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—————- The next find out more meeting for our March programme is on Tuesday 23rd February which is in [cntdwn todate=”1 September 2020 23:59″ timeoff=”0″ showhours=”0″ showmins=”0″ pretext=””] Check myrise.co.uk/briefing-meeting to find out more, see what the meeting involves and, potentially, take that next step to transforming your life and body 🙂
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I fairly regularly get people tagging me in posts or sending me links about various things related to health and fitness.
And asking for my opinion.
I had several the other month after a Personal Trainer appeared on Good Morning Britain and advocated ‘fat shaming’.
“The more we fat shame, the more people would keep their mouths shut and stop overeating” she said.
Various people like James Cordon and Piers Morgan then weighed in with their views on both sides of the fence.
So, what is my opinion?
My opinion is that what people need ISN’T my opinion.
It’s my ability to see what the research either proves or strongly suggests.
Too many people in our industry are too willing to say whatever they think as though it is a hard and fast fact.
You are, of course, welcome to my opinion if you so choose.
Just as you are to listen to my assorted musings in these blogs and elsewhere.
But what I would like to think I am better at that most of my contemporaries……….
Is to not be arrogant enough to believe that I know better than people way smarter than me……….
Doing large scale, controlled, experiments………..
Meta analysises of multiple studies…………
And arriving at a consensus of opinion.
Sure, knowledge evolves.
Science doesn’t have ‘all the answers’.
If anything, good science is constantly looking to prove itself wrong.
But, if the overwhelming majority of study and experimentation seems to suggest something………
I’m happy to stick with that, until shown otherwise.
There are things that are ‘the latest trend’ now that were being regularly shown in studies over a hundred years ago.
Despite not being as widely known.
The value of calorie deficits, sufficient protein and progressive overload in training are not new ideas.
Being able to look to the ‘right’ sources and see past the mountains of misinformation and confusion is key.
So, anyway…………
What does the ‘evidence’ (as it stands) say about fat shaming.
Articles on PubMed and The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
Not some FitPro or celebrity’s opinion.
The actual research.
It doesn’t work.
On average.
Maybe for some.
But as a blanket approach, it does the opposite for most.
It makes the problem(s) worse.
Eating can often be the way we help deal with the stresses and strains of every day life.
Not always, sure.
But often.
And further stressing someone out by “fat shaming” them can often compound that.
Not always, sure.
But often.
Doesn’t mean we have to “normalise” obesity.
There is something between that and “fat shaming”.
Ultimately, the key for each individual is what works for them.
We all work in different ways.
As long as we understand the principles of what we need to do to (calorie deficit / maintenance, sufficient vitamins, minerals, protein, etc and a form of balanced and progressive exercise that we find sufficiently enjoyable / tolerable)………………
Then how we go about doing that (or whether or not we do) is up to each of us.
Much love,
Jon ‘Pies Moreplease’ Hall
