“Most of us think we are food lovers. But we are actually food addicts,” believes Dr Rajeev Kurapati, the author of The Book of Body Positivity (published by Penguin Random House), a book that explores the problem of fat stigmatisation and offers a holistic perspective on the obesity crisis. As the Kentucky-based medical professional points out, the system is rigged. “We have to understand that there is a huge marketing manipulation going on from the food industry,” he says. “Food companies are investing millions and millions of dollars in techniques to hack the person’s mind and make them eat.”
This, in turn, means that our tendency to blame people for being overweight, dismissing them as being lazy or greedy, is misguided. “Free will can be manipulated by marketing techniques,” says Dr Rajeev, who is triple board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine, the American Board of Obesity Medicine and the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine.
The Book of Body Positivity is crammed with insights such as this, all of which collectively address the issue of obesity. The book, which is science-driven, nuanced and compassionate as well as bereft of judgment or fat-phobia, offers practical advice on how to create a more inclusive and health-centric society. Some of the other themes he addresses include the role the medical community plays in furthering the stigma around obesity, the problem associated with using BMI as a diagnostic tool, how the body inherently resists weight loss and the impact of larger society and Government policy in the obesity narrative.
From poor gut health to the ingestion of microplastics, a problematic diet culture, flawed health studies and the long shadows cast by two powerful industries – food and pharmaceutical – tackling fat requires a a lot more than the superficial ‘eat less and move more’ advice we have been doling out for aeons. “I want to ensure people understand they are not at fault. Society created this monster,” says Dr Rajeev.
While Dr Rajeev is firmly against the stigmatisation of obesity by anyone – whether it be the medical community, media or the general public – he is very aware of its impact. It is perhaps why he does not seem to be a fan of the popular body positivity movement, claiming that while it does advocate greater self-acceptance, it is not a perfect solution. Not only has this movement already been annexed by corporations who are now using bigger bodies to sell everything from lingerie to skincare, but it can also lead to poor lifestyle choices, which is worrying.
“The problem with obesity is not just about the way you look. It comes with a lot of medical problems,” he says. Being obese, according to him, affects an individual in multiple ways: psychologically, physically, emotionally and economically. Not only does it cause metabolic syndrome, heart disease, arthritis, sleep apnea and breathing problems but it also seems to increase the risk of cancers such as GI cancer, colon cancer, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer and breast cancer. “An obese cell is not an inert cell. It makes hormones that cause cancer,” he says, likening it to smoking. “If we can prevent it, just like how curtailing smoking can reduce the risk of lung cancer, we should be able to address many problems,” says Dr Rajeev.
The irony that the rates of obesity are higher than ever, despite technology and medicine being at their most advanced, is not lost on Dr Rajeev. It is this fact that played a significant role in his decision to write this book. “I live in a country that is technologically the most advanced. And yet, we have seen staggering rates of obesity,” he says, quoting some alarming numbers. With 42% of the US population being obese, 70% being overweight and malnourishment affecting some of the remaining 30%, a very small proportion of the country is actually at a healthy weight, he says. “This made me question why, despite medical advancement and the knowledge we have developed, rates of obesity are rising and continue to rise.”
And what is the solution, if one exists at all? For starters, both the medical community and the public need to understand obesity as a societal, genetic and environmental problem. “We need to address it institutionally and individually,” he says, pointing out that while one cannot change anything, learning how to alter micro-environments is important. At an individual level, one also needs to be aware that weight management is a continuous journey, something people who are successful at keeping off the lost weight already know. Most important, however, is simply making the right lifestyle choices and not obsessing over your weight. He says, “If you are overweight that is who you are. (It is more important) to be healthy, have high energy and live with vigour and vitality.”
