Severe obesity has more than doubled in the last eight years and we need to stop sugar-coating the facts to save hurting feeling | Amanda Blair

Severe obesity has more than doubled and we’re avoiding discussing the subject because we “don’t want to offend” and are celebrating “my choice to be fat”. It has to stop, writes Amanda Blair.

This is a heavy column, because it’s a weighty issue.

Chew on these statistics.

Right, 65.8 per cent of us are currently overweight or obese and this figure, like our waistbands, is increasing. More men than women are overweight but when it comes to obesity, we’re about the same. Hey ladies, we finally get some gender equality – that’s a win of sorts, right?

People in the country are larger than the rest of us and stick this fact in your cheeseburger and

digest it – severe obesity (Class III, defined as BMI of 40 or more) has more than DOUBLED in the last eight years to 4.6pc.

According to the BMI calculator, I fall into the 31.6 per cent who are in the normal weight range – something I work on everyday. I don’t have fast food, fizzy drinks or GIANT coffees,

nor add sugar to anything.

I mostly cook at home, I’m not afraid of soup, writes Amanda Blair.

I mostly cook at home, I’m not afraid of soup and when I go to the cinema. I manage to make it through 130 minutes without hoovering a large bucket of popcorn, a packet of Maltesers and 600ml of Coke.

My BMI was once in the red zone, but I lost the weight by recognising that Golden Gaytimes are a “sometimes thing” and that eating a ham and cheese croissant for breakfast everyday then having morning and afternoon tea plus lunch and dinner did not a slim thigh, nor a happy girl, make.

I didn’t lose weight to model in the Harris Scarfe catalogue (though that would be an absolute

honour akin to national service). Nay, my reasons were less about vanity and more about mortality – I didn’t want to die prematurely and if you’re overweight you’re more likely to.

This is not me “fat shaming”, it’s the truth espoused by every single person in the medical and allied health industries. According to the WHO, extra weight leads to cardiovascular disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, musculoskeletal disorders like osteoarthritis, some cancers (endometrial, breast and colon), obstetric complications and mobility issues.

These facts were missed from the Fat Joy Festival podcast I recently listened to. It was held at

Griffith University and it was a meeting point for people of size to get together to celebrate their larger bodies, foster a sense of community, acceptance and, well, joy in being fat.

Oh, I’m allowed to use the word “fat” as it’s been “reclaimed by the weight inclusive and fat liberation movement as a neutral descriptor”, so there.

I’m all for joy and I’m supportive of people being comfortable in their own skin, but some of the fat the discussion panel was chewing was hard to swallow.

Apparently, being fat is an act of “radical resistance”. The weight loss industry is run by “old white men” who want to keep women hungry “because if you’re hungry you’re less powerful”.

Apparently, being fat is an act of “radical resistance”. Pictures: Dean Martin.

Fat bodies aren’t the problem, it’s that the environment isn’t built for fat bodies. One speaker mentioned how small aeroplane seating was (this got applause) then went on to talk about the

injustice of Disneyland Tokyo excluding her from a ride because the safety bar couldn’t close

around her large girth. I always suspected Mickey Mouse was a fattist...

The ABC moderator, not a large person herself, was “supportive” and “inclusive” and didn’t raise a contrary thought or prosecute any of the arguments raised. Why?

Well, like the rest of us, she was probably too scared fearing backlash and the heavy hand of

cancel culture. Easier to nod your head rather than question the oft misguided “body positivity” movement. Body positivity shouldn’t mean finding “joy” in being so overweight you can’t see your feet. It’s not putting on a plus-size and throwing up the white flag and surrendering to your morbid obesity because you’re part of the “sisterhood”.

I get that weight loss and weight gain is complicated – it’s difficult, boring and involves a myriad of factors which are sometimes out of individual control: genetics, medications, hormones, disability, illness, socio-economic status and the biggest elephant in the room – processed foods.

Numerous studies have shown that they are designed to make a person want to eat more and eat more frequently. It’s an evil practice and needs to be called out and stopped.

But we can’t call something out if we’re avoiding discussing the subject because we “don’t want to offend” and are celebrating “my choice to be fat”. I’m really not convinced that it is a choice you’d make if the alternative was easier to obtain. But, hey, feel free to weigh in on the matter...