From Freedom to slavery (A health perspective)

From Freedom to Slavery

(a health perspective)

I was inspired to write this article by my fit-4-life professor Chris Ecklund.

He revealed to me in class the overwhelming statistics of Americans struggling with eating disorders.

I was a little skeptical at first, partly because he also stated earlier in the term that American’s are also the most obese people in the world.

How could America be leading the world in both chronic diseases from obesity and deaths as a result of eating disorders at the same time? It just didn’t seem to add up. So I did a little research. Surprisingly I found that Chris was speaking the truth. Statistics from Nationmaster.com confirmed that America was the most obese nation in the world struggling with the most eating disorders.

However, the question still remains, how? How is it that America is both the most obese nation in the world and the skinniest? Why do we lie at the two extremes and not somewhere in the middle?

In my opinion there are two key players: The media telling us how we should look like, and what we actually look like.

1. The media telling us how we should look like

Everyday we are flooded with messages and images that show us the way we should look and the products we should purchase in order to achieve this look.

The sad thing is, we buy into it. As a result, more adds are put up in order to increase profits.

More and more people become convinced that they don’t look good the way they are and need to change in order to appeal to society’s standard of beauty.

Whether this is biologically possible or not isn’t taken into consideration. Society (you and I) begins to discriminate against those who haven’t achieved that beauty standard labeling them as lazy, unhealthy ugly etc.

What’s worse is that these “Lazy, unhealthy ugly people” buy into this message as well and take even more drastic measures to be thin and “Healthy”.

2. What we actually look like

The messages society conveys over and over and over again aren’t true. All of us can’t look the way the celebrities do. Bottom line is, for many of us it is genetically impossible to look anything like the models. Yet most of society refuses this statement, and tries anyways, taking more and more dangerous methods of getting there.

Society says, “ You just need dedication and hard work to get there”

This maybe true, but is it true for everybody?

Biology tells us that there are three body types: endomorphs, mesomorphs and ectomorphs. Most of us are a combination of the three body types. I will go into some detail of the characteristics of each.

Endomorphs

People with a body similar to an endomorph, have a relatively slower metabolism and their body’s are more readily able to produce fat. Society tends to despise these types of individuals. They accuse endomorphs of lacking self-discipline and determination to appeal to society’s unrealistic expectations of how an individual should look. ‘

Mesomorphs

Mesomorphs have a Metabolism that is neither fast nor slow. These individuals seem to be able to control their weight. Muscle gain for a mesomorph doesn’t take too much effort; as a result many men tend to be jealous of this individual. Mesomorphic women have an easier time of loosing weight than endomorphs.

Ectomorphs

People who seem to be able to eat whatever they want, yet not gain a pound. Usually fall under the category of ectomorphs. Male ectomorphs aren’t happy by societies standards, because they are considered weak and unmanly. They struggle to make any serious muscle gains because of their high metabolism. However muscle gain is still possible, but wont ever be as great as a mesomorph’s or endomorphs full potential. Women however are extremely jealous of ectomorphs. Women ectomorphs are cherished by society.

It is sad to see how society criticizes some individuals and promotes the few. Many people as a result will either loose hope of achieving a healthy weight and eat and live an unhealthy lifestyle. Or take unhealthy measures in a desperate attempt to live at a more socially accepted body image. This leads exactly to what I’m not saying.

What I’m not saying

I’m not saying that because you may be an endomorph you might as well eat whatever you want because your situation is helpless. Just because you are at a genetic disadvantage to live at society’s standard’s of beauty doesn’t justify a lifestyle of gluttony and personal viands.

Research shows that it is possible for an endomorph to loose weight and an ectomorph to gain weight. You just wont ever reach society’s ridiculous standards of how a man and woman should look.

But beyond the research

Beyond society’s standards

There is another reason why you should care about your physical health.

A real reason

A reason that involves doing what you want in life when you want to. Where you can do the things you like to do without being restricted physically. This lifestyle can be described as freedom.

The real reason you should live a healthy lifestyle, is for freedom.

What good is a sexy thin body if you are too sick to enjoy life?

Too sick to enjoy romance, love, food, friends and family and adventure the very things the media says you will receive if you pay the price.

What good is an obese body if you can barely get out of bed? Or the day-to-day physical tasks are so overwhelming for you, where you can do little more at the end of the day.

This country was founded on the desire for freedom. Ironically we lead the world in obesity and eating disorders at the same time. We have become slaves to our bodies, which have robbed us of our freedom. This nation is choosing slavery over freedom more and more every day, and it’s killing us.