09 January 2007

thriving on the genetic lottery

We thrive on image. To be truly beautiful according to today's social regulations is to be among the elite. Living in a fast food nation, those of us who haven't won the genetic lottery are at a severe loss. Each year millions of people resolve to lose weight as their New Year's resolution. In an ideal world, this resolution would be founded strictly upon the principles of living a healthier lifestyle but how many of us out there actually resolve to lose weight because we are truly concerned about diabetes and heart disease, the number one killer of Americans. We aren't making this resolution because we fear a heart attack, we make this resolution because we fear what society will think of us as our waist line continues to expand. In a day in age where image means everything, how do you survive when you find yourself in the shallow end of the gene pool?
To combat the increasing obesity prevalent at my company, our HR department has given the employees an incentive to shed those unwanted pounds and adopt a healthier lifestyle. They have deemed this their Biggest Loser competition. To date there are 70 out of 500 people signed up to particpate. I wonder how many are vowing to live healthy because they are truly concerned with their health. Granted 70 out of 500 people is not that many, especially when out of our office of 100 people there are probably 10 who could afford to bypass this program. Unless you have a metabolism that is incredibly overactive or amazing discipline, how can you not be overweight when it's cheaper to buy the burger, fries, and coke than a healthier alternative. Our nation has made it too easy for us to remain fat.
In olden times, a bit of extra weight was seen as healthy and beautiful whereas today you are seen as slovenly and sub-par. If you disagree, look at everything that caters to the thin. You can hardly shop in a mall store today unless you pass their "you must be this thin" to enter regulation. Television and radio bombard us with advertisements about weight loss programs, quick fix solutions with liposuction and surgeries, and discounted gym memberships. But why not combat the overwhelming over-sized portions in restaurants or artery clogging fast food? Why not combat the problem before it hits your waistline? Even when grocery shopping, you'll find it is far easier to purchase the tasteful, yet fattening, food items than the healthy alternatives. So we're not only making it easier to be fat, we're also making it cheaper.
With the pressure to be thin and beautiful squeezing down on us, you have to wonder: is it better to be a tad overweight but able to enjoy sensational food or thin and starving?