The 8th season of The Biggest Loser has started and I could not be more excited! This show is a perfect example of the struggle our nation is facing in this fight against obesity. In a nut shell it is simple: There is a mass number of people out there who are living their lives without caring what harm they may be causing to their bodies. Yet the solution is not as simple as eat less and exercise more. When speaking about obesity, it is more than just being overweight. It is more than just not exercising and over eating. As Jillian Micheals said last night, "There is a story going through [her] mind." Many people who are dealing with obesity are also dealing with very serious issues in their personal life.
As most of us are aware, life can be very stressful. When it rains it pours. How we cope with these stresses is a sign of our character. Some of us cry, yell, hide out, talk, eat, exercise, watch TV, read a book, the list goes on. There are many ways to deal with the issues in our lives. The hard part is is making the choice on how we cope.
I was raised in a household with a lot of yelling. I yell and bitch when I am stressed. It is a learned behavior. Now I have the choice to change that behavior...I just find it is a lot easier said than done. I find I repeat the same actions, even though I am aware they need to be changed.
Making the decision to face obesity head on is not easy. When one is considered obese their percentage of body fat is over 35%. This is a serious amount of fat, this means your body is 35% or more of fat. Gaining this kind of weight does not happen over night. It is an accumulation of years and years of dealing with weight, nutrition, being motivated to exercise and eat well to be disappointed or weak willed. Struggling with obesity is also a struggle with body image, self esteem, self confidence, and self love. Once it is in our minds that this is our story: we are not worth it, don't deserve it, who will love me anyways?, their motivation to change is nil to none. One can be their own worse enemy by telling themselves things like this.
As I watched The Biggest Loser last night, I was moved by Jillian's and Bob's words. We know the saying that if you always do what you have always done, you will always be what your always were. By deciding to make the change and face your anxieties and phobias; deciding to change your story, you can be a hero. A hero for others, a hero for your family, but most importantly a hero in your own story. This is so powerful and why I love this show!

And one last note... anyone on the show who has children understands how important it is for them to make these changes so they can become better parents to their children; it is a motivating factor in their desire to be on the show. This is, I believe, the best way we can help our children. If we can't help ourselves how can we take care of our children? If we don't have self love how can we teach our children to have self love? We need to learn and conquer these things first so that we may be able pass our good health and knowledge to our children and make our country a healthier place to live!!