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Fat Acceptance Movement
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This Bodybuilder Decided To Shame A Fellow Gym Member—And People Are Furious - Women's Health
https://apple.news/AFzjSeYG4QiOSEVJBt6rjcg
You know what caught my eye about that headline? The "people are furious" bit (which is admittedly a bit click baity but still.)
This goes back to what a number of posters have said on this thread - most people don't like this crap, don't like actions which are hurtful or lack decency and will call it out when they see it.
If that is the case why is there a need for a movement, especially if that movement seems to be driving people apart based on something arbitrary like they way they look given its militancy? One has to wonder who the leaders of these movements are actually for - the individuals who they claim to be protecting or their own personal power and gain.
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This Bodybuilder Decided To Shame A Fellow Gym Member—And People Are Furious - Women's Health
https://apple.news/AFzjSeYG4QiOSEVJBt6rjcg
You know what caught my eye about that headline? The "people are furious" bit (which is admittedly a bit click baity but still.)
This goes back to what a number of posters have said on this thread - most people don't like this crap, don't like actions which are hurtful or lack decency and will call it out when they see it.
If that is the case why is there a need for a movement, especially if that movement seems to be driving people apart based on something arbitrary like they way they look given its militancy? One has to wonder who the leaders of these movements are actually for - the individuals who they claim to be protecting or their own personal power and gain.
Bingo.1 -
This Bodybuilder Decided To Shame A Fellow Gym Member—And People Are Furious - Women's Health
https://apple.news/AFzjSeYG4QiOSEVJBt6rjcg
You know what caught my eye about that headline? The "people are furious" bit (which is admittedly a bit click baity but still.)
This goes back to what a number of posters have said on this thread - most people don't like this crap, don't like actions which are hurtful or lack decency and will call it out when they see it.
If that is the case why is there a need for a movement, especially if that movement seems to be driving people apart based on something arbitrary like they way they look given its militancy? One has to wonder who the leaders of these movements are actually for - the individuals who they claim to be protecting or their own personal power and gain.
Exactly. Nobody is disagreeing that body shaming is wrong and should never happen. The problem I see is that the FA movement tends to attempt to body shame those who are fit to defend their obesity. Nobody should just accept being unhealthy, and being obese in itself is unhealthy.2 -
I came across this story today.
This Bodybuilder Decided To Shame A Fellow Gym Member—And People Are Furious - Women's Health
https://apple.news/AFzjSeYG4QiOSEVJBt6rjcg
And it reminded me of so many threads where people talked about being scared or nervous about working out because of the way others might treat them. And it made me think of this thread as well.
What a horrible bully! People who are overweight should be APPLAUDED for taking the first step to enter what will be an initially intimidating environment. Welcome them and support them at every turn. The person who posted that pic has abused her position and is the reason why there needs to be a body positivity movement in the first place!
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I came across this story today.
This Bodybuilder Decided To Shame A Fellow Gym Member—And People Are Furious - Women's Health
https://apple.news/AFzjSeYG4QiOSEVJBt6rjcg
And it reminded me of so many threads where people talked about being scared or nervous about working out because of the way others might treat them. And it made me think of this thread as well.
What a horrible bully! People who are overweight should be APPLAUDED for taking the first step to enter what will be an initially intimidating environment. Welcome them and support them at every turn. The person who posted that pic has abused her position and is the reason why there needs to be a body positivity movement in the first place!
I think applauding people for doing an every day normal activity can be seen as patronizing, which is why I've never treating anyone in a gym or when I'm out on a run any differently than anyone else. If I make eye contact, I say hello or good morning. That's pretty much it.
I've read too many stories about people getting offended that I'm afraid of stepping on toes for being encouraging. I remember there was one point when I was in the middle of losing weight and was still decently sized and was out doing C25K while we were on vacation. Some people started cheering me on saying things like "good for you!", and I was mortified and though I appreciated the fact that they meant well, exercise wasn't something new for me and I'd already lost 50 pounds. Bear in mind, other, much thinner people were also out there and didn't receive such treatment.
Just some random rambling.
Fat shaming is horrible, but I don't think the answer to it is to single out fat people and baby them for engaging in healthy behaviors.8 -
To me, there are the following points to consider :
- the reality health-wise : obesity and being to much underweight are definitely health issues. They are a sign of bad health.
- your body type tells something about you : being obese or underweight does mean (even though there are exceptions in illness cases) having a unhealthy lifestyle. It's cool, there are many unhealthy ways to live your life. People smoke, people drink, it's up to them to live with the consequences. If your body type is your choice, accept the consequences.
- effectiveness : shaming people for who they are, or their habits may not be effective for everyone to make a change in their lives. Some people may need support. To realize, accept and act upon the fact that they have to change their lifestyle. I know I didn't : it's after I couldn't fit in one of my shirts because of those damn snap clip buttons, I hated what I did to my body, and changed completely after that. I used my shame, my anger, and redirected towards making change in my life. Even then, it's not shame induced by anyone else, it's my own. I understand that not everybody is like that, and that's the point. It may help, it may not. If someone already wants to change their body, they probably already are unhappy with how they are now (if not, why would they want to change it ?), you don't need to add to that. If someone don't want to change their body, it's much more likely that you'd be considered a jerk a dismissed.
- effective or not, it's not up to you to try to change someone else's habits. If they want to make a change, it's up to them. If they want your help, they'll ask. It is their business. Personnal life choices (as is smoking, or over/under eating and being under/overweight), are up to the person making them. Questioning the lifestyle of someone without being asked to is kind of being a jerk in my opinion. I don't smoke and never did, I find it incredibely dumb. But if I see someone smoking, I don't go on a rant : people chose to do what they want, it's not harming anyone but themselves (second hand smoking is another issue, as would be obese or underweight people feeding their own children an unhealthy diet. It's a different question, and a hard one). If someone asks, I'll be honest : it's a bad choice in my opinion, but it's your choice and doesn't affect me, as long as you're aware of the consequences and ready to live with them, it's perfectly fine to me.
- I also feel that some people wish they could have best of both worlds, claiming that you can be obese and perfectly healthy. You can, as everything that is related to risk assertion is only using a probabilistic argument to conclude that a particular lifestyle choice is unhealthy. It's also possible for you to win the lottery 250 times in a row, but it's unlikely (the chance is not the same ofc, but I'm just pointing to the absurdity of that argument). If you want to have an unhealthy lifestyle, do it, but accept the consequences : you're more likely to have bad health. One of my uncle did that. Doctors told him he should stop eating cheese and lunch meat. He said "*kitten* it, I'd rather live a short life but enjoy myself, those foods are one of the reason I find life enjoyable". He understood the consequences, accepted them and made a choice. People who don't accept the reality of living an unhealthy lifestyle need to be reminded of what is medically true.
- The thing is : many people want something (being fit) but are not ready to act toward that goal (eat healthier, exercise, pay a rather close attention to those things) or don't know what to do. If you're doing things with full knowledge of the consequences : under/over/healthy eating, more power to you. If you're doing one thing while wanting another, for exemple being overweight while wanting a healthy life, something is wrong. People might want to be healthier, but not realize what they're doing wrong. What they need, is to learn. It is knowledge, so they have more power over their own lives. Wishing, and stating the fact that you're perfectly healthy when you're obese/underweight doesn't make it so.
- on a broader note : I'm not really into this whole "LOVE your body/yourself". Love is way too strong, it's way to narcissistic for me. You accept and respect yourself. You are what you are, you also are your own decisions. Be in control of what you can control. If you want something, think about how to get there, and act.7 -
I follow Iskra Lawrence on Insta/FB, and on nearly every post where she is at the gym or talking about exercise, there are tons of posts about how she looked better before she lost weight, why is she working out, etc etc. Drives me batty....
I think that SHE has a good message (loving yourself but pursuing health) but the FA army are all over her posts (as well as Ashley Graham, although I don't think that AG emphasizes being "healthy" as much as Iskra so maybe it doesn't annoy me as much)0 -
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I will say I struggle with knowing where the line is, with this. I'm big. So very big. But I have no health issues at all to speak of (bloodwork is great blood pressure great etc.) yet. I know it's a yet so I'm working on it.
But I also struggle to appreciate my body as it is. I have issues looking at myself and actually seeing that it's me. Is that weight related? Maybe. I'm supposed to love myself and find myself beautiful but I'm also supposed to want to not be overweight so I struggle to love myself AND want to change myself, if that makes any sense at all?
Also annoyed when I refer to myself as fat and someone tries to correct me by saying "You're not fat you're beautiful" like...not really a compliment? I am definitely fat it's not like you're going to burst my little bubble here. I can also be attractive or comfortable with how I look, right? I dunno. It sucks.4 -
...most people don't like this crap, don't like actions which are hurtful or lack decency and will call it out when they see it.
If that is the case why is there a need for a movement, especially if that movement seems to be driving people apart based on something arbitrary like they way they look given its militancy? One has to wonder who the leaders of these movements are actually for - the individuals who they claim to be protecting or their own personal power and gain.
Because the FA Movement isn't just about the overt rudeness shown in that example, just as feminism isn't just about suffrage. The underlying assumptions that lead to these situations are harder to change.0 -
Mocking someone because of their appearance brings you down to the same level as the body shamers. Criticize her words, not her face.18 -
I don't shame, or judge anyone based on their body, or any differences to myself.
I've been shamed as a teenager trying to lose weight. I wasn't even at a heavy weight, yet other teenagers can be cruel.
What I don't like is the assumption that someone is not healthy because of their weight. A while back a doctor really shamed my sister. The only problem that she has is blood pressure.
He did a full blood test, with excellent results and repeatedly told her she needed weight loss surgery.
In the past 4 years, she lost 50 lbs and then gained back 30lbs. Yet now she looks and wears smaller clothes than when she was exactly 200lbs.
She works out every single day, drinks more than enough water, and eats very healthy.0 -
I came across this article yesterday - fat shaming a plus sized model on an airplane. Since it ties into the topic we're discussing I thought I'd share. I don't know how often this kind of overt shaming goes on, but clearly it happens...
http://www.chron.com/life/health/article/Texas-plus-sized-model-fat-shamed-Natalie-Hage-11262578.php3 -
This Bodybuilder Decided To Shame A Fellow Gym Member—And People Are Furious - Women's Health
https://apple.news/AFzjSeYG4QiOSEVJBt6rjcg
You know what caught my eye about that headline? The "people are furious" bit (which is admittedly a bit click baity but still.)
This goes back to what a number of posters have said on this thread - most people don't like this crap, don't like actions which are hurtful or lack decency and will call it out when they see it.
If that is the case why is there a need for a movement, especially if that movement seems to be driving people apart based on something arbitrary like they way they look given its militancy? One has to wonder who the leaders of these movements are actually for - the individuals who they claim to be protecting or their own personal power and gain.
Exactly. Nobody is disagreeing that body shaming is wrong and should never happen. The problem I see is that the FA movement tends to attempt to body shame those who are fit to defend their obesity. Nobody should just accept being unhealthy, and being obese in itself is unhealthy.
I recently had a discussion like this with one of my best friends. She was saying "health at any size" and being morbidly obese with health issue related to that she most certainly isn't.
I told her, as gently as I could as she was looking for agreement and it was just the two of us, that I don't believe in health at any size because being overweight or underweight came with significant health risks, some of which she was already experiencing.
I believe in beautiful at any size, because she is lovely, both outside and in. But healthy, no. And I'm not going to affirm to someone I care about that it's healthy to be the weight she is. I would tell her the same about smoking or eating puffer fish--there are significant health issues that come with that behavior.4 -
I came across this article yesterday - fat shaming a plus sized model on an airplane. Since it ties into the topic we're discussing I thought I'd share. I don't know how often this kind of overt shaming goes on, but clearly it happens...
http://www.chron.com/life/health/article/Texas-plus-sized-model-fat-shamed-Natalie-Hage-11262578.php
"She looks like she ate a Mexican." What a jerk. Since he's made international headlines, maybe he'll think twice before he acts so hatefully again. There's no reason to react to someone like that.0 -
I came across this article yesterday - fat shaming a plus sized model on an airplane. Since it ties into the topic we're discussing I thought I'd share. I don't know how often this kind of overt shaming goes on, but clearly it happens...
http://www.chron.com/life/health/article/Texas-plus-sized-model-fat-shamed-Natalie-Hage-11262578.php
"She looks like she ate a Mexican." What a jerk. Since he's made international headlines, maybe he'll think twice before he acts so hatefully again. There's no reason to react to someone like that.
Exactly! Sadly your quote makes it clear that he is a habitual bigot who will just make sure there's no tangible evidence of his harassment next time someone who is not like him sits in the next seat.0 -
I came across this article yesterday - fat shaming a plus sized model on an airplane. Since it ties into the topic we're discussing I thought I'd share. I don't know how often this kind of overt shaming goes on, but clearly it happens...
http://www.chron.com/life/health/article/Texas-plus-sized-model-fat-shamed-Natalie-Hage-11262578.php
"She looks like she ate a Mexican." What a jerk. Since he's made international headlines, maybe he'll think twice before he acts so hatefully again. There's no reason to react to someone like that.
Sorry, but in my mind this isn't fat shaming because it was a private text conversation between him and another person and she read his text over his shoulder. It wasn't directed at her or in public.19 -
[quote="richardgavel;c-39947054"
Sorry, but in my mind this isn't fat shaming because it was a private text conversation between him and another person and she read his text over his shoulder. It wasn't directed at her or in public. [/quote]
THIS.
The guy is still a jerk. But reading and taking photos of someone's texts over their shoulder is a vile thing to do.
Even if a third party was congratulating me on my witty repartee in a text conversation to which they were not a party, I would be livid and throughly creeped out.
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I came across this article yesterday - fat shaming a plus sized model on an airplane. Since it ties into the topic we're discussing I thought I'd share. I don't know how often this kind of overt shaming goes on, but clearly it happens...
http://www.chron.com/life/health/article/Texas-plus-sized-model-fat-shamed-Natalie-Hage-11262578.php
Don't know if you can call this overt shaming as the article said the plus size model was reading the messages a fellow passenger was sending, taking pictures of the person's phone then posting them on her own social media site. Most likely to drive more hits.
This was all done without the person's knowledge. Could the passenger have a legal case against her?6 -
I think there are people who just want to learn to love themselves and create an environment where others who are overweight can as well.
But I think it's also easy as someone who is not overweight, and has never been overweight, to forget that the first step to being healthy for ANYONE is that you have to love yourself and care enough about yourself to start the journey to be a healthier you. It's easy to see people who don't look healthy and think they aren't trying, but that's not always true, and we have no idea what that person has been through, is going through, or is working on in their life.
Sometimes I have to remind myself of that.6
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