3rd FATTEST NATION

I was not going to join the discussion about South Africa being the third fattest nation on earth, but Andrea (the sister) feels that The G&M Society needs some current topics, so here goes... I am finally coming out, I WAS FAT.

I have always struggled with my weight and do not have a healthy relationship with food, but it is getting better. I used to find comfort in buckets of KFC and bowls of ice-cream. I was in denial about my increasing waistline and kept telling myself that being a size 38 was fine.

That was until late last year when I was going through photographs of myself on Facebook at Andrea's (the friend) wedding and the Rhodes reunion. I was shocked to see how rounded I was. I was part of the reason for this shocking statistic. I decided to immediately take control of my body and joined gym and started eating healthy. Since November 2009 I have lost 12kgs and have kept it off. I am feeling fantastic.

Weight is a personal thing and as long as you feel comfortable in your own body then it does not matter what shape or size you are. I also feel that the reason that we are the third fattest nation is due to poverty and not excess like the United States (the world's fattest nation) and the United Kingdom (the second largest nation). Pap and mealie meal are a major stample in many South African's diet and both of these are high in starch - a major contributor to fat build up.

* The above 'before' photo was taken last year April and the 'after' today at work. Photoshop was not used - Mart