Flicking through the Sunday Papers yesterday I came across ‘………..the PM puts the nation on a diet’.
The feature is about reducing obesity through bariatric surgery. It’s long been known that people come to the point of obesity through a number of reasons all including some form of relationship with food – eating for comfort, boredom etc.
For some morbidly obese people, I can see this invasive surgical procedure could be a lifeline but is it right that investment for research into diseases, education, housing etc is diverted into bariatric surgery? People have got to take responsibility for their own actions. Very few need additional help and support – which those few rightly deserve. A bit like some people who are really depressed will need medication to get to a point where they can change their mindset and not feel so clobbered that they can’t do anything.
I just wonder if we’ve become a nation where our actions are someone’s else’s fault. We justify our behaviour due to a raft of excuses such as poor upbringing, lack of parental guidance etc.
Seeing the litter left on beaches after people ignored lockdown rules because the weather was so nice. It’s one thing to ignore lockdown but is there a reason you can’t pack up your rubbish and take it home?
Isn’t it time we all took responsibility for our actions, thought before we acted/speak and treated ourselves and those around us with a little more kindness? The bonus is these things don’t cost anything!
Jane you hit the nail on it’s head! We live in a nation where so many people feel entitled, making poor excuses rather than face the discomfort of introspection. Whilst Boris Johnson’s intentions may be good, bariatric surgery fails to get to the root of the problem – complex dysfunctional cognition that lead one to overeat. If we are to make sufficient changes, we must commit to responsibility, self-compassion and spread kindness like confetti.