Dear Editor:

Many people, including myself, have often judged others quietly, and some have done so rudely and out loud. When we are young, the “put-downs” are harsh and folks who might be diagnosed as obese, drunk, or on drugs are often hurt, but don’t know that what they have may be a disease and they are in need of medical treatment. How do we stop the automatic judgment based on a presumption that it is only a matter of personal choices – good or bad?

For years we have believed that obesity exists because of the volume and type of food we eat. When we see obese people eating at a restaurant, or buying food in the grocery store, we often make snap judgments and hope we will never be that heavy. Too much fatty food, no exercise we think. yet, in August of this year, science found the gene that causes obesity and I am wondering how do I apologize for all the unkind thoughts for so many people?

It turns out the gene is doing the opposite of what it does in the average person. For most of us when we eat, the gene converts the food into energy, thereby keeping our weight at a relatively steady level. Those diagnosed as obese have the same gene, but it stores energy from food as fat. This scientific knowledge brings hope of genetic mitigation and a reduction in the number of obese people, but it will not erase the pain of judgment.

Likewise there is an automatic judgment about the recent rise in heroin use and death being due to “party animals” -- who waste their time getting high on drugs. But scientific data has determined that four out of 5 new heroin users first became addicted to a doctor’s opioid pain prescription that led to heroin – not from the desire to get high. Suddenly an easier solution has been introduced – reform prescribing methods.

When we focus on searching for the real cause of behavior and health, without demonizing the persons, we not only save lives, we transform lives and lower costs. In those cases we also mitigate blame and anger, only judgment regret lingers.

Jarryl Larson

Edgecomb