3443: Obese Isn't Always Lazy by Ross Enamait of Ross Training on Health Misconceptions

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[00:00:32] Obese Isn't Always Lazy by Ross Enamait of RossTraining.com And I'm Dr. Neal Malik reading you some of the most popular health and fitness blogs out there, with permission from the websites of course, and always with a bit of my commentary at the end. Now I feel like I've been talking a lot this week. My intros feel like they've been really long. So I'm gonna keep this intro nice and short. Let's get right to today's article as we optimize your life.

[00:01:00] Obese Isn't Always Lazy by Ross Enamait of RossTraining.com My last entry, where I talked about something called the obesity map, generated some heated email responses from many regulars on the site. The common reaction was that obesity was directly related to laziness. This hypothesis suggests that our world first became lazy and then obese.

[00:01:26] Thus, according to this theory, as the world shifts towards a more lethargic lifestyle, obesity gradually appears, spreads, and intensifies. This theory, however, is weak. Fat does not equal lazy. There are certainly obese individuals who may be classified as lazy, but there are many skinny individuals and normal weight individuals who may also be classified as lazy. There are also many hardworking adults who are obese.

[00:01:56] Contrary to popular opinion, there is not always a direct relationship between obesity and laziness. More often than not, several factors contribute to obesity. Laziness may or may not be present. Earlier in my life, I may not have recognized this fact. However, as a father, husband, and business owner, I can now understand how certain individuals get caught up in the game of life and slowly put health and fitness on the back burner.

[00:02:24] Clearly, I do not support such actions, but I do see how it could happen. For example, consider the parent who works all day and then has to come home to take care of the kids. This could be a mother or father who works all day. An infant will probably interrupt their parents' sleep in the middle of the night on top of everything else. Sleep is therefore limited, and before you know it, the alarm is ringing to start a new day.

[00:02:50] There's little time to exercise, so fitness is all but forgotten. When a parent in this situation becomes obese, it's not because they are lazy. On the contrary, these are hardworking, loving parents. Other priorities take precedence, and for good reason. In some cases, parents may not realize that they can get a quick, quality workout in the comfort of their home.

[00:03:13] For example, many folks, new parents or not, assume that a fully equipped gym is necessary in order to get in a good workout. The gym owner, who's trying to pay their own rent, will do their best to sell this story. They don't want you training at home. But when driving across town to the gym doesn't fit into the schedule, no other options may appear to exist. The result of that is inactivity. After all, what else can you do?

[00:03:43] Clearly, misinformation is a problem, but it is a problem worth fixing. Unfortunately, I often see fitness professionals who spend more time scrutinizing those that are obese, rather than offering simple solutions. Peruse a few fitness message boards, and you'll likely come across members who find it humorous to criticize those that are obese. Now let me get this straight. You need to already be in shape to receive any kind of support or assistance? That's ridiculous.

[00:04:12] What good comes out of criticizing someone who's different from you? No one is born with knowledge. Like it or not, but the fitness industry is loaded with garbage. How can you blame someone for being misinformed then? Look at all the ridiculous infomercials and ad copy that litter the web. It isn't easy to sort through the nonsense that exists within the industry. As far as where I'm going with this blog entry, I wish I knew.

[00:04:38] I suppose the real message is that if you know someone who is misinformed, and we all do, take a minute to explain some options. Most don't realize what can be accomplished in 20 or 30 minutes. You don't need a marathon session to improve physical fitness. Less can be more, if you put forth an honest effort. Make time for fitness. Otherwise, you will never find time. Wake up earlier or find a break within the day.

[00:05:05] I personally wake up at the crack of dawn while the rest of the world sleeps. I put in my own workout and then start the day running my business and training my athletes. If I didn't put in the early morning workout, I'd likely fly through the day without finding a break for exercise. Some days are non-stop with no time for myself. Now, laziness can be an issue for some people, but it's not always the cause of obesity. Again, those who are skinny or of normal weight are also lazy.

[00:05:33] So don't be so quick to judge those that are obese. Many are hardworking adults who do not know how to proceed. No one is perfect, and we've all made mistakes. I know that I've made plenty in my time. Fortunately, we can all learn from our mistakes and improve. Being obese isn't a death sentence, and it sure as hell doesn't give anyone the right to poke fun at the condition. If we all spent more time trying to understand, rather than cracking jokes, we'd all be better off.

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[00:08:33] I spent years conducting weight management classes for a very large well-known healthcare agency. One of the first things I would have my patients do in this class is write down areas in their life where they have been successful. Many of the folks in these classes were very successful business persons, teachers, artists, parents, caregivers, entrepreneurs, students, you name it.

[00:08:59] They just hadn't been successful at managing their weight yet. And that was the point I tried to make with them. I didn't want any of them to feel as though they were somehow less than just because they struggled with their weight. I wanted to make sure they knew they were capable of success. And in fact, remind them that they had already achieved many successes in their life. They may have just needed a little bit of help to get there. Maybe a little bit of extra knowledge.

[00:09:27] But I wanted to remind them that if they were successful in these other areas of their life, they were capable of being successful with their weight loss goals. So the takeaway was to remind them of their why, like we talked about on yesterday's episode, and remind them that there's nothing stopping them from being successful in their path to weight management too. Alright, that'll do it for today. I'll be back here tomorrow for our usual Friday Q&A.

[00:09:55] So stay tuned for that, where your optimal life awaits.