I’m becoming increasingly convinced they don’t. Every week there are new action groups popping up, revealing research or health experts alerting us to the growing burden of obesity.
They’re
constantly warning us all of the public heatlh epidemic about to erupt if we fail to
cut our craving for ‘junk’ food, hit the gym and shed pounds, sharpish.
Oh, I hear them; I hear them loud and clear.
But as a vegetarian in recovery from anorexia nervosa, a
self-confessed sucker for appearing to ‘eat healthily’ and a slave to calorie
counting, should I be the one listening? No, not really.
In fact I’m probably one of the last people they need to be
talking to, but are the people who need to quit the sugar addiction and make a Change for Life, or whatever,
ACTUALLY listening?
Like many in recovery from anorexia, I probably need to move
less, eat more, control less and increase my intake of Omegas (You know, the
‘good fats’ we need in our diets – I’d rather not ‘fat shame’ the good guys!)
I
need to step away from the nutritional information charts, put down the calorie
counter and ignore the traffic lights. But I listen, it’s hard not to. I listen, and then I usually
crack and take action.
My food shop then takes me twice as long, because I’ve
been alerted to the zillion grams of the sweet stuff in my fat-free yoghurt, so
I check them all for the lowest calories AND now sugar. Entire ranges of soups,
baked beans, fruit juices and cereal bars need checking and filtering thanks to the latest scare.
The updated super-food traffic lights are like colourful
alarm bells in my head, I bet you can guess my favourite colour? You got it,
green. But are the general population, and more specifically the overweight people
they’re trying to target, really reading them?
I try challenging myself to ‘junk food’ and the ‘XX CALORIES’ is in bold, screaming at me from the packaging. Then, alas, I’m lured back into promises of Healthy Living, Good
For You and ranges telling me to Love Life (and eat less).
But do other people still pick what they
fancy, you know, the ‘bad, naughty, hard stuff’, despite the red alert over bulging waistlines, while I’m left wandering the aisles in a
spin?
Do they consider the impact these
campaigns have on people with eating disorders? (which are also killing people and costing the NHS £billions) Do they assume we can just ‘zone out’ and
realise we shouldn’t listen? - Like we can switch off anorexia right?
NEWSFLASH; I can’t and your war on fat is making it harder.
Do they consider how these campaigns affect obese people
with disorders such as binge eating (BED)? – Like telling sufferers to cut the sugar addiction
is enough to overcome a mental illness?
I just wonder how much good these campaigns constantly telling people to lose weight, eat healthier, watch sugar, eat fresh and count calories, etc. actually do?
I just wonder how much good these campaigns constantly telling people to lose weight, eat healthier, watch sugar, eat fresh and count calories, etc. actually do?
Personally, I think they’re bad for MY health and mental health. What do you think?
*****
If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder and need help please get in touch with BEAT the UK's Eating Disorder's Charity, your GP or other Mental Health charities.
