3G

I read yesterday's news rather later than usual. On a normal day, I'd read the news in the morning, but yesterday I only had the chance to catch up on the news much later in the evening.

In any case, this report on obesity caught my eyes. This problem, now dubbed 3G (Gebu, Gempal, Gemuk which can loosely be translated to Plump, Chubby, Fat), is getting serious in the country. According to the minister in charge of health, one million or 18.8% of women between 25 and 64, while 850,000 men (13.9%) come under this 3G category.

A number of factors can be attributed to this 3G problem. Our lifestyle, diet and habits are definitely the main contributors. Lack of exercise, high cholesterol intake and very little physical activities are certainly the major culprits. Interestingly, it was also reported yesterday that the minister in charge of sports highlighted that only 22% of Malaysians actually take up sporting activities.

And while we're on the topic of 3G, have you noticed that dramas these days tend to use oversized people as their main characters? I don't have a problem with that - after all, they're a part of our society. What I have a problem with is the stereotypical portrayal of oversized people. Notice how they are portrayed as clumsy and always being bullied around? This kind of portrayal is supposed to be funny, but seriously I find them rather insulting. Unfortunately, our view of oversized people are always negative, which can lead to discrimination.

For those who are in the 3G category, I believe the issue of being overweight can only be solved if one is adamant in bettering himself/herself. One may say that one wants to shed some weight, but words are just that - plain words. These words would only be effective if they are translated into actions.

So, if you want to lose the pounds, work on it. As for the rest of us, stop viewing oversized people with discrimination and negative perception.