Fat Talk and Lifestyle

Fat Talk and Lifestyle.

Childhood obesity continues be a very hot topic as well as having countless points of view. “Physical Inactivity and Lifestyle” is very popular model
for special interest groups. Some of these groups are funded by the
food industry, the weight loss industry, other special interest
groups that have a vested interest to steer the childhood obesity
conversation away from certain points of contention.
Special interest groups have a vested interest in supporting personal accountability and the physical inactivity crisis. The activity crisis is designed to place
all focus onto the individual’s level of overall activity, and thus
steer away from any discussions about the current food environment.
The activity model is regularly used when any news story explores the
childhood obesity issue, and they target TV, computer games,
sedentary lifestyles and poor parent involvement. Particapaction,
Let’s Move and Change4Life all link to the
inactivity crisis and avoid any discussion related to diet. The food
industry and the weight loss industry have a vested interest to keep
the focus on the individual, and scoff at any notion of government
regulation by using the term “Nanny State”. Nanny State speaks to
any type of government intervention with regard to regulation for the
food industry. Lifestyle is the catch-all term that schemes away from
the food environment, and serves to oppress the conversation.
Lifestyle is blame and it is heaped onto the individual. However, the
rates of childhood obesity continue to explode all over the planet.
The childhood obesity crisis represents some very big dollars to the
media, and the weight loss industry, which includes the fitness
movement. Highly skilled scientists may also work for the food
industry and encourage weight loss surgery for an option in
addressing obesity. The food industry can often be found as willing
supporters for programs that provide weight loss surgery. It is
time to try harder and this includes the media to explore and report
on the issue of the childhood obesity crisis.
The food industry and the weight loss industry oversee the exchange of billions of dollars. Both can be seen scheming to share their specific message about
childhood obesity.www.obesitythunderbay.ning.com is offering a new
approach called Shared Accountability and hopes to reach the masses
very soon. Shared Accountability is a model that has been created by
Paul Murphy and it focuses on the overall environment. Obese people
are often reluctant to discuss obesity and have been labelled in many
ways. These labels can be most hurtful and are often used by the
media. “Couch Potatoes” is a term regularly linked to the obese
individual by the media. Whether the message is about being
unhealthy, lazy, or slovenly obese people continue to be oppressed.
Obesity is a very personal issue and the negative messages encourage
unhealthy food relationships with food. Ninety-five per cent of diets
fail, but it is the individual that gets the failing grade. What if
all diets were forms of eating disorders? Eating disorders continue
to be on the rise and some of our children are ready to die trying to
be thin. We have been provided a distorted view of health, and
children are regularly being labelled as unhealthy, due to their
excess body weight. Poverty and obesity continue to be linked
together by many researchers and the conversation is raging on the
World Wide Web. Poverty is a risk factor for childhood obesity.
2fat2fly on Twitter is attempting to inspire and support the
conversation about childhood obesity, and hopes to play a role in a
national debate on the subject.

I am 2fat2fly on Twitter , and I am working to promote a big Fat Talk to take place .This community based action plan encourages acceptance, integrity, and
dignity. It offers support for those, who struggle with their food
relationship. The plan is to expose lifestyle and support the need
for a meaningful, articulated action plan with regard to childhood
obesity. Obese children are not the enemy, even though the headlines
are filled with fighting words. Some want to tackle, fight, or create
a war on obesity.Educated professionals are not interested in
fighting the obese child, but they are interested in addressing the
issue. Together we can promote a positive conversation about obese
oppression, or “fat hatred “This can change the
media’s bashing of the obese child. We hope to raise awareness and lower obesity bashing, thus broadening the discussion on childhood obesity. Maybe we need to
examine the lifestyle of the media and encourage them to stop
promoting the couch potato myth .Is it time for the media to
investigate the lifestyle message?
Many experts across the globe are working to promote a supportive conversation about childhood obesity, which represents the intervention needed. This discussion
may actually create the platform needed to offer support for the
individual. At some point and time we need to review our food
relationship, and by doing so real awareness and change may take
place. “Lifestyle” is a term in need of a reality check and we
need to examine what it exactly refers clearly and concisely. What is
a lifestyle choice? It represents an educated decision made by an
individual. Does one decide to have a drug addiction? No.
Let's work to lower the amount of blame
related to childhood obesity. This effort is a community based action
plan and the goal is to inspire the discussion to improve the health
of our children.

Please see and share across the planet.



New Writing Piece

Food Environmental Shift

There are countless childhood obesity action plans and many have integrity and dignity built in. There are several that continue to want to make the issue of childhood obesity simple. The issue is extremely complex and to label the obesity crisis as very basic , we miss the mark. However, children continue to get the message and that message is wrapped in bullying. It distorts the real environmental food issue and fails to reach the core component. Blaming and Lifestyle are the greatest barriers that continue to block the obesity conversation. Childhood obesity needs a full on investigation and I am calling for a national debate on obesity. The diet and exercise solution needs an overhaul and I think the Shared Accountability Model is ready for a challenge.

The weight loss industry continues to promise the magic solution and we keep measuring the individual. By all acounts I am a morbidly obese person, and each day I attempt to build a healthy balanced food relationship.I doubt I will become smarter ,or more attractive, if I drop a few pounds. Obesity is a by product and it has many factors. The failure rates on diets is about 95% , but who is the failure? The diets and exercise message needs an overhaul, and perhaps weight loss programs could become certified by a federal health agency.The messages related to weight loss claims are quite a stretch, otherwise we would only have a few programs and I dare say a lot less obesity.

I want to dedicate this paragraph to you, the reader. Together, we can inspire the conversation about childhood obesity.I want to invite you to send your feedback to this writer in a number of ways . Many have been using the Lake Superior page on Facebook, and I assure the feedback is most welcomed.My message is very basic ,and that includes acceptance, because obese children are not the enemy. They represent our future and bashing them needs to be challenged .We are feeding unhealthy food relationships in our young children,because they continue to be devalued. Obesity is a by product .

Here are a few ideas on childhood obesity. Restructure our grocery stores so that junk food is prominantly placed at the back of the store. We could see the removal of all candied items from the final sale till, thus creating Family Friendly food check outs.How bout supporting corner stores to provide affordable fresh produce for the consumer.Could we see lower priced fruits and vegetables?I would ask the giants of the food industry to take a seat and join this effort, afterall, these children are your customers. Is it possible to address junk food advertising directed at children under 18? Finally, any program that is long on funding , but short on integrity and dignity needs an overhaul. The issue of childhood obesity is gigantic, and I find it unacceptable to see this complex problem downloaded onto a child.I agree we have an activity crisis, and some of these heavily funded programs need to get moving on new ideas and new concepts.




The time for action is upon us and it must be created with Integrity and Dignity. The tired old activity failing model needs a partner and a cleansing. Bashing the obese child needs to be challenged and an open free flowing discussion could start the process.Childhood obesity is our crisis and ignorring it is a recipie for disaster to individuals and our health care system. Perhaps we can begin to unravel the complex double dealing messages that are routed in blame. Lifestyle and healthy active living , eating right are staples in the news today. The underbelly of this message of eating right is the implied belief of eating wrong. As a child of poverty I did not eat for taste, or texture. I ate because I was hungry ,and many children are filling up to stave off hunger pains. Our efforts need to be clear and concise and blaming with the lifestyle message needs to be challenged.

Your feedback is most welcomed.


Paul Murphy For
Lake Superior News

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