This is a topic I've been thinking about for years, while watching people's behavior. It's a sensitive matter and I'm sure many will not like what I have to say here but I'm going to say it anyway as this is not a popularity contest and the matter is not something to sweep under the carpet.
Last week or so 
To understand better what I'm talking about, let me tell you a story, which actually made me unsubscribe from a friend's feed on Facebook.
A few years ago, when I decided I wanted to learn jogging/running I knew I needed help to do it right as otherwise I coul have damaged myself pretty seriously. Running seems easy and it is after a time but the road to that level is pretty bumpy and dangerous.
Lucky me, I joined a runners group on Facebook, met a bunch of nice people who helped me learn a lot and do it right. This way I have been able to avoid injuries.
Anyway, there were many people in that group, who started running to burn calories so they can lose weight. This is very common as they say it's the best way to make your metabolism work right and lose weight. I met a guy there, an ex rugby player in his late twenties, who was 1.90 high and weighed 170kg.
For those of you who are not using kilogrammes, that is around 374 pounds and even though he was pretty tall, that weight was too much for anyone. When he joined the trainings he was the biggest guy in the group and many were afraid he would make a heart attack during their weekly jogging trainings.
This guy was smart, he was an ex rugby player, he was used to extreme trainings and knew exactly how to get over those times when your body and mind tells you to quit.
To cut the long story short, he lost 50kg, which is around 110 poundd, participated in his first running contest of 5km and got a very good result. Then he participated in a half marathon, then in a marathon and finally became an Ironman, swimming 3.8km, biking 180km and running 42km in one day, one after another.
No matter how you look at it, this is huge! Not anyone can do that as it requires perseverance, willpower, devotion, time and many more. He did it and I have a great respect for him for that. I remember the day he was participating in his half Ironman competition, to motivate and support him mentally, I organized a competition with my mates. We ran the distance he had to do as relay, from six or seven countries spread in three continents. It may sound stupid but it's not, it's actually a very good initiative that can motivate people.
He became quite famous, newspapers, magazines were writing about him as it was a good story. The guy who started from 170kg became an Ironman! Imagine a title like this.
Then his life has changed and he put the weight he lost back again. He was 170kg again or maybe more, I can't remember exactly. He knew perfectly he has to do something as that weight can kill you easily, so he started his weight loss journey again. This time he was well known already and personal trainers had their eyes on him, probably using him to get more exposure.
He got a trainer who made sure the media is covering the story. He made sure to share his trainings, meals and results every day. The whole thing started to sound like a typical success story, it's just that it was all a show as who can believe what he's saying after knowing he's been down on this road before. For me it was too much already and decided not to follow his evolution this time. When the whole thing becomes a media circus, I'm out, not wasting my time, no matter who is it about.
Not long ago I remembered him and looked him up to see what he's been up to and saw he's as big again as he was when he first started, which means he has put back all those kilos he has lost twice already. I was wondering when is he going to start a new weight loss campaign again and brag about it.
The other category is made of the substance abusers, like drugs and alcohol, to name a few. How many have you seen being celebrated for quitting this or that, being sober for x years, or quitting addiction. This is also a roller coaster type of lifestyle as not many can stay away from the substance they have been abusing sometimes for years. Many fell of the wagon, start drinking and using drugs again.
Not everyone is like that though. There are people who are eating correctly, exercising regularly, watching out for their health. These people are not celebrated, no one give a damn about them as they haven't done anything spectacular, like lose 50kg or quit using drugs, right? What is there to celebrate, right? Well, I think differently, I see both sides of the coin.
While I agree, these efforts have to be supported in order for these people to get better. It's hard enough to quit a bad habit, an addiction, and many can't do it alone.
However I also believe those who have been doing things correctly, must not be forgotten. In my eyes those are the real heroes, living their life quietly, not showing off.
I've seen many boy who cried wolf cases in my life and take every story with a pinch of salt, believe it when I see the end of it. Some are only fishing for sympathy, living off of people feeling sorry for them. This is a habit already for some.
Selling your story to get likes, maybe even money, time and time again meaning can only work if you get different people to believe you. It's also a question of credibility, after a few failed attempt, no one is going to believe or support you.
In the meantime I have a great respect for those who are doing the right thing and never fail to congratulate them. They are the real heroes in my eyes, neglected by everyone.
Doing something for your own health, for your own benefit is the right thing to do. Being celebrated by the media can give you some benefits on short term, but when the whole thing is forgotten, then what? And believe me, we live in a world in which things change so fast you are celebrated on day and forgotten the next day.
