Fat Acceptance (HAES)
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There was this girl I was online buddies with for the longest time (she was actually the one who introduced me to MFP). She weighs about 400lbs, is in poor health and always complained about having to make her own clothes. She used to try and better herself, but then she got herself very into this fat acceptance thing. She would even mock workout videos and hated that the main aim was weight loss...
The one time I posted something similar to this OP's topic on tumblr (more like just reblogged), the girl got so angry and *****ed about it. Deleted me from her online life. Oops! :noway:0 -
I've read this is thin privilege. It's stupid0
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I've read this is thin privilege. It's stupid
Agreed. Ugly people, poor people, stupid people, weak people, etc all go through similar trials in life.0 -
Also, it seems to be aimed only at women.0
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I am confused by fat acceptance. they are so busy trying not to be concerned with appearance that they end up being concerned with appearance. same with some feminists, too. I've said this before but it still baffles me so I'll repeat it here.0
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I am confused by fat acceptance. they are so busy trying not to be concerned with appearance that they end up being concerned with appearance. same with some feminists, too. I've said this before but it still baffles me so I'll repeat it here.
Excellent point0 -
I've read this is thin privilege. It's stupid
Agreed. Ugly people, poor people, stupid people, weak people, etc all go through similar trials in life.
Damn right.0 -
I am confused by fat acceptance. they are so busy trying not to be concerned with appearance that they end up being concerned with appearance. same with some feminists, too. I've said this before but it still baffles me so I'll repeat it here.
You mean the whole "We want women to have a choice, but only what we agree with." thing?0 -
Inasmuch as health can be achieved while being overweight, I guess it'd be ok. I mean I'm definitely pro people not hating themselves. (Wheird it's probably geared toward women because our self-esteem, as a group [by gender], is documented as mostly being in the toilet; whether that's also true for men in general (don't think so) or larger men (maybe) idk)
BUT obv one prob is defining health. if people CAN get up stairs, sleep, breathe, do the activities they want to do (& not just things they are USED to doing; activities they think they'd like to take up, but haven't, because they can't or don't see themselves as able to participate), in addition to staying within reasonable bounds of risk for diseases, well, who can argue with that.
the other thing is, this is one of those approaches that assumes not being obese tomorrow will necessarily be as hard as it is today. policy and planning changes might well make a difference. eg, improved food & menu labelling. (there's another campaign in canada right now, to get chain restaurants to tell people their pasta dinners are 1200 calories. that seems obvious to us, but i really do not think most people who don't count calories have any idea)0 -
I am confused by fat acceptance. they are so busy trying not to be concerned with appearance that they end up being concerned with appearance. same with some feminists, too. I've said this before but it still baffles me so I'll repeat it here.
You mean the whole "We want women to have a choice, but only what we agree with." thing?
The whole 'we want to be treated as equals' but 'WE ARE SO MUCH BETTER THAN YOU MALE SCUM!' Thing0 -
Actually, there's something to it from my perspective. I've always been a fat chick (now in my 50s) with very limited and short-lived success at weight loss. I gave up addressing weight in my 20s and decided instead to address health. I ate a healthier than average (albeit not perfect) diet and stayed more active than average (albeit not athletic) all those years too. Really strong family history of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, etc.
So fast forward to now and even though I was morbidly obese (BMI 45-50 pretty much entire adult life), I maintained very healthy blood sugar levels (despite being really fat and a bad family history/genetics), blood pressure average 110/70, resting heart rate about 60-65, cholesterol in the 170-180 range, and super good heart health. I was given a nuclear stress test prior to a surgery I had to have and my cardiologist was blown away with my results. I had developed none of the diseases typically associated with obesity even at middle age.
I believe that the correlation between obesity and those diseases is largely just that ... correlation. Not causation. MOST people who are obese have a poor diet, don't drink water and don't move. THAT"s why they're diseased, not because of the fat in and of itself.
My fat eventually did end up causing me a major health problem of a mechanical variety. I have to get rid of it because of the pull of gravity and the water retention associated with it (crazy lots of water the heavier you get, I never realized until now how much, after losing 51 lbs in only 8 weeks, which was clearly mostly water and more to go).
So every person is different, but extra fat does not necessarily mean poor health. Even though I've always been the fattest in my family, I am the only one not taking some kind of heart medicine or insulin out of all my siblings (big family).
Go figya.
I'm sure you will get a lot of "hate" from this if you haven't already. But I hear you loud & clear! My entire adult life I've mostly been in the range of 260-275 lb (currently at 218, highest was 307). I'm 5'8" and female, now 36 yrs old so not very old in the scheme of things, but still. I always ate *SEMI* healthy, stayed reasonably active, etc. Rare drinking, no drugs, no smoking, 8 hrs of sleep per night, etc. I have pretty good genes. I think that helps a lot too.
But I truly believe that my lifestyle choices, despite my obesity, have made me healthier than average and my doctors have agreed. All of my blood work, cholesterol levels, etc, have always been within a normal healthy range and I was never considered pre-diabetic even at my heaviest, while most people I know are pre-diabetic even around my current 218 lb weight. The only time I had ANY problems was when my weight jumped from 270's to 307 in a short time and I did have some slight shortness of breath and swelling in my ankles. That was for like 2 months and it was a MAJOR wake up call for me and I started losing weight immediately after that.
People ask me all of the time, "Don't you feel GREAT?" or "I bet you feel so different" due to my losing a total of 89 lb in the last 5 years. But no. I don't feel any different really. I felt energetic X 100 and healthy even with all that weight on. I feel like I fit better into the world around me, and I like that...for example not feeling like I have to wedge myself into car seats, diner booths, roller coasters, office chairs with arms...now I just fit everywhere comfortable and I love that. I also like being able to stand in front of a mirror with my fiance behind me kissing my neck and not feel horrified by our reflections. But I don't feel healthier or more energetic at all. Just being honest. Some may say, oh it's because you're still really fat. I guess that could be true...if and when I get down to 160 or 180 maybe I will feel drastically different but I really don't think so.
Of course, I do think the health odds are against those of us who carry more weight on our bodies and that is one major reason I'm working to be leaner and healthier. But I think some people really generalize too much about healthy = thin, unhealthy = fat. There are SO many more factors than just weight!0 -
I am confused by fat acceptance. they are so busy trying not to be concerned with appearance that they end up being concerned with appearance. same with some feminists, too. I've said this before but it still baffles me so I'll repeat it here.
You mean the whole "We want women to have a choice, but only what we agree with." thing?
The whole 'we want to be treated as equals' but 'WE ARE SO MUCH BETTER THAN YOU MALE SCUM!' Thing
Oh!!! I get confused sometimes and don't listen to them anyway.0 -
Mmm yeah it'd definately be easier to lose weight with better labelling. For example, the Subway Roast beef sub is advertised as 1090kj for a 6-inch, when in reality its almost double if you have anything BUT roast beef on it.0
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That's the most ignorant thing I've ever heard. You can be happy at any size (I would think) but how can you be healthy and 200lbs over weight? Some people are just dumb0
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Mmm yeah it'd definately be easier to lose weight with better labelling. For example, the Subway Roast beef sub is advertised as 1090kj for a 6-inch, when in reality its almost double if you have anything BUT roast beef on it.
Bread, meat, and veggies is what the calorie count is for. Adding cheese and condiments changes that. If you know this, what is the issue?0 -
Actually, there's something to it from my perspective. I've always been a fat chick (now in my 50s) with very limited and short-lived success at weight loss. I gave up addressing weight in my 20s and decided instead to address health. I ate a healthier than average (albeit not perfect) diet and stayed more active than average (albeit not athletic) all those years too. Really strong family history of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, etc.
So fast forward to now and even though I was morbidly obese (BMI 45-50 pretty much entire adult life), I maintained very healthy blood sugar levels (despite being really fat and a bad family history/genetics), blood pressure average 110/70, resting heart rate about 60-65, cholesterol in the 170-180 range, and super good heart health. I was given a nuclear stress test prior to a surgery I had to have and my cardiologist was blown away with my results. I had developed none of the diseases typically associated with obesity even at middle age.
I believe that the correlation between obesity and those diseases is largely just that ... correlation. Not causation. MOST people who are obese have a poor diet, don't drink water and don't move. THAT"s why they're diseased, not because of the fat in and of itself.
My fat eventually did end up causing me a major health problem of a mechanical variety. I have to get rid of it because of the pull of gravity and the water retention associated with it (crazy lots of water the heavier you get, I never realized until now how much, after losing 51 lbs in only 8 weeks, which was clearly mostly water and more to go).
So every person is different, but extra fat does not necessarily mean poor health. Even though I've always been the fattest in my family, I am the only one not taking some kind of heart medicine or insulin out of all my siblings (big family).
Go figya.
I'm sure you will get a lot of "hate" from this if you haven't already. But I hear you loud & clear! My entire adult life I've mostly been in the range of 260-275 lb (currently at 218, highest was 307). I'm 5'8" and female, now 36 yrs old so not very old in the scheme of things, but still. I always ate *SEMI* healthy, stayed reasonably active, etc. Rare drinking, no drugs, no smoking, 8 hrs of sleep per night, etc. I have pretty good genes. I think that helps a lot too.
But I truly believe that my lifestyle choices, despite my obesity, have made me healthier than average and my doctors have agreed. All of my blood work, cholesterol levels, etc, have always been within a normal healthy range and I was never considered pre-diabetic even at my heaviest, while most people I know are pre-diabetic even around my current 218 lb weight. The only time I had ANY problems was when my weight jumped from 270's to 307 in a short time and I did have some slight shortness of breath and swelling in my ankles. That was for like 2 months and it was a MAJOR wake up call for me and I started losing weight immediately after that.
People ask me all of the time, "Don't you feel GREAT?" or "I bet you feel so different" due to my losing a total of 89 lb in the last 5 years. But no. I don't feel any different really. I felt energetic X 100 and healthy even with all that weight on. I feel like I fit better into the world around me, and I like that...for example not feeling like I have to wedge myself into car seats, diner booths, roller coasters, office chairs with arms...now I just fit everywhere comfortable and I love that. I also like being able to stand in front of a mirror with my fiance behind me kissing my neck and not feel horrified by our reflections. But I don't feel healthier or more energetic at all. Just being honest. Some may say, oh it's because you're still really fat. I guess that could be true...if and when I get down to 160 or 180 maybe I will feel drastically different but I really don't think so.
Of course, I do think the health odds are against those of us who carry more weight on our bodies and that is one major reason I'm working to be leaner and healthier. But I think some people really generalize too much about healthy = thin, unhealthy = fat. There are SO many more factors than just weight!
There are certainly more factors than weight where health is concerned, however those at TiTP are attempting to convince themselves and others that weight is NEVER a factor at all.0 -
Kind of tempted to go post this on the ThinPrivilege tumblr
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=u_ElXYzFX_w
I'm not a nice person0 -
I am confused by fat acceptance. they are so busy trying not to be concerned with appearance that they end up being concerned with appearance. same with some feminists, too. I've said this before but it still baffles me so I'll repeat it here.
You mean the whole "We want women to have a choice, but only what we agree with." thing?
The whole 'we want to be treated as equals' but 'WE ARE SO MUCH BETTER THAN YOU MALE SCUM!' Thing
Oh!!! I get confused sometimes and don't listen to them anyway.
no, I actually meant when feminists say "**** society, I won't conform to their standards!" and get/stay fat to spite them. they're so concerned with not being concerned with appearance that they end up concerned with appearance. ya dig?
although it does also bug me that feminism has a different meaning than those who want equality for all.0 -
Kind of tempted to go post this on the ThinPrivilege tumblrhttp://m.youtube.com/watch?v=u_ElXYzFX_w
I'm not a nice person
Bwahahahahaha0 -
Kind of tempted to go post this on the ThinPrivilege tumblrhttp://m.youtube.com/watch?v=u_ElXYzFX_w
I'm not a nice person
Bwahahahahaha
Tim Michin is the biggest baller ever0 -
also i forgot to mention, i wonder whether it's even possible for people who consistently, over a lifetime, follow generally accepted exercise recommendations for health (30-60 mins 3-5x/wk, with some resistance, some cardio) and even general nutrition recommendations for health (whatever - fibre, folate, vit c - the freaking health pyramid even) to be obese. overweight by bmi standards or even mirror standards, sure, but idk about obese.
(but whether those particular recommendations are likely to *actually* lead to health, in every (or most) case(s), idk either. idk lots of things.)0 -
Clearly it's not healthy at every size with all the medical issues that come with that kind of weight. Too many people trying to make excuses for obesity. It's never been good for us and never will be.
Now the bullying of obese people needs to end.
I agree. No one knows what goes on in someone elses life. While once they hit a certain age, They CHOOSE to put xyz in their mouth. But its never black and white.
With me, And several others I know eating unhealthy food and binging is a mental thing. People don't have to put down obese people. We're obese. We're not ugly or bad people because of it.0 -
Kind of tempted to go post this on the ThinPrivilege tumblrhttp://m.youtube.com/watch?v=u_ElXYzFX_w
I'm not a nice person
Bwahahahahaha
Tim Michin is the biggest baller ever
I like his "peace anthem for palestine", it really says it all0 -
Utter crap and doublespeak. . . the message boils down to this: "if you don't unconditionally accept us of your own volition we will yell at you and label you bigoted until you do" A completely unreasonable group too; starting with "F-- off" and go on from there. I swear I'm more against the concept now than I ever was. This is yet another mem indicative of my generation and the ones that follow: personal responsibility is a foreign concept.0 -
I agree with the concept of self-esteem at every size, but I think that the anti-scientific premises in the HAES movement are ridiculous and potentially harmful.0
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I think that, at no matter what size, loving yourself is key.
However, loving yourself should mean that you want the very best for yourself. If you're obese, that means striving to be in a better BMI range.0 -
HAES stands for "Health At Every Size". It is an approach to health that does not pursue the goal of a particular body weight, but rather concentrates on what health benefits and improvements can practically be achieved for individuals. Typically, following HAES includes size acceptance, listening to internal body signals and taking care of the body with nutritious varied eating and enjoyable exercise.
Please note that HAES is not a guarantee, but an approach. It does not assert that everyone is healthy at any size (a popular misconception), but supports the goal of health, for bodies for all sizes.
HAES has gained popularity in the last few years within the size acceptance movement as an alternative to dieting for larger people. It is promoted by a wide variety of people (including researchers and health care professionals) who have looked at the scientific literature and seen how the evidence supports a body-size-neutral approach to health. HAES is an approach that anyone can take, regardless of their size. Society's relentless promotion of an "ideal" body shape affects everyone, and thus everyone can benefit from an approach to health that is size-accepting.
This is from their website. It doesn't appear to maintain that we should embrace/ encourage being fat. Seems more like they are encouraging people to not rely solely on BMI & so forth. They also run work shops fronted by nutritionalists.
Thank you. The movement is more about accepting the limits of yourself and who you are RIGHT now, rather than starving yourself to be like the girls/boys on the magazines. It's about loving yourself.0 -
Just wondering, have any of you heard of the Fat Acceptance movement or Health at Every Size? Thoughts/ opinions?
when it comes to respecting other people as human beings, then yes, size does not matter, people's right to be treated with respect and dignity does not vanish just because they are obese.
however, "healthy at every size" is nothing but wishful thinking. Once your body fat percentage is above a certain amount, there are serious health risks. Just as there are with being underweight, or having normal weight obesity, or being sedentary, or smoking, etc etc etc. If your body composition is not healthy, then wishful thinking and trying to be politically correct isn't going to make it so.
My main issue regarding obese = unhealthy, is that there are plenty of people who are at a healthy weight according to BMI who do not have healthy body composition, so IMO health risk should be measured using body fat percentage and other risk factors (blood tests, etc) not just by reading off a weight-height chart. Some people can be incredibly fit even though they look fat, due to having a large frame, high lean body mass, and a moderately high body fat percentage (e.g. 30-35% in women), i.e. the "bear mode"/powerlifter/rugby prop forward kind of build. So there are people who look fat while they're extremely fit. However, that does not mean that someone who is sedentary and has 50% body fat is going to be remotely healthy. So basically, there needs to be more accounting for individual factors before declaring someone as obese.................... but that by no means implies that there's no such thing as being unhealthy due to carrying too much body fat!!! And it also is very important for people to understand that just because someone is at a healthy weight according to BMI, it does *not* mean they have healthy body composition. Many don't, and that's the other side of the coin of looking at people more individually to determine whether someone's body composition is unhealthy and if they're at risk of disease caused by their lifestyle.0 -
Other people don't affect me much. I don't really care.1
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