The (stupid) desi stigma of health conditions
No, I am not talking about Aids or HIV which sadly enough have enough social stigma attached with them anyways...
I am talking about our desi take on health conditions
Usually when knowledge gains popularity, societies evolve and people's lives and social skills are bettered and improved, but NOT in Pakistan. In Pakistan, the exact opposite happens
I've noticed how, as morning shows have been trying to 'save' the nation by including a 'health panel' amid all the craziness that passes off as a morning show, the ladies who lap up their content have also started commenting and criticizing the local eating and lifestyle habits.
At a party recently, due to the layer of roghan floating on the Nihari, the dinner table broke out in a heated discussion by a group of aunties of how 'horrible' our eating habits are and how 'fat people are simply so lazy and should do something about themselves'
"Have you seen how XYZ eats? She can eat her own hands if she wanted to"; one aunty commented while reaching for a paratha
"Oh haan, tabhi to itna weight issue hai, I am sure blood pressure bhi ho ga ussay (No wonder she has a weight issue, I am sure she also has high blood pressure)"; another aunty immediately contributed to the discussion (well at least the talk shows have given enough social understanding to these women to try and discuss these things under fancier terms like weight issues rather than simply blurting out about how 'mota' one is...)
"Iss hee leay tou bachay nahi ho rahay us kay! (that's why she does not have any kids!)" another one added this gem to the discussion while popping open a diet coke with her third helping of biryani.
I just sat there with my mouth agape. The thing is, I knew the lady XYZ very well. She was a very well educated, quiet sort of person. As a matter of fact, I knew her well enough to know that she was suffering from a major hormonal issue and had confided in me how she hated herself, and would not sometimes eat days on end, just drinking soup or tea etc to lose weight.
Another case in point: Pregnant relative ends up in the emergency room delivering her baby boy three weeks premature. So, this lady comes from a family of health freaks, but not any health freaks, desi health freaks.
How are they different?
Well, in desi health freaks, if you are thin, you are healthy. Full stop. Or as they are called, 'dubli patli'
There is no concept of exercising or healthy eating, but yes, there is a lot of mindless dieting, and everyone agrees how 'healthy' that family is and how 'health conscious' they are
So, said lady woke up with headaches and feeling dizzy. Considering how she had always been 'healthy' (read thin), she thought she might be suffering from low blood pressure.
How did she come to this conclusion?
Well obviously D'UH! Only fat people get high blood pressure. She is a thin person so she will obviously have low blood pressure. Lady-like girls have low blood pressure, only fatties get high blood pressure, so she should eat stuff to elevate her BP, and went on to down three cups of coffee and two hard-boiled eggs and what-not. Seven hours later, she is obviously knocked out and the doctors inform her family that (gasp!!) her blood pressure had been pretty high, and all the extra caffeine and stuff she ate during the day has elevated it further...
Thankfully enough, mum and baby were safe but the inherent assumptions later on made me cringe, especially when her mother would sit in dawats and explain again and again how she never ever has had high BP because she has always been so healthy (thin)...
I am talking about our desi take on health conditions
Usually when knowledge gains popularity, societies evolve and people's lives and social skills are bettered and improved, but NOT in Pakistan. In Pakistan, the exact opposite happens
I've noticed how, as morning shows have been trying to 'save' the nation by including a 'health panel' amid all the craziness that passes off as a morning show, the ladies who lap up their content have also started commenting and criticizing the local eating and lifestyle habits.
At a party recently, due to the layer of roghan floating on the Nihari, the dinner table broke out in a heated discussion by a group of aunties of how 'horrible' our eating habits are and how 'fat people are simply so lazy and should do something about themselves'
"Have you seen how XYZ eats? She can eat her own hands if she wanted to"; one aunty commented while reaching for a paratha
"Oh haan, tabhi to itna weight issue hai, I am sure blood pressure bhi ho ga ussay (No wonder she has a weight issue, I am sure she also has high blood pressure)"; another aunty immediately contributed to the discussion (well at least the talk shows have given enough social understanding to these women to try and discuss these things under fancier terms like weight issues rather than simply blurting out about how 'mota' one is...)
"Iss hee leay tou bachay nahi ho rahay us kay! (that's why she does not have any kids!)" another one added this gem to the discussion while popping open a diet coke with her third helping of biryani.
I just sat there with my mouth agape. The thing is, I knew the lady XYZ very well. She was a very well educated, quiet sort of person. As a matter of fact, I knew her well enough to know that she was suffering from a major hormonal issue and had confided in me how she hated herself, and would not sometimes eat days on end, just drinking soup or tea etc to lose weight.
Another case in point: Pregnant relative ends up in the emergency room delivering her baby boy three weeks premature. So, this lady comes from a family of health freaks, but not any health freaks, desi health freaks.
How are they different?
Well, in desi health freaks, if you are thin, you are healthy. Full stop. Or as they are called, 'dubli patli'
There is no concept of exercising or healthy eating, but yes, there is a lot of mindless dieting, and everyone agrees how 'healthy' that family is and how 'health conscious' they are
So, said lady woke up with headaches and feeling dizzy. Considering how she had always been 'healthy' (read thin), she thought she might be suffering from low blood pressure.
How did she come to this conclusion?
Well obviously D'UH! Only fat people get high blood pressure. She is a thin person so she will obviously have low blood pressure. Lady-like girls have low blood pressure, only fatties get high blood pressure, so she should eat stuff to elevate her BP, and went on to down three cups of coffee and two hard-boiled eggs and what-not. Seven hours later, she is obviously knocked out and the doctors inform her family that (gasp!!) her blood pressure had been pretty high, and all the extra caffeine and stuff she ate during the day has elevated it further...
Thankfully enough, mum and baby were safe but the inherent assumptions later on made me cringe, especially when her mother would sit in dawats and explain again and again how she never ever has had high BP because she has always been so healthy (thin)...
When I was diagnosed with severe early onset preeclampsia, the very first thing that the doctors did was explain you me that there was nothing at all that I could have done to avoid this.
"But I've always been fat", I blurted out with tears in my eyes.
He shrugged his shoulders,"Yeah, so?"
"Wouldn't that's have caused it, as in me being un healthy...?"
He shook his head vigorously "Please do not think that. If preeclampsia is to happen it will happen no matter what. Doesn't matter if you are healthy or not healthy... That's why it's so dangerous because we have seen it happen to any mum to be"
... However, for the life of me I couldn't explain this to the people around me. "OMG, it's because you eat too much salt!" "Well obviously it's because you are overweight" "You should stop eating oil" "You have BP problems for sure which you never knew about, because you are fat" In the end, I gave up. I realised it wasn't worth it. What mattered was me reassuringng myself that I did everything to the best of my strength for myself and the baby.
As a people, there are a lot things we need to learn and I'm not taking about heavy topics such as religion or philosophy, I'm just referring to the very basics here such as health and fitness, not to mention developing a bit of empathy not only for how someone is mentally and emotionally, but also physically.
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