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Cancer Research UK Controversial Ads - Thoughts?
Replies
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tinkerbellang83 wrote: »I suppose that statistics in the UK (where the ads are) are that it is the lower socio economic groups who are the most obese. I assume its the same in america but I dont know if thats true.
There are always exceptions to the rule, I dont fit into that group but I am certainly obese, at the moment.
I'm not certain stats are really relevant to the OP though? The impression I took away from that article is that there's enough of an issue for the gov't to post warnings regarding a possible consequence of obesity, and there are enough vocal people claiming those warnings are impacting their dignity, as opposed to simply being a source of info regarding an aspect of health.
I personally see nothing in those ads to warrant that response and I'm fairly certain I still wouldn't see shaming even if I were obese.
Stats are certainly important, but this seems more a case of relatively few very vocal people making a social media strawman, trying to make people perceive the ads as saying something that they just aren't.
I dunno, just my 2 cents for what it's worth.
@Phirrgus just to clarify it's not the government who made the ads it's a cancer research charity.
Thanks for the correction @tinkerbellang. This is what I get for skimming articles lol.0 -
If it's the truth, then it's the truth. It'll hurt for some people to hear, but we can't pretend it doesn't exist because of that. I don't find the ad to be shaming anyone, just pointing out that something we don't normally associate with cancer can factor into causing it. I don't think I'd feel differently about this ad if I heard it when I was nearly obese.
I think along with telling people the truth, we also need to give them the tools to change their outcome. If they're told how dire their situation is without telling them how to fix it, they'll feel like they're doomed and have no way to stop it. That can hinder progress.4 -
...Those of you who have seen the minerals and precious metals ad "unwatchable" which i will not link here as it is NSFL (DO NOT go looking for it) know exactly what a controversial ad is.
This is practically a double-dare. I'm pretty much going to have to search for it now. Hope I'm not traumatized...
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I think 'Fat shaming' needs to happen. Far too many people are obese and unhealthy that live by the motto 'comfortable in my own skin' That is perfectly acceptable... if you are not clinically obese and struggle to get any form of exercise.
Nobody is saying you have to be ripped, you just need to be active. I understand that some illness can cause weight gain/inactivity so this comment isn't aimed at that. But for the 'healthy' demographic of people, being health conscious and exercising should be part of life.
If making somebody that is stuffing cakes and biscuits into them every night upset, which in turn makes them want to change - I'm all for it.
Too many snowflakes in the world scared to challenge the real issues. This may sound blunt - but people need to hear it.11 -
No, actually, fat shaming is extremely likely to do more harm than good.
Many people eat as a (poor!) coping strategy during times of stress and other emotions.
“I feel miserable, so I’m going to eat some comfort food.”
“I have so much going on in my life I can’t manage. But at least there’s comfort food.”
“Things are going great! Time to celebrate… with some comfort food.”
“I thought my weight loss was going well. I even got into that dress I couldn’t fit three months ago. And then, someone saw me jogging and called out, ‘Hey fatty! The ice cream truck went that-a-way! Hee-hee!’ and it all just seemed so pointless. It’ll take forever before people notice I’m losing or don’t see me as fat. And meanwhile, I’ve got to put up with those jerks. Well, if nobody notices that I’m trying to change, then what’s the use? Which way was that ice cream truck again? I need comfort food.”
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/fat-shaming-makes-things-worse
https://www.advisory.com/daily-briefing/2018/09/26/obesity
https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/wiring-the-mind/201501/whats-wrong-fat-shaming
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2014/09/11/fat-shaming-doesnt-work-a-new-study-says/?utm_term=.ed95dd725a91
https://www.everydayhealth.com/news/fat-shaming-does-not-motivate-obese-people-to-lose-weight/12 -
estherdragonbat wrote: »No, actually, fat shaming is extremely likely to do more harm than good.
Many people eat as a (poor!) coping strategy during times of stress and other emotions.
“I feel miserable, so I’m going to eat some comfort food.”
“I have so much going on in my life I can’t manage. But at least there’s comfort food.”
“Things are going great! Time to celebrate… with some comfort food.”
“I thought my weight loss was going well. I even got into that dress I couldn’t fit three months ago. And then, someone saw me jogging and called out, ‘Hey fatty! The ice cream truck went that-a-way! Hee-hee!’ and it all just seemed so pointless. It’ll take forever before people notice I’m losing or don’t see me as fat. And meanwhile, I’ve got to put up with those jerks. Well, if nobody notices that I’m trying to change, then what’s the use? Which way was that ice cream truck again? I need comfort food.”
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/fat-shaming-makes-things-worse
https://www.advisory.com/daily-briefing/2018/09/26/obesity
https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/wiring-the-mind/201501/whats-wrong-fat-shaming
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2014/09/11/fat-shaming-doesnt-work-a-new-study-says/?utm_term=.ed95dd725a91
https://www.everydayhealth.com/news/fat-shaming-does-not-motivate-obese-people-to-lose-weight/
You seem to have the wrong mentality, I train and track nutrition for myself - I couldn't care less what other people think. If someones says - you look too skinny, or you look a little plump you know what I say? Nothing. I just keep on with my goal.
You do you, let them do them. Everyone has set backs with food, its about recognizing you have had a 'binge' and being accountable to yourself to stop the binge continuing.
Learn to focus on you
I had a trainer in the past who said to ' you arent a dog, so why are you rewarding yourself with food' The phrase stuck with me.14 -
I post links that show that fat-shaming doesn't work, not mentioning what my personal struggles may or may not be, and you assume I've got the wrong mentality. Okay then. Understand that people who already use eating as a coping mechanism to deal with stress and emotional upheaval don't stop using that coping mechanism when someone says something that stresses and emotionally upsets them. I've worked on myself for the last three years, but the impetus that got me losing weight sure wasn't people trying to make me feel worse about being obese than I already felt. I've never been fat-shamed, but I was bullied as a child for other reasons and I know what it feels like to have people chip away at your self esteem, bit by bit.
Fat-shaming is a way for people to act like bullies and convince themselves that they're doing a good thing.
They aren't.18 -
I think 'Fat shaming' needs to happen. Far too many people are obese and unhealthy that live by the motto 'comfortable in my own skin' That is perfectly acceptable... if you are not clinically obese and struggle to get any form of exercise.
Nobody is saying you have to be ripped, you just need to be active. I understand that some illness can cause weight gain/inactivity so this comment isn't aimed at that. But for the 'healthy' demographic of people, being health conscious and exercising should be part of life.
If making somebody that is stuffing cakes and biscuits into them every night upset, which in turn makes them want to change - I'm all for it.
Too many snowflakes in the world scared to challenge the real issues. This may sound blunt - but people need to hear it.
I am sorry, but whilst I am all for the ads (which I don't think are fat shaming) I think that your comments are pretty disgusting and these attitudes are one of the biggest challenges to people who do want to become healthier and lose weight.
There is no reason even if you're obese you should be made to feel uncomfortable in yourself, that in itself is counter-productive as @estherdragonbat has explained quite well already. Just because you're confident and happy in yourself doesn't mean you don't want to improve yourself and bullying people doesn't make people want to improve, it is more likely to drive them towards food and further depression/anxiety. That doesn't make them snowflakes, it makes them human - with feelings and emotions, just like everyone else.
Even being "health conscious and exercising" you can become overweight if nutrition and calories aren't your top priority. 50 calorie surplus per day whether it be carrots or cake will land you at gaining 5 pounds per year.
I gained my weight whilst walking 6km to/from work every day, going to the gym and hiking regularly.
Yes people need to be aware of the risks of obesity, yes they need education, yes they need support with illness/disordered eating/mental health issues. What they definitely don't need is someone kicking them whilst they are already down.15 -
...Those of you who have seen the minerals and precious metals ad "unwatchable" which i will not link here as it is NSFL (DO NOT go looking for it) know exactly what a controversial ad is.
This is practically a double-dare. I'm pretty much going to have to search for it now. Hope I'm not traumatized...
You'll regret it. Don't say i didn't warn you.
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Too many snowflakes in the world scared to challenge the real issues. This may sound blunt - but people need to hear it.
While I dont think fatshaming needs to happen, I do think there is something to this.
There is a lot of stuff that gets termed Fat Shaming, and then given the predictable response, by many a "snowflake" who see insult everywhere, when - in my opinion - its not fat shaming at all.
The ads in question here are not fat shaming, they are truth. It might not be pleasant for some, and some will not like it - but that indignation does not equal persecution.
There is no place for true fat shaming.
There is always a place for honesty.
Sometimes the line is fine between them, but there is a very real distinction which needs to be recognised.5 -
I think 'Fat shaming' needs to happen. Far too many people are obese and unhealthy that live by the motto 'comfortable in my own skin' That is perfectly acceptable... if you are not clinically obese and struggle to get any form of exercise.
Nobody is saying you have to be ripped, you just need to be active. I understand that some illness can cause weight gain/inactivity so this comment isn't aimed at that. But for the 'healthy' demographic of people, being health conscious and exercising should be part of life.
If making somebody that is stuffing cakes and biscuits into them every night upset, which in turn makes them want to change - I'm all for it.
Too many snowflakes in the world scared to challenge the real issues. This may sound blunt - but people need to hear it.
I honestly do not believe you know what "shame" really is. It's not educational, it's not synonymous with making someone aware...it can be painful and humiliating and in some cases debilitating. Carried to the most evil and self serving extremes on the part of the one doing the shaming, it can be deadly.
Obese people know they are obese. I would say most are also aware that there are potential health risks involved with maintaining that obesity.
Stripping away a person's dignity never works long term in my opinion. Having a discussion, getting to know the person, setting forth an example..these all take time, but they're effective. If you care. Or do only snowflakes care?
I've never been obese, not even close, but my wife lost her ~100lbs when we kept doing the things we loved to do and she could no longer do them, like hiking tough trails etc. During that time, if someone were to purposely attempt to make her feel shame my response would have been extreme and her response would have been to withdraw even more. I know this because I know my wife.
Getting to know someone you may not like is hard and can be inconvenient and troublesome and may not always have the desired outcome, but it's worlds better than trying to make someone who is already aware of what the problems are feel the same sick and twisted feelings that some rape victims feels is in and of itself sick and twisted and ignorant.8 -
I think 'Fat shaming' needs to happen. Far too many people are obese and unhealthy that live by the motto 'comfortable in my own skin' That is perfectly acceptable... if you are not clinically obese and struggle to get any form of exercise.
Nobody is saying you have to be ripped, you just need to be active. I understand that some illness can cause weight gain/inactivity so this comment isn't aimed at that. But for the 'healthy' demographic of people, being health conscious and exercising should be part of life.
If making somebody that is stuffing cakes and biscuits into them every night upset, which in turn makes them want to change - I'm all for it.
Too many snowflakes in the world scared to challenge the real issues. This may sound blunt - but people need to hear it.
Fat shaming drove me to self-harm. I still have the scars. And by the way, overeating can be a form of self-harm too. Please explain to me how self-harm and binge-eating improved my health.
Experiencing fat shaming almost every time I left the house drove me to... avoiding leaving the house. Please explain to me how spending more time on the sofa improved my health.
I suffer from chronic depression and anxiety (which may well have contributed to my overeating). The continual fat shaming I experienced convinced me that I was worthless and the world would be better off without my fat, disgusting self. Please explain to me how driving me to the edge of suicide improved my health.13 -
I wonder if one's reaction to fat shaming is somewhat gender biased?
(relax, I'm just wondering out loud.....)
Are women more prone to reacting to fat shaming with a negative (maybe even self-harming) response more than men?
Dunno..... thoughts ??
When I was in college, I had a housemate call me 'FatA##' every time he saw me for an entire week.
and yeah, too much late night, beer & pizza had added a few extra pounds.
This guy was a friend of mine ( he still is ) and in my opinion, was actually doing me a favor by calling me out about it. The result, I cleaned up my diet, hit the gym and dropped the weight.5 -
The ads are not fat shaming at all.
But fat shaming is destructive and harmful.
Others in this thread have made comments about it not being ok to see someone who is obese eating a burger and chips or equivalent. But you might see me, obese, eating a burger and chips, but its within my calorie allowance and Im losing weight. So what are you actually seeing?12 -
Motorsheen wrote: »I wonder if one's reaction to fat shaming is somewhat gender biased?
(relax, I'm just wondering out loud.....)
Are women more prone to reacting to fat shaming with a negative (maybe even self-harming) response more than men?
Dunno..... thoughts ??
When I was in college, I had a housemate call me 'FatA##' every time he saw me for an entire week.
and yeah, too much late night, beer & pizza had added a few extra pounds.
This guy was a friend of mine ( he still is ) and in my opinion, was actually doing me a favor by calling me out about it. The result, I cleaned up my diet, hit the gym and dropped the weight.
Would your response have been the same if he were not a friend? Or even someone you knew? Or a woman?
Not arguing, just curious is all.2 -
The ads are not fat shaming at all.
But fat shaming is destructive and harmful.
Others in this thread have made comments about it not being ok to see someone who is obese eating a burger and chips or equivalent. But you might see me, obese, eating a burger and chips, but its within my calorie allowance and Im losing weight. So what are you actually seeing?
This very much so - Unless we know the person, we really have no idea where they are in their efforts to get healthy. I know that when I was losing weight and would be out and get that "look", I just wanted to scream out "I'm working on it! I didn't get this fat over night and I'm not going to lose it all overnight! It's not an instant fix, but give me some credit in that I am trying!"
I don't think the ads were fat shaming, but I also know that people react differently to things. Some people react well to having blunt, unadulterated truth presented to them in an almost brutal manner; its a wake up call to them. But there are others of us who are just built to have our emotions on our sleeves and the fact that we know that we need to have "thicker skin" doesn't usually have much impact on the emotional side of ourselves, and these types of folks need encouragement and don't react well at all to blunt facts.
And then you've got the ones like my sister and father who both resent having their weight brought up, and in fact, bringing it up to them tends to push them in the complete opposite direction and cause them to dig in even deeper and refuse to change. Neither will budge in their diet or opinion of their own weight, even in the face of mounting health difficulties. So while the information in those ads could inspire some people to change their lifestyle, I think for the majority of folks, it will be forgotten in seconds. After all - how many folks live thinking "it won't happen to me" even when presented with the odds?4 -
Motorsheen wrote: »I wonder if one's reaction to fat shaming is somewhat gender biased?
(relax, I'm just wondering out loud.....)
Are women more prone to reacting to fat shaming with a negative (maybe even self-harming) response more than men?
Dunno..... thoughts ??
When I was in college, I had a housemate call me 'FatA##' every time he saw me for an entire week.
and yeah, too much late night, beer & pizza had added a few extra pounds.
This guy was a friend of mine ( he still is ) and in my opinion, was actually doing me a favor by calling me out about it. The result, I cleaned up my diet, hit the gym and dropped the weight.
Would your response have been the same if he were not a friend? Or even someone you knew? Or a woman?
Not arguing, just curious is all.
@Phirrgus
Good Question.
Let's see...
If it were a stranger, honestly, it would have bothered me even more because it probably would have been mean-spirited (why would a stranger be concerned about my fitness?) however the message would have still hit home.
Had the message come from a woman, I probably would have gotten back into shape even quicker than what I did. If she's saying it, then others are probably thinking the same thing.
also... I've heard guys talk to other guys the same way (they were always friends talking between one another).
I'm thinking bullies fat-shame & I hate bullies however they present themselves.
Everybody has their demons, some are just more visible than others.
1 -
Motorsheen wrote: »Motorsheen wrote: »I wonder if one's reaction to fat shaming is somewhat gender biased?
(relax, I'm just wondering out loud.....)
Are women more prone to reacting to fat shaming with a negative (maybe even self-harming) response more than men?
Dunno..... thoughts ??
When I was in college, I had a housemate call me 'FatA##' every time he saw me for an entire week.
and yeah, too much late night, beer & pizza had added a few extra pounds.
This guy was a friend of mine ( he still is ) and in my opinion, was actually doing me a favor by calling me out about it. The result, I cleaned up my diet, hit the gym and dropped the weight.
Would your response have been the same if he were not a friend? Or even someone you knew? Or a woman?
Not arguing, just curious is all.
@Phirrgus
Good Question.
Let's see...
If it were a stranger, honestly, it would have bothered me even more because it probably would have been mean-spirited (why would a stranger be concerned about my fitness?) however the message would have still hit home.
Had the message come from a woman, I probably would have gotten back into shape even quicker than what I did. If she's saying it, then others are probably thinking the same thing.
also... I've heard guys talk to other guys the same way (they were always friends talking between one another).
I'm thinking bullies fat-shame & I hate bullies however they present themselves.
Everybody has their demons, some are just more visible than others.
@Motorsheen I think we're pretty close in what the reactions may have been. Bullies are one of my ...maybe first on the list of pet peeves. Yeah not much to say really - we're coming from the same place.
Thanks man0 -
Motorsheen wrote: »Motorsheen wrote: »I wonder if one's reaction to fat shaming is somewhat gender biased?
(relax, I'm just wondering out loud.....)
Are women more prone to reacting to fat shaming with a negative (maybe even self-harming) response more than men?
Dunno..... thoughts ??
When I was in college, I had a housemate call me 'FatA##' every time he saw me for an entire week.
and yeah, too much late night, beer & pizza had added a few extra pounds.
This guy was a friend of mine ( he still is ) and in my opinion, was actually doing me a favor by calling me out about it. The result, I cleaned up my diet, hit the gym and dropped the weight.
Would your response have been the same if he were not a friend? Or even someone you knew? Or a woman?
Not arguing, just curious is all.
@Phirrgus
Good Question.
Let's see...
If it were a stranger, honestly, it would have bothered me even more because it probably would have been mean-spirited (why would a stranger be concerned about my fitness?) however the message would have still hit home.
Had the message come from a woman, I probably would have gotten back into shape even quicker than what I did. If she's saying it, then others are probably thinking the same thing.
also... I've heard guys talk to other guys the same way (they were always friends talking between one another).
I'm thinking bullies fat-shame & I hate bullies however they present themselves.
Everybody has their demons, some are just more visible than others.
@Motorsheen I think we're pretty close in what the reactions may have been. Bullies are one of my ...maybe first on the list of pet peeves. Yeah not much to say really - we're coming from the same place.
Thanks man
1 -
Motorsheen wrote: »Motorsheen wrote: »Motorsheen wrote: »I wonder if one's reaction to fat shaming is somewhat gender biased?
(relax, I'm just wondering out loud.....)
Are women more prone to reacting to fat shaming with a negative (maybe even self-harming) response more than men?
Dunno..... thoughts ??
When I was in college, I had a housemate call me 'FatA##' every time he saw me for an entire week.
and yeah, too much late night, beer & pizza had added a few extra pounds.
This guy was a friend of mine ( he still is ) and in my opinion, was actually doing me a favor by calling me out about it. The result, I cleaned up my diet, hit the gym and dropped the weight.
Would your response have been the same if he were not a friend? Or even someone you knew? Or a woman?
Not arguing, just curious is all.
@Phirrgus
Good Question.
Let's see...
If it were a stranger, honestly, it would have bothered me even more because it probably would have been mean-spirited (why would a stranger be concerned about my fitness?) however the message would have still hit home.
Had the message come from a woman, I probably would have gotten back into shape even quicker than what I did. If she's saying it, then others are probably thinking the same thing.
also... I've heard guys talk to other guys the same way (they were always friends talking between one another).
I'm thinking bullies fat-shame & I hate bullies however they present themselves.
Everybody has their demons, some are just more visible than others.
@Motorsheen I think we're pretty close in what the reactions may have been. Bullies are one of my ...maybe first on the list of pet peeves. Yeah not much to say really - we're coming from the same place.
Thanks man
*fistbump*
0
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