No Borders and Binaries

I cannot believe that popular media still uses the word “fat” to denote “overweight” or “obese.” It is scientifically incorrect to use the word “fat” to describe a person whose Body Mass Index is much higher than average.

There is something else about this study that makes no sense to me–how many “fat” scientists, engineers, brain surgeons and geeks do you know? Somehow, my head visualizes ‘geniuses’ as thinner than average, which the article does concede as true at some point: “consuming fewer calories leads to sharper brains and longer life.” So the people with sharp brains–do they not ‘think’ and consume more calories? Or are the ’smart people’ of the world actually couch potatoes who never use their brains? The entire study sounds like a disaster in circular reasoning waiting to happen.

I think what continues to amuse me is how capitalism works to create profits from one phenomenon only to turn around and profit from the ‘opposite’ of that phenomenon. For example, first, it was the ‘fast food’ industry with high calorie and convenient (unhealthy) foods that has contributed to ‘obesity’ in most developed and developing countries. Now the very people who have been consuming these ‘foods’ for so long are sold gym memberships, diets, supplements, organic and healthier foods to ‘lose weight’ and keep fit. I am not going to be shocked when the powers of profit-making co-opt the ’slow-food’ movement either.

The same applies to fossil fuels and oil corporations. If you pay attention, you will notice that the giant oil corporations of today are buying out the patents to renewable energy. In the near future, expect these polluting powers to continue to exercise monopoly on our energy needs.

Excuse me, all this thinking has me hungry. Now where are those weight loss shakes…

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