In light of the recent firestorm regarding physicians’ attitudes towards obesity, I asked Fat Doctor for her insight into the issue. She writes a post addressing this:

With my lack of control over food, I do feel like an animal in a zoo, trapped in a proverbial cage of shame and remorse and fear. Yes, it hurts me that complete strangers in the street stare. Yes, I am concerned when I see my doctor that my pannus or umbilical hernia will get in the way of a good exam. Yes, I worry that I’ll die young, leaving behind a child and husband who love me despite my physical failures.

Several years ago, I read a book (can’t remember the title) regarding self-love. I made the choice to love my body despite its 3x size. Doing so freed up my brain, which had been buried in self-hate, so that I could pursue other goals: Career, marriage, child. It was liberating to “not care” about my fat anymore. In the process, every other area of my life grew more fulfilling.

At the same time, I think it is dangerous for us to bury our heads in the sand and ignore the obvious health risks of obesity. I ignored it for years, along with my hypertension, and recently had nine strokes as my reward. I ate, and ate, and ate, and I didn’t think it affected anything but my appearance, which didn’t bother me much.