The Sword Of Damocles

Many of you may have heard or even used the expression:  “The Sword of Damocles Hanging Over Your Head”.  Poking around the internet, here is an explanation of where the expression came from:

“An imminent and/or constant threat. According to Greek legend, Damocles, a friend of King Dionysius of Syracuse, envied the ruler’s great wealth and power. When Damocles told the king how fortunate he was, Dionysius offered to change places for a day. As Damocles dined at the head of the table, he happened to look up. There above his head, held by only a single horsehair, hung a sharp sword pointing downward toward his chair. Frozen with fear that the thread would break, he pointed out the predicament to the king. Dionysius nodded, acknowledging that the sword was a constant factor in his life, an actual and a metaphoric reminder that some person or circumstance might at any time cut the thread. Such risk, the king added, comes as an integral part of power. Any ever-present risk, especially one that’s hanging by a thread, is how the phrase has been used.”

Basically, the concept of “The Sword Of Damocles” basically applies to any imminent, impending, or eventual trouble, danger, or disaster that may befall you.

Of course you knew this was coming, but let’s bring this concept to the weight control arena: 

When obesity/unhealthy weight is present there are many potential risks that this poses to us.  From metabolic disease like diabetes to heart attacks to strokes to cancers to chronic incapacitating pain syndromes, poor weight control is sort of like the “Sword of Damocles” hanging over our heads.  To ignore these potential life-threatening/life-altering events would play a large contributory role in one, some, many of these devastating events.

I am not implying that we should all live our lives in fear of really bad medical things happening but on the other hand, ignoring these possibilities is not the smart approach.

Remove the weight and you will remove something else…and that is the Sword of Damocles hanging over your head.

Summary:  Being overweight/obese subjects us to many potential life threatening/life-altering events, akin to the “Sword Of Damocles” hanging over our heads.