Hello Bloggy readers (all three of you)! No, I have not dropped off the blogopshere. I am working on a post about the perplexing question of how a bed-bound obese person manages to obtain fattening foods, but it's become quite psychologically deep and epic and unwieldy. Surprisingly, in spite of letting it sit on my desktop for four days, it has not finished itself or edited itself down into what one of my lecturers would call elegant prose.
I have also been madly distracted by my new toy, A KINDLE - late arriving xmas pressie from my lovely Programmer man. Now and then people ask me why we are not married and I point out that instead of a ring, I have numerous devices. This is his style and I'm not complaining. In my world, nothing says commitment like keeping me in the latest gadgets. Yesterday, while getting to grips with the new thing, I accidentally downloaded Stephen King's 'UR', which is guaranteed to make you scared of your own kindle. It was unputdownable. I could have sworn I only clicked the 'read a sample' button too *cue twilight zone music*.
As well as kindle books, I've also been buying real books, mostly from Alibris, who seem to sell off ex-institution textbooks at ridiculous prices - say US$1 + shipping. Total cost, about NZ$15 for a book which elsewhere is not less than $120. They usually arrive at about 6.30 in the morning and The Programmer puts them on the bed when he leaves for work (and I'm still slack-arsing around about getting up or even waking up). This morning I woke up with something on the bed, and it was this:
Now, that's some serious packaging for one textbook. 'The Science of Nutrition' came with it's own air supply!I've also been having a bash at cutting back my caffeine consumption. I was doing quite well, moodiness, lack-of-motivation and all, but this morning I relapsed with two of these...
..then instantly felt motivated to blog. I'm trying to get back to about four espresso's a week, which is my happy place. I slipped back into a caffeine fueled lifestyle when I was in Europe and I know it's not the best thing for me, polyphenols notwithstanding.
Okies, it's probably best to make the most of the buzz, head to the office and get those Sana orders away.
By the way, Sana customers. We sent you all a christmas card with a code in it to get 5% off in January. So far, only a few people have used it, therefore I'm supposing it went into the recycling bin with the rest of the xmas cleanup. I don't want anyone to miss out so here it is again:
The code is:
SANA=HEALTHY
Just enter it into the code box at checkout.
Re obesity... what are your thoughts on this? http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/we-should-stop-putting-blame-on-obese-people-20110118-19v78.html
ReplyDeleteDoes maternal obesity/nutrition really predispose a child to obesity? Or is it more about the way the parents eat and live (and therefore what the child learns about nutrition and lifestyle)? Am I even making sense?
I know there are some genetic factors that CAN lead to obesity, but my understanding is that won't happen if you eat well and move your arse.
Nature/nurture?
These types of articles make me cross. So many people already refuse to take responsibility for their own health - this gives them another excuse to shrug and say "oh, it's not my fault". Blah.
Oh - those textbooks are amazing bargains. Go, you!
ReplyDeleteI'll have a look at that article and let you know what I think. But, as per the bed-bound obese, my post is a response to the numerous comments, emails I've had (responding to my post on the half-ton mom) saying something like 'but who feeds them??', basically putting the blame squarely on the caregiver. My angle is that the caregiver/s is/are dealing with an adult, not a child, and possibly in the difficult situation of being an untrained person dealing with a compulsive overeater (addict). However, I've tied myself in a wordy knot over it and need to seriously edit.
ReplyDeleteI can't even begin to write a post on the subject because there's so much to say that I go off at a million tangents and then trying to edit is like untangling spaghetti.
ReplyDeleteThought you might be able to sort through the crap and get to the point better than I can. ;)
Ok, read it. I did a media review assignment about the FTO (fat mass and obesity associated) gene, which covered similar ground and also revealed the way the media will always pick the one sensational thing from a study in order to present a story with a dramatic angle. The thing is, human genes have not actually changed that much in 1000's of years. There have always been people that find it harder to lose weight - life isn't fair that way - and there have probably always been infants malnourished in the womb. The sheer pace of the obesity epidemic can NOT be blamed on genes completely. Human biology has not changed all that much, what has changed is society and lifestyle. It is harder to live a healthy lifestyle and although not impossible, it is quite hard for an individual to mount a personal breakaway if they have a fatogenic environment. So, I think it's a mix of personal responsibility and social structure that is the 'solution', however as it's unlikely that the government will go hard at installing cycleways and mandating lunch hour and cheaper veges, it does come down to doing it yourself and for some people that will be harder, due to their genetic makeup/biologically driven appetite - as it has always been!
ReplyDeleteInteresting field of study though. I'm doing quite a bit on nutrigenomics this year, which sounds terribly fascinating.
ReplyDeleteNutrigenomics is bloody fascinating. I've only seen the tip of the iceberg with my Fitgenes course, but it's incredibly interesting.
ReplyDeleteBottom line is, nutrition and lifestyle just have so much impact on outcomes, no matter what genetic hand you've been dealt. Excuses abound...