This is a tiny bit grim of me to say, but while this picture is really cute, it also kind of reminds me of how some doctors think that people with, say, edema (accumulation of fluid) can “live off their fat” while they’re in hospital. Oh dear. I hope I never have to have that conversation. It amazes me when I hear dieticians talk about how little doctors are taught about nutrition. A patient in that position might actually be severely malnourished. Appearances can be deceiving…

I had a long, long talk with Chris yesterday about different causes of obesity and about how although only one percent of obesity can be attributed to genetics, that the other ninety-nine percent is not solely the fault of the food industry. There are so many factors contributing to the ill health of people that it’s hard to know where to start or how to address the issue at all. One thing Chris brought up that I found very interesting, though, was medications and the way they affect people’s bodies. I don’t know if enough research has been done to determine the long-term effect increased use of medication with weight gain as a side effect has caused over the years, but I’d be interested to know.

It’s also a good reminder that it’s really unfair to assume that someone who is overweight is lazy or eats too much or other snap judgments often made. You never know what’s going on with them. It’s similar to how it’s unfair to call anyone underweight anorexic—they might have Chrohn’s Disease, for example.

Simply looking someone over is never enough to give you even a fraction of the story. That’s why it’s important to actually talk to one another…

Picture brought to you by LOLcats at I Can Haz Cheezburger: