Obsessed~A Book That Rocks Your World

I'm currently reading Obsessed by Mika Brzezinski.  It is an amazing book that will make you take step back and not only think about how you perceive and treat food, but how you view others.

A few of the things I've already taken away from the book...some of these are shocking and some won't surprise you at all.

The first is that we all seem to have food issues.  Overweight or thin, we all face our food demons and eating issues day in and day out.  You can't tell by looking at someone if they are truly healthy, what health issues they may face or what emotional issues they have surrounding food.

We all know that being overweight carries stereotypes.  Obese people are not only discriminated against in the media, Obsessed shows facts that they are discriminated against in the workplace.  Not only do they receive less frequent promotions, they earn less and PAY MORE for health care.  I was shocked at this!

However, what we often don't talk about is how skinny people are discriminated against.  While people often say that obese people are "lazy or dirty", skinny people are often called "mean or bitchy".  I can speak first hand to both of these.  I was called fat before and then, when I lost weight, I was told I was too skinny and called a bitch.  Our weight doesn't make us one or the other.  Our weight makes us who we are and our personalities are as diverse as our pant sizes.

Once upon a time kids weren't provided with junk food in schools.  They had gym class regularly.  However, now only 4% of kids have gym in schools and we KNOW junk food abounds.  Why do we love junk food?  Well I've been reading about this for a little while and although I am not an expert, I have found the same thing over and over again.  Sugars and fats trigger a part in your brain that FEELS good.  You WANT to eat these things because they make you feel good.  And you want that feeling over and over again.  A long time ago, we wanted these feelings as they meant survival through lean months.  Now, we will survive...but we still love these feelings.

I've worked for years to maintain a healthy relationship with weight.  I was once overweight and I worked very hard to lose the weight. However, like Mika, my "new" relationship with food wasn't any better than my old relationship.  I became obsessed with eating less and less and working out more and more.

I finally decided that life was meant to be enjoyed and is all about balance.  I enjoy treats, good food and trying new things.  I workout regularly to maintain my health.  I no longer get panicky if I miss a workout.  I don't worry about what the scale says each and every day.  I eat healthy, whole foods every day.  I don't go hungry and I don't binge.

Obsessed goes into a lot more detail on all of these topics...these are just my musings and thoughts on the issues presented.