Health, well - being and weight confusion

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Mon, 21/11/2011 - 02:01
jojo
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It irks me greatly when I hear who I consider sound rational people talk mindlessly about weight. So so so many people use weight/size as a barometre for our health.

At first when I started recovering I thought everyone has an ed, then I realised it's just this automatic thing for people to discuss like the weather. Well two weeks ago my brother in law addressed a family meal about the shape of my 22 month old niece's stomach. A little cherub of a baby who has more to teach us right now than we do her. Last night I heard another set of people waffle on about a few peoples' bodies too.

It struck me that people think that they are in fact talking about health. In general we know nothing about lipids, what vitamin helps absorb what mineral, that are brain does not in fact house its own energy supply and that it's our bloods that is our barometre not Dunnes Stores' pattern cutter in Malaysia.

We learn about the 1916 rising but we don't learn about our own nutrient absorbtion. We have history of Irish beaten into us yet were never told that our bodies need more fuel in colder seasons than in the warmer ones. Instead we google, listen to Closer, Heat and Jan Moirs for advise on what to eat and what not to eat. We focus on how to manipulate our shape to sizzle in the on trend party dress instead of learning about the dazzling our eyes with blueberries in our diet.

I did my thesis on media and diet and the misinformation about the macro nutrient carbohydrate. 98% of the 600+ articles I read over three month period had no facts in them about the nutrient or health whasoever.

I think that nooooooo not most people have some form of ed but I do feel that our understanding is very askew and we need to educate ourselves. I don't think people really mean to talk about other peoples' bodies I think they mean to talk about their well being. I know my brother in law was trying to get to a point about her well being but we have misaligned well being and body weight.

I really feel strongly about nutritional education isn't it as important as being taught how to brush your teeth or wash your hair, take care of your hygiene, don't talk to strangers and self defense?

Anyway that's my twopence worth.

What do you all think?

J

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Mon, 21/11/2011 - 16:42
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Patricia
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I can only agree with you

I can only agree with you Jojo-We need to be better educated on nutrition to avoid associating well being with weight or confusing body image( Curves, height, Hair colour,skin colour....) with weight.....Not only nutritional choices should be tought as it is as important as knowing how to brush your teeth or hair ....But I also think kids from a young age could be thought necessary basic coping skills to do life constructively in order for them to become balanced adults.......In France, they have started to run philosophy groups in primary schools for kids to learn to question things and find ways to deal with life concerns in a balanced/constructive way ........

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Mon, 21/11/2011 - 18:36
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kizzy
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reply to Patricia

Wow Patricia,
What a brilliant approach in France, philosophy for kids, how inovative. Anything that pushes kids towards examining their value systems and ethos on life can only but help in the drive away from condition type thinking. We've a bit of catching up to do in this country, but I love the idea!
kiz

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Tue, 22/11/2011 - 15:38
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butterfly
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Jojo I love ur post and this

Jojo I love ur post and this topic discussion. I actually want to do a diploma in nutrition and hope next year to start a distance learning one. I totally agree that there is not enough education and feel this is what is leading to all the obesity and dieting culture. A lot of people myself included in the past are and were influenced by the media and sure they seem to have no clue what health and well being really is. I think working in a school has really shocked me about the lack of knowledge, we as teacehrs are supposed to be role models and half the teachers are going on about weight watchers and points in the staff room. The school meals are so unbalanced half the time, particularly the evening meals and also they give nothing for borders past their 5.30/6 oclock tea, these kids are active both physically and mentally and i feel need more knowledge on the amount of energy a body needs. I would love to be the change in our school, id love to be able to teach people about what is necesary i guess we can do this by example and by recovering. I do think that more education would be beneficial but not thru Home economics or sphe as these books are outdated and based on a food pyramid that to me needs to be revisited. If i could go bk to my teens i would love to have known more about the importance of lipids and protein, our bones are developing, our hormones, our limbs, our brain at this stage of life. Its sad now to see a low lipid and low carb outlook that really is just damaging the health (organs and blood) in the longer term. Now i look more for nutritional content ( less sweeteneres and sugars) than i would lipids.

Love Butterfly xx

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