The biggest losers

THE REAL LOSERS

The saying that you can never be too rich or too thin is often quoted as we strive towards physical perfection and material satisfaction. Gaining money and losing weight are seen as steps to a better life and happiness.

Society’s reaction to weight loss or monetary gain is interesting as there is hardly ever a genuine compliment given from a third party because of jealousy, selfishness or pride. I deal with  people who strive for weight loss on a daily basis and hear comments from others who think that they are being complimentary, but do not understand how to boost another person’s ego without belittling them.

My friend recently lost over ten kilograms and she looks great, but people comment on her methods and wonder how she lost so much weight because it cannot be “natural”. A good exercise programme with a balanced eating plan and self control could not possibly have such a positive effect in their critical view. I was listening to them speaking one day when they commented on the fact that my friend sniffs often and assumed that she was on cocaine which led to the drastic weight loss. Between giggles I mentioned that she suffers from sinus problems and the pollen levels were the only things that were high, but they still seemed sceptical. People also assume that the “loser” has a hidden agenda such as catching a boyfriend or improving appearances for another person when it is often a personal decision. When you commit to losing weight for yourself the goal becomes more tangible and achievable than when you are doing it for somebody else. Goals are not based on kilograms and centimetres, but on energy levels stress reduction and improved wellbeing.

People who make an effort to lose weight are very sensitive to comments about their body and do not appreciate people making uneducated guesses as to how they have shed the kilos. The change does not happen overnight and it is usually a slow, tedious process filled with temptation, cravings and mood swings.  The only immediate reaction is the realisation by people who have not seen you for a long time who are shocked by your appearance and wonder where the rest of your body went.

Scrutinising and adjusting eating habits has become a hot topic and dinner parties revolve around conversations about the content of our plate. Look at people in restaurants who enquire as to what the person at another table is eating and base their food choice on the aesthetics of the dish. A person who is obese is always watched and they generally tend to avoid eating in public due to fear of ridicule or embarrassment. Thus a psychological issue is formed in addition to the physical obesity. It is assumed that they eat more than the average person, but this is not always the case as activity and metabolic functioning plays a role in body composition. Ectomorphs are people with small bone structures who often eat more than larger people, but they are accused of having a tape worm or a fast metabolism.

The reality is that there are many people in third world countries who would die for the fast food that makes the first world countries obese and overweight. Comments about Ethiopeans sleeping in hose pipes and being faxed somewhere instead of catching a flight have been circulated and laughed about since the famine started. Being too thin leads to health problems such as bad circulation, brittle bones and nervous system imbalances.

Losing weight is not always a good thing. People with high metabolisms and active lifestyles tend to lose weight quickly and look gaunt and malnourished if they lose a few kilos. Stress causes many people to lose weight because any disruption to the human body’s functioning will have an effect in either increasing or decreasing appetite. During times of emotional stress we tend to lose weight and look good to the rest of the world while we feel terrible inside. Nobody looks past the physical improvement to notice the mood swings or energy slumps. There are many people who are sick with liver, pancreas and other metabolic problems that lose weight. After months of constantly losing weight, they finally discover that the reason for their slimmer figure is a serious sickeness that no amount of compliments can cure.

On a lighter note, the compliments do wonders for our self image, but the thought at the back of mind remains that if I lost the weight for no reason with minimal effort, it will come back for no good reason, along with my appetite.

The best compliments:

1. You’ve lost so much weight! You used to be quite large/podgy/flabby
2. Be careful that you are not anorexic.
3. Do you need some money for food?
4. Ethiopean jokes. Hose pipes for sleeping bags and travelling by fax instead of plane as cruel innuendos for losing weight.
5. Is that all you are eating?
6. How much more are you going to lose before you disappear? Just don’t turn sideways.

With this insight into the minds of ectomorphs and dieters, you must ask yourself who the real losers are when comments are made about weight loss and physical appearance.