Super-size Model

Hypnotherapy Leeds

A letter in the ‘New Scientist’ magazine caught my eye this week because of its relevance to the weight-loss treatment I offer at Leeds Hypnotherapy Clinic.

The letter mentioned American super-size model Tess Holliday who describes herself as a body positive activist.

Her Wikipedia profile says Tess embraces the word ‘fat’ and advocates that people should be able to eat as much as they want without suffering social ostracism.

I couldn’t agree more with Tess’s insistence that people shouldn’t be subject to mockery or exclusion because of their size. Of course not – no-one deserves to be bullied.

But whether or not an individual is happy with being overweight is another matter.

Confidence credo

Yet I admire Tessa’s body confidence credo – part of treatment at Leeds Hypnotherapy Clinic involves teaching people how to ‘own’ their personal characteristics and not be troubled by the prejudiced opinions of others. Treatment at Leeds Hypnotherapy Clinic is always non-judgmental no matter what condition or disorder is being treated.

You might wonder, though, that if I agree with Tessa’s sentiment, am I not being contradictory or even hypocritical by suggesting fat people should lose weight?

My answer is no – I’m not. I’m not because while I applaud people embracing mental well-being, I also care about people’s physical well-being. The two are not distinct. Psychological issues and physical issues are often intertwined.

And put simply, the hard truth is that being fat is not good for physical health even if it can be made to seem glamorous.

That brings me back to the letter in the ‘New Scientist’. It is from a Ms Christine Rogers of London responding to a previous article in the magazine on ‘fat acceptance.’

Everyday tasks

Ms Rogers writes that she is aged 79 and overweight, having risen from 7.5 stone (48 kg) in her 20s to 75kg today. At one stage she weighed 90kg. She points out that Tessa Holliday is aged only 33 and seemingly capable of coping with her excess weight. However, Ms Rogers warns that the model is storing up trouble for the future. She doesn’t mention the obvious medical problems of heart disease and diabetes in her letter but focuses instead on less glaring difficulties that emerge with age such as the painting or cutting or toenails, getting in or out of a bath or into public transport seats – everyday tasks made more problematic by being overweight. Seemingly trivial tasks that in youth are simple enough become more onerous with age, particularly so if one in fat, she says.

Ultimately, though, being overweight is a lifestyle choice. No-one needs to be fat.

Taking responsibility at Leeds Hypnotherapy

I teach clients who come to see me at Leeds Hypnotherapy Clinic that losing weight needn’t be a chore. It can actually be fun. It is about taking responsibility and being the person you want to be.

If you choose to be fat now and in the future, you are entitled to that choice, (though that decision impacts on the lives of others close to you.)

Unlike super-size model Tess, it’s unlikely that you’re ever going to turn being overweight into a profitable business plan.

But be happy, whatever your size.

Be aware, though, that being fat is never going to be the healthy preference.