Get your fat off.
It has recently been declared that New Zealand women’s biggest health issue is obesity, which now comes in ahead of well canvassed issues such as breast cancer and the affects of cigarette smoking.
The difficulty, that men in particular face, is that the subject is often seen as a taboo area of discussion between any woman and other men including her partner.
When a woman does seek an opinion, it is anticipated that her partner will lie rather than give an honest opinion.
“Do these pants make my bum look big?”
“No darling, you’ve put on weight again and that makes those pants look tight”.
That’s how the fight started.
The health issues are serious. Diabetes, heart attack and circulation problems are all life limiting diseases.
Recently I broached the subject with a friend, admittedly from behind the safety of technology and social media and suggested politely;
“You’re going someplace you don’t want to go and you need to address your health issues.”
Did that get me de-friended? Yes of course it did and it came with a two-word email as well. I doubt we will ever be friends again but hopefully one day the message will evade this emotional crutch that women cling to and reach her head.
If I had asked another question such as “Do you bother about regular mammograms?” I am quite sure she would have said, “Of course I do” without any consideration of launching a hostile response.
What exactly is a women’s place in life when it comes to her children and subsequent grandchildren and being available to them and in a good state of health. Are these familial relationships no longer of any consequence?
And even if they are not, is it fair to land the next generation with that unnecessary cost and the burden placed on our struggling health system, through the unregulated and excessive consumption of food?
What are we to do?
An awareness campaign perhaps: Women’s overweight awareness week. And that would raise the issue of what form the representative ribbon might take – white with a pink stripe perhaps.
The time has come for women to let go of their perceived right/need to be flattered about artificially contrived appearances that hide significant health problems under their glad rags – the truth is they hide nothing – just paint a pretty picture around it – but you would rather we carried on the pretence anyway.
Some might say only a brave man or a fool would call women out on this one but before you condemn me ask yourself the same question a teenager asked me recently.
“My mother is sitting at home eating herself to death. What do I do?”
Of course, most of us are eating ourselves to death. Listen to Dr Caldwell Esselstyn here.
Comment by blamemenforall — Thu 5th September 2013 @ 3:55 pm
Alan what is your email please? Need advice.
Comment by kumar — Thu 5th September 2013 @ 4:29 pm
@blamemenforall Thanks for that – interesting interview.
Comment by Downunder — Thu 5th September 2013 @ 6:05 pm
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/bay-of-plenty-times/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503343&objectid=11125298
An ugly side of women’s obesity has played out in court,
I wonder how the Teacher’s Disciplinary Tribunal will deal with this one – stealing medication from one of her pupils!
Comment by Downunder — Mon 16th September 2013 @ 2:29 pm
I had an interesting conversation today about a woman (here in NZ)who had an excess fat removal operation paid for by ACC because she was unable to have sex.
I have no reason to doubt the validity of the story; basically this married couple couldn’t achieve intercourse because of the women’s weight issues, so they gave her an operation to help them along.
Is this really an accident?
Comment by Downunder — Sun 6th October 2013 @ 4:56 pm
Unable to have sex because she’s too fat??? Or unable to attract guys?
Comment by haha haha — Sun 6th October 2013 @ 5:12 pm
This, I am told is a married couple.
Comment by Downunder — Sun 6th October 2013 @ 5:18 pm
Did she come into the relationship fat? No wait! He made her get fat!
Comment by Whole lotta rrrs — Sun 6th October 2013 @ 5:34 pm
Rachel Smalley calls New Zealand women ‘heifers and lardos’ on air – Stuff Entertainment – Then apologises for telling the truth.
Comment by Downunder — Wed 2nd April 2014 @ 7:44 am
..more like faux contrition; she has no regrets for what she said; only that she got caught saying it! So she’s now lost her “fan base” of child support paying men as well as a paddock full of heifers. Rachel Smalley; poster child for mad cow disease.
Comment by Bruce S — Wed 2nd April 2014 @ 9:51 am
Good for the economy though – it will be a cake-eating-in-despair day.
Comment by Downunder — Wed 2nd April 2014 @ 10:26 am