The Film – a Brief Review
I am a fan of documentary films, and Netflix is a treasure trove for my addiction. I recently watched a new release from BBC, entitled Obesity – a Post Mortem. It is just what is sounds like – an autopsy. More specifically, an autopsy performed upon a morbidly obese person.
There was a time when this would have sickened me. I used to get very squeamish. I suspect if it were surgery being performed on a live patient, I would still squirm.
As I searched for a link to the film, I was amazed how many editorial commentators railed on this as a sexist, fat shaming spectacle. They considered it an exploitation of this woman who had left her body for science.
That does not describe what I viewed. As a middle-aged man who has struggled with hypertension and stubborn visceral fat, I watched this film to learn and understand how these conditions may impact my health.
I have read many articles online regarding the effects of poor nutrition and high blood pressure upon various organs. The terms “enlarged heart” and “fatty liver” mean very little, but when you have the opportunity to witness these organs being dissected, it has a profound impact.
Lessons Learned
Over the past 6 years I have shed about 30 pounds. Most people think I look fine. But when stripped down it is clear I still have too much “fluff” around my mid-section. 10-15 pounds doesn’t sound like too much on a 6’1″ frame. But if it is 10 pounds of fat wrapped around my kidneys, perhaps it’s too much.
Theoretically I could lose ten pounds at an easy and safe pace over 2-3 months without a great deal of disruption to my lifestyle. After all, how hard can it be to drop a 8-16 ounces of fat per week? This is where long term goals and short term gratification collide head on.
Since I retired a couple years ago I do five to six sessions at the gym every week, CrossFit and Olympic Weightlifting. When I leave the gym, I seek out an independent coffee shop and have a coffee and a pastry. It is my comfortable ritual. Sometimes I write, or read, or meet fascinating people.
This is a 400-500 calorie ritual that I perform at least six days a week. Yes, this is where 8-16 ounces of weekly fat loss can take place. I could begin by avoiding the shops for a week or two. I could brew coffee at the gym, or at home, and avoid the shop and the tempting pastries altogether.
I’m struggling with long term goals devolving into wishes, when confronted with immediate gratification. – a recent conversation with Julia.
Action
So let’s get back around to goals versus gratification. My goal(s) has to be bigger than my addiction to sugar. Since I have a “Goals” article already drafted, I will leave this where it is. Meanwhile, I am thankful to the lady who left her body to science, so I could be reminded how my daily lifestyle choices may impact my health for the long haul.
Thank you for sharing this video Chuck. I just finished watching after having the tab open on my laptop for quite a while. It makes me think back to the days decades ago when I was 75lbs. heavier than I am now, and realizing now what I was doing to my body back then – the things that I couldn’t see. It makes me profoundly grateful for having some sense knocked into me, and taking control over my health & well-being. I have no desire to go back to that point, and would like to see myself in even better shape/health than I am now. The minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years all go by so much quicker than any of us realize. And I don’t want to spend them wishing things would change. I’m going to spend those moments continuing to make those changes so I can be around for years to come (and be able to enjoy those years as they go by).