A fat lot of good, only up to a point
THAT NEW year resolution to lose weight might not be necessary – it seems that plenty of us are happy just the way we are.
Another reason not to make that weight-loss resolution? Five out of six people who make that promise to themselves fail – and those who succeed may actually be shortening their life, international research shows.
Massey University lecturer Cat Pause said weight loss as a resolution was foolhardy.
‘‘We don’t know how to produce permanent, meaningful, weight loss – so why set yourself up for failure?’’
And being fat doesn’t equal an early grave. ‘‘Absolutely, someone may be fat and healthy and happy – all at the same time.’’
And it seems this concept is catching on.
When asked to rate their health, 9 out of 10 New Zealanders considered themselves in good to excellent shape, according to the Ministry of Health annual health survey.
So although the obesity rate climbed from 19 per cent to 28 per cent in the past 15 years, most New Zealanders still feel healthy.
And tipping the fat scale won’t actually shorten your life, according to a major study released last week.
Overweight and slightly obese people live longer than those of normal weight, a study from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed.
Fat activists are celebrating the research after years of reports into the fatal consequences of being overweight.
Pause, who is a fat studies researcher, is one of the increasing number of academics hitting out against fattism in society.
‘‘Weight is not a predictor of health, and we’ve had good science for more than a decade that demonstrates fat people are healthy people too.
‘‘Body size does not tell you someone’s health or behaviour – it only tells you your own level of fat prejudice.’’
And if that’s not reason enough to ditch the calorie counting, look at the failure statistics.
Five out of resolve to lose six people who weight fail, said Fight the Obesity Epidemic spokeswoman Robyn Toomath.
‘‘We just ignore the statistics: 85 per cent of people who lose weight will not have kept it off three years down the track.’’
She said it’s not that fat people are slack, hopeless and lazy – they’re fighting biological and genetic forces.
Although for those who severely obese, the news is so rosy.
The Ministry of Health says obesity is a major risk factor for heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer.
Severe obesity was still tied to an almost 30 per cent higher risk of death, according to the major US study.
Toomath said the Government must take responsibility to are not reduce these high-risk obesity rates, rather than blaming the individual.
About 1 million New Zealand adults are obese, and a further third of the population is over- weight, according to the ministry national health survey of 12,000 adults.