I thought that today, children, we would look at something not strictly in the syllabus.
Gluttony.
Is over-eating, obesity (assuming that there is no medical reason), or just being a bit tubby bad?
It certainly has things in common with other 'vices' in terms of being bad. If we can afford to smoke, drink, take drugs, or indeed, over-eat, then why do we not do more for those who can't afford a loaf of bread or find clean water? It is a tough question, and one i didn't examine when looking at smoking. I think we have to ask ourselves whether this kind of behaviour is different from indulging ourselves in other ways, say buying DVDs or buying designer clothes. It is all money, and it is all enjoyment, and yes, it could all be given to the needy.
This right to judge, i have to say, remains a personal choice. I don't think we can demonise an individual for this kind of behaviour without including ourselves, and therefore we have to draw that line through our own experience, and 'critical thought' (thank you ph1105).
Of course there are other criticisms that also tie in with other types of 'bad behaviour'. Lets be honest, being fat is not great for you health, and even if your not, not eating the right stuff is not so good for you either. But then so is smoking. And taking drugs. And, probably (though i don't really want to admit it) drinking. Alright, so eating is natural, and it can be argued none of those are, but eating so much that you can't see you feet? Hmmm, maybe not so in tune with nature.
It all ties in with the same arguments you will see time and time again for any kind of pleasurable behaviour that may not be so great for you. Is it being bad? God knows... anyway, anyone want a biscuit?
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publichealth/Healthimprovement/Obesity/index.htm
If the government think it's bad, it's got to be worth doing...
1 comment:
Sorry to pick on you again, but when anyone mentions overeating and obesity, it grabs my attention.
Back in the 'dark ages' when I was a kid, there was no instant fixes like MuckyDees, media hype about body image and 'super models' ran to the extent of Twiggy, eating disorders had yet to be invented, labelled and become fashionable and life was, oh, so much simpler.
This is just my personal opinion, but I think the media influences greatly, if not manipulates what goes on in society so much now, it's unfunny. One simplified version of things would be that young girls aspire to look like a celebrity, thinking that they will be like them in other ways as well as visually - confident and successful. All it brings is obsession and misery, dangerous dieting or 'bingeing and purging'
Then there's comfort eating. You can't really generalise why people do it, everyone has their own 'story' to tell, but when you get down to the bottom of it, lack of self-esteem and confidence can play a big part; tag that with something that goes wrong in life and bingo - life revolves around the next food fix. It's like having a relationship in which emotions are stirred up by the simple act of putting food in your mouth. There are feelings of relief, self-loathing, guilt, and the cycle continues. More importantly, I take people for what they are; people with eating disorders judge themselves more critically than anyone else, so don't need outsiders fuelling their feelings of despair.
Like I said, this is just my opinion/theory, gained from experience as well as research. It may seem a bit sketchy, but I can't really run a blog five yards long!
Just to end, last year when I was researching this subject, I found there were websites that actually teach you how to be anorexic or bulimic! How irresponsible is that?
Post a Comment