All About that Bass! '

Hey guys,

So after a long eventful summer and Masters started two weeks ago I have finally had the time to sit down and write a  new piece. With the hope to be posting regularly again.

Summer is a happy-go-lucky time; festivals, holidays, nights out with friends and we always always have that summer anthem to take with us into winter. This year it was "All about that Bass" by Meghan Trainor. Shot to fame by its take home message of "loving your curves," "it doesn't matter what size you are," etc. etc.

Take a look yourself!

Here's the thing. I don't agree with the song at all! I can't! Which is annoying because it's seriously catchy (He says immediately questioning his masculinity)! But bear with me on this, I have taken much thought before writing this post as I am aware talking about women and weight/size is thin ice material.

And for me it's the tip of the iceberg when it comes to political correctness!

I honestly do get the attempt of the song writer when it's making these statements. I really do but their is a fine line when it comes to this kind of thing.

Before I go any further I want to make the following statements!

1. NO ONE SHOULD BE MADE TO FEEL INADEQUATE ABOUT THEIR SIZE/SHAPE!
2. NO ONE SHOULD BE BULLIED, MADE FUN OF OR ABUSED ABOUT THEIR SIZE/SHAPE!
3. JUST BECAUSE A PERSON IS OBESE DOESN'T MAKING THEM LESS OF A HUMAN!
4. IF SOMEONE IS OBESE IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU DONT INCLUDE THEM, INVITE THEM OR TALK TO THEM!
5. IF SOMEONE HAS EXTRA CURVES OR A BIG BUTT YOU DONT LAUGH AND POINT!

So over the past decade there has been a massive move toward political correctness, which I in part do agree with. But it has gotten to the stage were you literally do have to think before you speak or do, before you speak, or do! I think I can actually see society slowing down in front of me because people are stopping to think before they say anything!

"Hmm is it: 'I like your blonde hair, or, I like your fair hair,
or, I like you light hair, or, I like your hair....etc.

But what does this do with health & fitness?

Back to the song again.

The song is correct in principle but going about it's message entirely the wrong way. And we see it everywhere! We can't have generic mannequins now! We have plus sized mannequins. We don't have models anymore because they've been replaced by plus-sized models. We can't say someone is overweight or obese or fat or big or whatever the current PC term is.

It is an objective measure. If someone is has blonde hair, they are blonde. If someone is 6 foot 6 inches, they are tall (compared to the average.) If someone is 22 stone, they are very much obese. That is just how it is. 

In the latter stages of this decade of political correctness we have seen a massive push for the whole:

"love your curves"

"you go gurrrll"

or as the song says "go tell them skinny bitches that"

Hmm bit two faced there I think on that last one?

NOW LOOK BACK AT THE  STATEMENTS I MADE EARLIER! JUST REMIND YOURSELVES I SAID THAT AND I MEANT IT!

My annoyance is that these statements whilst giving out a positive message on one hand, is stabbing you in the back on the other!

These statements we see on shows like loose women and magazines and songs like "I love Bass" are standing up against fakeness and bully's which yes I am 100% behind!

BUT!!

They are advocating that it's ok, or, amazing, or even healthy to be a size 20 or size XXL. In fact they encourage you to embrace your curves, do nothing at all about them. Or as the song says again "don't worry about your size."

But we should worry!

In the EU 400,000 people have died in the last year because of the DIRECT link to obesity. This is not including the secondary link to obesity for diseases such as: diabetes, artherosclerosis, asthma. If we included all these, that 400, 000 would be in the millions, if not, 10's of millions. 

Is it ok now to be the size you are? 

The majority of us have gotten to the size we are through no fault but our own. We eat what we like, when we like. The fast paced, but equally lazy society we live is, is partly to blame for this, but the kebab shop doesn't physically rob you of your money then force feed you the food they have given you!

Instead what we should be doing is facing life with a real-world mentality. We need to address the problem. What we are doing now is asking the problem if it wants wallpaper or paint on the walls of its bedroom because its moving in permanently with you! 

We need to address the problem. That's what the professionals are for. Go and see a personal trainer or join a walking club. Don't have takeaways twice a week, read a nutritious recipe book and you'll find an abundance of healthy recipes.

We have to take responsibility for ourselves.

I finish this post by reinforcing the 5 statements above. Whether a person is a size 8 or a size 18 they are still a human being with feelings and a real life and they should be treated with the respect they deserve and no different from anyone else.

If you are obese don't hide behind statements made by songs like this. If you think there is a problem, talk to someone you can trust will give you an  honest answer, like a personal trainer or your doctor.

Address the problem now before its too late!

Thanks for reading!

Ethan

The Starvation Response

No one should ever eat like this....

Your body works like a factory, with many thousands of workers and departments all using different resources and producing many different products. Conventionally this factory (your body) runs on energy. Energy is a vital substance delivered everyday and without it, the factory could not run at an optimum level.

Your body...

Let's say for example the factory loses half of it's contracted energy. Production immediately will go down, customers lose faith with the company, workers become disgruntled and agitated. Work ethic and incentive collapses. Sure some customers get their ordered products but they're sub-optimal. Some areas of the factory have to shut and some people subsequently lose their jobs.

This is exactly what happens with us when we decide to drastically cut our food intake.

But...who can blame us. We got the size we are by overindulging in foods only ever meant for a once in a blue-moon treat. Logically, anyone would assume that to lose the same weight again, you would simply not eat as much? Oh if only it was so simple!!

If we turn back to our factory analogy; energy doesn't enter into the factory  and come out the other end as a product without undergoing other processes. In the same way when we take food into our bodies we don't immediately undergo the desired movement. Food undergoes a million different processes before the subsequent energy reaches the final goal. If we compare to the factory again and immediately cut our food intake in half and expect ourselves to perform at the same level. Yeah right! Like that'll happen. Instead, like the factory, certain parts of your body shut down, your can't perform to the same standard. At this stage you start to lose a few pounds and everything is going great!!

As usually in this industry people generally have unrealistic goals in that they want to 5 stone, have a six pack, a perfect ass and 0% bodyfat. So when they drastically cut out food they in some instances can lose 7lbs, maybe even a stone within a month...then....BANG. They hit a plateau! No more weight comes off. They become annoyed with themselves, depress themselves with negative thoughts and give up of leading a healthy lifestyle.

But why does this happen? 

To the factory....!

As we said earlier, if energy supplies are halved, the factory performs at a sub-optimal level (like us). But each time some energy is delivered it's stored specially so that it can be used when it's most important. 

This happens with our bodies as well. Our body thinks to itself "oh no i'm getting barely any food at the minute, look how poorly i'm performing." It then begins a procedure called the starvation response. Any food that touches your lips within this period is prioritised to head towards your fat stores! This is to enable your body to help spread out the energy consumed over a longer period. Your body will remain in this state for as long as you continue this 'sparrow-eating.' The ironic thing about eating like this is that most people end up in the long run putting on even more weight than usual as their body's metabolism has slowed down so much. In actual fact, some individuals who diet like this over many years can actually destroy their metabolism beyond repair. 

Eating like a sparrow if for sparrows!!

So in total an individual maybe loses 7-14lbs by dieting like this, they reach their goal for the desired event (usually a wedding, formal etc.) afterwards they eat as normal and put on 7-14lbs plus more! Restricting calories should never be your first step in trying to lose weight. Many, many other steps come before this should ever be considered. 

If anything is removed from someones diet, something healthy should immediately replace it.

Thanks for reading guys!

Ethan