A huge section of the world population doesn’t have enough to eat, so how come I am paying Weightwatchers to stop me eating too much?
For the first time in my life I am ‘on a diet’ now don’t ‘click away’ just yet, I don’t plan for this to be a discussion on the calorific values of crisp bread (that would be as dull as dishwater) I am just reflecting on the irony of the situation.
I’ve never needed to diet before, having been of the tall and skinny ilk since I was about thirteen. But changing work patterns (my work is a lot less physical than it used to be) and a changing aging metabolism mean the pounds have been piling on. There was no way I was going down the traditional ‘fat club’ route to a draughty village hall at 6:15 on a Monday evening for a ritual weighing and to be told to lay off the custard creams; so I joined Weightwatchers On Line
I have always thought Billy Connolly’s diet advice of, ‘move more, eat less’ was pretty sound advice, but I had to accept that this time I need a kick up my growing backside. I didn’t like parting with the best part of £50 for three months membership, but within in a few days I was feeling really good, now part of this I suspect was a psychological reaction to just ‘taking charge’ of the situation and committing to change as well as the ‘detox’ effect of passing up on less than wholesome foods, (but not the red wine!)
I can report that it is working for me and I am very pleased about that, but I am aware that our relationship with food is complex(once you get up from the bottom of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs at any rate) After that it all gets a bit more complex, it would be cruel and trite of me to be so dismissive to say that losing or (gaining weight) is as easy as this.
I’ve a friend who has been in and out of hospitals and clinics for the last two decades, as she battles against the anorexia that has delivered her TB and taken her close to death (if you could see her curl up into an old prolapsed sofa, in an attempt to disappear form our sight when we made an unexpected call, it was heart breaking.) Or to see a young obese women who having been in and out of care through out her childhood had used her size to conceal her pregnancy, a pregnancy that had just ended in a miscarriage, to see her ‘devour’ a Big Mac and fries brought to me, a whole new perspective on the expression of ‘comfort food’
But back to where I started; as I type this, to my left on the wall is a Red Cross calendar, the image for October (Miss October if you will) is that of a group of Kenyan women gathering for a meeting, with Red Cross officials, about the distribution of food and seeds, they face starvation and death, because of the failure of their crops; this is the image
I think the photo has a haunting quality, and it is haunting me right now; the woman in the center of the shot, her eyes are watching me as I type and I know in my heart I should have given the £50 to the Red Cross not Weightwatchers.
Technorati Tags: Starvation, third world poverty, Red Cross, Diet, obese, food industry.
Our relationship with food is, as you say, complex. But you should not beat yourself up about paying for the Weightwatchers – on a basic level, the money that you will save by not eating crisps/snacks etc, you could put towards a charity (it was one way I heard of cutting down what you ate – each time you wanted a chocolate bar, you think of the charity, and put that money into a pot instead. You stop yourself buying a chocolate, and the charity gets gets an extra 40p. It doesn’t sound like much, but it does all add up! Particularly if you go to buy chocolate as often as I do…)
That is a haunting image, indeed. You won’t always need Weight Watchers and there will always be needs like the Red Cross. Good wishes for your success.
I like that Idea Jo, the money would soon mount up! It just struck me as being so silly, that having more than enough is a problem.
The Red Cross is one of my favourite charities, mainly because of the diversity of its work, I keep meaning to write a post about it; I have also just realised that it should have a link in the side bar, I must remedy that, because as you rightly point out nikkipolani, there will always be a need.
It’s always good to read a measured, sensible entry, and subsequent comments, on a subject like this.
By the way Nikki’s link is http://nikkipolani.wordpress.com/
So very interesting. In theoretical discussions, I advocate that either we help the needy, mainly in Africa, or we allow them into the country – but they can’t have it both ways. Also, since the Red Cross banned Christmas decorations in their establishments in this country, I will not support an anti-Christian organisation.
However. The truth is brought home by your photograph. We cannot turn our backs on such needy people – they have done nothing to deserve their fate. And, yes, the Red Cross do such excellent work in the most dire of circumstances.
I guess we must follow our hearts. Thank God they are in the right place.
Interesting one that dickeibo, whilst the Red Cross don’t allow Christmas Decorations in their shops they do sell Christmas cards ( although a quick scan on line shows that none bear religious iconography.)
http://www.redcross.org.uk/shop/subsection.asp?id=71653
It is not that (in my understanding at any rate) the Red Cross are anti-Christian, but that they strive in all areas of their work for total neutrality.
Did you know the Red Cross were instrumental in the establishment of the Geneva convention.
http://www.redcross.lv/en/conventions.htm
Jo’s comment is an interesting one as it’s precisely how the Other Half gave up smoking. I persuaded her to put the price of a packet of cigarettes in a jar for each day she went without (she was smoking a packet a day).
Then every Saturday, she’d buy herself a non-smoking, non-food treat with the saved money – so a trip to the cinema, bath oils, books, music, etc.
She never relapsed.
It might work with food too.
Good luck with your new regime – all things in moderation is my guideline – not sure I always stick to it though!
Dickiebo – The Red Cross is religiously and politically neutral. The fact that the emblem (in Europe at least) is a cross is nothing to do with Christianity, and everything to do with the reversal of the colours of the Swiss flag, as the movement was founded by a Swissman. It delivers its aid to Christians and non-Christians alike. As a former member (I was a Youth volunteer and first aider until they shut my group a few years ago), one of the reasons that I stayed and loved it so much was that, unlike the St Johns, the Guides etc, I did not have to swear allegiance to any god or country in order to be able to help people – the work that I did was all that mattered, not any personal belief.