I’m a trained addiction recovery meeting facilitator. I’m conversant with addiction and it’s mechanisms. I have recovered from substance mismanagement. I have lost 40 Kg. I’m not a person with superhuman will. No one goes mad by dieting. It may be hard, but I hate to tell you, there is no law in the universe that says that you have a right to an easy life. That’s one of the misconceptions most Americans have.They believe that the constitution grants them the right to be happy. Nope. It grants you the right to pursue happiness.

Weight loss medication doesn’t address the mental aspect, as you claim, only the physical aspect, and only while being on the drug. It’s a classic pharma dependency strategy.

The whole thing about fat shaming is misguided. It’s absolutely true that being vicious against people with eating disorders/ignorance is cruel, bad. However this doesn’t mean that people who are obese because of eating habits should be coddled. They should be guided towards healthier approaches to food. The person is not the habit. The person should not be condemned, but the habit should. The fact that in the US health care is essentially reactive facilitates obesity. The concept that resources should be allotted to reactive and dependency ceating medication, as opposed to education and support, is absolutely misguided.

In my country there is a lot less obesity, partly because the attitude towards food is saner, but also because health care is preventative. I have regular appointments with my registered nurse, who tracks my lifestyle habits, and is the point of contact with the health system.