Healthy in Any Shape: Harvard Medical School, The Lancet and ‘Thick Rumours’
For generations by this time the ghoulish ghost of the equation “thick = sick” has been made up — and published on practically any channel.
Alas, or — yeah: It’s not true.
How do I know?
I am a well-read, careful writer, researcher and academic. That’s why I know the basic facts.
I include links below from Harvard Medical School as well as The Lancet, one of the most prestigious medical research journals, as scientific background.
Health ≠ Shape — Cortisol Metabolism
Looking at the so-called stress response the human body has developed for thousands of years the real dependencies become clear.
Stressful times —death of loved ones, starvation, war or extremely burdensome life for a certain amount of time — cause the ‘Cortisol’ metabolism to start spiking.
The results are, not surprisingly, extremely familiar: Higher blood pressure, weight gain, blood sugar disorders, etc.
Which also means: Not every gain of weight is due to sickness — or is unhealthy.
Health is in the real cause — as is sickness.
‘Cui bono’ from Wrong Causes? — Health Insurance Companies
The equation started to look probable when in the 1920s health insurance companies ordered studies on healthy and sick people — in order to ultimately save money.
Statistics at the Bottom
By statistics alone it was determined that where there was weight gain there was sickness.
But correlation is not causation.
This means, two things can occur at the same time, but one is not based on the other to happen.
Money Saver?
Before this time, since there was no public health insurance system to speak of, this was not of a general public interest.
Cui bono?
The old Latin principle teaches a lot to this day, if you are looking for the truth behind fashions:
Who benefits by it?
In this case, so it seemed, health insurance companies and in consequence pharmaceutical companies for the medication that seemed proper.
Health is wonderful to have!
No doubt about it. Anyone, who’s lost it for a period of time and then regained it, knows what that can mean.
But to burden people with shame and feelings of guilt does not help: Making people responsible for something they cannot even change easily in many cases, makes it worse!
Health = Happiness! — Relieve Stress
This is the equation that is true.
In a little longer explanation it can be made clear this way:
‘Stressors’ in everyday life, which can be — lost love, death of near and dear, money worries, in turn forcing cheap nourishment, sleep deprivation, fear of the future, or the feeling of powerlessness regarding your life’s circumstances— are the stress that makes us sick.
If anything, help can be found in finding the happiness in your life, again — and looking for stress relief.
Helpful links:
Harvard Health: Understanding the Stress Response
The Lancet, search results (scientific)
Linda Bacon, Ph.D.: Health at Every Size, 2010
Author’s Note: I came across Linda Bacon’s book long after I had realized and done research about the above.
I advocate her book here because it’s a fine example of the movement that apparently has begun since a while ago:
To be happy in your own body, basically.
Luckily blessed with parents who took the enlightenment seriously and educated at a university that is adamant about careful research, I had treated my body very early as part of a whole. I never owned a scale. I almost never weigh myself.
I came across some books and then started myself to do more research into the above over the years.
Seeing too many people making themselves unhappy by dieting, thinking about limiting food intake 24/7, or judging their appearance much too harshly makes the subject even more important to me.
More importantly I noticed with my strong background in psychology, medicine as well as Yoga, Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine: Any and all health issues or weight gain I encountered were clearly based on living conditions. Weight very often was clearly not a cause but a symptom as shown above.
Additionally I had learned early in life that a preoccupation with beauty is based in a cultural and societal idea of its equalling wealth, social status and attractiveness. In recent decades also apparently health.
In short: ‘Apparently’ meaning, cause and effect had been and still are by far too many people, confused.
This confusion, as Linda Bacon also points out, is basis of a billion dollar industry, not just in the US or Europe.
“Love yourself as you love thy neighbour” is a crucial starting point.
Again: Weight is not a cause, it is an effect. Often quite healthy in itself.
