If people tried to follow normal dieting advice, and they failed, do we keep telling them to try harder?
I am speaking as someone who had lost a lot of weight and achieved near normal BMI and had prioritized health. I found intermittent fasting to be much easier and less willpower taxing than counting calories, which was way too much work.
People do want to be healthier and a lot of people really tried hard. Problem is, in other societies, it's effortless.
Sorry, but no. The person you're replying to made some spot on points.
If a person wants to maintain some semblance of physical fitness then they are going to have to work for it. It's astounding that this concept gets lost on so many people, as if having a normal-sized physique should come naturally to someone who lives a sedentary yet gluttonous lifestyle.
Also, to their point about being fat having become socially acceptable. Yes, it is true, at least as far as women are concerned. So much that euphemisms are being used all the time: plus size, curvy, thicc, voluptuous, and so on. I've heard people even use the term "athletic" to describe a thicker person's physique.
> If people tried to follow normal dieting advice, and they failed, do we keep telling them to try harder?
Really depends on how hard they "tried". If a person is actually determined to maintain a good physique, then yes they have to work at it AND they need to be honest with themselves about how much food (as well as the type of foods) that they consume. If someone gives up after a week of dieting and exercise because they don't see significant results or because it's just too hard for them to maintain then that's entirely on them. If they want to then view themselves as a victim, then that just shows a lack of accountability.
I am mostly concerned about health, rather than physical fitness.
Really depends on how hard they "tried". If a person is actually determined to maintain a good physique, then yes they have to work at it AND they need to be honest with themselves about how much food (as well as the type of foods) that they consume. If someone gives up after a week of dieting and exercise because they don't see significant results or because it's just too hard for them to maintain then that's entirely on them. If they want to then view themselves as a victim, then that just shows a lack of accountability.
Trust me, I am the first to sign up for accountability and looking over your health. I exercised fairly consistently and lost 30-40 pounds to the point of being almost normal BMI. Just need to lose like 5 more than I'll be happy.
People really do want to get healthy, and they spent prodigious amount of effort, and failed anyway. Maybe it's something wrong with our strategies/approach then it is something's wrong with the victim.
In the end, I don't really think it's an issue of gluttony either. I love food. I still eat a lot when I can, maybe even too much. However, I basically don't drink soda, or even artificially sweet soda, and excluded most sweets thing. Trying to make sure I eat veggies.
Consider this - most people spend 40+ hours at work, 5+ hours in commute, only to go home and spend most of the rest of the waking hours doing house chores or attending to family needs - this is a truly epic investment of human effort, yet almost every adult does it without thinking and nobody thinks it's exceptional, thing is, it's kind of expected of people. Compared to that, the amount of sacrifice needed to get healthy is miniscule - only the lack of boring routine and social expectations make it seem otherwise.
It's much easier to do something you have to do. Much harder to do something that isn't required of you.
The Dutch attitude towards walking, cycling, food and sports makes it extremely easy to manage one's weight, if you buy into it. When I visit my home country, no one in my family / friends circle enjoys walking. Most don't enjoy exercise, but they are truly fond of barbecues, beer, soft drinks and other such hyper palatable foods.
Had I remained in my home country, I would just be one more data point toward the obesity statistic, just by virtue of putting some effort to fit in.