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While I believe it is usually their fault, I believe the simple lack of education on nutrition and how processed food is prepared could help a lot of people.
For instance yes it is their fault for getting addicted to many high processed high sugar foods, but they are designed to be addictive. That is NOT an excuse for overeating, but a reason to stop eating high processed, high sugar foods. Many things from candy to some bread are designed on purpose to "peak" quickly in the mouth and then dissipate, leaving the co, sumer wanting more quickly. Aka adictive!
As well, simply cooking your own food, has been shown to help people loose weight. This is due to the high number of chemicals many companies use to cook ready prepared food. And they are used in the cooking process so never appear on the label, at least here in the US, I don't know about other places.
I find many overweight people who are trying to loose weight (myself at one time) loose much more and are much more sucsessful at keeping it off, if they get off thier ass, start cooking for themselves, and eat more whole foods.
It is their fault, but it is easier than most think, not by cutting calories, but making a lifestyle change, that they can loose weight. So many people think to diet you need to cut the calories way back and starve yourself. This, in most cases is simply NOT true!
most cases, it is 110% the person's fucking fault why their body is the way it is.
keyword: most cases
Maybe in at most 5% of cases, it's not their fault and they gain weight or it's nearly impossible for their body to metabolize food intake normally due to medical conditions.
In the large majority though, I think people are overweight because of their own negligence. Laziness, seeking constant convenience with eating out at McDonald's on a daily basis and those large venti chocolate iced drinks from Starbucks versus making an effort to cook at home. Pair that with netflix, and you've got a perfect combination to put on loads of weight overnight. Sure, your life will be relaxing but I bet your life expectancy will go down by 5 years every month you maintain that sort of lifestyle.
I find it super irritating when I hang with friends after not seeing each other for a while and they greet me with a 'oh my god, you're so lucky to be so fit!' As if I had found a four leaf clover one day and magically got where I am. It takes work. Regular intense workouts, home-cooked meals, getting your greens, minimal eating out. We're all human. Being fit/skinny comes easy to no one aside from that 1-2% of people who can eat to their heart's desire and not put on a single pound.
It's a bit of both. For some people, there really isn't much they can do about it. For others, it is largely a lifestyle issue. For most, it's a bit of both.
A lot of obese people were raised as kids on a poor diet and have continued that lifestyle into adulthood. Some have tried to lose the weight but get frustrated and give up. Some never try. Some try and succeed but spend the rest of their lives working their asses off to keep the weight off.
Personally, I think it's not your or my business to concern ourselves with someone else's body, health and lifestyle. We don't know their individual struggle.
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It's their fault. They have control of what goes in to their own bodies, no one else is buying them the food and forcing it down them, they are choosing to eat that food, in often excessive amounts.
It annoys me that people in UK who are obese claim benefits, don't have to work and sometimes even get council houses when there are families, the elderly and genuinely disabled people who are in need of those services. I fear as time goes on, being obese is becoming more and more acceptable because some people are labelling it as "an illness and an addiction" almost making an excuse for it. No, it's a lifestyle choice. You and you alone made your body like that so as sad and as heartless as it sounds they should have to be prepared for the consequences and complications that arise.
I think that it's not quite so easy to say whether it's their fault or not. There's a lot of different factors that make up why someone is obese, such as, like you pointed out, thyroid issues, but also things like mental and other forms of physical illness, upbringing, social class, etc.
I used to give overweight people the benefit of the doubt, but every time, I've found out it's because they do no exercise and eat terribly and a huge amount more than the average person, yet they deny it. Sometimes they genuinely believe that everyone eats the same amount as them but when it's pointed out, they still don't accept it.
My friend has gained a lot of weight (though I'm helping her lose it). I went to hers before and she had two big share packs of chocolates and two big share packs of crisps and she ate most of them herself. Not even my whole family would eat that when we're watching a movie but she was eating that for the hell of it. I pointed that out to her and now she's eating healthier and exercising three times a week.
My overweight friend talks about food like he's in love with it. He has a different relationship with food than your average Joe.
I do blame the person.
It's usually their fault, though they often don't know it. A recent study showed that obese people greatly under report the amount of calories they eat. This is the main reason why unmonitored diets don't work. People underreport their calorie intake.
I was overweight for years, and I blamed it on all sorts of stuff. Eventually, I convinced myself that what I needed was self discipline. Sure enough, lost 30 pounds on weight watchers and kept them off. And I'm much happier now, not living in denial.
Generally speaking it's their fault.
I'm no different.
People here know bits of my story. I went through something very traumatic 2 years ago... I struggled to cope. I filled my life with distractions, but having 3 jobs made me very ill. I couldn't do anything. And then I got to the point I sought help to be denied it for half a year.
Yes gaining weight is my fault. I should have gone to the gym and battled my medication side effect. But at the same time I couldn't breathe.
I imagine I'm not alone but that doesn't mean I'm guilt free and I don't pretend to be.
Technically, it is their fault simply because no one force fed them, they make the conscious decision to eat excessively and exercise little. But it's not as simple as just them being greedy and lazy, as many people believe. There are many causal reasons for obesity, such as poor self-esteem, being bullied or losing a loved one can lead people to comfort eat and become overweight. So there is a mental aspect behind it in many cases.
However for the most part, being obese is a sign of a lack of self-control regarding food, and the higher availablity of fatty, sugary and salty foods (which many people find very addictive), which makes controlling weight gain much more difficult in the modern age.
If you do NOT have a medical problem that is causing you to have weight issues than it is indeed your fault that you are fat. I have been battling depression since I was 13 years old and I have seen a lot of people use depression as an excuse for their weight issues. I'm sorry but no. I am 118 pounds even while battling depression myself. People are all like "Oh my god I'm so depressed cause I'm fat. I think I'm just gonna go order a pizza, Chinese food and have a whole box of twinkies before it gets delivered." Like no... You have a choice and you chose to be fat and gross. I'm not taking about the people with some chunk because trust me, I like myself a chunky guy. But the morbidly obese people who use every excuse they can find about why they are fat, WITHOUT A MEDICAL CONDITION, are the people who disgust me. Its your fault your fat.
Sometimes, someone genuinely has an issue that prevents them from losing weight.
The vast, vast, vast majority however, simply don't eat right, and far more importantly, don't get enough exercise.
They diet for a few weeks, maybe work out for a month, don't see instant results and so they assume it isn't working.
It takes time, and it takes effort, and MOST importantly, it requires acceptance. Acceptance that this is now a permanent way of life for you. You can never go back to the way you were before.
People think they can just diet and lose some pounds or work out a bit and then go back to daily netflix binges instead. You can't. If you want to lose weight and look good, the way you live your life has to change forever. That's the hurdle most people can't overcome.
I do think that there are some that let themselves get that way. However, volunteering at a hospital, I saw some people with genetic disabilities and conditions that made it extremely difficult to lose weight. They did diet and exercise, but because of their condition it was impossible almost for them to keep it off. Sometimes medication would also make a person gain weight. Like you say there is the thyroid, but there's also PCOS, and other conditions.
The majority that I saw had legit medical conditions, and did not make themselves fat. So I can't say I think majority do it to themselves. I think some do, and some can't help it.
It's 100% their fault. Thyroid problems, medications, mental illness etc. can add a little weight, around 5kg usually, but they do NOT make a person obese.
A person's weight is their responsibility. If they're overweight, they caused it. Anyone can lose weight. They simply choose not to.
Not everyone who is fat has a medical issue. I don't like polls like this because I'm not fat I'm not overweight but it just stirs up trouble. I don't like people who blame genetics on their weight. I'm pretty sure there are people who have a medical problem and they don't like other far people lying and saying they have a medical issue. I also don't like when fat people think that a fat person can be healthy. A healthy person is at their ideal weight for their height, being fat is not at your ideal weight
When my Aunt was alive... She had a very serious and rare illness that caused her to be very overweight. It didn't really matter what her diet was like... She was far too weak to do anything about it either... She also had cancer.
Some illnesses and diseases cause problems for people, this can lead to weight problems.
I think studies have already proven that about 95% of obesity cases only are the size they are because of a horrendous diet and 0 exercise, it's just that most overweight or obese people don't like to admit that because it's easier to say "I can't help being fat" :P
My sister was born 10lbs and some ounces. She was always "big" compared to other kids her age; taller, fuller, and heavier without really looking all that big. Now at 28, she's obese, and considering gastric sleeve. She's ways been a picky eater and obsessed with healthy foods. Her mother was obese too. (we're adopted). I've never really taken care of myself and I'm slimmer and look younger.
Of course it's their own fault. Everyone has a choice. Fat people just choose to be fat (even though they might not want to be it), but HEY! They can just CHOOSE to do something about it and stop being fucking fat as fucking fat (like cartman).
(Except if it's as illness. But even if that's the case, there's still SOMETHING to do about it).
I think it depends. If it's a medical conditions that's causing it and/or genetics then it's not their fault.
However, if it's the fact that they're eating junk food and sitting on the couch all day long, every day and then complaining about having trouble losing fat then obviously they're at fault.
It's their fault in most cases.
How do I know?
Because gastric reduction surgery WORKS.
How does it work?
By making it almost impossible to eat much.
What happens? People lose weight.
What does that tell you?
That in 99% of the cases there is no "gland problem" there is an eating too much problem.
You're correct that the 'oh but it could be for medical reasons' excuse is trotted out all the time to cover the extremely small percentage of overweight people who have that excuse.
Lifestyle (including sedentary work environments), income, lack of cooking skill and laziness/apathy are all major contributing factors.
Most people are fat because of their diet and lack of excersise. Fat people always make excuses for their size. My cousin is obese she uses the " thyroid" excuse. Yet, she deep frys all of her food and eats a hig fat and high sugar diet. Fat people seem to be in denial.
So it is fat peoples fault as to why they are fat
i WAS OBESE AT THE AGE OF 12 - 15 YEARS AND IT WAS not necessarily my fault because I was on Anti deprresant meds For being depressed but at the same time I was depressed for being fat and the meds only kep making me gain weight... So yea It was a cycle of bullshit in my life but yea I lost the weight after wards I was 232 pounds now I'm at 155 pounds
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