Tell me, please, because I really want to know: What is wrong with doing things the easy way?
I don’t mean cutting corners and doing a half-assed version of the proper thing, whatever it is. But we all know the idiom work smarter, not harder. If there’s a way that’s not only easy but ends with the same result, why not do it?
So, why is it that so many people are dismissive and judgmental about weight loss drugs?
To be clear, I’m not on one nor will I likely ever take one. But that’s not the point. I remember when murmurs began about potato chips that wouldn’t make us fat. The selling point was – all of the flavour and none of the fat. WHAT? The holy grail of snack foods!
The US government approved Olestra in 1996 and manufacturers immediately put it into their foods. I never did get to sample any of the miracle chips because it was a catastrophic failure. Consumers were literally pooping their pants and doubling over with cramps. Olestra stopped the body from absorbing any nutrients and shot the food product through people like missiles. The additive is still approved, but no one uses it anymore. In fact, Time Magazine named it one of the 50 Worst Inventions of All Time.
Olestra was a disaster but people are still looking for an easy way out of being hard on themselves. We do this with lots of things. The body is wired to seek pleasure and avoid pain. Dammit, life is short. I’d love to eat a peanut butter cup once in a while, even though it makes me gain three pounds. Some companies have gone with Maltitol, Olestra’s ugly cousin. It’s a sugar substitute that has Olestra-like qualities for some of us, my late Mom and I included. I avoid it at all costs and they put it in sugar-free versions of things I love, like Twizzlers. But the after effect is too big of a trade-off for a lower calorie treat.
They’re Still Working On It
Things have gotten better with Stevia and other plant-derived sugar substitutes. They’ve made life easier for those of us who live life sugar-free. But they’re not the panacea anyone with a weight problem has been hoping for.
And let’s linger there for a moment. Like everything about human health, science’s understanding about obesity and weight has evolved in recent decades. When I was a teen, Cosmo magazine told me I wasn’t trying hard enough. I was almost 60 years old before I ate a buffet meal I really wanted. Oh, sometimes when I was drinking I ate what I liked, but that was a long time ago. Mostly, I followed strict food rules I’d made up for myself. If I veered from them even slightly, I’d feel horribly depressed. Thanks, Cosmo, Weight Watchers, high school boys and my own warped self-esteem.
What if there was a quick way to go through years of therapy? Or take the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind “easy” route to forgetting a painful breakup? We probably wouldn’t always take the easy way. But if we picked and chose which ones to take, I’d pick weight loss every time.
Living the Lie
Supermodel Carre Otis came clean about her lifestyle years ago. She simply didn’t eat. The woman lived on coffee and cigarettes to the point that she developed actual holes in her heart from malnutrition. She starved herself for twenty years because of industry pressure. When asked, she’d say she ate “steamed fish and vegetables” and other bullshit.
Maybe other supermodels DO eat steamed fish and vegetables and stay healthy. But all women are not the same. And that’s the main point about weight and size and body image. It’s destructive and plain stupid to punish oneself for food choices. Some people will translate that as, “she’s saying be as fat as you want and eat whatever you want!” No, she’s not. She’s saying that it’s a psychological as well as a physical issue.
Trimming the Hips and the Brain
Ozempic and similar drugs are as close to a miracle as overweight folks can get. Used properly, and if the person doesn’t suffer side effects, they cause appetite reduction. As a spin-off, the patient stops thinking about food all the time. Yes, some of us have that type of brain wiring, for whatever reason. It’s been a huge relief for people who can afford it. (It can cost $3500 a month for some of these medications.)
Kathy Bates, Oprah, Jim Gaffigan and others have probably added years to their lives by losing weight this way. And they’re being criticized as “taking the easy way out.” What in the world is wrong with that? No, no, Ms. Bates, at 76 you should have started doing push-ups and running ten miles a day. After that, enjoy your lettuce leaf and asparagus spear on a bed of three rice grains. You’ll see results in 3-5 years!
What’s really going on here? Is it envy? Or is it that good things should only come to those who work hard or sacrifice for them? Take this incredibly stupid post from LinkedIn. I’ve seen this sentiment posted many times by math-challenged people:
If it comes to a person too easily, they’ll get lazy and take it for granted, right? That perception might be based on Kardashians and Trumps. But it just doesn’t track when it comes to weight loss drugs and the average human. Anyone who’s tried to lose weight already knows the hard way. Weight issues are lifelong struggle and they’re always on your mind. If there’s someone in this world who can take the easy way out of this lifestyle, I’m in their corner.
My Gracefully and Frankly podner Erin is reading a book that has me completely intrigued. The Anti-Diet. She tells me about it in this week’s episode (108). We’re all still looking for solutions! And I, for one, am tired of the whole mind-numbing culture around food, body image, clothing sizes and weight.