Skip to main content

Wait....Weight!!!

Tis the season...Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Nutrisystems, Medifast, Eat this NOT that...oh goodness all of this is quite confusion.   According to NIH , "If you are overweight, you are not alone. Sixty-six percent of adults in the U.S. are overweight or obese.  Achieving a healthy weight can help you control your cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar. It might also help you prevent weight-related diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and some cancers." Interestingly, as obesity rises so is the rate of depression.  It is estimated that by 2020, depression will become the second largest cause of suffering -- next only to heart disease. So what is eating us?  Is it a stressful job, school, family conflict or is it something less tangible such as a sense of general dissatisfaction, disappointment, boredom?  Ask yourself do I consume food for comfort or for any other reason than hunger?  Do I eat excessive amounts?  

Something is "eating" Americans both young and old.  The trajectory of depression and obesity is trending upward at an alarming rate.  There are several pillars to wellness: physical health, mental health, financial health and spiritual health; yet the weight loss industry spends millions of dollars on physical health.

Every January, every other commercial attempts to sell us “health.” Marketers show smiling people testifying how they got “healthy” on product XYZ and how easy it was to lose weight.  What diet commercials fail to say in their 3 min clips is that in order to meet your goal;  you will need to be disciplined, hardworking and consistent.  You must have SMART Goals. They must be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-oriented. I don't believe that I have ever seen a commercial that mentions hard work, discipline and consistency. Have you? Mostly, I hear drink this potion or eat only this product XYZ and Taaadaaa...You will be fit and slim!!!!!

Did anyone stop to think that perhaps, the diet industry is making people depressed by misleading individuals?  Perhaps, the claims of quick, easy, long-lasting results in weight loss delude consumers into thinking that in 30 days they will miraculously have the “perfect” body.  Are weight loss commercials just perpetuating a myth that you can lose weight without effort and when people are not “successful” they return to former less than healthy habits? Perhaps, the delusion of quick results in anything, including weight loss, is contributing to the increase in depression. 

From time to time, it is good to examine what is  “eating” us.  We may need to take a few moments to think about what is bothering us or what is holding us back?  Is it a spiritual or emotional void?   Is it loneliness and disappointment?

Just think how different television would look if along with the annual barrage of dietary products; there were a few mental health public service announcements with people walking on a beach looking at a sunset and a voice over of a female stating:  “Wait! This is not about weight. This commercial is about wellness. If you feel overwhelmed, out of control or "out of sorts;" please see your mental health professional today This just may save your life.”




References

World Health Organization: Mental health: Depression [http://www.who.int/mental_health/management/depression/definition/en/index.html], retrieved on January 2012.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

You Define Success*****

Today I must admit was an extra-ordinary day. I had the opportunity to do something I had never done before. I completed 2 endurance events back to back. I participated in the Maryland Sprint duathlon on Saturday and Olympic Distance on Sunday. This consisted of 39 miles of cycling uphill and 10 miles of running in back to back within 24 hours.  For a few, this seemed like a walk in a park. See these events bring out the most talent athletes around. They look fast and have fancy bikes.   I signed up for this race because a buddy asked me to do so.  There I was. No fancy shoes. A bike that is 11 years old. No fancy outfit. NOTHING.  I just said to myself, " Oh well, you defined what you want to get out of this." Oh course, I was totally intimidated by all the racers.  I had not planned on doing this event.  The course is very tough.  I have not trained for much in the past few months, but exercise regularly for sanity.  All I could do is ...

Healthy Tips for the Night RN

Imagine yourself walking into a hospital cafeteria between 6am-7pm. Fresh fruits, vegetables, complex carbohydrates and proteins are available to patients, families, visitors and staff. Flashing signs decorate the café with slogans to remind customers to choose healthy options. By 6pm or 7pm, the café is closed.   The lights are dim and all is quiet. The hospital personnel dwindles to essential staff only.   Then here comes the night shift.   All the doctors, nurses and personnel, who keep the inter-workings of the hospital functioning, begin their “day.”   For night shift employees, their “day” begins at night.   As a night nurse, you arrive at 7pm prepared to care for patients and handle any emergencies that may arise until shift change at 7am.   Traditionally, the beginning of the shift is the busiest with night medication passes; preparing patients for surgery for the next day; conversing with family members prior to the end of v...

Rock n Roll:DC- Tired, Train, Trust-March 2016

After the long months of cold and over 30 inches of snow, I arrived at the Rock n Roll:DC half marathon.   It was a blast. I had been tired from working consecutive night shifts and this event was on a Saturday unlike other half marathons I have run in the past, except Baltimore.   I spent 2.5 hrs in traffic to pick up my packet on a Friday night .   Between the traffic, security and all the training to get to this event, I was simply exhausted.   Saturday was a brisk Spring day. I decided that I had done all I can to get me to the event healthy so I matters we'll have fun.   I did. I listened to the sites and sounds of the bands and cheers of the spectators. Around mile 5-7, I turned up the music in my iPod. I knew what lay ahead. A huge hill by the National Zoo was gonna trying to beat me down. I felt like an old car with a manual stick shift gear system and powered it down. I made it up the hill and conserved energy for the second...