The Obesity Syndrom
Scientists, especially medical scientists, are too funny for words. Everyone has a theory, a hypothesis, an educated guess, and they have an odd propensity to adjust findings to somehow correlate to and corroborate what they assume to be true. And then, the proud announcement of their findings. And the headlines that ensue. The brief moment of fame. A taste of celebrity.
Aha, sure it is. And so is stupidity. Stick around stupid friends long enough and you soon discover there's no point wracking your brain, trying to be witty and informed, just not worth the bother. They're dull-witted, so you might as well fit right in, and be an integral, accepted part of the group. People do tend, after all, to wish to be inclusive and included.
Fat happens. Over-indulgence will do it. Lack of self control, of discipline, a propensity to greedy gobbling has that result. And familial situations where children are daily exposed to over-consumption sets the unfortunate stage. Along with living in a society where everyone wants to nibble constantly. The availability of junk foods, fat- and sugar-laden and nutrient deficient will help considerably. Sedentary habits another assist.
If one is grossly overweight, one tends to gather with people likewise blessed. Its a kind of wicked validation; all my friends are fat, so among them I'm not at all abnormal. Just about right, in fact. You are with friends who enjoy eating to excess, and feel comfortable in their presence. After all, you're all absorbed by the same need to consume, frequently and unwholesomely.
Your mother is fat, and she's your mother, so she's acceptable and normal. You become patterned through exposure while young, through expectations of what the family considers to be normal routines. Food is comforting, and so is family togetherness. A powerful bond. A familiar and normal-for-you patterning, the expected offshoot of which is the entire family is overweight and patterned to over-eat.
Yet these researchers, tracking 12,000 subjects over a 32-year span have come to the conclusion that obesity can spread through familiarity of contact, not necessarily proximity, but some arcane influence extracted through friendship and, ostensibly, the influence of affirmation. As one of the researchers put it: "this is about sharing ideas about what healthy behaviours are".
Is this a scientifically silly conceit? It's a novel presentation, at any rate. No fuss, no muss. No disappointments.
Mind over matter. No matter.
OBESITY IS CONTAGIOUS!
Aha, sure it is. And so is stupidity. Stick around stupid friends long enough and you soon discover there's no point wracking your brain, trying to be witty and informed, just not worth the bother. They're dull-witted, so you might as well fit right in, and be an integral, accepted part of the group. People do tend, after all, to wish to be inclusive and included.
Fat happens. Over-indulgence will do it. Lack of self control, of discipline, a propensity to greedy gobbling has that result. And familial situations where children are daily exposed to over-consumption sets the unfortunate stage. Along with living in a society where everyone wants to nibble constantly. The availability of junk foods, fat- and sugar-laden and nutrient deficient will help considerably. Sedentary habits another assist.
If one is grossly overweight, one tends to gather with people likewise blessed. Its a kind of wicked validation; all my friends are fat, so among them I'm not at all abnormal. Just about right, in fact. You are with friends who enjoy eating to excess, and feel comfortable in their presence. After all, you're all absorbed by the same need to consume, frequently and unwholesomely.
Your mother is fat, and she's your mother, so she's acceptable and normal. You become patterned through exposure while young, through expectations of what the family considers to be normal routines. Food is comforting, and so is family togetherness. A powerful bond. A familiar and normal-for-you patterning, the expected offshoot of which is the entire family is overweight and patterned to over-eat.
Yet these researchers, tracking 12,000 subjects over a 32-year span have come to the conclusion that obesity can spread through familiarity of contact, not necessarily proximity, but some arcane influence extracted through friendship and, ostensibly, the influence of affirmation. As one of the researchers put it: "this is about sharing ideas about what healthy behaviours are".
Is this a scientifically silly conceit? It's a novel presentation, at any rate. No fuss, no muss. No disappointments.
Mind over matter. No matter.
Labels: Environment, Life's Like That
posted by Pieface | 6:31 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home