Obesity has really gotten to the point where it could be considered a health crisis. Whereas previous generations often had to contend with disease from an external source, the children of the 21st Century are faced with serious threats from within. Obesity is the cause for a whole host of disorders, from heart disease to diabetes to various forms of cancer.
Anyone who has ever struggled with obesity would say that it is something that creeps up on you gradually. Initially clothes don't fit the way they used to, and physical activities that used to be performed easily become increasingly more difficult, and then people start to look at you differently or in some cases not at all.
Discrimination against overweight people is no surprise, but the degree in which it can affect a person's self-esteem or ability to succeed is far outreaching what people believe. Studies show that people are more likely to stop and talk to a stranger who is slim than one who is overweight. Overweight children are also more likely to be discriminated at school by not only their peers, but teachers and staff.
I struggled with obesity through my entire childhood. By the time I was fifteen years old, I was wearing size 47 pants and was tipping the scales at 330 pounds. I knew discrimination first-hand. I struggled with self-esteem issues throughout my entire life, even after I had lost all the weight.
Through controlling the way I think, I have put an end, not only to the yo-yo effect of weight loss and gain, but the scars that go along with it. Addressing the cause of over-eating is the first step in preventing a health care disaster for countless overweight adults and children worldwide.
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