Maintaining a healthy weight as a genetically pre-determined overweight person is the equivalent to keeping up in a book club as a person with dyslexia

This analogy came to me this morning and I thought others would appreciate the idea of it. Too often, overweight people are viewed with scorn because they are overweight. This might also be intensified by the fact that "other people have lost weight".

What this fails to appreciate is that--while it is a CICO issue--it is far more difficult, biologically, for some people to have a weight loss CICO ratio compared to others. Personally, I have a healthy weight/BMI after 40+ years of being overweight (often times, actually clinically obese). I don't achieve this by observing and maintaining my "daily calorie limit". The *only* way I achieve this is with exercise (as much as my schedule permits) and intentionally having a rather large "caloric deficit" (e.g., modest breakfast, fruit for lunch, meal-replacement shake for dinner).

The thing to note is that--courtesy of genetics--this isn't a large caloric deficit for me-hence the quotation marks. My body is great at maximizing and storing calories-as are most people's bodies that are overweight. I probably need around 600-900 calories less than even my sedentary, but thin peers on a daily basis.

This means that we shouldn't shame anyone (nor should we applaud others that are naturally average weight). Fat-shaming is as counter-productive and illogical as shaming a person with dyslexia for struggling to keep up with a reading list. They might do it, but it requires far more work, effort, and commitment than the people without dyslexia.

Those of you struggling to keep up with the reading list and those of you that have kept up with the reading list (i.e., losing weight, maintaining healthy weight)--I commend and applaud you. You are not acting "like an average weight person" you are working harder than naturally average weight people due to additional biological hurdles thrown your way (and this isn't subjective, empirical research has highlighted multiple ways that some people are "screwed" over by genetics when it comes to weight and fat accumulation).

Don't know if it helps anyone, but the analogy felt right to me.

submitted by /u/JoshTheBear_
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