And no surprise either.
Why?
Because the Mayor did what so many out there do - he embarked on a traumatic diet.
For those who aren't in the know, back in January the Toronto Mayor and his brother publicly vowed to lose 50lbs by June. Their strategy according to the Mayor,
"Running a lot, lifting weights and eating like a rabbit."Translation? A mindless eat-less-move-more plan.
The Mayor dropped 10lbs in his first week. Over the course of the next 11, he's down 9.
So where's the disaster?
9lbs in 11 weeks for a public figure who undoubtedly has a great many working meals and more stress than most folks sounds pretty good to me. I'd also guess that it's very possible the Mayor has medical problems that could complicate his efforts.
For all of those reasons, had he been a patient of mine, I'd probably have been aiming him at about 1-1.5lbs per week, which is pretty much bang on what he's averaged, so no disaster there.
The disaster's in the reporting - his, and the media's.
He's reporting weight management as sacrificial. As a struggle. As a fight.
The media's reporting his lack of more profound loss as an implied failure.
And so what's the public to learn? That success means suffering, willpower and crazy amounts of sweat, and that reasonable, small losses stink.
Those messages?
They're the public health disaster.
Posts
This post would be more compelling if I had seen (or could find) the reporting you are pointing to. Googling "Rob Ford diet" doesn't give me the results you are bemoaning. So what is "the reporting" saying that's a "disaster?" I can't tell!
ReplyDeletetry googling "toronto mayor weight loss" and you'll find plenty of articles. Or click the link at the bottom of the article.
DeleteHe needs help, good information, guidance and empathy.
ReplyDeleteThe mayor of Toronto's weight and personal habits should not my business, your business (unless he asks you for advice) or anyone else's business. The biggest mistake he made was in making his weight into a public exhibition. What an idiot.
ReplyDeleteOr maybe not - is there something more substantive he's trying to distract people from?
according to the globe article you linked to, he's down 19...
ReplyDeleteI think you should contact him and offer to enlighten him, literally and figuratively. He could benefit from your sevices and it would be good for business, no?
ReplyDeleteMayor Ford's "Cut the Waist" challenge timeline:
ReplyDeleteJanuary 16th - Initial weigh in: 330 lbs
Week 2 - 320 lbs = 10 lb loss
Week 3 - 314 lbs = 6 lb loss
Week 4 - 310 lbs = 4 lb loss
Week 5 - 310 lbs = 0 lb
Week 6 - 308 lbs = 2 lb loss
Week 7 - 310 lbs = 2 lb gain
Week 8 - 310 lbs = 0 lb
Week 9 - 308 lbs = 2 lb loss
Week 10 - Mayor "too busy" for weigh in
Week 11 - 311 lbs = 3 lb gain
Net loss as of 04/04/2012 = 19 lbs loss
He has raised less than $500.00.
The only thing the public has learned from this is that the Mayor lacks the wherewithal to combat even his own personal health problems in a smart, meaningful way. I'd say that's newsworthy.
Actually, according to the article from the Globe and Mail, his most recent weight was 313 (they report he muttered 311 while the scale read 313).
DeleteMaybe the Mayor of Toronto should consider combining his workouts into his busy day. Maybe bicycle commuting might be right up his alley! Oh...wait.... ;)
ReplyDelete"....it's very possible the Mayor has medical problems that could complicate his efforts."
ReplyDeleteYeah, like Terminally Oblivious Bloviation Disorder. Honestly, Yoni, why you would give this a**hat anymore PR to sell his already over-blown hype and nonsense is beyond me.
Ugh.
My my, don't people get judgmental over the weightloss issues of others!
ReplyDeleteI don't know what kind of politician he is, but I admire him for putting himself out there and bringing attention to the issue. And I agree that too many people identify weightloss with suffering and they try to advocate extremely painful methods that nobody wants to stick to long-term.
We all have our personal weakness and as always, it's so much more fun to judge others for theirs than it is to focus on our own. To people for whom weight has never been a struggle: Congratulations. Maybe age will chage that. Or depression. Or other life circumstances. If that's the case, I hope people never make rude comments about you on the worldwide web.
And it's because you don't know what kind of politician he is that you can't see the link HE is trying to make between cutting his own waistline and cutting the "waste" in city government. He's trying to prove that making sacrifices - be it in weight loss efforts or city budget management - will be worth it in the end. He's in fact proven that his approach will NOT work in the long term - not for weight loss, and not for the city's budget. So he really had left himself open to criticism because of the position he's taken.
DeleteRob Ford will go down in history as the worst mayor Toronto has ever had. This being said, I have always found it distasteful how many of Ford's detractors link his weight to the numerous stupid, ignorant things he's done, said or proposed, as if being overweight is visual proof of his stupidity.
Delete