Being fat is a trap

They are all characterized something like this: the problem is on the face of it an individual one, with individual solutions. Just stop eating so much. Work out. Eat less unhealthy food. Etc.

But a deeper look and you see that the overall system makes it difficult or impossible for the average individual to really solve the problem. Because it’s too complex, too expensive, takes too much time, and mostly because the framework around “solving the problem” is still locked into the individual mindset.

The same pattern is in voting or affecting the democratic process (an individual action is what matters, but it simultaneously doesn’t really do anything unless you are wealthy/have free time to be an activist.)

Curbing social media addiction is another. It’s seen as an individual problem, but fighting against it requires you to essentially be against the entirety of society.

These are all consequences of the world getting more complex but the tools for dealing with that complexity not keeping pace.

The solution is maybe that we need a new agent or entity that operates in between the individual and the system. Traditionally that was something like your local neighborhood, extended family, etc. but nowadays I don’t think it really exists, because the solutions have been offloaded to individual-focused ones.

For example, there are apps which let you order healthy groceries every month that are delivered to your door. But it’s an individual thing, not a group or community one. You as an individual need to organize and order this stuff.

[1]: https://www.entropywins.wtf/blog/2017/01/02/simple-is-not-ea...

* “It’s unpleasantly hot,” but that is kind of irrelevant. Unpleasantly cold could be a deterrent. I live in a climate that changes wildly with the seasons, which is annoying, because I have to have different routines depending on the time of year. There are few climatically perfect situations.

* “I hate gyms,” but maybe it’s certain aspects of gyms, or you had some bad experiences at a gym.

* “I have a quaint bungalow that doesn’t have space for equipment,” but you don’t have to have a lot of equipment. All you need are a few dumbbells, and a treadmill is nice but also very much not required.

* “I work an intense job,” but so do many people who find time to work out. Things like standing desks help, walking during meetings, finding the time during lunch, before work or after work. And sometimes time-intensive jobs help distract people from eating, which can be a useful tactic. Time management is hard, but it’s not impossible. And if your job sucks… well, that’s an entirely different conversation.

* “I live in a country that prioritizes fast, processed, sugary foods,” but most countries do. Cheap soda, cheap fast food, grab and go snacks… absolutely! All of this makes eating healthily difficult. What you’ll need to do is learn how to cook for yourself. It’s an incredibly important skill that will help considerably.

* “Responsibility is on the end user,” and yes, it sure is! But you can get help. You are not alone! There are resources — support groups, diet and fitness programs, indoor and outdoor activity groups, nutrition, fitness, and life coaching.

* “It won’t be enough in the face of it simply being difficult to find time, space, or money,” but that’s what you have decided to tell yourself. In reality, you don’t need a lot of time, space, or money. If you have more, sure, it’s easier. But it’s more doable than you are giving yourself credit.

Another point is that you can be good athletically speaking and yet have too much body fat to be considered healthy. An extreme example is that of professional fighters in open-weight categories.