My friends have noticed. Some friendships have suffered for it.

My boyfriend has taken note.

My coworkers are second guessing themselves.

I’m torturing (lovingly!) people with my incessant questioning of the words we use when talking about health, obesity & fat.

People are starting to apologize after they say things to me or to preface statements with – “I’m not sure this is the right way to say it, but…”

While it’s obvious that I’ve become adamant that we are conscious of our diction, there’s no need to apologize! Sure, I’ve started to get a twitch in my eye when I hear the words, “obesity” + “crisis” &/or “epidemic.” My heart starts to race when I hear the words, “skinny” and “fat.” It’s not that I think these are “bad words.” I just think we’re all in the habit of using words and phrases without really knowing what a) what they mean, b) they’re conveying…or worse, c) what the consequences are of how we use these words & phrases. Myself included!

How many times a day do I hear someone use the word “obesity”? Dear lord. I hear it too many times a day. It’s a blessing that I get to do what I love and do what I’m passionate about, but it’s also difficult to never be able to escape the conversation: the world thinks we have a problem. The majority of the world is phrasing the problem, “obesity.” I did, too.

But a light switched on in my head and now I can’t shut up about it. Our words matter. And, I just don’t think we know what the fuck we’re talking about. The truth is – I hardly know what to say myself.

What do our words mean & why does this matter?

• Fat. Aside from the biological definition of fat as an organic substance composing a lipid in our body, I don’t know where to go with this word – it’s just as arbitrary as “beautiful” and has a history just as rich. It can be wielded politically in self-assignation (just as the word “queer” has been). A great anthology on the word fat is the book Fat: The Anthropology of an Obsession. Regarding “fat bodies,” Don Kulick and Anne Meneley write, “There are places like Niger, in Africa, where they are considered sexy and ideal. There are other places, like the Andes Mountains, where they symbolize strength and health–attractive qualities that make them desirable targets for the dreaded pishtaco, a kind of vampire who sucks not blood but fat. There are cultures like hip-hop, or pornography where fat bodies are object of adulation. There are other contexts, like the theatrical performances of fact activists, where fat bodies are displayed, valorized, and politicized. And there are circumstances, such as the medical condition called lipodystrophy, where the fat in a person’s body drains away and redistributes itself, and where sufferers long for that fat and mourn its loss.” In my observations, most people link “fat” to economy & class. Wheres fat used to symbolize wealth & health in women (thus making them desirable), it now symbolizes (to some, not all) an undesirable excess & lower status on the socioeconomic totem poll. Academics like Julie Guthman question whether the tie to lower socioeconomic status is a cause or result of “fat” (in thinking about the latter, think about how people who are “fat” are othered with political consequences (e.g. less access to jobs, etc.)). If you think the word “fat,” can be wielded carelessly without consequence, read the #ashamed Twitter chat that occurred last night regarding Georgia’s Strong4Life campaign.
  
• Obesity. “Overweight” and “obese” are medical terms to describe where someone stands on the BMI scale (which is basically a weight & height ratio). We all know that the BMI scale is bullshit. There are at least three people in my inner circle who are overweight on the BMI scale who are in perfect health, muscular and fit. Many argue – “but it’s a great measure for the majority of the population” – is it? No, it isn’t. That’s just some fiction many of us buy into because we believe that “fat” intrinsically means “unhealthy,” and we’re accustomed to not accounting for diversity and how that affects our moralization of stats (BMI does not account for differences in bone density & muscle mass across racial groups and how this affects weight!). When we say we’re fighting obesity that means we’re either fighting the medicalization of fat or fighting those, unhealthy AND healthy, who fall under the “obese” category on the BMI scale.
  
• Skinny. This word is even more malleable than “Fat” because it actually doesn’t have a biological definition. It’s just some bullshit term mainstream media uses to symbolize the holy grail. And it’s precisely because it’s so malleable that the diet and fitness industry can bank off of its appeal (how often is “skinny” now used in diet pills & foods?). That’s the beauty of skinny – you don’t ever have to stop reaching for it because you simply can’t achieve something that doesn’t exist in reality. My mind was also opened recently to how detrimental this word can be, particularly when used as a compliment. See my Facebook page comments for a very interesting discussion on skinny, illness & compliments.
  

Why has someone who has lost 150 pounds via a diet (& gained her health) started to go all anti-diet and shit on us?

I lost weight and reversed many of my physical ailments. But my weight loss was a by-product of me eating well, becoming active and starting the process of unraveling my emotional ties to food (& becoming cognizant of my physiology). I want to be clear that weight loss in and of itself is not responsible for my health. And, after the healthy weight loss, I became obsessed with the “thin ideal,” which led to an eating disorder which furthered my weight loss but decreased my physical and psychological health. So the distinction that weight loss should NOT be the sole goal in achieving health is VITAL.

My focus has shifted to health, self-love, inner peace & sustainability. I accept that my body is going to change over the years. I want to be able to have children without obsessing about my weight. I want to live my life to its fullest no matter my size. I want to love and be in love with my body. I want to be grateful for every second I have my health. I guess you can say I’m tired of focusing my energy on what I look like. I want to feel good. I want to put my energy in things that matter. Focusing on skinny, on the number on the scale, & on fitting arbitrary constructs of beauty is soul crushing, exhausting and detrimental to my health. It also makes me complicit in what I see as a major societal ill — thin privilege and the weight loss hoax. Can I copyright the term “weight loss hoax”? Because I love the word HOAX. I think it perfectly describes this lie we are fed and too often buy into. And you know I love words, so when I find the right one – well, it’s mine! Want to know more about why weight loss as a path to health in and of itself is bullshit? Check out Health At Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight by Linda Bacon.

This is where I am. I have changed. No, you don’t have to censor yourself around me. You don’t have to remove the words “skinny” and “obese” from your vocabulary when you’re around me (obviously, I love to discuss the terms, so if ya wanna chat…). You don’t have to hide from me that you want to lose weight. But I hope you will start to think about the words you use and why you use them. I hope you will ask yourself, “is this working for me? Will this work for me in the long term? Does this make me feel good?” If the answer to any of those questions is “no,” I invite you to reconsider your words and motivations. I go through this process every day whenever the instinct to say “ugh, Bella, look at that tummy roll” or “do you know how many calories that has?” or “I wish I was skinny” pops in my head (& all those thoughts do). I’m thankful that I now have a beautiful dissenting voice that pops into that conversation, breaks up the party, and says, “HOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAXXXXXXXXXX.”

<3,

The Cranky One

Did you get the memo that we’re all too fat? Of course you did. There is no place to escape the onslaught of “studies” and “research” and “credentialed” spokespeople telling us we’re going down in a fatpocalypse of dynamite-shaped donuts. Did I use enough quotation marks to make my tone apparent?

And, you know I make an effort to consistently point out that “fat” is an arbitrary word and that there is no clear equation linking at what point one’s weight clearly makes them healthy or unhealthy. We all know that health is too intricate of an issue.

But, that said, there is clearly some ish going on right now in the U.S. Too many of us are living unhealthy lifestyles and trapped in them.

The Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) recently released their annual report on obesity, which reports obesity rates in the U.S (based on the CDC’s BRFSS data from 2008-2010). The report, annoyingly titled “F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America’s Future 2011,” can be read here [or download PDF here].

While the stupid title falsely conflates “fat” (an arbitrary, non-scientific term) and “obesity” (a medical term based on BMI), it actually provides a rather intriguing look into the social justice issues that surround health in America and I recommend giving it a nice read-through. Sure, I usually scoff at this stuff – knowing statistics are about as trustworthy as a New York Housewife – but I couldn’t help but read the report and nod emphatically at the way the issue of health in this country is framed, and the way the foundations make recommendations that are holistic and helpful.

First, let’s take a look into some of the foundations’ findings on obesity rates:

• Twelve states now have obesity rates above 30 percent. Four years ago, only one state was above 30 percent. And 2/3rds of the states have obesity rates that exceed 25%. Except for Michigan, the top 10 obese states occur in the South.
• Since 1995, diabetes rates have doubled in eight states.
• Racial and ethnic minority adults, and those with less education or who make less money, continue to have the highest overall obesity rates.
• Nearly 33 percent of adults who did not graduate high school are obese, compared with 21.5 percent of those who graduated from college or technical college.
• More than 33 percent of adults who earn less than $15,000 per year were obese, compared with 24.6 percent of those who earn at least $50,000 per year.

Personally, I think it’s important for us all to see how money, education and socioeconomic status are disproportionately linked to obesity and diabetes rates. Clearly then, this is a social justice issue.

Now, let’s take a look at the foundations’ general recommendations. You’ll notice there’s nothing that says “ridicule fat people,” or “base health on BMI.” Instead, the recommendations focus on creating and enabling healthy behaviors, not skinny bodies. This I stand behind wholeheartedly!

Recommendations:

• Ensuring that all foods and beverages served and sold in schools meet or exceed the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
• Increasing access to high-quality, affordable foods through new or improved grocery stores and healthier corner stores and bodegas.
• Increasing the time, intensity, and duration of physical activity during the school day and in out-of-school programs.
• Increasing physical activity by improving the built environment in communities.
• Using pricing strategies–both incentives and disincentives – to promote the purchase of healthier foods.
• Reducing youths’ exposure to the marketing of unhealthy foods through regulation, policy, and effective industry self-regulation.

The foundations makes the following policy-based recommendations (via the press release here):

1. Protecting the Prevention and Public Health Fund: TFAH and RWJF recommend that the fund not be cut, that a significant portion be used for obesity prevention, and that it not be used to offset or justify cuts to other Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) programs.
2. Implementing the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act: TFAH and RWJF recommend that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issue a final rule as swiftly as possible regarding school meal regulations and issue strong standards for so-called “competitive” food and beverages—those sold outside of school meal programs, through à la carte lines, vending machines and school stores.
3. Implementing the National Physical Activity Plan: TFAH and RWJF recommend full implementation of the policies, programs, and initiatives outlined in the National Physical Activity Plan. This includes a grassroots advocacy effort; a public education program; a national resource center; a policy development and research center; and dissemination of best practices.
4. Restoring Cuts to Vital Programs: TFAH and RWJF recommend that the $833 million in cuts made in the fiscal year 2011 continuing resolution be restored and that programs to improve nutrition in child care settings and nutrition assistance programs such as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children be fully funded and carried out. If fully funded these programs could have a major impact on reducing obesity.

(the above 1-4 are taken verbatim from the press release)

I know that many people, mostly conservatives, will cringe at these recommendations and scream “Nanny State!” and mouth their favorite two words… “personal responsibility.” But you know what? This issue can’t be broken down into a “personal responsibility” versus “government intervention” binary. Sure, we live in a free market economy and Agribiz and the Monoliths will follow the profit. But we can’t make eating healthy food profitable – and popular – until it is actually a viable alternative to the status quo. Right now the government DOES subsidize the wrong crops. Right now, kids can’t compete with the junk food ads that saturate their every ounce of personal space. We can’t say, “get a grip and take responsibility, kids and parents!” That’s like telling a cancer patient to pick herself up by her bootstraps and devise a treatment plan. It’s just not realistic! Or compassionate!!!

I think one of the most important things we all need to realize is just how political food really is.  Food companies can’t be unquestionably trusted. The USDA can’t be either. We truly do need to find that delicate balance between having a government that makes access to healthy foods a right for everyone and that limits how big food companies target their victims, and one that empowers people to have the desire and resources to do their own research (b/c let’s face it – I don’t unconditionally trust anyone, even health professionals to tell me what to eat. A lot of our dinosaur doctors still think you can’t get enough protein if you don’t eat meat and dairy, ya know?). People need to feel invested in what and how they eat and see that it is an issue that is tied to what we value in this country (don’t we want to value ethical behavior towards all people, all animals and our environments?).

Another, and more difficult to target, obstacle is our consumerist and capitalist culture paired with a shitty economy. How many people do you know that sit at a desk for 8+ hours a day, carrying the workload for three people (who’ve since been laid off) and the emotional stress of having their financial security dangling by a thread? Sure, we can tell them “move more, eat less!” But how practical is that advice, really? Obviously, people have to take personal responsibility for their health, but we also have to recognize – as a nation – we set people up to fail!

There is also a huge disconnect fostered between mind & body. If the advice to “eat more, move less” was really the answer to this “epidemic,” then there would be no unhealthy people! But it’s not that simple. Because of our fast-paced, instant-gratification lifestyles, we no longer have to physically work for our food or see it as part of a cultural ritual – it’s now a commodity that is omnipresent and stripped from its cultural significance. So, as much as I want us to see food as political, I also want us to see its potential in helping us rebuild healthy families and communities.

I could go on. And on.

But I better just stop, breathe, and get moving. Michelle Obama would certainly encourage that.

Thoughts?

<3,

The Cranky One

A study, titled “Long-term weight loss maintenance in the United States,” published in the journal International Obesity on May 18, 2010 [abstract here] concludes: “More than one out of every six US adults who has ever been overweight or obese has accomplished LTWLM [long term weight-loss maintenance] of at least 10%. This rate is significantly higher than those reported in clinical trials and many other observational studies, suggesting that US adults may be more successful at sustaining weight loss than previously thought.”

Interesting to note — this study considers “long term” to be a year. It also considers maintenance to be having kept off at least 10% of the total weight loss, which, in my case, would mean that I’d be considered a success if I kept off 15 pounds. Which would mean, I’d currently be 265 pounds and considered “morbidly obese” with a BMI of 44.1 [even if BMI standards are questionable; see here] Yea…

Long-term weight-loss maintenance of at least 10% was highest amongst non-Hispanic white people, women, and those in the age bracket of 75-84. The funny thing is that we’re noticing that those predominantly overweight and obese in the US don’t fit into these categories, right?

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in July 2005 uses data culled from the National Weight Control Registry and gives six strategies for long-term success at weight-loss (they define success in the same way as above, 10% loss maintained for a year) and seem to address my skepticism when they write, “The 10% criterion was suggested because weight losses of this magnitude can produce substantial improvements in risk factors for diabetes and heart disease. Although a 10% weight loss may not return an obese to a non-obese state, the health impact of a 10% weight loss is well documented.” [See abstract here]. Ok, I’ll set aside my skepticism because they’re right — even 10% weight-loss-maintenance can translate into significant health-related benefits.

These are the six strategies uniting those who’ve succeeded:

• engaging in high levels of physical activity
• eating a diet that is low in calories and fat
• eating breakfast
• self-monitoring weight on a regular basis
• maintaining a consistent eating pattern
• catching “slips” before they turn into larger regains

These are also a pretty clear way to lose weight in the first place, eh? Do you agree with these? I have to admit that all of these have played key roles in my weight-loss and maintenance, thought not all in conjunction at all times.

In my own experience, the thing that has helped me keep most of the weight off these past 5 years is: thinking of maintaining my body as I would a relationship. Seems like marriage-success rates and weight-loss-maintenance rates are both pretty low, eh? A few of the parallels I’ve found between weight-loss maintenance and successful relationships include:

Adjusting to shifts in life. Like fitting in 30-Day-Shred between reading for classes, work, etc.

• Thinking long-term commitment. At first I thought I’d lose “the weight” and then everything would go into “cruise control” mode. I couldn’t have fathomed how much it feels that the weight-loss-maintenance journey has been far more taxing than the weight-loss goal. I guess that’s the point, no? Weight-loss is a goal with an end. Maintenance is a forever deal.
• Keeping things interesting and changing it up.
• Breaking bad cycles of habit.
• Accepting you will change and evolve. A lot.
• Rolling with the punches.
• Cutting yourself some slack, but not too much.
  
• Reaching out for help (group counseling, therapy, etc.) when you need it. Yep — the Cranky One over here doesn’t like to “brag” to Cyberworld (and employers and stalkers) that she’s been seeing a therapist, but, hey, if knowing that therapy has helped me in assessing and reevaluating negative patterns of thought, maybe it will encourage you to seek it, too, if you think it will help you.

Obviously there are a lot of differences between maintaining a weight-loss and keeping a happy marriage (no need to tell me, really) — we all know our  bodies will never mistreat us and will always reciprocate the goodness we give to it. Also, we have so much more to lose in not treating our bodies the right way…. Ya know?

And, clearly, I am still very much learning, evolving and working towards finding a healthy way to maintain the weight I’ve lost while continuing to reach other fitness-related and mind-set-related goals. It never ever ends. Ever.

What have been your trials and successes in losing weight and/or keeping it off? Do you agree with the 6 strategies given by the National Weight Control Registry? Do you agree with any of mine? Tips to share?

<3,

The Cranky One

Rachel Carson may have published her groundbreaking book Silent Spring in the 60s, but the book’s fear-inducing message about pesticides and environmental pollutants is still, if not more, relevant today.

Two things are for sure in America right now — one: we’re experiencing what many deem “an obesity crisis,” and two: we’re experiencing a burgeoning fear of remnant chemicals & pesticides in both fresh and processed foods. The correlation between the two — between obesity and chemical/pesticide consumption — hasn’t been too vigorously researched, but it’s certainly starting to get there.

[photo cred]
Does this toxic food make me look fat? There’s more to a French fry than its caloric price-tag

An article on Yahoo.com today (yea, I know, not the most academic source lol!), stupidly titled “Why You Can’t Lose Those Last 10 Pounds” (here), pointed me in the direction of the discussion relating to obesogens, and I’m glad it did. Apparently, obesogens are thought to be chemical compounds that disrupt the endocrine system (via metabolism of lipids, for instance) and influence a person’s propensity for obesity. In other words, there is increasing evidence that the adage “eat less, move more” is even more defunct than ever — environmental factors may be weighing more heavily on our waist-lines and health than we previously thought.

In a Newsweek article last September, writer Sharon Begley wrote: “Evidence has been steadily accumulating that certain hormone-mimicking pollutants, ubiquitous in the food chain, have two previously unsuspected effects. They act on genes in the developing fetus and newborn to turn more precursor cells into fat cells, which stay with you for life. And they may alter metabolic rate, so that the body hoards calories rather than burning them, like a physiological Scrooge” (linked here). The article mostly focused on the rate of infant obesity in America, a 73% increase from 1980, per the a scientist quoted in the piece. Since we can’t really prescribe the same blame to 6-month-olds as we can to adults (i.e. “you should be running more on that treadmill, baby!”), there’s obviously something more at play here. Scientists quoted in the article surmise it’s latent chemicals in formulas (perhaps soy-based chemicals) that could be disrupting the babies’ healthy development.

But it’s not just babies who should be cryin’ up a storm, my friends. According to Bruce Blumberg, biologist at UCI (my alma mater!), adults could already have suffered the developmental stunt (esp. those born right after WWII) or be prone to it now. In a UCI article titled “Big on Obesogens,” Blumberg is quoted as saying, “‘It makes a lot of sense that chemicals able to reprogram metabolism and favor the development of fat cells could be important contributing factors to obesity. The role of obesogens in fat accumulation raises questions about the effectiveness of just diet and exercise in helping people lose pounds and maintain a proper weight’” [full article linked here]. Ok, so basically: calories in versus calories out +/- how screwed up your endocrine system is due to unintentional chemical/pesticide consumption = eh, I’ve gone cross-eyed.

Why Calories In Versus Calories Out is Way Old-School

• “The only way to gain weight is to take in more calories than you burn,” says Blumberg. “But there are lots of variables, such as how efficiently calories are used.” Someone who uses calories very efficiently, and burns fewer to stay warm, has more left over to turn into fat. “One of the messages of the obesogens research is that prenatal exposure can reprogram metabolism so that you are predisposed to become fat,” says Blumberg. [source]
• Michael Pollan recently pointed his Tweeps to a “Fascinating study that suggests why processed food might be more fattening than whole, even when calories the same” published in Food & Nutrition Research early this July. Titled “Postprandial energy expenditure in whole-food and processed-food meals: implications for daily energy expenditure,” the study found that the body uses more energy metabolizing a meal from less-processed foods than more-fully-processed foods [linked here]. Unlike what many surmise about satiety (that less-processed foods always = more satiating), the study’s participants found both the more-processed and less-processed meals to be equally satiating, but their bodies consumed more energy metabolizing the less-processed foods, which meant less calories leftover for the body to store as fat.

Instead of taking an extremist’s interpretation of this and either absolving yourself from all personal responsibility, or from getting so anal with fear that you go hibernate in a bunker and eat only root vegetables you grow yourself, make peace with what you can do at this very moment:

• Eat Less Processed Crap. No for real — have you seen all the food recalls lately? It’s insane! From toxic fumes lining cereal bags to actual bits of plastic being found in your kid’s chicken nuggets (or from silly putty being put in McD’s nuggets), there’s just too much shit in your food that could be seriously screwing your system. Forget how many calories are in that processed meal — think about how you can’t go take a 3-mile run to burn-off damage to your endocrine system.
• Careful with plastics & BPA. “Use glass and stainless steel instead of plastics to store fluids and foods,” Blumberg says. “And try to get locally grown produce, organic if possible” [source]; “Never heat food in plastic containers or put plastic items in the dishwasher, which can damage them and increase leaching. BPA leaches from polycarbonate sports bottles 55 times faster when exposed to boiling liquids as opposed to cold ones, according to a study in the journal Toxicology Letters“ (linked here) [source]; “Avoid buying fatty foods like meats that are packaged in plastic wrap because EDCs are stored in fatty tissue. The plastic wrap used at the supermarket is mostly PVC, whereas the plastic wrap you buy to wrap things at home is increasingly made from polyethylene” [source]; and “Cut down on canned goods by choosing tuna in a pouch over canned tuna. And get any canned and jarred foods from Eden Organic, one of the only companies that doesn’t have BPA in its cans” [source]
• Buy these 12 fruits & veggies organic. Buy the Environmental Working Group’s “dirty dozen” organic [more info] [source]

Some of the academics researchin’ and/or talkin’ ’bout “obeseogens”:

• Bruce Blumberg, professor of developmental & cell biology and pharmaceutical sciences, University of California, Irvine
• Felix Grun, Lecturer and researcher in Development and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine
• Jerrold Heindel of National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
• Robert Lustig, Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, in the Division of Endocrinology Director of the Weight Assessment for Teen and Child Health (WATCH) Program, University of California, San Francisco
• Retha Newbold, Staff Scientist/Developmental Biologist, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
• Frederick vom Saal, Ph.D., curators’ professor of biological sciences, University of Missouri

What do you guys think about pesticides and chemical residues actually morphing human biology to yield a predisposition for obesity? Some have commented on the sources above with concern that some would consider this an “out” — or a way to blame external factors for their obesity?  What do you think? Are pesticide/chemical residues in foods a legitimate concern and factor to consider?

<3,

The Cranky One

Hey guys!

In an effort to return the positive karma sent in my direction, I give thanks to the dude who ran up to my car and knocked on the window to return my debit card which I had left in the ATM machine (even though I was blasting Mariah Carey’s “Obsessed,” dressed like a work-out fiend, and scowling).  What an angel!  Thanks to my friend Lauren for showing up to my house with these picked from her garden:

Totally brightened my life.  Thanks to the Citibank class action law suit that sent me a $45 check yesterday — Trader Joe’s will appreciate my business. And last, but not least, thank you to you readers who commented on my post yesterday.  It’s nice to know I’m not alone. Your turn!  Any random acts of kindness or general random and unexpected things you are thankful for?

Food Double-take

Know how I said yesterday that the Thai curry tofu I made was too bland?  Well it tastes so much better the day after (since it’s been saturated in curry goo) and loaded with hot sauce! Delish in blue corn tortillas.  I used the recipe here, but did not use any butter, used coconut milk from a carton not can, and used coconut oil instead of canola.  I bet if you do add the butter and use canned coconut milk, you’ll get a much richer, flavorful sauce. But you’ll also get added crap, so you pick and choose!  Did you know blue corn is higher in lysine (an essential amino acid that builds protein), zinc and iron than the more commercial yellow and white varieties? (Source: here).

Noteworthy News/Blog Posts

• New York Times’, “More Americans on the Road to Obesity” (8/10/09) here.  The study parameters are iffy (aren’t they all?), but still interesting.
• F-Word‘s, “Open Post: How can people with thin privilege help fat people?” (8/10/09) here — Is it “ok” for thin people to be a part of the “Fat Acceptance Movement“? This is a touchy subject with some interesting propositions made by Linda Bacon, author of Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight. Bacon argues that thin people are privileged in our society.  Do you agree?
  
• We are the Real Deal‘s, “Fat is Not a Dirty Word, but Maybe it’s the Wrong One?” (8/10/09) here — A good question is posed (esp. in comparison to the article above):  Roni asks, “So why focus on fat acceptance and create a fatosphere. Shouldn’t we be spreading the word on health acceptance, teaching people proper nutrition, the benefits of whole foods, how great it is to be active? Shouldn’t we be creating a healthosphere?” What do you guys think?
• Calorie Lab’s, “Uncovering the Secrets of Solo Meals” (8/10/09) here — Discusses the book What We Eat When We Eat Alone: Stories and 100 Recipes by Deborah Madison.  Would be an interesting read, esp in light of the other “eating alone” book referenced here.
• Diet Blog‘s, “New PETA Vegetarian Anti-Obesity Campaign Asks Us to ‘Save the Whales’” (8/10/09) here — Ok, I’ll preface this with the fact that I could not find the ad online to verify this story and also will say that I appreciate PETA’s love for animals.  Now that that’s said and done, PETA – if this is true – you’re lame.  Seriously — a) You are totally messed up if you put a robust women in a bikini and title your ad, “Save the Whales. Lose the Blubber: Go Vegetarian”;  b) Vegetarianism does not necessarily = weight loss or health.  Ice cream and donuts are technically a vegetarian diet.  Kirsti Allie was famously vegetarian when she gained a ton of weight, by the way.  And alternately, there are plenty of thin, healthy meat eaters.  About your studies that vegetarians are 10-20 pounds lighter than meat eaters, are you referring to the study that linked vegetarianism to disordered eating particularly in teens as it’s used as a scape goat to restrict calories? I’m not knocking vegetarianism — hello, I’m a vegetarian — but I knock the means of an anti-obesity campaign to, oddly and ironically, get to the end of the ethical treatment of animals.  Ethics, eh?  Do I really need to say it?  Oh and p.s. — Who does your PR?  I could use a side job and am certainly not stupid enough to say in a press release that vegetarianism is a diet where you can eat as much as you’d like (and miraculously lose weight).  This is an ad that fuels the fat = immoral paradigm.  FAIL.  How do you feel about this ad?

Update:  Thanks to Fabulous @ 50 for Finding this ad and to Ella for Directing me to the post

Give-Away Round Up

• Win some Chavrie goat cheese & a foodie charm here.
• Win some lesser evil snacks here.
• Win some VitaTops here.
• Win a kettlebell and kettlebell work-out here.

<3, The Cranky One

I know your whole “dark side” is a necessary counter to the light side of the Force, but I’m not falling for it!  I’m going to use my fear, and any negative emotions, to fuel positive goals. So take that you heavy breather!

I know some of you in Blog Land aren’t really the “chipper” type and I totally get it.  Shiny happy people can be more annoying than Speidi

and more obnoxious than John Mayer

seriously.

If you prefer channeling or incubating your inner Darths, I get it.  My blog title has the freakin word “cranky” in it — I can’t judge!  But let me remind you of one thing — you can be a pessimist/cynic/misanthropist/whatever and still conquer your goals.  I wrote a post a while ago on the psychology of physical transformation here and it discusses how learning to channel anger into fuel can make the difference between a person who does or does not achieve her/his goals.

So, on that note — it’s our choice today, and every day, to decide how we’re going to channel our fears and negative emotions to either work for or against us.  Which do you choose?

For any goal you’ve accomplished that was rectifying a bad habit or lifestyle — do you ever worry you’ll go back to the “dark side”? Are you able to channel negative energy to fuel positive goals?

Challenge Update

• In order to stay in sync with my beloved Jen, I’m going to do my challenge update and Holey Donuts winner drawing on Monday.  Stay tuned for a full recap!

In the News

• Shameless Plug Alert — Did you see my guest post, titled, “Cook Your Way to a Leaner You and Fatter Wallet,” over at Carrots ‘n’ Cake here?
• Calorie Lab article, “Agencies Look At Weight of Nation” (7/31/09) here — I was truly impressed with the report released in advance of the Obesity Conference, which recommended 24 strategies that could help prevent and ameliorate obesity levels in the United States.  Of course, I have plenty of recommendations I’d add to the list, but this is such a wonderful start and I just truly hope these can be implemented, especially in lower-income, dense, populations.
• The New York Times editorial, “Vote for Safer Food” (here) — Interesting read if you’ve seen Food Inc. or just want to know how the FDA can improve food safety.
• And another reason I’m doomed to repeat the past (I kid, I kid!) — See “High Fat, High Sugar Foods Alters Brain Receptors,” here.  Excerpt:  “Overconsumption of fatty, sugary foods leads to changes in brain receptors, according to new animal research at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.”
• For fun — Check out this Candy Boots post on Weight Watcher recipe cards from the 1970s here.  That’s some disgusting crap if I may so so myself.  (And thanks to whomever featured this on her blog!  I bookmarked the link, but forgot to note whose blog I borrowed this from!)

So what’s on the agenda this weekend, guys?!  I plan on hitting up the beach with the boyf, spending some time with my adorable lil niece and consulting a therapist for that dream I had last night that I was getting married, wtf?! Oh and today, I’m attempting my 1st 8-mile run after my bout of tendinitis. Wish me luck!  If all goes well, I will be slowly increasing my mileage to what it used to be (just not so crazy, eh? I don’t want another injury!).

<3, The Cranky One

Hey guys!  I was doing my usual random health readings and research (*cough*NERD*cough*) and I came upon a BBC news report about there being a strong link between obese parents and their children of the same sex.  See BBC video here; The summary of the actual study may be found here.

If you know me, you know that I am very opinionated when it comes to health and parenting.  Do I have children of my own? Gracious no — I’m still a baby!  But it’s certainly not too early for me to start thinking about these important issues, no?   What I found most interesting is this quote from the study’s director:

“These findings could turn our thinking on childhood obesity dramatically on its head. Money and resources have focused on children over the past decade in the belief that obese children become obese adults, and that prevention of obesity in children will solve the problem in adulthood. EarlyBird’s evidence supports the opposite hypothesis – that children are becoming obese due to the influence of their same-sex parents, and that we will need to focus on changing the behaviour of the adult if we want to combat obesity in the child.”

Am I the only one who had a “no shit duh” reaction to this?

From Saltycotton on Flickr
Does a “Little Mother Goose” have little geese?  An obese mother goose, obese geese?

I mean, it’s true — we do spend a lot of resources on healthifying (yes, I know that’s not a word) school lunches and banning vending machines.  And, at the end of the day, we all know that these efforts really contribute little to a child’s overall future well-being if he then goes home and plops down next to dad on the couch and is spoon-fed lard from a tub.

Of course behaviors towards food and fitness are learned and particularly correlative between a kid and the same-sex parent he or she presumably mirrors most.  But this study left me cocking my head to one side and going…yea, but what about…

• Families where one parent is absent or might as well be considered absent? Isn’t the child, whether his or her parent is the same sex or not, going to mimic and copy those same lifestyle patterns regardless of the parent’s sex?  Yes, I realize the study said that kids are 10 times more likely to be obese if their parent of the same sex is.  But I think what the study is pointing to is that if the parent with the most influence is obese, he or she, in general, will rear obese children.  Do you agree? So, I feel that yes — we definitely should focus our resources on healthifying parents!  DUH!
• Families where one or both parent(s) lead unhealthy examples but are not obese? We’ve all seen these parents who eat like crap and yet are not obese – -usually because they are chain smokers, drug users, have eating disorders, have anomalous and/or fortunate gene pools or whatever — the point being that they do not get obese from typical “obese behavior.”  If, for some reason, the kid isn’t blessed with super-de-fatting-genes and doesn’t take on early-age drug use (or something), won’t the kids suffer a fate of being obese even if the parent(s) did not?
• Families with kids of multiple births? Being a twin, I always have to throw the twin angle into the mix.  Neither my mom nor dad were obese when my twin and I were obese.  Our older brother, also, was not obese. I feel like my twin and I were a bit accustomed to being our own familial unit and we both developed poor eating habits that spiraled out of control and were propelled by mutual reinforcement of these behaviors. In other words, we were not so concerned with mirroring our parents, but mirroring each other.  This is why when one twin finally got on the health band wagon, this twin did too.

What do you guys think about the relationship between parents and children and behaviors towards food and fitness?  Is there, in your view, more of a correlation between kid and parent of the same sex?  What about between siblings?

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Later this Week

• Another video post? Why yes, yes! I will be doing a review of some damn good vegan cookies sent my way. I know my facial expressions can get a little out of hand, but I just happen to be rather expressive! Hope ya find it amusing
• MizFit Thursday!

News Alert

• Macaroni Grill offering healthy options?!  I’ll be honest — Mac Grill is pretty much the last place you’d ever find me dining at.  But with that being said, congrats to them for getting on the “let’s do what’s right” bandwagon and offering some revised and healthier choices (for CA peeps only so far, sorry!). Check out some cool new options here and thanks to Hungry Girl for the heads-up!
• MixMyGranola alert — Get 20% off your entire order when entering promotion code “MIDSUMMER” at checkout.  Ends on Thursday, July 16th at 12pm.

<3,

The Cranky One

As my first semester as a master’s student comes to a close, I’m drowning in a sea of literary theory and criticism.  It’s in my nature to seek the interconnectedness of everything I learn in every aspect of my life.  I have always found that all avenues of my life have connected in magnificent ways and that the more I push myself in the academic arena, the more I get out of life in general. Yea yea, I’m a nerd.

Anyhow.  I’ve recently read theory in the schools of feminism, Queer Theory and disability studies.  All three participate in a larger context of “identity politics” in which communities (either self-designated or socially constructed – though both are kinda one in the same) “combat” with what is presumed to be the homogeneous social norm.

I can’t help wonder when we will be reading about “Obesity Studies” not from a health perspective, but from a perspective of normalcy and artistic portrayal.  How are those deemed “fat” presented in literature? In film? In art? How have we categorized them?

I’m sure some will argue that “obesity” has become the norm.  I think we have to realize that “norm” is more than a statistical presumption (i.e. more than 50% of the U.S. is fat, therefore “fat is the norm.”).  Norms have to do more with what a society deems is important.  Look at all of the magazines in the grocery store and what do you see?  It’s not chubby girls gracing the covers, is it? Look at architecture and the fact that United Airlines is now charging “obese” persons an extra seat charge.

This isn’t purely a health issue either, folks.  You will tell me – “thin is the norm because thin is healthy.”  At one point I would have bowed in acknowledgement and defeat.  Now, I simply shrug.  If health hadn’t become so political, I might actually know what is and what is not healthy.  But the more I learn, the more confused I get! Ahh, Annabel, but isn’t leaning this beautiful thing you just wrote about where it fulfills you? Yes, yes it is.  But it can also drive a person mad.

How is health political?
I have read (link coming once I can retrace my steps) that since our U.S. govt. is full of pro-agrarian self-interested politicians, it’s no wonder that our USDA Food Pyramid puts grains as the most necessary category for “good health.”  If you read JunkFoodScience’s latest blog on BMI Studies and their lack of true correlatives between obesity and increased health risk compared to “thin, healthy” people, you will also start to wonder:  What is and is not truly “healthy?”  From an anthropological perspective, why have some cultures that consume high amounts of saturated fats had fewer diseases per equal ratio than the U.S.’s population?

Why don’t we stop so much on the numbers game!  The categorical and the categorical definitive are what really drive us all further away from answering these fundamental questions.

If you are technically 5 pounds over the BMI healthy category per the governmental guidelines, don’t starve yourself for “health’s sake.”  Don’t be a moron. We all know that there are a multitude of factors and variables that play into our health and fitting some governmental category of health isn’t an insurance policy, folks. Ask yourself: Do I feel good? And don’t do yourself a disservice and sugar coat everything.  And equally important, don’t be too harsh on yourself.

When I was 280 pounds I didn’t feel good physically.  I could list the gamut of issues, but why bother?  It sucked. End of story.  Do I feel miraculously healed and amazing now?  No.  But I feel way freakin’ better from a physical standpoint.  Is losing 15 more pounds going to immortalize me and somehow allow me to escape disease? No.  But I will be a total mirror-whore (haha) and hopefully able to increase my running speed which, for me, is fun and mentally liberating.

Maybe focusing more on intuition and our own research skills would benefit us all.  Be your own news source and news interpreter, people!

Like I said earlier, I’m not sure where my point is or if I had one.  But hopefully I at least amused you.  A more practical blog with product reviews is to follow later! (I promise rants won’t be a recurring thing on here!)