Dieting for Success

Whereas it is accepted that at times people will want to shed a bit of weight and will use certain safe methods to do so, there is a hard edge to the dieting industry that has grown sharper as the profits have increased and people have become more aware of the power to influence the buyers as well as the market. Now we talk of major corporations getting involved in the marketing and delivery of dieting plans and some people have actually been prosecuted for pretending to be qualified dieticians when they are not. Books are sold at an alarming rate and they are being bought by people who are either vulnerable or too stubborn to realize the type of danger that they are placing themselves in.

The society that we live in has placed an enormous burden on people to conform to weight stereotypes. Women in particular have been the victims of modern fashion magazines that literally order them to fall down to size zero. On the other hand we consider it a cardinal sin to put on weight and people are openly insulted on national television for not conforming to the ideal body size. There is no accounting for personal preference or cultural differences. The health ministry has been manipulated by the media into joining the crusade against fat people. They frame healthcare issues in such language that it directly or indirectly those who happen to have weight problems. What is even more frustrating is the fact that they do not seem to care who they hurt. The so called diet fascists feel that they are justified in their nefarious deeds.

Meanwhile vulnerable members of the community are exposed to what can only be described as anti fat propaganda. They are made to feel worthless because of their body size. These days the health ministry has even started making hideous threats to them that treatment will one day be withdrawn on the basis that their lifestyle led to an increase in healthcare costs. The callousness of the anti fat lobby knows no boundaries of compassion or decency. We then wonder why young people do not have confidence in themselves. Further we forget our role and wonder why they consistently underachieve in school. Those that make public policy look to punish fat people because they seem to be the minority in the country. As childhood obesity turns into adult obesity, no one takes the time to identify a support plan for the people affected.