Obesity is a complicated medical condition and moralizing about it is the wrong approach. Two people can eat the same food, but one will gain weight, the other won't. There's evidence a person's microbiome makes a significant difference in how they metabolize food, among other things.
There's numerous nuances to weight gain beyond consumption. Most people don't have identical diets, metabolisms or activity levels. Differences in brand and quality are additional factors. I've never had weight related maladies although I ate some items that weren't ideal. That's probably because I consumed more beneficial things than harmful ones.
I was never a fan of fried foods nor did I fry at home.
We used olive oil exclusively, sea salt, and a greater percentage of herbs and spices in our preparation.
I learned how to cook by watching professionals on PBS and the dishes were French or inspired by those methods. I took classes afterward to enhance my skills.
Their emphasis on quality and cultural approach to food were going to influence me eventually.
I have significantly more ingredients and tools than the average consumer and numerous resources to draw from including instruction and books numbering in the thousands. Test subjects are unlikely to procure food in the manner I do. More than 90% is purchased direct and I know the producer.
It's unlikely their commitment to self-sufficiency mirrors mine and influences their shopping habits. It's improbable they forgo convenience in difference to quality even when it costs more. And I doubt they're disciplined enough to make the things they get in jars. It's easier to grab them from a shelf.
When they're willing to grind their own meat, mill their flour, and make their own preserves, baked goods and medicines we're on the same page. When they're no longer dependent on conveniences and can whip up their own pasta, dressing and sauces at will we have something in common. When they understand the difference between good ingredients and growing methods and can detect it in the product without promoting then we're alike.
There's many doing the same and you can find them on YouTube. They may not have a chefs pantry or fancy tools but their commitment to quality is similar. They're willing to make sacrifices for better options. If that requires a garden, time in the kitchen or greater expense they'll do it.
It isn't a question of morality.. It's a question of choice and lifestyle and that begins with mindset. I didn't get here overnight. A series of decisions brought me to this point. I'm no different from the next.
Only the truth sets us free. When I walk past McDonald's I know what it is. I don't pretend because its tasty. I know it's harmful and choose not to indulge. The reward of good health is well earned. You are what you eat.
The people in those studies don't live as I do. If they did they wouldn't be there. I won't be ruled by food or spend my life under a doctors care because I wouldn't moderate my consumption or change my eating habits. That's no way to live.
I'm not downplaying the temptations or mind games perpetuated against society. They know what they're doing and where it leads. The message for the masses doesn't apply to them nor do they live that way. That's why they have trainers, nutritionists, personal chefs and practices to help them stay in shape. That's why designers don't make plus size clothes and rarely use the models. Weight is a stigma in their world and they know how to keep it off but they'll never tell you.
~bella
