<\/p>\n
Fat Shaming – Discrimination<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\nThe \u2018fat shaming\u2019 trend is simply another form of discrimination – of chastising those who look different from us. The talk of \u2018fat taxes\u2019 and \u2018extra-seat charges\u2019 on airplanes is all over the media. Nobody chooses to be overweight. Weight is entirely under hormonal control. Like growing taller – which will happen whether you like it or not. Excess weight is a hormonal disorder, just as short stature could be a result of growth hormone deficiency. <\/span><\/p>\nMany overweight people feel trapped in a body they cannot control. The last thing they need is fat shaming. If you have ever been involved in fat shaming, I want to highlight your ignorance about weight gain. You may have no idea what you are talking about.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Post-Truth Science<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\nWhen dietary guidelines were introduced in the UK and US in the 70s, fat was demonised as the cause of weight gain and heart disease. We were told to eat less (fat) and move more. The calorie theory took hold. Energy in vs energy out. It was a simple message; easily understood. Fat makes you fat and as long as you work-out enough, you will maintain your weight.<\/span><\/p>\nCalories are not created equal.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\nThis advice has been one of the greatest misconceptions in modern human history. Lies – in fact – bordering on downright fraud. The scientific data that influenced the dietary guidelines was manipulated to come to whatever conclusions suited the researchers. This era of post-truth science, unfortunately, exists to date. A calorie from fat has vastly different effects on our weight-regulating hormones than a calorie from sugar. This is undeniable. Calories are not equal.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Incredible Body<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\nOur bodies are exquisite. My fascination with the human body has persisted since my first anatomy class in Medical School. The body is the most complex chemical and mechanical factory in the world. What you see in the mirror is a product of hundreds of millions of years of evolution and adaptation, perfectly formed to learn, explore, innovate, reproduce and think. We are the most successful species. You only need to work in an acute hospital, as I did, to understand how remarkable our bodies are. How we heal and repair, how cells regenerate, how quickly women recover from the brutal effects of childbirth and how we learn to walk and talk after serious injuries.\u00a0 Being a doctor really brings home the extraordinary capabilities of the human body.<\/span><\/p>\nThe body is the most complex chemical and mechanical factory in the world.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\nNothing is left to chance. You do not decide when to breathe or how fast or slow your heart beats. You cannot choose not to shiver if you feel cold, or not to feel sexually excited when you see an attractive woman (or man). You don\u2019t get to opt out of sleeping. You will sleep, like it or not. Sleep deprivation is used as a form of torture, because sleeping is an absolutely necessary instinct, and you would die without it. Breathing, eating and keeping warm are essential to survival. As such, they must be under automatic control. New mothers will lactate at the mere thought or sight of their infant child. All our biochemical processes are hormonally controlled. And so is our weight. This must be understood.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Fat Shaming and The Calorie Theory<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\nBody weight is not under conscious control. Our body would not be stupid enough to leave something as important as energy intake and storage – essential for survival – to chance. We do not control our weight any more than we control our heart rates. How much fat we store is an automatic \u2018decision\u2019, under the influence of hormones.<\/span><\/p>\nAs a weight management doctor, one of the most frequent questions I get asked is, \u2018\u2019why am I the only one in my family who is fat, when we all eat the same things?\u2019\u2019<\/em>. Some people are more prone to weight gain than others, some are more responsive to exercise than others. Genetics loads the gun, but diet pulls the trigger. This alone throws the calorie theory<\/a> out the window. If a calorie is a calorie, why are some people \u2018exempt\u2019 from weight gain, if they are consuming the exact same food? When people go on 500 calorie diets, why do some lose more weight than others? <\/span><\/p>\nIf a calorie is indeed a calorie, everyone should lose exactly the same amount of weight. This never happens. Not even in a controlled environment, as was seen in the famous Minnesota Starvation Experiment. Zoe Harcombe, a celebrated obesity researcher, describes this experiment beautifully, in her blog<\/a><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
![\"FAT](\"http:\/\/insulean.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/FAT-SHAMING-INSULEAN.png\")
FAT SHAMING | INSULEAN<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
I looked after an obese client who ate, on average, 1000 calories a day and had done so for many years. Not exactly what I would consider gluttony. Would I disbelieve her? Would I tell her to exercise more? No and no. Exercise for weight loss is another shamefully propagated misconception. Nearly all Big Food companies tell us that their products e.g. soda, chocolate bars or sugary cereals, can be enjoyed \u2018\u2018as part of a healthy lifestyle\u2019\u2019. Some slimming clubs have reward snacks, that almost always consist of processed junk food, to \u2018enjoy\u2019 after a period of exercise. This is crazy<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\nIf you are being given the wrong information, how are you expected to make the right choices?<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\nTo ‘create’ energy, you either burn stored fat or burn available or stored glucose. If the point is burning fat (to lose weight), this will never happen if you keep consuming glucose, in the form of fruit or snacks. One gets the feeling that the blame is being deliberately diverted away from the utter crap they are selling – that is making us sick and fat – towards us. We are told that it is our<\/strong> responsibility to exercise to maintain weight, regardless of what rubbish we put in our bodies. I need not remind you that Big Food and many weight loss franchises are obligated to their shareholders, not to you. If you are being given the wrong information, how are you expected to make the right choices?<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Fat Shaming and Exercise<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Many overweight people feel trapped in a body they cannot control. The last thing they need is fat shaming. If you have ever been involved in fat shaming, I want to highlight your ignorance about weight gain. You may have no idea what you are talking about.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n When dietary guidelines were introduced in the UK and US in the 70s, fat was demonised as the cause of weight gain and heart disease. We were told to eat less (fat) and move more. The calorie theory took hold. Energy in vs energy out. It was a simple message; easily understood. Fat makes you fat and as long as you work-out enough, you will maintain your weight.<\/span><\/p>\n Calories are not created equal.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n This advice has been one of the greatest misconceptions in modern human history. Lies – in fact – bordering on downright fraud. The scientific data that influenced the dietary guidelines was manipulated to come to whatever conclusions suited the researchers. This era of post-truth science, unfortunately, exists to date. A calorie from fat has vastly different effects on our weight-regulating hormones than a calorie from sugar. This is undeniable. Calories are not equal.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Our bodies are exquisite. My fascination with the human body has persisted since my first anatomy class in Medical School. The body is the most complex chemical and mechanical factory in the world. What you see in the mirror is a product of hundreds of millions of years of evolution and adaptation, perfectly formed to learn, explore, innovate, reproduce and think. We are the most successful species. You only need to work in an acute hospital, as I did, to understand how remarkable our bodies are. How we heal and repair, how cells regenerate, how quickly women recover from the brutal effects of childbirth and how we learn to walk and talk after serious injuries.\u00a0 Being a doctor really brings home the extraordinary capabilities of the human body.<\/span><\/p>\n The body is the most complex chemical and mechanical factory in the world.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Nothing is left to chance. You do not decide when to breathe or how fast or slow your heart beats. You cannot choose not to shiver if you feel cold, or not to feel sexually excited when you see an attractive woman (or man). You don\u2019t get to opt out of sleeping. You will sleep, like it or not. Sleep deprivation is used as a form of torture, because sleeping is an absolutely necessary instinct, and you would die without it. Breathing, eating and keeping warm are essential to survival. As such, they must be under automatic control. New mothers will lactate at the mere thought or sight of their infant child. All our biochemical processes are hormonally controlled. And so is our weight. This must be understood.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Body weight is not under conscious control. Our body would not be stupid enough to leave something as important as energy intake and storage – essential for survival – to chance. We do not control our weight any more than we control our heart rates. How much fat we store is an automatic \u2018decision\u2019, under the influence of hormones.<\/span><\/p>\n As a weight management doctor, one of the most frequent questions I get asked is, \u2018\u2019why am I the only one in my family who is fat, when we all eat the same things?\u2019\u2019<\/em>. Some people are more prone to weight gain than others, some are more responsive to exercise than others. Genetics loads the gun, but diet pulls the trigger. This alone throws the calorie theory<\/a> out the window. If a calorie is a calorie, why are some people \u2018exempt\u2019 from weight gain, if they are consuming the exact same food? When people go on 500 calorie diets, why do some lose more weight than others? <\/span><\/p>\n If a calorie is indeed a calorie, everyone should lose exactly the same amount of weight. This never happens. Not even in a controlled environment, as was seen in the famous Minnesota Starvation Experiment. Zoe Harcombe, a celebrated obesity researcher, describes this experiment beautifully, in her blog<\/a><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n FAT SHAMING | INSULEAN<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n I looked after an obese client who ate, on average, 1000 calories a day and had done so for many years. Not exactly what I would consider gluttony. Would I disbelieve her? Would I tell her to exercise more? No and no. Exercise for weight loss is another shamefully propagated misconception. Nearly all Big Food companies tell us that their products e.g. soda, chocolate bars or sugary cereals, can be enjoyed \u2018\u2018as part of a healthy lifestyle\u2019\u2019. Some slimming clubs have reward snacks, that almost always consist of processed junk food, to \u2018enjoy\u2019 after a period of exercise. This is crazy<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n If you are being given the wrong information, how are you expected to make the right choices?<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n To ‘create’ energy, you either burn stored fat or burn available or stored glucose. If the point is burning fat (to lose weight), this will never happen if you keep consuming glucose, in the form of fruit or snacks. One gets the feeling that the blame is being deliberately diverted away from the utter crap they are selling – that is making us sick and fat – towards us. We are told that it is our<\/strong> responsibility to exercise to maintain weight, regardless of what rubbish we put in our bodies. I need not remind you that Big Food and many weight loss franchises are obligated to their shareholders, not to you. If you are being given the wrong information, how are you expected to make the right choices?<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\nPost-Truth Science<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Incredible Body<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Fat Shaming and The Calorie Theory<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Fat Shaming and Exercise<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n