I had a reality check when i started working at one of the hospitals here in US and I met my first obese patient. He was 465 pounds. I had never seen anyone like that except in the movies.
In Africa, Obese people are most likely rich and therefore are on a " rich-man diet" of beers and roast meat (goat). I, being 165 pounds, was already considered " kinda fat." I quickly learnt that the tables are reverved over here with the junk food being cheaper than healthy food therefore a disproportionate number of obese people not being necessarily rich. This guy for instance was not rich and survived on cheap food.
My mom has always told me that if i took home a girl that was dieting or as thin as a broom stick, she would get me a wife from the village who has some "meat-on-the-bones" We prefer bigger, full figured women than thin women. Besides, with HIV all around us, some people equate thin women to Infected people( which is NOT true!)
On the other hand, here in the US, there is glorification of paper-thin women as Hollywood dictates.
Obviously one has to be healthy-low cholesterol, LDL etc but I think with our low life expectancies in Africa, the effects of cardiovascular events from poor lifestyles may not be fully grasped like it is in the US. Some countries have as low life expectancies as in 40's.
Since then, I have seen so many morbidly obese people that when I went back to my home country recently, it seemed like everyone I met was undernourished!
Most of my friends felt that I was now " more than kinda fat".
I have learnt to be conscoius about my weight now and I even have a weighing machine in my washroom! How American!
Is Fat good or bad?
Make an informed decision...
Chite.
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