How do you feel about ‘The Biggest Loser’?
I do not watch this show on purpose as I find it very confronting, but it’s hard to avoid the adverts for it. Of course there are grossly obese people who have totally lost control of their lives and their eating, and, believe me, I am more than qualified to comment as an ex-fatty. But what troubles me is the indignity that the participants are put through in the name of reality television.
We all know, or at least suspect, that vigorous exercise is needed to peel off the weight, but is that any justification for exposing these poor people to the high risk of heart attack and crippling embarrassment? They will need counselling afterwards, but I believe they should have it before they embark on this obscenity of a show.
Self love is not best expressed by gobbling quantities of chips n chocolate! And it is a lack of self love that creates the problem in the first place. Not lack of money, not family habits, not lack of food information, not learned behaviour, just a pattern. The reward of looking good from not eating is simply not enough. Food is an expression of someone providing for us. Even if it is only the guy at the fast food outlet, unconsciously we are being given something we need.
Step back. What need? Clearly there will always be enough food in our society, unlike other countries. (It is not helpful for the starving millions in China for you to gorge your food and finish the plate)
How do you love yourself and make up for the various missing things in our lives? How do you sort out whether it was your mother and/or father who didn’t love you enough, or whether you have no satisfying job to go to? Maybe you’re trapped in a so-so marriage or other relationship. Maybe going to the fridge is easier than going for a walk. And does it matter which trigger has caused your self-destruction? The outcome is the same.
Overweight people have multiple factors at work and nothing is easy in this area. From the outside a couple of facts have to recognised:
- Stopping… eating… works. How do we know? Because all the lap bands, all the gastric by-passes, all the diet regimes and hunger strikes in the world all work the same way, i.e. less food is consumed, dramatically less food in most cases.
- Healthy food can still have too many calories/kilojoules. We are after less nutrition, not more.
- After the age of 50, wait for it girls, we only need one meal a day. We can afford to have a couple of low carb snacks but only one meal. Believe me.
The Maura McGill Theory is that there is no tribal survival value is giving valuable food to an older woman. Older men can still hunt. Young women can have more children, and children themselves have to eat to grow. But we old chicks have to recognise that we are supposed to sit at the back of the campfire and eat the scraps!
I know I’ve said some of this before but the Biggest Loser dramas on screen seem to me to make people, who are already suffering, into freak shows for the entertainment of the masses. Watching gross bellies wobbling in the surf, sweating in a gym, crying with shame and embarrassment, is truly obscene. God help them. How can their self esteem ever recover when they see themselves on screen? I already have trouble exposing my poor legs on the beach, but I would die with shame if I thought anyone would have it on YouTube for the rest of time.
How best to help this community-wide problem?
- Don’t make sugar and carbs into treats, either for yourself or your family, especially children.
- Have water first every time you reach for sugar. That will associate the fairly boring taste of water with the sugar/chocolate you eat afterwards.
- Even while the snack is on it’s way to your mouth, in your hand, say to yourself “I don’t eat chocolate/chips/whatever”. Gradually you will brainwash yourself, or self-hypnotise, and the result will be that your brain will win!
- Learn to walk for exercise. No handbag, no shopping, nothing on your mind, just enjoy the walk. Be present in the moment, as the new age-ers say. You never know who you might run into, or what you might notice; and if you are not by nature a walker, just start with 10 or 20 minutes to break yourself in gently. It is not a race, it’s pleasure we are looking for as a reward for change.
- Only weigh yourself naked, before breakfast (and after going to the toilet) but not every day. Once or twice a week is enough. We all have enough stress in our lives so there’s no point beating ourselves up as well as the outside world giving us a hard time.
And remember, everyone ages. Some do it well, some badly, but never lose your self respect even if your body shows the effect of time. Your soul is more important and yourself esteem will carry you through many a tough time.
Pray for those on the Biggest Loser!
Blessings
Maura