Drink, Drugs & Food.
Three substances which are spoken about daily in the media and society. Drink & Drugs are so often coupled together as substances which people become addicted to, yet Food ........ well, Food is food isn't it ? Something we simply eat when we are hungry or feel like it - surely food couldn't possible be categorised along with drink & drugs as an additive substance ?
Or could it.
It my opinion, one of the main challenges facing society today is the lack of acknowledge that the obesity epidemic affecting countries such as the USA, and more closer to home and on the rise, in both the UK & Ireland, is actually being caused by an addiction to food.
Getting to a stage whereby you are classified as obese or above, isn't something that simply happens over night because you decided to have one or two extra slices of toast during the day - no, instead I firmly believe that for life long sufferers of obesity that rather than treat them as people who simply eat too much and therefore must diet - we first and foremost need to accept the fact that the key underlining issue isn't the physical act of eating another slice of bread or two etc, but that there is a very deeply rooted emotional and mental connection ( addiction ) to food.
Whilst personal trainers, bootcamps, gyms etc all may work to help get people fit and help educate them on healthy food choices - how many time have you ever heard of someone being admitted to rehabilitation for food addiction ? Now that may sound a bit extreme, but why so ? Why if we are treating two other main addictions society faces with a structure form of rehab, why not apply this to one of the fastest growing challenges facing families, health systems & individuals on a day to day basis.
If you are a personal trainer or fitness professional reading this I would love to hear your experiences of how you support your clients with their emotional connection to food - as I know there is some brilliant work being done out there by people like yourselves, yet when I think about the medical profession - the ones who constantly supply facts and figures about obesity - and when I think about the years I spent going back and forward looking for a solution to my weight problem - not once EVER was I offered anything other than a reduced gym membership or more often ... pills. Pills pills pills - this ladies and gentlemen was what I was prescribed 95% of the time - not once did anyone ever suggest * Well Paddy I think it may be worth meeting a behavioural change professional* or something along those lines.
Anyway, I could rant on - but I guess the point I am getting across is that if you are someone who is overweight - please don't think that by simply joining a weight loss group, or taking a pill or doing a new diet that this will serve as a long term solution to your challenging relationship with food, or if you are a health care or fitness professional I would love for you to start to incorporate considering if support for behavioural change is something which might benefit your clients.
The more I think about it, the more I firmly believe that food - like drinks and drugs, is a highly addictive substance - so let have a similar level of support and understanding available for people struggling to change their lives to a more positive healthier path.
Paddy
www.ptpaddy.com
info@ptpaddy.com
