The Cards were Stacked Against You From the Beginning
I just reached 25 years of age, and throughout my entire life, I can definitely say that the most significant change has happened in the last two years. Finally starting a health page on Instagram (@stiffhealth) and then writing a bit on this website has helped me to truly feel some sort of fulfillment from the obsession I’ve had recently.
Unfortunately, I wish I could say that this passion, obsession, and desire to help others came from a good-spirited place. That it came from something inside of me all along that just wanted to help others. But the truth is, this stuff hits me on a much deeper level, and it’s nowhere near what I would call “good intentions.” I make most of the things I make because I am genuinely pissed off. I have a mind that’s the opposite of “ignorance is bliss” when it comes to these things. When I see things online and read about what the food and health industry has kept from people – I can’t unsee it. When I see the negative health consequences from years of literally engineering foods made to “addict” or hook (using this term loosely as I cannot diagnose this) people to overconsumption – it drives me insane. Or when I see a lifetime of “band-aid” diagnoses hurting family members in their later years, there’s nothing I can do but ask, “Why in the hell would someone recommend this?” Finally, the worst of all is seeing societal norms embracing these negative health practices as the “normal” thing to do. It all sticks in my head, and I can’t seem to shake it. The more I gather information on these topics, the darker it seems to get, which makes me realize the cards were truly stacked against us from the beginning.
Apologies for the rambling, but hopefully that gives you a little insight into how my mind works. So, let’s break things down from what I’ve started to gather. Why are the cards stacked against us? Let’s start with the foods we are subjected to and that are normalized in the average American diet. These are known as “ultra-processed” foods. To keep it simple (and I could be completely wrong, so feel free to correct me), these foods are engineered (key word there) to be the tastiest, most “addictive,” and readily available (never spoiling) whenever they are demanded. This creates a food system that isn’t necessarily geared to help people live happily and healthily, but rather to create a product that will achieve the highest grossing sales.
Now, before I lose you, let's take one more step further. Not only have these foods been marketed to us as some sort of wonderful joyland (take literally any cereal box, for example), but they have been targeting everyone since we were children, which also happens to be the most susceptible time period in our lives. Not only that, but it’s also the most lenient time period for our parents to allow us to indulge in these foods, getting us hooked from the very beginning.
(I feel like a conspiracy theorist the more I write on this topic. But the more I live, the more I see these things pop up.)
Once we’re all hooked, this is where society screws us over. We normalize it. All of a sudden, eating a salad with chicken is seen as the “healthy” thing to do – instead of just being the normal thing to do. All of a sudden, you’re seen as weird for not eating a 2,000-calorie dessert, turning down fried foods, or not drinking sodas. It is literally INSANE how societal pressures can make you feel about your food choices, even when they have optimal health effects.
Am I being a little dramatic, or do I just need to have a beer? The answer is probably both, but unfortunately, this is a whole lot bigger than just me. That’s why I get so riled up about this. Here are a few fun statistics to think on your wonderful Monday (or whenever you are reading this):
The WHO (World Health Organization) estimates that in 2019, 5 million deaths from noncommunicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes were caused by a high BMI, and rates of obesity continue to grow globally in children and adults. (Source: https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity/)
With the five leading causes of death – heart disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory disease, cerebrovascular diseases such as stroke, and unintentional injuries – obesity is a major risk factor for the first four. (Source: https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity/)
The overall death toll from obesity-related illnesses in the United States is substantial. It is estimated that obesity contributes to approximately 300,000 deaths per year in the U.S. This figure makes obesity one of the leading preventable causes of death in the country, second only to smoking. (Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4863490/)
So, even though I sound like I’m preaching in some of this, these are huge deals. I think that’s a big part of the reason it bothers me so much day-to-day. I don’t think it has anything to do with people just doing things all willy-nilly either. I think the lack of resources (cheap, healthy food, in-depth knowledge about the food sources they eat, understanding that feeling of getting into shape), and the lack of common knowledge is the real reason people don’t shy away from these things. I think if you sit someone down and make them listen to a Dr. Andrew Huberman podcast about some of this stuff, they’ll come out a completely different person.
At the end of the day, I really think, for a lot of us in America specifically, that it really has nothing to do with us. It’s not necessarily our fault in a lot of ways. It's like these companies figured out the exact formula to hack our brains—fat, sugar, and salt in perfect harmony to keep us coming back for more. And it's not just junk food—look at some so-called 'healthy' snacks. They're designed to be wolfed down without a second thought, just as engineered as your favorite fast food burger.
But enough whining about the present state – how do we get better? Here are a few steps that I think will really help everyone, and I’ll keep it as simple as possible:
Cook real food – Go to the grocery store, buy raw chicken, fruits, veggies, spices, herbs, potatoes, etc., and bring them together at home. YouTube has so many resources to learn how to cook nowadays. So find something that looks appealing to you, and bring cooking back to the dinner table at home. Lack time? Prep food – crockpot a large amount and store it so when you need it, it’s there immediately.
Avoid fast food and over-processed things – I hate to say it, and yes, there are good alternatives to enjoy this with a healthy lifestyle, but most of that stuff just isn’t good for you. Take some time off of fast food and heavily processed foods (anything in the middle aisles that lasts forever and is packaged) and really take a second to evaluate how you feel. There’s a clear difference. I could write a whole damn book on it, but start there.
Move, move, move – Go for walks, get outside, lift weights, hike, bike, run, etc. Overconsumption of food comes from a lack of energy balance (calories burned vs. calories eaten). If you can get that back to equal or in a deficit, you will maintain your current weight, and in a deficit, you’ll lose weight.
Track your foods – Going off of what was above, you want to burn more calories than you consume on a daily/weekly basis. This allows you to burn fat and get back to a healthy weight. Use this app: https://www.myfitnesspal.com or literally any of these: https://www.forbes.com/health/wellness/best-calorie-counting-apps/#lose_it_calorie_counter_section. There are so many options. The key point is you can’t dodge an addiction if you don’t know you’re addicted in the first place.
Encourage others – These are all practical steps for you to achieve these things, but I think the societal norm side of things really needs to change. Support those out there trying to help themselves. Never question, degrade, or pressure them into joining you. Let them do as they please—it’s the reason they chose that route in the first place.
Will this change anything? Who knows, but it’s better out of my head than spiraling in it. I encourage everyone to take on the journey of health and fitness, to ensure we have a better future for as many people as possible.
