A FROTHING sponsored video of an elite-celebrity, Raymond Gutierrez, showing his transformation from an overweight man to a hunk that is so hot he is literally bursting out of his clothes, went viral some two weeks ago. It drew flak on social media and especially targeted Erwan Heusaff, who was Gutierrez’s "lifestyle coach."
The ad which showed the simple fitness steps Gutierrez used in achieving a "healthy" body (with his well-developed pectoral muscles) somehow touched a raw nerve among many.
And who would it not? In a country where half of its citizens live below the poverty line, counting and avoiding excess calories to shed flab can be obscene. It’s okay to be health-conscious. But worrying excessively about calorie-intakes when many do not even know where to find their next decent meal can be more than a tad insensitive. Taken collectively, the video and the words these celebrities on their high horses say is sheer arrogance.
There were pieces of advice on that video that made people, including me, raise an eyebrow. Not everyone has access to gym memberships and professional trainers like Raymond. Not everyone can afford the food Raymond eats every day. Olive oil and quinoa grains are foreign to the masses. Not everyone has time to exercise like how Raymond busts his ass at a sophisticated gym two to three hours a day and seven times a week. Unlike Raymond, many juggle five jobs a day just to keep on living.
Nutrition in this country is and will always be a class issue. Although many of us are beginning to realize the health benefits of eating fresh and organic food, many beat their chests and put on a holier-than-thou attitude, passing judgment on people on "junk-food diet." An average Filipino does not even have a stove or a fridge in the household, so how can it be realistically possible for him to buy perishable goods like fruits and vegetables to cook? If a tray of eggs and a dozen of fruits amount to P200 but twelve packs of noodles can be had for less than P100, how can he pick eggs and fruits with his limited budget? We have cooking shows on national TV with cutting-edge kitchen gadgets and culinary chefs that provide recipes for the "poor" that I, myself, a person who works three jobs a day and considerably is categorized poor, can barely afford.
Recognize that staying healthy is a privilege in this country, not a choice. Eating is expensive and apparently, there is a gap between what we should be eating to stay healthy and what our economic reality is saying. There is something very wrong in flaunting your workout regimen and fat-shaming people when there are starving masses who cannot afford to have three decent meals a day.
In that viral ad, Raymond is shown eating mainly fish, salad, and a low-carb diet with a can of Century Tuna. From all the ingredients mentioned, I think the only thing I can afford is the can of Century Tuna.