Why do we become obese? My BMI is also on the higher side, and I realized during my self-observation that whenever we feel a deficiency of some element in our body, our body signals hunger or fatigue. However, unless we are extremely mindful, we often mistake the signal. For example, the body is deprived of water, while we mistake the signal for hunger and take carbs. Similarly, we are feeling thirsty, but we supply cold drinks or juices that have added sugar. Now, those extra sugars or carbs add to body weight. Similarly, sometimes the body is deprived of vitamins and signals for vitamins in the form of weakness, but we take more carbs that end up increasing body weight. The problem is that we are not able to read the body signals properly, and therefore not only suffer due to the lack of nutrition, but also end up becoming overweight.
The problem of overweight is not confined to the body; rather, it is more prevalent in the Mind. Our mind also feels hungry, and that hunger fills us with desires. But often we are not aware of the root cause of the desire. For example, we get a desire to become a civil servant by clearing the UPSC civil services. Now, what is the root cause of this desire? Is it a desire to become powerful or to do social service? If power, why do we want to become powerful? Why do we feel powerless in the very first instance? Is it because we see some VIPs using their red lights to jump the queue at the toll plaza, or is it because of the DM being invited to the school to deliver a lecture? Is it a desire to become special or a VIP? But why would somebody have a desire to become a VIP? Is it coming out of our desire to do something meaningful because society makes us feel meaningless at every step? Are we substituting the desire to do something meaningful with the desire to become a VIP? Have we established a wrong correlation between the VIPship and meaningful work? Isn't it just like taking carbs when we are feeling thirsty? That will just add to the weight, and we will remain thirsty unless we identify the root cause of our desire and see through the options available in the market and understand in reality what those options offer to us.
Unless we realize the root cause of our desire, first of all, we will remain thirsty and, even worse, we will put on weight that will hamper our movement and freedom. So many of us enter into marriage without realizing what marriage means. So many of us have kids, without ever realizing the responsibilities attached thereto. We make choices based on social beliefs, which are often half-truths. The problem is that with every such choice, we are getting trapped and compromising on our freedom.
I feel that it needs complete self-introspection to realize what we really want. We need to analyse our lives to understand the impact of different things on our lives. We have acquired many things that we wanted in life, such as money, power, relationships, beliefs, friends, and an image. What are all these acquisitions doing to us? What was the underlying drive to get these things? What is the cost we have paid for the acquisition of these things? What is the opportunity cost?
We desired to get money to buy the objects of our interests, such as a home, furniture, vehicle. Now with all these things in hand, and money in our account, are we feeling more secure? Leave aside more, are we feeling as secure as we were when we were students? The more money we have, the greater the insecurity of losing that, and the more time and energy are required to manage that. Isn't it just the opposite of what we desired? We desire to feel safe with money, and the same money is making us feel insecure. We entered into relationships to share and care. But friends and relatives have grown quite differently. Now the relationships are full of pretensions. In fact, relationships have become a burden, and we look forward to some shoulder to cry on and become light, sharing the torture and pain we are undergoing in our relationships. We desired to make a self-image of being good in society because we liked listening about that "goodness" being associated with our character. That makes us feel safe and secure. That makes us feel that people in the society will support us, they are standing with us. We have invested so heavily in that self-image that we have started "pretending to be good" just to save that self-image. Self-image has become like a precious crown which makes us proud, but also fills us with great insecurity of being stolen or attacked by thieves. We have adopted many beliefs, widely prevalent in society, to feel safe, to feel like a part of the herd. But when the reality of the same belief system is challenged by some natural disaster, we feel helpless, and in that state of insecurity, we try to take support from false logic and lies just to become more insecure.
We are constantly searching for various ways to become secure by acquiring wealth, power, relationships, and networks, while building our self-image and developing strong belief systems. However, the fundamental issue of insecurity is never resolved. This happens because we are genuinely thirsty, not hungry. That's why consuming carbs only adds to our weight, making us feel even more insecure. We simply need to drink water, which is readily available. Inner connection does not require the accumulation of wealth or power; it only demands authenticity. The moment we embrace authenticity, we come to know ourselves. When we know ourselves, we love ourselves and value authenticity in every person. We connect with the different expressions of that authenticity in others. We admire those who dare to speak the truth at a meeting where everyone else is busy flattering the powerful. We appreciate those who empathize with others and strive to alleviate their pain. We feel connected to people who understand that an external support system can never provide true security. A person who is disconnected from their true self is so preoccupied with external efforts that it's nearly impossible for them to understand or appreciate love and freedom, even in theory. For them, everything is merely a tool for feeling secure, unaware that all these tools are ultimately making them more insecure. The medicine is the cause of the disease.
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