We are spoilt for choice when it comes to new age medical conditions. Whether it is ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), GAD (Generalised Anxiety Disorder), or even SAD (Social Anxiety Disorder), pardon the pun, there’s more new disorders cropping up these days than you can shake a stethoscope at.
Building your endeavours on negativity is like building your proverbial house on sand- Matthew Muscat Inglott
Try on CVD (Computer Vision Syndrome) for size, a condition brought on by excessive computer use, or EHL (Earbud-related Hearing Loss), caused by listening to your headphones too loud.
FKS might not catch on like the rest of these disorders, but it’s my humble offering from the modern world of health and fitness. I jokingly coined the phrase while discussing the matter with a friend and colleague; however when considering the amount of people I have seen affected by it, we agreed the condition certainly warranted a label of some sorts; I hereby present ‘Fat Kid Syndrome’.
Not the most politically correct of terms I must admit; however, the offensive slant is precisely why FKS happens to be a problem in a select few adults today. So here’s how it all starts: some of us were not considered the sporty type at school, carried a few extra kilos of puppy fat, and consistently got picked last for the team during an age when society was powering full steam ahead towards the materialistic and image-conscious madness we see today.
Being overweight particularly during the early teens tends to produce the longest lasting effects. Adolescence is challenging enough without having to contend with feeling inadequate or depressed about excess body weight. Where bullying and name-calling are also involved, then the problems get even bigger. Of course, childhood obesity was much less prevalent two decades ago, so being labelled the ‘fat kid’ was once perhaps even more traumatic than it is now.
The ‘slave auction’ method of selecting teams that left so many children traumatised 20 years ago is now pretty much outlawed in today’s educational system, and physical education is a non-competitive subject geared at including each and every child without exception.
Children are encouraged to excel at their own pace, free of judgement or labels. It’s all about having fun and promoting lifelong love for physical activity. Most adults over the age of 25 today unfortunately have very different memories of PE. Moreover, educators nowadays are more aware about issue like bullying, and therefore more likely to stamp it out when they encounter it at school.
So it seems the overweight children of yesteryear were left to react to their situation in several different ways. Some embraced their classification as the ‘fat kids’ and went off sports and physical activity all together. These are the adults who assume physically activity is the sole reserve of the physically gifted, and prefer not to partake.
Some of the overweight children however reacted very differently: as soon as they were old enough to make their own informed decisions, they became determined to turn things around. Some of these children have gone on to become top athletes or pursued better health and fitness religiously throughout their lives, determined never to be labelled unfairly again. Sounds like a reasonably positive outcome, so how on earth can I fault it?
Regular readers may recall a recent article where we tackled the subjects of obsession and addiction. Even health and fitness can become unhealthy and counter-productive when we take it too far.
When it becomes the cause of anxiety or interferes with our ability to lead a normal and balanced life, then we need to stop and take a long hard look at our motives.
Do you cringe when you picture yourself as a child? Were you ever teased about your weight? Did fear or shame about your childhood weight motivate you to start exercising and dieting? Do you feel guilty when you miss a single workout?
Do you feel severe anxiety if someone suggests you may have put on a little weight? Do you step on the weighing scales more than once a week? Have friends of family ever accused you of being obsessed with your weight?
Have you ever missed work school or social obligations because of your exercise and nutritional regimen? Do you exercise even when you’re sick or injured?
If you answered yes to most of these questions, then you might very well be afflicted with FKS. Your current situation might be sabotaging your self-esteem, and the valuable relationships in your life could be suffering if you spend excessive time and effort on your exercise and nutrition regimen.
You could even wind up with physical injury or sickness due to overtraining, and cause yourself unnecessary and undue psychological stress. Never fear however, because the solution is simple enough.
Simply identifying and being aware that you might be affected by this problem is half the battle towards regaining balance in your life. Stop counting calories and allow yourself some treats at least once a week. You’ll be surprised how the odd naughty sweet need not sabotage your health and appearance.
Pursue other hobbies outside the gym and above all, motivate yourself to train not with negative emotions like fear of regaining weight or unreasonable shame about your past.
Building your endeavours on negativity is like building your proverbial house on sand. Positive motivational factors like the general health benefits to be gained from exercise and optimum nutrition, and a more positive self-image are far sturdier foundations.
info@noble-gym.com