This morning, I was listening to a
CBC radio segment by Merelda Fiddler that profiled a woman pre and post bariatric surgery. The report also included an interview with
her surgeon.It’s quite interesting and I’d suggest giving the whole
thing a listen.
The part that really got me thinking was the piece on what
all goes into a situation where the body’s ability to regulate its energy
systems becomes decidedly fuckered (notice I am refusing to make this a weight
thing):
“It’s often seen as a
lifestyle disease, I guess, or a lifestyle issue…I think it’s more complicated
than that, I guess is the bottom line and I don’t think we have a good handle
on it. There is probably a lot of different things that contribute to people’s
weight problem and we saw every sort of part of that in our clinic – whether
that’s people that have to work two jobs, and they’re single parents or they’ve
got a history of abuse in their past…”
How often have you come across statements like “diets don’t work” or something of
that sort and then that “it’s a lifestyle change.” And then whomever has stated this will invariably go on to talk about making
a vegan eggplant lasagna from scratch from items in his or her organic garden or the benefits of HIIT or sourcing ethical seafood or
whatever?
Oooookay.
That’s all very lovely, I am sure. And perhaps whatever activity just noted can be included in a healthier lifestyle, yes. But it’s
not really the point. It's not an actual change. I will not even
get into the interweb commenters that suggest one just simply move less and eat
more and it’s as easy as that (fuck that interweb guy!).
I thought I would make a list of everything that goes into
it. Or, at least, everything I’ve noted
so far that’s gone into it.
- Hormone disregulation. This include appetite and satiety hormones, insulin (insulin
resistance, diabetes) and any thyroid issues. Basically, how is your body talking to itself and then talking to you. This can get really messed up.
- Other physical fun like chronic, systemic inflammation,
gut disbiosis, low stomach acid or low nutrient absorption, undiagnosed food
sensitivities or allergies.
- Information literacy
skills. Pretty hard to figure out what to do and how to do it if you are challenged to access information or don't have the ability to read, understand and
develop a plan. All while being able to ignore this festering mess.
- Financial resources to
support purchasing higher quality foods, access to physical activities, access
to mental health and counseling support, etc.
- Ability to cook and/or
ability to access information or hands-on learning opportunities to
develop basic food preparation skills. There are also significant value challenges as this takes both money and time (i.e. I am not worthy of
my own time and effort. I am taking
away time from family/friends/work to care for myself.).
- Ability to physically move
(including basic mobility, strength) and the ability to access information
and hands-on learning opportunities to develop basic movement patterns to
support better mobility, improved strength and improved general fitness. With this, again because it requires financial and time commitments, you also see value challenges (i.e. I am not worthy
of my own time and effort. I am
taking away time from family/friends/work to care for myself.)
- Access to and resources
available for mental health services.
Dealing with… Food as
drug. Food as comfort. Food as friend. Food as security. Food often is used as a tool for
self-medicating for underlying mental health issues. And mental health issues often go along with fun stuff like insulin resistance and diabetes. The health of the body impacts the health of the mind.
- Family and peer support. Food and culture. Food and food traditions. Food and food connections with family and
friends. Building a support network is no easy feat. Learning how to create new connections
and how to navigate changing value systems with friends and family is so important.
- Identity reconfiguration.
How we live day to day shapes who we are to ourselves. Change how you live, and you change WHO
you are. This is then reinforced
when physical changes alter how the world interacts with you. Changing your idea
about yourself is a scary, scary prospect but it is also a powerful tool for
fundamental change. I'd argue, fundamental change doesn't happen if you continue to see yourself the same way.
And, the best part is all of this is all
interconnected. Take physical
activity. It’s tied not only to identity
reconfiguration, it’s also tied to family and peer support. It helps to improve mental health and insulin
sensitivity. But, if you have hormone
disregulation, your body is also telling you that moving is foolish. It’s the same for every other thread. At some point, they all intersect.
I don’t really think there is a service or support out there
that actually addresses all of these, either.
CrossFit came pretty close, for me, and I was able to piecemeal the rest
of it together with a lot of trial and error.
All the while, I was cognizant of the advantage being relatively well
educated and with a high degree of information literacy as well as (at the
time) in a very comfortable dual income situation. I’m not special. I had resources. And, so, I think this is why it’s rare to see
individuals make systemic, life-long changes in terms of how they live in a way
that allows themselves the ability to heal and see their body return to some
degree of functionality. It’s rare, but
it isn't impossible. I do believe that
until there are multifaceted supports in place and accessible to all, it’s
going to continue to be rare, however.
I would also argue, too, that it’s very difficult for
someone who hasn't lived the experience to truly get exactly what all goes into
it.
