What happens when your weight has gotten so out of control that you can’t make a living? What do you do when the health problems caused by your excessive weight prevent you from being the provider your family needs? What happens when your children inherit these bad habits?
The Chawner family from the United Kingdom accept their circumstance and “claim their weight is a hereditary condition”. This family of four receives, what would convert to roughly $30,000 a
year in benefits to survive and believes that that they “deserve more”.
A recent article reported that “Philip Chawner, 53, and his 57-year-old wife Audrey weigh 24st. Their daughter Emma, 19, weighs 17st, while her older sister Samantha, 21, weighs 18st.”
A single stone (st) roughly converts to 14 pounds, which would result in the following measurements:
Philip Chawner & Audrey Chawner- 336 lb.
Emma Chawner (19 years old) – 238 lb.
Samantha Chawner (21 years old) – 252 lb.
This is a very sad story but the scary thing is that when asked about their eating habits and their lack of exercise, the reasons they gave sound very familiar.
“All that healthy food, like fruit and vegetables, is too expensive. We’re fat because it’s in our genes. Our whole family is overweight”
“I’m a student and don’t have time to exercise”
“We all want to lose weight to stop the abuse we get in the street, but we don’t know how.”
These are all thoughts that most people with weight issues truly stand behind when explaining their reason for carrying excess weight but the fact is that these reasons are not justified.
1. Eating smart can save money. One can certainly make the argument that fresh produce is more expensive than prepackaged and fast foods but if you are smart about the choices you make then you can reduce the immediate expense and prevent expensive medical and pharmaceutical bills (that result from the inevitable effects of bad eating habits – hypertension, diabetes, etc.).
2. Beyond genetics. The CDC has found evidence that family history can place a person at higher risk for developing obesity, however this does not mean that we should just throw in the towel. If this is our situation, preventative measures should be taken. We must be proactive and rise to the challenge.
3. Prioritize your health. The first priority is and always will be your health; it is impossible to fulfill all of your obligations and duties if you body fails.
4. Knowledge is always available. Knowledge flows freely if you know where to look. If there is something we want to know we cannot be afraid to ask, resources are available everywhere. At times our pride and shame will often get in the way but when it comes to our health and wellness we can’t be shy.
We only have one life and one body so we better make the best of it.
