Weight loss is an ongoing battle against the scale

Edwin J. Viera, Columnist

It’s been a long day on the battlefield, but I must face the enemy straight on. It’s a cruel and unusual enemy that we all must combat. This dastardly enemy being… the number on the scale.

Nowadays, that enemy looks like someone in a yoga class at the local gym. America has a weight problem, but there is something more to it than that. How are we trying to fight it?

Sure we go to the gym, try the craziest of diets, we even go on reality television shows to show the whole world we can lose weight while showing emotion. Yet, at the same time, the lines at fast food restaurants only seem to be getting longer. While that food looks good only in the commercials, people still eat plenty of it.

Are we slowly starting to retreat from the war on weight? Are we just trying, but not becoming successful? I contemplated the war on weight, and I couldn’t help but wonder.

When it comes to fighting the war of the scale; are “we” the generals, slowly leaning towards a cease-fire?

Maybe it’s more of a mental thing because we choose not to think about what we put into our mouths, so maybe it’s better to repress what we know about fast food. Yet, who can distinctly remember the day they learned what pink slime was, and how the food they eat lived? I can, and right after that, I had dinner… chicken wings.

In America there are 160,000 fast food restaurants that serve half a million people daily, and generate 10 billion dollars in revenue. This is an industry that’s clearly not shrinking any time soon. Especially since the public figured out the truth, but another question remains… did anyone bother to pay attention to what the filmmakers were talking about.

Films such as “Super-Size Me” and “Food Inc.” made waves because they exposed the fast food industries, and their harmful effects on the human body. In the movie “Food Inc.,” you see the way that they take the chicks and wind up throwing them into the grinder. In “Super-Size Me” people learned about the negative effects of McDonalds on the human body.

The court case of “Perlman vs. McDonald Corp,” was thrown out of a courtroom because the judge realized that if people eat enough fatty foods, they will gain weight. “Every responsible person understands what is in products such as hamburgers and fries, as well as the consequence to one’s waistline, and potentially to one’s health, of excessively eating those foods over a prolonged period of time,” said the food chain’s lawyer during the case. All in all, it seems like we’ve reached an impasse for this war, but a cease-fire could be close… right?

Exercising is also a problem. Some people are trying to exercise every day but they may not be getting the recommended amount. Sure, we can walk on a treadmill, lift weights, take a class,

and even get a personal trainer, but they tend to ruin it when they go home. People defeat the purpose with a piece of chocolate marble cake, and all that exercising just goes to waste. Considering all the options, forget the cease-fire, it may be an all-out surrender.

It’s usually at this stage that people consider the ultimate prospect to lose weight… gastric bypass surgery. It may be a quick fix, but it’s more or less just a band aid. Sure, the surgery can cover the problem, but it will never solve it… unless.

Unless you change your eating habits to accommodate for the surgery, you’ll end up back where you started. Sure, it can be hard to keep weight off, but here is a simple rule of thumb to keep you on the right path. Don’t give up.

While it’s tempting to just say, “screw it,” and give up, remember that you don’t have to lose weight instantly; rather, just go for the gradual weight loss. For those who have the chance to visit the gym, try to do at least 2 miles (30 – 45 minutes) on a treadmill, elliptical, or whatever you prefer, and find some machines to help with upper body strength during your set. For those with a busy schedule, find a way to incorporate more movement into your day.

Losing weight isn’t some sacred art that requires inner peace to do, just a strong mind to keep yourself on the right path. The war on weight may be turning into a cease-fire, but it’s up to you to realize that it can end the way you want it to.

email: viera.record@outlook.com