At the weight loss seminar the doctor made a statement about how obesity begins. He said that when we were young, we had installed in us not to leave the dinner table until we were done with ALL the food on our plate. And that made me think was that it? Is this really how it all began for me? Do I do that to my Children?
I remembered once that with my step mom, she told me that I ate too fast, and tried to make me chew my food one hundred times before I swallowed. This coming from a lady who walked from our house to her downtown job everyday, if not both ways at least one way. I thought it was a crock of shit then. Now, I think she was on to something.A little later the doctor stated that a lot of obesity also has to do with portion control. He said the average obese person consumes their food so fast, that they haven’t given the food a chance time enough to digest, and often times return for second helpings and the end result; you’ve stuffed yourself. By doing this repeatedly, we teach ourselves that we aren’t satisfied and to eat until we feel stuffed. After awhile, the stomach is stretched and the normal portions that we are used to aren’t enough and we pile on the food even more than before.
I took the information home and had to reflect a little bit. My grandmother, before she died used to cook two meats often times OR at least this is what I remember. Sometimes, she’d make fried chicken and fried fish, or she’d make fried pork chops and something else…
And then I remember, my uncles and aunties taunting me and telling me, they know I’m still hungry and go get some more.
And I’m remembering all this and now looking back, we have all been overweight for some time. The then skinnier ones, aren’t so skinny now. And the then big ones are even bigger now. And I’m thinking, the doc may have been on to something. My grandmother had diabetes and high blood pressure and died of a heart attack. My grandfather, died years later, but also had a heart condition, high blood pressure and diabetes. Today, I have high blood pressure and I am a borderline diabetic.
The other side of my family is relatively healthy, no one is obese like me. My mother is over weight, but I think that’s more depression and stress. Overall my mother’s been average weight, and at times very skinny. My grandmother, mom’s mom, she was one of those eat that food on your plate type people too, but usually she was forcing us to finish the nasty vegetables she fixed. Could have had the same affect though.
