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YOU DON'T HAVE TO FIND YOUR JOY THROUGH EXCESSIVE CALORIE CONSUMPTION
I've been thinking about this a lot... the body positivity message is that it's ok to be overweight, obese and even morbidly obese.
Indeed, they argue that these terms are completely fat phobic and steeped in patriarchal western norms.
I beg to differ.
In the same breath they are saying that it's ok to eat THOUSANDS of calories more than you actually need to survive.
Many of these people also are quite vocal about consumerism, capitalism and the environment.
I'm sure there's a contradiction there somewhere.
It's unpopular to say, but my opinion is that we don't actually need this grotesque excess consumption of calories.
It's a waste.
That eating way beyond your actual needs is not actually a noble pursuit. Nor is it "natural".
Certainly not more noble than the pursuit of getting fit, slim, lean and healthy .
Our idea of what is "normal" in terms of body composition in 2022 is totally out of whack.
With massive proportions of the western population being overweight or obese, we look around us and think this is "normal"
When you look at pre-industial populations in the modern era, men have around 14% body fat and women around 21%.
That's quite lean.
Mary Harrington says it best: “We’re living in the Rousseauean general will state of the sort of atomized savage roaming about in the civilization of abundance as if it’s a state of nature"
Many of the people who are arguing for obesity to be a norm are ALSO making claims that tracking calories isn't "normal" because cavemen didn't do it.
Again, I'm sure there's a contradiction there.
I'm NOT arguing that we should live like cavemen... I love my smartphone and 80 inch TV... but I also like tracking calories and watching my energy consumption... so I don't think I'm mixing messages too much
And I don't mean to shame people, honestly... I just think we need empathy AND accountability .
Compassion AND honesty.
They are not mutually exclusive .
If your main joy in life is eating far more than you need, you might need another hobby. It isn't this wonderful, noble pursuit that the body positivity crowd is making it out to be. You shouldn't feel shame about it either, but it might not be best for you and the world.
And that balance can sometimes feel restrictive when we're used to excess.
If you agree with me that being overweight and overeating actually aren't all it's cracked up to be, sign up for my free, no BS fat-loss course to find out how to do it in the least painful, most sensible way.