME who makes the final decision. Therefore I must choose good, not so good, or bad. The final decision is up to ME.
I must decide how I am influenced. But in the end the final decision is mine, all mine.
I do not think Craig has an “oversimplification of weight gain”. To me you have an overcomplication of weight gain.
Craig to me simplifies what is obvious and what people mostly do not want to hear.
Hopefully no offence to you but thats the way I see it.
Wow! Looks like everyone has thoughts and opinions about why our society has become so overweight and unhealthy. I’m no different to anyone else, however I’m in the Health and Fitness Industry and I can tell you I have seen some very sad cases with people having 48 % body fat (for those of you who don’t know what that means….it’s extremely high and extremely dangerous) I’ve also heard every excuse under the sun telling me why they are like that and how they got there. At the end of the day, it all does come down to the choices we make. As ‘Devil’s Advocate’ mentions – the obesity epidemic can be caused by, large portion sizes – choice – (order entre size, or take half home), computer games, choice- (get off the computer and do something constructive) high-fructose corn sweeteners (learn to read lables and steer away), automobile-dependent community designs, (push bikes are faily cheap, even catching transport is a good idea chances are the train isn’t going to drop you off at your front door, so you get to walk from the station), food advertising everywhere, (I’m not even going to bother with that, except to say fit and healthy people don’t walk around with blind folds) more and cheaper foods high in fat and sugar, (Let me be clear on this….IT IS NOT CHEAPER TO EAT FAST FOOD, fruit and veggies do not send you bankrupt), soft drinks in schools, (schools don’t have parents groups for nothing, they should have something to say about it) and ubiquitous fast food (no one twists your arm or holds a gun to your head to make you go into a fast food outlet). So yes it is each persons responsibilty and choice. And I am sick and tired of being blamed as a society for for overweight, gamblin, drinking human beings. I can tell you the one thing that really upsets me is obese children, they don’t always have a choice if mum and dad are too lazy to buy good wholesome foods and cook everynight, and all those poor kids eat is fast food, or packaged foods – even worse in some cases (sure they might think it’s awesome) but they will suffer the consequnces. Put plain and simply, that is child abuse, like smoking in cars with kids in them. Those parents should be shot. We do have choices and each individual has to take responsibility for theirs. I hope I didn’t bore you all. PS I like this Craig dude!
“For every complex problem, there is a solution that is simple, neat, and wrong”
(H.L. Mencken)
If weight control is simple, why is it such a big and growing (pardon the pun)problem at a population level?.
I agree, at a fundamental level it comes down to what you put into your mouth, but to reduce it to such a simple level does not answer the question about what are the direct casual factors involved. To simply blame the individual does not solve anything
I suggest you read the texts cited above.
Seriously, – while looking around town/city/and in general life in Australia I would question and find it hard to believe that 68% of us are overweight. Sure………….there are many overweight people but 68%???
How is this statistic found and how is ‘overweight’ classified? Is it based on over 18’s with a BMI of 25.0 or higher being overweight and a different system for those under 18?
If it’s going by BMI most sporty males with a bit of muscle who do resistance training or sports involving strength/power would have a BMI of over 25 but still be fit/lean/in optimal shape.
If there was a cheap and reliable way to often check body fat % I think it would be better to target individuals with a body fat % over what is considered best!
Good on you devil this post has brought out people with issues who think they are so perfect and assert superiority because they are thin, yet do not take into account the many factors and complexity of weight loss. It’s a “oh get off your butt” society you lazy thing, which is a way of blaming others for your own low self esteem. Overweight people have enough to deal with without the sorry souls that pick on them to boost their own ego when, just like the overweight ones, there is one passage – six feet under at the end anyway.
Michael,
I know I posted a rather flippant comment before, but now I feel compelled to get a bit more serious (so unlike me, sorry!).
I don’t think there has been any “superiority” displayed in the comments to this post. As much as I’d love an excuse for my love handles, Craig is right. It IS a choice.
Weight-loss is hard, no-one said it was easy. But it’s not overly complex. Physiologically, it’s energy in-energy out. Psychologically, it’s a bit harder. It requires something many people lack: maturity.
For me, my personal development journey began with owning up to the things that I do. It was by far the hardest thing I’ve had to do – there’s nowhere to hide, there’s no-one to blame. There’s just me. Taking responsibility for your current situation takes maturity and is the start of a wonderful journey. The moment I put my big-girl pants on, put my hand up and said: “Yep, I did this, I f*cked up, it’s not working” was the moment I started growing.
It takes courage … but you gain so much more. Personal power.
Stop giving yours away to excuses.
Em
If asked if anyone has a good excuse to not lose weight I could put my hand up and jump up and down (even that would be classed as physical exercise), as I have two significant related health problems to deal with in Hypothyroidism (for me this comes down to extreme fatigue and being extremely resistant to weight loss, even while medicated), and the associated Bradycardia (which causes me too pass out if my HR goes up to high. Not fun!)
There are two solid reasons why I could sit back and say ‘Oh well its not my fault, its a legitimate health issue, blah, blah, blah, while stuffing myself with junky comfort foods’ .
I CHOOSE NOT to do that.
I am still losing my weight gained through bad choices, not lack of education, facilities, or socio-economic issues.
In fact when I was at my fattest (115kg) I was also at my most affluent, with huge amounts of spare time at my disposal.
Now 4 years on at my current weight of 85kg (still losing the final 10kg), Im a part-time employed, studying, very financially unviable married mum of two!
I made all the choices that caused me to be fat, I put that excess food and alcohol into my own mouth.
NOW I make all the choices which have caused me to slowly lose the weight despite all the factors riding against me which could conspire to cause me to be overweight.
It is my choice.
I do not believe the ‘cheaper to buy junk food’ excuse.
My family and I eat a lot of lentils/legumes, bulk fresh veges and fruit, and cheaper cuts of meat etc done in slow cookers.
My shopping bill is now less (in comparison by ratio) to feed a family of four than it was to feed just my husband and I before we had our children.
I have much less time in each day for myself, but I factor in at least a 1/2 – 1hr run each day (which requires only runners, a good pair of Dunlop runners endorsed by Cathy Freeman can be sourced from BigW for $45) I also run with the kids and play soccer and fit in incidental movement, and also allocate time to cook the family meal from scratch using cheap healthy ingredients.
I had to grow up, toughen up and be a big girl. I was causing myself untold misery and disappointment.
I achieved all this by taking it one meal, one step, ONE CHOICE AT A TIME!
Now 30kgs later I can proudly say it was each and every one of my choices which has got me to this point despite being given plenty of convenient excuses ie time poor, health issues which slow metabolism, lack of financial wealth, rural area with little ‘fitness facilities’, family commitments, lack of support, minimal child care facilities etc.
Im tired of this issue being overcomplicated and made to seem harder than it is.
The answer for the MAJORITY (Notice I only said majority, not ALL)) is really as simple as Craig has put it. Its all choice.
Michael and Devils.
I understand the points that you make. And everything is always a matter of an individuals perceptions based on their own life experiences.
However, I take exception to the comments made by Michael about the superiority of thin people commenting. I commented above and, yes I could be considered thin. However my ‘thinness’ only came about after 12 months of pulling my finger out and taking responsibility for my life and shedding 30kgs. I did it with many tears, and a lot of bloody hard work.
So having been someone who had the complex issues of obesity (and I had many issues, just ask my therapist) to someone who has had an internal shift and realised that I am the only person resonsbile for the outcome of my life, I feel absolutely qualified to make comment on my perception of weight loss/gain.
There are a lot of self worth issues surrounding obesity and I agree that being told to suck it up sometimes can be confronting. But sometimes its the hard love approach that gets results. Its what worked for me.
Cheers
Nicole
Craig
I have to admit I laughed when you mentioned about accidentally eating anything…:-)
It does have me wondering that we have all this information, why is it not working?
We spend a lot of time in society focusing on getting people to loose weight and then we celebrate the fact these people have lost weight, well done to you, congratulations etc etc…Now i do agree it is great that people loose weight but I wonder some times if that also part of the problem? People like to know they have achieved something and getting fatter means if I loose the weight then people will notice and I will notice I have achieved something (Maybe unconsciously). (I’ve been here not to do with weight though)
We don’t celebrate as openly those people who never put the weight on in the first place. So I wonder whether society could change it’s focus from weight loss to NON weight gain would that help???(Preventative rather than reactive?)
I also believe that a lot of weight issues stem from emotional issues and if more people got help with emotional issues then possibly we would have less weight problems?
Interesting that the first 7 countries are Pacific small islands which have no McDonalds or takeway type shops around. I have visited both the Cook Islands and Palau for outrigging and they eat wonderful fresh fruit and veges and plenty of fish. So why are they in the highest ranking? They used to hunt, spear fish, paddle to the other islands as transport etc but are not as active anymore and the food even though good they have big portions. And allot of Cook Islanders don’t drink!! Interested too know what everyone else thinks!!
Cheers
Pip – you bring up a very interesting point. There are some serious questions around figure of 68% of Australian’s are overweight. Before tackling these questions, it is necessary to establish where these results were derived.
This figure was published in a small report by the Baker Heart Institute. It is worth noting firstly that these results have never been published in a peer review journal. That small study was conducted using BMI measurements on a sample of adults who attending a stand at a suburban shopping center.
When examining the limitations of studies like these there are two critical factors to consider. 1) the outcome variable – in this case BMI, and 2) the sample recruited for the study – in this case, a small sample of adults who attended the stand at a shopping center on the day of the testing.
For the sake of brevity I will only briefly summarize these limitations. First, as you correctly state, using BMI to measure body comp has some serous flaws. A good exercise is to do a BMI analysis on and AFL list, most of them will be overweight. Better methods are available (such as DEXA, and hydrostatic weighing), but these are expensive.
Moreover, the sample they recruited for this study is not a random sample. therefore, one cannot reasonably conclude that such a figure is consistent with the whole population. Hence, this study never has been published.
Now, this brings into question, is obesity as bigger problem as the media (or Craig) hype it. In short, we (the royal we) don’t know for sure. There needs to be more research to conclude how big it is, and what are the causes. I personally believe the hype stems from the fact that being fat is is such a ’sexy’ public media issue. Fat sells. You don’t see any reality TV on other chronic diseases such as shows on dementia or osteoporosis.
Now to ToniG: You missed the point. The aim of listing some of the proposed causal factors associated with obesity (such as,large portion sizes,ect) was not for you to debunk them one by one. Rather, this was an overview of the proposed factors that lead to weight gain. Not one of these factors are solely responsible. In fact, these highlight that there are a number of factors that lead excessive energy consumption and reduced activity, that are entrenched in our environments. These make a lot more sense than your – personal choice hypothesis.
I suggest you cease forming your opinions from Junk current affairs shows (ACA, Today To Fright) and reality TV (Biggest loser). Do some reading sister, the texts cited should provide you with a more balance view. Also, see the reference below.
Vin: your right!, I have overcomplicated wight gain, for extract that reason. It is complicated.
PS. Craig has gone quite, whats up with that ?????
Epstein D, Jimenez Rubio D, Smith PC, Suhrcke M. Social determinants of health: an economic perspective. Health Economics 2009;18:495-502.
Michael… with love in my heart I want to tell you that I hope you overcome your own demons. Not to lose weight or change who you are for the sake of society but because there appears to be a lot of pain in your words. I speak above about ‘victim’ being a state of mind. I know this to be true for me because I’ve been one in my own mind. But I made choices to not be any longer. I have been obese, and through A LOT of pain and tears, I rediscovered what was in my heart. It really is the choices we make that create our lives. And you are capable of making choices too. Sometimes we just need someone to hold our hands while we step off the edge. I know I did. x
Brilliant article, I have been implementing this kind of stuff with my clients to get their head around that their choices will dictate what results they get.
Thanks Craig
Very nice article. Good comments, too. Just thought I’d add that in the South Pacific, fat is considered attractive. The fatter, the better. Tonga is notorious for that. That said, I WISH I LIVED THERE!