[Drlee]

I am sympathetic to people who are busy. I really am. I am busy. That said. (Long rambling post.)

The amount of exercise it takes to keep one fit is not that time consuming. Call it 5 hours a week of strenuous aerobic exercise. One hour five times or thereabouts. And there are endless excuses.

Tough love break.

I get that you want me to believe that the five, one hour sessions will be taken from "quality time" with your little tykes. I am calling bullshit. Get up an hour earlier three work days and on Saturday and Sunday. It is not pleasant to do that but if it helps you knock off 40 pounds over time that is worth it. How about taking them along if they are old enough? That IS quality time and you will be helping their health too. Especially if they are 'cute pudgy'. And they will come to like it. That is a lifelong gift of immeasurable value.

But I would say this about anyone; short, tall, skinny or fat. We ALL need at least this much exercise or more. It helps in too many ways to mention. The cardiovascular benefits are unquestionable. Stress relief. Stamina. Better sleep. Weight loss.

And one many people do not consider that has become important to me. An hour a day of personal time to just think. Meditate if you prefer, do brain work on my current book, pray and just look at the scenery. Anger management is, for me, way up there.

I walk very briskly every day for just under an hour before work. Get up, coffee, morning constitutional and off to walk. When I get back, the second cup of coffee at my desk. Life changing.

This is part of the "hard work" that is necessary for me, and many others, to keep the weight off. I work hard but part of that working hard is getting up a bit earlier to do this. I don't want to, I have to.

When I retired from the Army my personal physician admonished me. He said, "you are in great shape now. But if you only gain 2 pound a year, before you are 60 you will be obese. He was absolutely right. More than that and much much quicker than that as it turns out. I actually convinced myself that golf was exercise. And I blew up like a balloon.

At 52 I said 'enough' and got busy. Low fat diet, cut down on the snacks, no food three hours before bed and an hour a day on the treadmill going hard at it; steep and fast. The weight just melted off. And I felt better. And I could run circles around men half my age. So, of course, it was logical to add in some pushups. Roll out of bed and just pound out as many pushups and situps as I can do in two minutes each. Total investment in upper body strength? 5 min a day. Weights are better but I don't seem to be able to stick with them. And I can still run circles around my contemporaries. Just took my pulse as I write this with my feet up on my desk kicked back in my chair...62. Blood pressure stays down. Cholesterol perfect with the help of a minimum dose of statins. And I got the girl as it turns out. Right @Godstud ?

Yes I am bragging a bit. Sorry. None of this means anything to the younger of you but it damned sure will. So does my 6-8 hour a week minimum investment take time away from other stuff? Yes. Stuff like, sitting on my ass. Bothering my wife. Doing a hobby. Eating bad shit. Posting on POFO. But look at the 70 year olds around you. They are fucking old. Often quite decrepit. Belly children can shelter under. Can't lift a milk jug. Out of breath getting the mail. And the last time they had sex without a blue pill? Well. TMI. Sorry to put that picture in your heads but it will mean something to you someday. A lot actually. Oh yea. I almost forgot. Along came the pandemic and what would happen to old fat DrLee if he scored the virus. +

So my tough love is to say to people trim and heavy, you just have to do this or you will pay. You are your own most important creditor. Pay yourself first. Be calmer. Stronger. More alert. More capable. Be more attractive to your wife and more interested in her. Note I did not say be more attractive to the world. I said, "to your wife". Girlfriend, significant other if you prefer. Or dream lover if you want to think of it that way. Confidence is attractive. You have to trust me on this one. He/she will be very happy with your decision and will not begrudge you that 8 hours a week. In fact. As I got ready to go on my walk yesterday morning, Mrs. DrLee, slim and trim as she is, said, "can I come along?" Absolutely. Quality time.

Sunday after the clinic I was mentally and physically exhausted. Don't ask. Suffice it to say, not the best day in paradise. Sit down? Have a drink? Have a nap? All of the above. But first. One hour around the neighborhood just blowing off all of that angst and getting the machine primed again.

Ask Godstud and @MistyTiger . I will bet they agree. Start an exercise and careful diet program and at first it is hard. But pretty soon you genuinely miss it when you don't exercise. That is a pretty good place to get to.

[MistyTiger]

If something matters a lot to you, you make time for it. We all make time for friends in our busy lives. Why not make time during our weeks? A minimum of 3 days a week is fine. Some people wake up around 5 if not earlier to exercise and meditate or whatever you want to call it. They use those early hours to relax their minds and bodies which is very important. I rely on my composure to help me function during the day.

I either exercise in the morning or before lunch. I have to incorporate it into my schedule. I like the routine. It's more than a duty for me. It's a way to nurture myself. But also I want to keep building muscle and keeping the muscle tone I have. Once a person reaches 30, they then start losing half a pound of muscle each year. A few years ago I noticed some looseness so I knew I needed to change my routine. I know it's good for me just like eating my veggies.

[Agent Steel]

@Drlee You made a conscious effort to lose weight and it worked. Good for you.

My point is that there are some unfortunate people who make similar efforts but fail to lose weight. So for those people, we need to recognize that they are not at fault.

[Drlee]

@Agent Steel

@Drlee You made a conscious effort to lose weight and it worked. Good for you.

My point is that there are some unfortunate people who make similar efforts but fail to lose weight. So for those people, we need to recognize that they are not at fault.

I guess I just have to be blunt to make my point.

I agree with you. Some people who make efforts "similar" to mine do not lose weight. That is too bad for them. They are the unlucky who have to work harder to achieve similar results. Or do different things. But even if they do not lose weight, the exercise and diet changes will still help them to be healthier.

What you must understand is that these people are fairly rare. What is NOT rare are the people who do a little and that inconsistently, a lot for a short time then quit, or most of all do nothing at all.

I understand that you want this to be some kind of kindness tome. I have said, time and again, that we should not denigrate others because of their weight. But. If you are a parent and you allow your child to eat too much, of the wrong things, and sit at a computer without exercising all day, you are not doing your child a favor. You are, IMO, engaging in an act of neglect bordering on child abuse. If you have a brother or friend who could benefit from loving advice on how to get healthier, are you going to withhold your advise?

The obesity epidemic in the US and UK is a fairly recent phenomena. What changed was NOT genetics. What changed was how much food we eat, what kind of food we eat, and how much we exercise. It is time we deal with it.

Whenever I go to MacDonalds (my guilty pleasure) I am in the habit of ordering a "number 7" Two cheeseburgers, and fries with a drink. I specify medium, not large, and diet coke not regular coke. Bad as eating this fat bomb is, the act of ordering a diet coke rather than all the sugar and not "supersizing" my fries offers a considerable improvement over the alternative. To the tune of about 500 calories as a matter of fact. And that savings is about 1/4 of the calories I am supposed to eat on the average day. It is time we start making this clear to everyone from an early age. Not because the world will be prettier. Because many people will be healthier.

Does the term "Killing them with kindness" mean anything to you?

This is certainly job of doctors and many do not even touch on it other than to say, "and we need to lose a little weight" at the end of a physical. That is a shame and in my opinion professional misconduct.

[Agent Steel]

@Drlee Stress is a big factor that you aren't putting into the equation. People with very stressful lives have a much harder time losing weight because of the release of cortisol, the stress hormone. Thus, people could be following the same habits you are, and if you calculate it mathematically they ought to be getting the same results as you, but nevertheless they fail to achieve results.

And in failing to achieve results despite making the effort, it leads to frustration and in turn produces yet more stress. And higher levels of stress create an increase in appetite, and so these people will then turn to eating more junk food. So you can see, I hope, how many people suffer from this type of vicious cycle. I recognize this as a major problem and for that reason I deeply sympathize with what these people are going through and understand that it is not their fault for being unable to lose weight.

[Godstud]

People don't lose weight because stress makes them eat too much and they have no time for exercise. Talking about hormones and medical conditions are simply factors that allow weight gain to be easier. It does not make it an inevitability or something that you cannot avoid.

If you can't lose weight, it absolutely IS your fault. No one else is shoveling food into your mouth. If you don't get enough caloric intake you cannot gain weight.

Fat people are not victims of anything but lack of discipline, willpower, or whatever else you want to call it. It can very well be hard to lose weight, but the reality is that ANYONE can lose weight if they choose to do so. It's simply easier to eat what you want without thinking of what will happen.

I am not fat shaming. I am pointing out the reality.

[Drlee]

@Drlee Stress is a big factor that you aren't putting into the equation. People with very stressful lives have a much harder time losing weight because of the release of cortisol, the stress hormone. Thus, people could be following the same habits you are, and if you calculate it mathematically they ought to be getting the same results as you, but nevertheless they fail to achieve results.

And in failing to achieve results despite making the effort, it leads to frustration and in turn produces yet more stress. And higher levels of stress create an increase in appetite, and so these people will then turn to eating more junk food. So you can see, I hope, how many people suffer from this type of vicious cycle. I recognize this as a major problem and for that reason I deeply sympathize with what these people are going through and understand that it is not their fault for being unable to lose weight.

Yes but, ah... no. Godstud is correct.

Sadly there are all kinds of fitness "gurus" who are grabbing onto sketchy science to try and sell product. Here is what you may want to consider.

Persistently high cortisol levels can encourage overeating. But we are not talking about some single father who works two jobs level of stress. We are talking about chronic elevated cortisol such as occurs in Cushing's syndrome. This is a very distinctive disease and few doctors could miss it. It does not actually look much like garden variety obesity. The very few studies that correlate stress with overeating frequently do not point to cortisol as much as inappropriate coping mechanisms.

The evidence is pretty clear when we are talking a pituitary tumor or an ACTH-secreting tumor, but far less clear when we are talking everyday stress. Studies show that people today express being under more stress than they were 20 years ago. But are they? Most people believe they highly stressed. About 50% believe that stress is hurting them. 80% of Gen Z folks say they are in stress about the future. But this kind of stress and consistently elevated cortisol? To big a reach given today's evidence.

I don't know how to make this point. Godstud and I have tried but people simply ignore it. One more time in all caps to make the point:

IT IS TRUE THAT SOME PEOPLE HAVE TROUBLE LOSING OR EVEN CONTROLLING THEIR WEIGHT. FULL STOP. EVERYONE GET THAT. WE DON'T DISAGREE.

BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, SOME PEOPLE HAVE IT EASIER THAN OTHERS. STUDIES ABOUT CORTISOL IN PEOPLE UNDER AVERAGE DAY TO DAY STRESS MAY GIVE US SOME PUBLIC HEALTH QUES. BUT WEIGHT LOSS AND GAIN ARE INDIVIDUAL THINGS. GAINING AND LOSING WEIGHT ARE DONE ONE PERSON AT A TIME. SOME PEOPLE. SADLY. HAVE TO WORK HARDER THAN OTHERS AT BOTH GAINING AND LOSING WEIGHT THAN OTHERS DO.

If I told you I was overweight and needed to lose weight you are doing me no favors by telling me that my efforts may not work because I may have high cortisol levels. That you may be wrong is a pretty good reason not to say that. Another reason is that you are discouraging me from trying. Yes. I may have to run twice as far as you to keep the weight off. If that is the case, sucks to be me. But the fact remains that I probably ought to do it anyway.

NOTE: The clinical signs of Cushing's Syndrome / chronically high cortisol levels are fairly rare and fairly easy for a doctor to spot. There are distinctive signs. Everyone who is experiencing weight gain and/or who wants to lose weight should probably consult their physician especially if they are obese. There are any number of reasons to do this, cortisol levels being pretty low on the list.

[Agent Steel]

If you can't lose weight, it absolutely IS your fault.

This is the problematic attitude I am talking about. And this statement is most certainly fat shaming.

While I have never had a weight problem, I have had mental illness in the form of depression and anxiety. As a victim of depression, I know that not only is it NOT my fault, but, in fact I have seen my own efforts to fight my depression backfire and actually worsen the depression due to a flawed chemistry within my brain.

People with an obesity problem suffer from a similar type of flaw in brain chemistry as do people suffering with depression, in that, as I explained, the very efforts they employ to fight the disease can actually result in a worsening of the disease. It is truly a tragic set of circumstances and we MUST educate ourselves about it if we really are to solve the problem.

I would agree that such people are rare, BUT, being a victim of a rare set of unfortunate circumstances is exactly why common attitudes about weight loss are so harmful and offensive to these people. Being in a minority group is what makes them more oppressed by the masses. And for them it is very frustrating hearing ignorance and lack of compassion about their struggle.

[tomskunk]

I am with Agent Steel on this one. I mean you know hey, people suffering from obesity must still do their best given their specific set of circumstances. Obesity is not a crutch to not go about and fight obesity in a smart and educated way. But on the same token, just don't expect everybody to be skinny or physical fitness nuts. Not everybody has the time and resources to be Arnold Swartzneggar or Christie Brinkley. People really need to learn to look beyond the cover of a book and judge a book by its soul rather than its cover. People need to understand that others are much more than just a number on a scale.

But again, that doesn't mean one should not make attempts to try to take care of their health. But people need to stop expecting everybody to be some sort of ideal skinny body image because that's just not real life. People need to truly understand the value of kindness and compassion and a little bit of selfless service too. It's also important for people to learn to judge others more on their substance than merely their appearance. This is all common knowledge wisdom that is still relevant today. The world of appearances is easy to be taken in by, but it's fake, shallow, lacks true substance, and truth in my opinion. But despite this being common knowledge wisdom, all too often, people today ignore it and prefer the fake, shallow world of appearances.

[Godstud]

This is the problematic attitude I am talking about. And this statement is most certainly fat shaming.

How is it fat shaming? It's true. You are the one feeding yourself food. You have control of what you eat. That's FACT.

Nobody here has said it isn't HARD to lose weight, or to control your weight. If you haven't a weight problem, then you are partly lucky, probably young, and eating relatively well. Diet is a choice, however, and we can't forget that. We can do so without calling names or making people feel bad about their weight. Positive reinforcement works far better than negative reinforcement.

I was fat. I changed only by getting control of my diet. No one else could do that for me. It was a personal choice. People calling me fat wasn't what spurred me on(although I didn't like that, either, it tended to come from other fat people so it had less impact). I had to find other reasons. Other people had no control of my diet. We have CHOICE.

I had to stop drinking beer. I had to change my diet. I had to eat healthier, and less. It worked, of course. It can't fail if you do it, but then you have to maintain a level forever, or it just comes back. That's the problem most people have...keeping the fat off. I still struggle with it.

It's true that we don't need the epitome of Hollywood stars or run-way models to be our role models, but there's millions of others who can be. You don't need to be Arnold Schwarzenegger to look good. We can find the people who have had the same struggle and use THEM as examples. Nothing is stopping this from happening, of course.

At the same time, we SHOULD idolize people like Schwarzenegger, if only for the extreme amount of personal discipline, training, and hard work he did so that he COULD look like that. Getting to look really good, takes effort. It doesn't just happen.

A model is just someone who eats very little and is young. Nothing to admire there. No work being done.

You can dismiss the "world of appearances", but appearances do matter very much for human beings. It's how we display our level of health, self discipline, confidence, attractiveness, and many other attributes, to the people around us. A person, even if not traditionally handsome, can still be attractive if they are healthy and fit. They look younger(most people guess my age to 10-15 years younger than I am now).

The differences in attitudes of people I interact with has changed since I lost 60lb of fat and gained 30 lb of muscle. I notice it on a daily basis. It's what helps me keep working at my diet and fitness level. I feel better. I move better. I look better.

I recommend everyone get their diet on track and encourage people to get walking, running, hit the gym, etc.

So how is that fat shaming?

Some facts(not scientific but merely from experience and observation):
Fat people look less attractive.
They have poorer balance.
They have far more health problems.
The look lazy and slovenly(even if they aren't).
They often don't feel good.
The look older.
They cannot move well.
They have slower reflexes..
Clothing is harder to buy and looks bad on them. Fat people aren't the same proportions as non-fat people.

I am sure there are more that I am not thinking of(I could probably think of more...), but facing the reality is something we should be doing.

Fat shaming should not be done. At the same time, fat "embracing" should absolutely NOT be done! Acceptance of being fat isn't doing people any favours and it's just an attempt to avoid the reality. Being obese(not just a little overweight) is extremely unhealthy and the their life expectancy is far lower.

You can claim "I love to be fat", and if that's true, then good for you. If you think it's going to change how the rest of the people view you, or make your health better, than you're just deluding yourself.

[Unthinking Majority]

People with an obesity problem suffer from a similar type of flaw in brain chemistry as do people suffering with depression, in that, as I explained, the very efforts they employ to fight the disease can actually result in a worsening of the disease. It is truly a tragic set of circumstances and we MUST educate ourselves about it if we really are to solve the problem.

I would agree that such people are rare, BUT, being a victim of a rare set of unfortunate circumstances is exactly why common attitudes about weight loss are so harmful and offensive to these people. Being in a minority group is what makes them more oppressed by the masses. And for them it is very frustrating hearing ignorance and lack of compassion about their struggle.

People get fat or obese because they put more calories in their mouths than they burn.

I don't have many vices. Bad food is one of my biggest vices. It's all my fault. People are responsible for their own actions. Nobody forces bad food down my throat. Some people have food addiction because they have emotional problems. I mean ok, but just like an alcoholic we can have some compassion but they also can do something about it and get help, treating them as a victim doesn't solve anything.

Clinical depression is far more complex than eating too much food. The cure for eating too many calories is to not eat too many calories. Delaying gratification and avoiding unhealthy temptations is a key part of being a responsible adult.

[Agent Steel]

@Godstud You don't have to take my word for it. There are academic articles that have come to the conclusion that obesity is not a choice.

According to the British Psychological Society, "obesity is not simply down to an individual's lack of willpower".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7047244.stm

[tomskunk]

@Agent Steel

See, part of the problem is that we have a business-managed government instead of government-managed private businesses. The food industry will use money and lobbying to prevent good policies from being passed to combat obesity. For example, we have a very demanding work lifestyle that leaves little time for exercise.

There needs to be regulation of schools, universities, and private businesses to ensure that students and workers get the time they need to exercise. You also need to have time for yourself. So, it all comes down to striking the right work, healthy lifestyle balance.

A part of a healthy lifestyle is having a little time for yourself AND time to exercise. However, in order to achieve that, workers need to have a voice in the workplace which they currently do not have. Moreover, the food industry might need to be regulated more to ensure healthier food is available.

This, of course, could increase food costs though. So, in this case, we need workers to be better paid like they used to be properly paid back in the 60s and 70s during @Drlee's younger years, so that they can actually afford higher cost healthier food.

Otherwise, we are going to continue to have a problem with obsiety. Heck, even the U.S. military calls it a national security threat. Given that is the case, some sort of good public policy should be passed that will help to combat the epedemic.

[Godstud]

@Agent Steel Poppycock. The "study" is not even linked and it's an opinion piece.

It's just another bunch of idiots trying to make it seem as if we have no choice. You do. If you did not, then you'd be obese, and so would everyone else.

[Drlee]

@Godstud You don't have to take my word for it. There are academic articles that have come to the conclusion that obesity is not a choice.

According to the British Psychological Society, "obesity is not simply down to an individual's lack of willpower".

Nobody said it was "simply down to an individual's lack of willpower".

I wish you would just stop this shit. I get that you want to say that the individual has no blame in his/her obesity but that is just not true. Your report did not say that either as much as you want it to. What it, in fact said was:

Obesity, the authors concluded, was an inevitable consequence of a society in which energy-dense and cheap foods, labour-saving devices, motorised transport and sedentary work were rife.

So let's look at what she said in this sentence. If this is society's effect on me what can I do to counter it?

"energy-dense and cheap foods" = Watch what and how much I eat. Try to eat better to the extent I can. Vote with my money when visiting restaurants and food stores.

"labour-saving devices" Get off my dead ass and walk for an hour.

"motorised transport" Get off my dead ass and walk for an hour.

"sedentary work" Get off my dead ass and walk for an hour.

And before someone starts making excuses. If I have one leg, lift weights or use a rowing machine. If I am bind, use a treadmill. If I have other health problems ask my doctor what I can do. But do something. And yes some people will have to work harder than I do and some won't have to work nearly as hard. That is life in all endeavors worth doing.

From your report:

PREDICTIONS FOR 2050
The report predicts that if current trends continue:
60% of men, 50% of women, and 26% of children and young people will be obese
Cases of type 2 diabetes will rise by 70%
Cases of stroke will rise by 30%
Cases of coronary heart disease will rise by 20%

Dr Susan Jebb of the Medical Research Council said that in this environment, it was surprising that anyone was able to remain thin, and so the notion of obesity simply being a product of personal over-indulgence had to be abandoned for good.

Hyperbole. She is indulging in Hyperbole. It is NOT surprising at all that a great many people stay thin. They try to. Did this "doctor" miss the gyms on every corner? Did she miss the vegetable section in the grocery stores? Did she forget about light beer, nonfat milk, low sugar products, and diet books at every register in the market? Did she pass by the school and not see the kids who choose to engage in strenuous activities on the playground? Has she never met a parent who said, "No Johnny, you can't have 29 cookies." "Now Mary. Get off of the computer and get outdoors and exercise." "Hey kids, we are going for our family jog now." "Honey. Stop buying the sugary cereal and get the healthier kind." "Turn off the TV and go do something that requires you to move." "I am not driving you a mile away. It is a beautiful day. You can walk."

I, of all people, totally get the epidemiological data. Got it. There are macro solutions that can be tried. But public health solutions get a shit ton of push back. New York tried to ban 1000 calorie soft drinks and people where incensed. We put calorie counts on fast food menus. Some states banned them. Stupid right wingers called it "communism". Education programs have been tried only to be shouted down as "fat shaming" and condemned because..."body acceptance".

Look at this forum. Misty, Godstud and I were literally cursed out because we posited the horrible and unfeeling notion of personal responsibility for some of the solution. But personal responsibility is the single biggest goal and only real solution to this problem.

News Flash. Whether you are fat or thin as a rail, you should not go to Cheesecake factory and order the Pasta Napolatana. It will cost you: 2,310 calories, 79 grams of saturated fat and 4,370 milligrams of sodium. Throw a coke and a refill or a couple of beers on that and you just slammed 3000 calories. Then lets have a bit of desert. Add another 800 - 1000 calories and you just ate two days worth of calories for the average person in one meal. That is not a genetic thing. That is not about fat shaming. That is not about body image. It is all about a gluttony. Maybe gluttony fueled by ignorance but gluttony nonetheless. If you just ate this feast, I really don't want to hear a goddamn thing from you about your metabolism. And meals like this abound in the western world. Ban them? Fine by me. But I don't eat that shit. We don't have to ban them if we start to believe in personal responsibility again.

Fact from your article:

An obese person dies on average nine years earlier than somebody of normal weight, while a very obese person's life is cut short by an average of 13 years.

So what does it take to get someone on the personal responsibility bandwagon? And I will say it yet again. Some people will find it harder to lose weight or keep it off in the first place than others do. If this is you, sorry, sucks to be you. But. Even if that obese person can keep from getting into the very obese category they get the reward of another 4 years or more of life.

If this post seems unkind then I am not going to apologize. Love is sometimes tough. Facts are sometimes hard to hear. But here is one more thing. People who realize that some people need their help; moral or physical support, to lose weight are part of the solution. People who enable a fat person to feel fine ordering the above meal are not kind. They are harming the person they want us to believe they want to help.

Parents. I am looking at you. Habits and even the physiological desire for certain dangerous types of food start in the first two or three years of life. If you are feeding your kids Big Macs or french fries, or sugary cereal or....you are setting them up for a life of weight and consequently health problems. If you are too lazy or too busy to do something about it then you need to change your headspace. I would never fat-shame a 10 year old but I would really enjoy kicking his fat-assed parent's around the block. Child abuse is not pretty even with whip cream on top.

That clear enough for you?

[Agent Steel]

@Drlee I combined two different sources into one. The quote I took was from here, which is the same group of people:

https://metro.co.uk/2019/09/24/obesity- ... -10796447/

Also nearly the same statement from here:

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-49795808

[Rich]

The question I want to know is:

Is it right to call someone a fat pig and other insulting names, just because they're a politician, they're over weight and they dispute the result of an election?

[MistyTiger]

@Godstud You don't have to take my word for it. There are academic articles that have come to the conclusion that obesity is not a choice.

According to the British Psychological Society, "obesity is not simply down to an individual's lack of willpower".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7047244.stm

The article reads like an editorial or opinion piece. It is not a scholarly journal article.

Obesity is a choice. Why? Because people choose to keep up with lazy habits like not exercising every day and not reading food labels when buying "junk food". Since I read labels and learned what hydrogenated oil is I have greatly reduced the amount of chips and crackers that I eat in a year. While my co-workers and classmates are eating chips every week, I choose to eat chips two to three times a year. In life, we all have to make our choices. How I live is the harder way and I actually don't like curbing my appetite, but I'm in it for the long run...it's my investment in myself. I have a plan for myself.

I choose to walk on cold or rainy days while most people will huddle inside and call me crazy behind my back. Some have even laughed in my face, but I'm smiling inside (proud of myself for reducing my weight and maintaining stable muscle tone, no slouching or humpback for me). People laugh because they do not understand.

[Agent Steel]

@MistyTiger Do you think it's fair to compare obesity to depression? Do you also believe depression is a choice? I'm curious.

[MistyTiger]

@MistyTiger Do you think it's fair to compare obesity to depression? Do you also believe depression is a choice? I'm curious.

Depression can be a choice in how a person lives with depression. I actually suffered from depression, though would not say I'm completely cured of it. But you know what? I do not let depression run my life. I choose to smile and make my own jokes. I look for the bright spots in life. I enjoy watching birds flying in the sky or smelling the fragrant scent of freshly made coffee. I still have gloomy days and it's a struggle to brighten up, but I know I can raise myself up. I do not depend on other people to make me happy. I am in the driver seat. I need to be fully conscious. And my mood can affect those around me too.

Some people think that eating more will ease their depression. This is wrong. But I sometimes feel my mood brighten when I see a nice cake, but it's a split second brightening up. So I know that eating more is not the key to happiness. So depression is related to obesity. The fatter I got for instance or the more mean comments I heard about my body, the more depressed I got.