Image Credit: 300poundsandrunning
Obesity, an issue facing many countries, in particular, America. Above is an image of Martinus Evans, a man that runs to help lose weight and prove to himself that he can do great things.
Running is typically considered a good activity to lose weight. This image represents much more than a fat man running.
What this image represents is that your limits don’t care about your weight. Your limits are driven by what your mind says you can and can’t do. This man is in the middle of a long-distance race, and is overweight, however, that is irrelevant when you consider the fact that he told his mind that the limit doesn’t care about his weight. In essence, the valuable lesson this picture portrays is that you are capable of so much more despite being overweight.
This image also represents something different; a new beginning. It can be perceived that this represents one step into a new direction, one step into a different, better life. This is valuable to understand, because many people who are overweight get down on themselves. They don’t feel like they have the strength for the first step, when in reality, all they need to do is take it.
Lastly, this image portrays the fact that not all runners are fit. Not every person can run like Usain Bolt, but everyone has the potential to run and get faster or to lose weight. It shows that it is important to overcome this mentality, or already existing thought, because then it will lead to more and more people countering their issues.
In short, this photo is much more than running, it is about countering obesity, it is about countering norms that society has placed on certain individuals, and challenging these norms ascertains different perspectives other people didn’t think of.
I thought that this picture was a powerful display of mental confidence and the idea that barriers are the strongest when they are in our own minds. It is very inspiring to see someone who is overweight like Mr. Evans pushing himself to run a long race. Often times the failure to do something is simply due to mental fear before even starting. This man proves that you can do anything once you put your mind to it. Mr. Evans decided that he would not let his weight prevent him from running a marathon, so he did it. Not only does this show that people can do anything when they believe in themselves, it also goes against the typical societal norm of a marathon runner. It creates a new image of active, healthy people who go for runs; anyone can do it, and we all should.
I really liked how you were able to interpret the image in three different ways. You perfectly described what this image may mean to others depending on the way they look at it. For me, I instantly saw a man representing how nothing can keep you from doing what you put your mind to. Many people have the viewpoint that being obese hinders you from doing any physical activity and that you probably have no incentive to lose that weight, but I believe this image and Martinus Evans truly defies this view. We need to remember that our minds overpower our bodies- and Martinus Evans is a great example for this.
Obesity is a major issue in the United States so this was a good topic.I liked that you used not only a physical interpretation of the image , but also a philosophical interpretation . It is inspiring when you see people who society constantly puts down flourish. This man is so much more than an overweight man running, but he is a representation of pushing yourself to be better.