It’s time people took some personal responsibility for their actions.
So in the midst of watching the shooting in Aurora and watching my twitter feed fill up with Aussie’s screaming about gun control, which I’m not going to discuss, because I’ll just piss a lot of people off, I was reading some other articles on news.com.au and there was one about fat people not being to blame for being fat. It claims junk food companies and lack of playgrounds are to blame.
Dr Samantha Thomas, who spoke at the annual Castan Centre for Human Rights Law Conference in Melbourne, said the war on obesity was failing because society put too much emphasis on personal responsibility.
“Obesity rates are still increasing because we put all the responsibility on the individual, but are completely reluctant to tackle the corporations that are part of the cause – the junk food companies, the soft drink companies, even the town planners who design new suburbs with no backyards or playgrounds,” Dr Thomas said.
This is the dumbest thing I’ve read in a long time. “Too much emphasis on personal responsibility?” What kind of nanny state has Australia turned into when people can get away with saying that there’s too much emphasis on personal responsibility? As a people, have we really gotten to the point where we just expect everyone else to take care of us? To feed us, to clothe us? To tell us what we should be eating and drinking and supplying us with everything we need to be a non productive member of society?
Now, I’m not a skinny person anymore. When I moved to the US, I was 98lbs. I looked great, but according to the folks doing my life insurance medical, I was underweight and penalized for it. I have now ballooned up to 114lbs. I’m considered to be in the healthy weight range, although the mirror tells me I could do some sit ups. My weight goes up and down, but I’ve never gotten above a size 6 pants. You know why? Because when I get to the point that my size 4 pants are getting tight, I realize if I don’t do something about it I’m going to have to put on the size 6 pants. (I only own one pair) So, I make sure that I take care of myself and start eating better. I get out the old exercise DVD’s and do a workout. I’m not going to ignore it and get into the 6’s, then keep going till I need the 8, then the 10, etc. It’s much easier to take care of it before it gets out of control. No-one else is telling me I need to lose weight. Matt would love me even if I was a size 10. (He may love me, but I don’t think he would luuurve me) I’m not an actress anymore, so there’s no pressure to stay skinny for the camera. I live in a state where even with a few extra pounds I’m still considered thin. I choose to take care of myself because I don’t want to die of a heart attack. I choose to go to the gym at work, or go do pilates or yoga at the studio. Or go walk my dog so I don’t become a roly poly. I try to choose healthy foods, although I do allow myself to occasionally eat crappy stuff. I said occasionally. I don’t drink soda everyday. To me it’s a treat. Like a once a week treat. Even then, I try to only drink stuff with real sugar in it, like Mexican coke or Ginger Beer. I avoid crap with high fructose corn syrup. Cause I don’t care what the corn society wants you to believe, it’s NOT the same as sugar.
When the zombie apocalypse comes, what are all these socialists who depend on others going to do? While I’m fit and healthy, and flee to my well stocked ranch, will all these people who think it’s some else’s responsibility to take care of them just allow themselves to be eaten, or will they turn around and think all the people who have prepared themselves should also protect them? Or, will they finally realize that it’s every man for himself and they’d better man up and take care of themselves?
I know this is a stupid analogy, but I also think that blaming society and companies that produce crap food is a chicken shit way out. They’re not forcing you to eat it. They’re not telling you it’s your only option. It’s actually very easy to walk into the supermarket and only hit the outside edges. That’s where all the real food is. Milk in the back, meat on the side, veggies in front. Don’t go down the centre isles. That’s where the junk is. Prepare your own lunch and dinner. Not only will it save you money, but it will no doubt be a lot healthier. Drink more water, less soda. Get off the couch. Or at least do something while you’re watching TV.
Most of all, stop blaming everyone else. I’ve learned that you can’t depend on anyone else. The only person who is really going to take care of you, is you. When it comes down to it, it’s always going to be every man for himself. The sooner you accept this fact, the better. So put the cookie down, take some personal responsibility, and harden the fuck up.
