The year is 2024, and there’s an epidemic worldwide, but nobody talks about it…
Worldwide, at least 2.8 million people die each year as a result of being overweight or obese, and an estimated 35.8 million of global DALYs (Disability-Adjusted Life Years) are caused by being overweight or obese (World Health Organisation). As obesity is rapidly on the rise, overweight becomes the ‘new normal’, obese becomes overweight, and a healthy-weighted person gets called skinny. Is it becoming dangerous to not speak about bodyweight anymore?
We appear to be tip-toeing around an epidemic in fear of backlash, yet we run the risk of accepting poor health and premature death as the norms in society. We now understand the importance of speaking about our mental health, and normalising these conversations empowers people to talk and get the help they need. Over the years, a clear distinction has been made between mental and physical health, with both being thought of as separate, yet there is a clear correlation between the two. We need to be able to talk openly about both our physical and mental health.
Instead, we appear to have been gagged and constrained from talking about excess weight. We shouldn’t shame people who carry excess weight; however, we need to openly discuss the reality of excess weight leading to serious health consequences. It’s not about fitting in; it’s about self-care, feeling great, and living a prosperous life.
Feeling positive about your body, both physically and mentally, is essential. Oliver James, founder of The Weight Loss Academy, believes our feelings dictate which direction we head in. We must be positive about our body, yet we must also look after it too. We must understand the importance of being a healthy weight and providing our body with what it needs. Body positivity shouldn’t solely be about how you look. Instead, it should take a holistic approach, factoring in how you feel and how healthy you are, too.
The health of our nation is declining. We must begin sparking conversations about our weight again. We are living in a pivotal moment where we can address the epidemic we are currently facing or bury our heads in the sand. Let’s normalise talking about our health and discussing body weight openly in a safe space.
The Weight Loss Academy helps people create a roadmap to sustainably lose weight and live healthily. You can create yours by visiting www.theweightlossacademy.com and signing up for their online weight loss course or coaching.
Oliver James has been a weight loss coach since 2009. He was featured on ITV’s This Time Next Year hosted by Davina McCall, where he helped an individual lose eight stone in one year.
More importantly, he’s helped hundreds of people lose weight and keep it off.
If you were to meet Oliver, you would see that he’s not your stereotypical weight loss coach. He’s a straight-talking and efficient coach who would probably talk about all things other than fitness and nutrition. He’s never posted a photo of his porridge, nor has he ever posted a video of himself with his top off. He knows the subject of weight loss is straightforward, so he takes the time to talk about life and explain how you must take a holistic approach to weight loss.
