Global Health, Fitness and Medical Issues

Many Americans know they’ve put on weight during the pandemic, but it’s been difficult for experts to detail the scope of the problem.

Via Peter Mellow

No matter how much you weigh, there are many benefits to starting exercise, from a reduced risk of heart disease to better mental health.

Via Peter Mellow

Despite all this, the show can be useful, if only because it’s illustrative of how fundamentally broken American attitudes toward health can be. Weight loss culture in the U.S. is defined by excess rather than moderation: working out so hard that you physically purge yourself of food and water, treating pain as an affirmation instead of a warning, following diets that eliminate entire food groups instead of encouraging balance. In one scene in the third episode, Steve and Erica briefly gather the contestants to give them diet advice, which includes bringing your own mustard to gatherings so that you don’t slip and accidentally ingest a tablespoon of ketchup. These aren’t wellness tips for a well-rounded life. They’re expressions of such obsession that humble condiments can threaten to derail a whole week of workouts.

Via Peter Mellow