Trailer provided by Video Detective
I was watching the A&E TV show “Heavy” on Netflix recently. Each episode shows two morbidly obese people trying to lose weight and drastically change their lifestyle over a six month period. They are aided in their journey by two trainers, a psychologist and a dietician.
Two things came to my mind when watching this show. The first is how terribly unfair it is that obese people (or food addicts as the show trainers call them) have to wear their addiction on their bodies for all the world to see. Every plate of onion rings, every bag of cookies, every extra biscuit. It obviously makes the morbidly obese a vulnerable target for ridicule and judgment. Other compulsions and addictions, like gambling, alcoholism, excessive rage, etc.. can be hidden away from public view.
The other thing I thought while watching this show was how dysfunctional our society is in terms of fostering people towards healthy eating. The dietician on “Heavy” takes the two food addicts on each episode to the grocery store and says things like, “Avoid eaating food in the inner aisles– of the store– the processed stuff. Shop the outer aisles. Also avoid eating at reastaurants where meals can have more than 3000 calories (2300 is a normal daily amount for most people.) We have gyms on pratically every street in America, but what passes for food at grocery stores is often just processed, food-like substances. Restaurants usually do what it takes to make food taste good, even if it means stathering butter on buns and meats with abandon. A person really has to work hard to eat healthy (and particularly not overeat) in our modern society.
Food addicts like the morbidly obese on “Heavy” face many obstacles if they want to keep the weight they lose off for good. Junk food is often cheaper than healthy food (obviously). Working out can get tedious. Food addicts often have deep emotional wounds they haven’t dealt with. Food is their source of comfort. Plus, they have enablers-friends and family who want to keep things as they are. Next time I see a morbidly obese person I will have more compassion and remind myself that many people have hidden addctions. I can just see it on the food addict.
– Natasha Spence
