Obesity Is A Choice, It Starts in Your Mind

I could get cancelled for this. That would be pretty ironic—cancelled before anyone cares what I have to say. Yet, that’s not going to stop me from saying it. Obesity is a choice. And society is lying to us otherwise. It’s time that the cure is born from tough love. Tough love in the form of the cold, hard, truth.

We’ve got some important facts to cover. By the end of this article, you, too, will understand that obesity is often a choice—that the solution is simple but hard. Weight loss requires extreme ownership. A change in mindset. A change in behaviour. A retraining of the subconscious.

Thankfully, it really is a simple solution. There is no special biohacking diet. Nor expensive biohacking products. Before we explore the soution, we must understand how we got here.

Current Scientific Theory

It’s almost as if there’s an unspoken obesity code. That is, the more common obesity has become, the more taboo it is to talk about it.

People often blame obesity on genetics, as if individuals don’t have a choice. That’s not to say it’s easy to overcome. In fact, it’s probably one of the hardest challenges anyone can ever face. Obesity was so rare 100 years ago that it could land you in the circus¹. Even 40 years ago, less than a single percent of the Western population were obese². So, how can this be a solely genetic disease?

Yes, you are more likely to be overweight or obese if your parents are…but are we to ignore the 18-20 years spent living at home, living the same lifestyle as our parents? Let’s face it: we have become obese animals. And only other domesticated animals get obese. That’s not a coincidence. That’s the environment³.

Current science says obesity is a complex interplay between genetics and our environment. Thanks to the field of epigenetics, we know that our environment can change our genes⁴.

There is such a thing as ‘monogenic’ obesity—a type of obesity caused by a mutation in a single gene—this type of obesity is extremely rare. Monogenic obesity is much harder to treat⁵.

The other type of obesity? Polygenic obesity. This is much more common. It is the result of an accumulation of small genetic variations. Polygenic obesity is heavily influenced by environmental factors, and can very likely be treated by lifestyle alone⁶.

What Causes Obesity?

It is widely accepted that diet, exercise, socioeconomic factors, and environmental factors all massively contribute to obesity. Thankfully, the most important two of these are entirely changeable. Thanks to the internet, it’s easy to find countless examples of morbidly obese people who now live at a healthy weight.

So what’s stopping people? It’s not education. Generally speaking, people know what they should be doing. Eat fresh foods. Exercise regularly. Don’t drink too much. Don’t smoke. The real problem? Habit and addiction. Our subconscious mind is made up—and without consistent, daily, intentioned effort, that will never change.

The solution, then, is not just what we eat, how we exercise, and how we sleep. The solution requires training your mind. Training your mind to re-train your subconscious. Without going through these steps, every new diet will be a fad. Every new exercise regime will ultimately fail. Even if patients get to their dream weight with the help of Ozempic, they do not stay there unless the mental work of behaviour and habit change has also been done⁷.

History of Obesity

The trend of obesity is well understood. It is a hockey stick, up and to the right⁸ ⁹. In the past, overweight and obese people were outcasts¹⁰. Today, the body positivity movement glorifies obesity¹¹. So let me say this clearly: we need to stop celebrating obesity.

Whilst I admire the body positivity movement, being plus-sized is not something to look up to. It is not being big-boned, it is not your identity and it is not your truth. And, no, it is not the thing that makes you special in any way. It is, however, a one-way ticket to illness and disability.

Having spent my career in the NHS, the plus-sized movement is infuriating. Let me reframe it: if there was a pop-culture movement for people to start smoking, would it have the same support? Obviously not. Yet, both lead to similar health issues—coronary heart disease, stroke, cancer, type 2 diabetes¹²—and here in the UK, that comes out of your tax money. A significant economic burden on society¹³. So let’s stop celebrating it.

The emphasis should be on body positivity as a means of loving yourself. Part of loving yourself should mean improving your quality of life. Also, part of loving yourself should mean not living with avoidable chronic diseases.

Economic Influence

The data paints a very clear picture. Obesity is a disease of affluence¹⁴. A disease of excess. A disease stemming from a consumer culture fed on processed and fast food.

Our society has evolved at a break-neck pace in the past 100 years. We are living in an economic and corporate environment that promotes sedentary living. Jobs at desks, in front of screens, with limited movement. When we’re not stuck at work, we’re slouched watching the latest TV show. Sitting on a sofa, glued to a TV screen. As sedentary at home as we are at work. In fact, media consumption and food advertising are both on the rise¹⁵. Unsurprisingly, there’s a link between an increase in advertising of unhealthy food and obesity¹⁶.

Alongside the changes in our work life, we face changes in the economy of food. Healthy food is becoming the expensive option. This is at a time when an increasing majority of people face price sensitivity when shopping for food¹⁷. It’s not surprising, then, that the cheaper, unhealthy option is often preferred.

And what does this all mean for society? Productivity losses in all shapes and sizes. Absenteeism. Premature mortality¹⁸. Over a lifetime, obesity-related costs are comparable to those of smoking. Obese individuals cost between 40 – 150% more in medical costs on a per capita basis¹⁹.

However, there are some rays of sunshine as consumer trends are shifting. Gen Z and millennials spend more than average on wellness products and services²⁰. Add to this the success of Ozempic for weight loss, and perhaps the modern obesity trend will be but a blip in humanity’s history.

So What is the Solution?

This is where we need to strip away the bullshit. To start a tirade against the excuses. It boils down to 4 things. And you can’t sell these 4 things, so it will never be popular. But it’s the best advice. And it’s completely free.

Diet, exercise, mindset and community.

Yes, there’s nuance. Diets should be personalised. Some forms of exercise are better than others. Still, the truth is that the exercise that you most enjoy and, therefore, remain consistent with is the best for you.

Community: In the form of accountability and reshaping your environment are also incredibly important.

Finally, the most important thing, is your mindset. Your behaviours will never change without retraining your brain and altering your habits. You may lose some weight, but you’ll always put it back on. That’s why it is the most important first step.

Meditate, set your intentions, journal, use accountability partners, use positive affirmations—everything you can to shift your mind into a state ready to create your new habits. To create your new life.

Anyone can do this, but it will take a huge amount of effort. Every. Single. Day.

And not just in the morning or before you go to bed. It will take effort multiple times a day until your new intentions and mindset become your default. If you accomplish this, you will have success.

TLDR;

Obesity is a choice. It is a choice every minute of every day, including the mindset you reinforce, the food choices you make, and even the friends you keep. The choice may diminish the more this becomes subconscious, but it is not irreversible.

Use meditation and mindfulness to set your intentions and to train your awareness, and only then will you change your life.

References

[NB. All images created using MidJourney]

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