How do you feel about fat pride?

mzbek24

I just read this article http://www.sbs.com.au/thefeed/blog/2014/05/26/fat-pride-growing-movement-people-looking-fat-acceptance

What are your thoughts on fat pride? Do you think fat and healthy can go hand in hand? It seems to be an increasing (pardon the pun) movement at present.

Personally, I don't know if I believe someone can necessarily be fat and 'healthy'...or more I guess, in the best health that they can be, and away from potential risks-that's one of my motivations for wanting to change, I had some serious health risks and I got scared about my future. Of course losing some of it has improved other areas of my life (mental health, relationships etc), but above all health was just what had to come first, so in that respect I guess I don't think it is a good thing.

kirili3

I've been big my whole life, and I'm very much behind anti-bullying campaigns and ways to make people nicer to each other and not discriminate on the basis of weight and appearance.

However. Fat acceptance, not getting healthy, is bad for health. It's also bad for wallet, but mainly health. What's the use of promoting people staying obese?

I hate bullying and I would support initiatives to stop that. In fact, bullying often makes people eat more, especially those of us prone to comfort eating. But fat acceptance seems to turn what could have been a healthy movement to stop bullying and get people to focus on their own health and the welfare of others, to a movement about it being okay to be unhealthy and court health risks like diabetes and certain types of cancer.

To quote from the article and one of the fat acceptance activists

'Natalie wasn't always overweight but when she was 17 her weight gain started after she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.

"I slowly became fatter and fatter," says Natalie. "When I began to gain weight, I was a little worried... but as time went on I became OK with being fat."'

surfinbird_1981

When I was plump I certainly wasn't proud of it :laugh:

the_great_beyond_

Being fat isn't always the same as being unhealthy. Being thin isn't always healthy.

Fat pride seems to be about tying self esteem to something BESIDES your weight just as Black Pride isn't about black supremacy and Gay Pride isn't about an anti-straight agenda.

I think its healthy and, if anything, can be far more motivating when it comes to healthy behavior than fat shaming.

pensierobello

You guys are exactly why fat pride is important. I personally am not happy being fat, but I absolutely respect someone else's right to be proud of being plump, chunky, thick or whatever you want to call it. Each to their own.

Plus it is certainly possible to be overweight and healthy - a not so skinny lady swam the channel a couple of years ago and did marvellously - and I think we should respect and accept everyone's mindset and decisions.

HaibaneReki

Respectfully - I think that the recent tendencies to be "politically correct" no matter what will cost our civilization dearly in the long run.. We're getting to the point of ridicule fast..

sws4420

In my opinion it lulls those in need of some health in their lives to simply accept it and remove a certain amount of motivation to change. "Hell, they're saying it's healthy, no reason to panic."

KiiAttitude

I think in a world where everything is made for "slim people" its hard to get caught up in this topic. I mean everything from changing rooms, clothes sizes, toilets, store manikins , magazines , tv, ect. They all say/show what you should look like. I think its important to look past this & check on an individual level your health and take steps to improving and being healthy. Does not matter if too fat/thin both can be unhealthy.

I say everyone be proud of who you are but Health is your main goal, Health is life quality.... I used to be over 350lbs and i was not proud.. I am proud of who i am now , Not because i lost weight and im considered healthy weight, But because i feel in control of who i am and i know im capable of things i never thought i could.

kirili3

HaibaneReki, political correctness means using terminology that people don't find offensive to describe said people. For example, using non-offensive language to describe racial groups.

It is perfectly possible to disagree without using abusive language, so there's no political correctness issue here at all.

fannyfrost

While I don't think you can be FAT and healthy, I do believe that not everyone comes in the same sizes. Not all people can be a size 4 or even a size 8. While I think you should try hard to be healthy, it is hard to do when you don't like yourself.

I don't know much about the movement, but what I do know is that generally we are putting too much emphasis on how we look versus being healthy. I know heavy people who are healthier than skinny people. My husband is the perfect weight, but he is flabby, never works out and needs cholesterol meds. I am overweight, workout 5 times a week, have muscle tone (under the fat) and my cholesterol is perfect. Even with my weight being on the high side, my life insurance policy came in at the lowest rate that I could get at my age.

It is important to feel good about yourself and generally as a society we are making people feel lousy about themselves. Kids are getting scorecards saying they are overweight (2nd grade) and parents are putting healthy kids on diets. My Sister-in-law said my skinny niece was getting fat, I was like where? So while there are flaws in Fat pride, there are many more flaws in the messages we are sending to our kids and each other. I know at least one girl on here who was logging 500 calories a day and is now in the hospital. She realized she needed help from what others were telling her, but couldn't eat more. We need to make a change to the messages we send out because skinny isn't always healthy either. Balanced diet and exercise is healthy, even if its too much food, if its healthy food it will be better than eating only junk.

There is nothing wrong with being proud of who you are no matter what you look like or how much you weigh!

Eleonora91

"Fat acceptance" =/= "Fat celebration"

Fat acceptance doesn't mean that you can be proud of yourself BECAUSE you're fat, it means you can be proud of yourself EVEN if you're fat. There's a slight difference.

sylviedroz

I have no problem with people being a little thicker and being okay with it. Some people are built that way. But when it gets to the point where it's going to cause health problems, then no. My biggest issue is extremely overweight men and women being proud and almost promoting it, especially around young children who might get the idea that its desirable to be extremely overweight and aim to achieve that, while not thinking about the problems it can cause to their health. I agree with anti bullying and supporting one another but in the end, being a size that can damage your health should not be seen as acceptable in any society.

amwbox

Obesity pride is like diabetes pride, or skin cancer pride, or anorexia pride, or alcoholism pride or crack addiction pride.

Severe medical problems aren't something to be celebrated...they are to be treated. Just because an obese person hasn't so far suffered a heart attack or whatever doesn't mean they get to consider themselves healthy with any measure of sanity.

This is not to say I support fat shaming or anything of the sort. But I tend to roll my eyes at someone, especially a role model, celebrating their unhealthiness as opposed to trying to do something about it.

PinkCupcakes84

Fat pride? Now that's just crazy

HaibaneReki

HaibaneReki, political correctness means using terminology that people don't find offensive to describe said people. For example, using non-offensive language to describe racial groups.

It is perfectly possible to disagree without using abusive language, so there's no political correctness issue here at all.

aha, I understand - call me medieval, but what I was trying to say is that the more quirks society tolerates and the more it encourages differences the quicker it'll eventually degenerate.

matuskap

What is written there:
"Kath Reid wants to change the way society perceives being overweight."

What I see instead:
"Im not happy about myself but too weak minded to change, so im going to change everyone else instead."

I have yet to see someone who actually cares about random people living around them Hundreds of thousands people live in the same city, and they are all just a ghosts in a background of a regular day. Fat or not, NO ONE CARES! . Do whatever makes you happy. If someone says I consider him less worthy because of his weight, that is HIS problem and lack of self confidence, not the problem of society.
Also, trying to "change the society"... well people like Gandhi, Mandela and so on may have some impact on the way we think... good luck getting on their level . But this type of initiative usually has exactly opposite effect. You will get hate just for the fact you try to mess with at the moment popular opinion in general.

kirili3

HaibaneReki, political correctness means using terminology that people don't find offensive to describe said people. For example, using non-offensive language to describe racial groups.

It is perfectly possible to disagree without using abusive language, so there's no political correctness issue here at all.

aha, I understand - call me medieval, but what I was trying to say is that the more quirks society tolerates and the more it encourages differences the quicker it'll eventually degenerate.

Fair point, yeah. It is a worrying thing because as much as it's good to accept ourselves for who we are, it has to be with a focus towards health.

AshadelMG

"Fat acceptance" =/= "Fat celebration"

Fat acceptance doesn't mean that you can be proud of yourself BECAUSE you're fat, it means you can be proud of yourself EVEN if you're fat. There's a slight difference.

This.

It irritates me that most people (in my experience, mileage may vary), seem to believe that because I'm fat, I'm not allowed to look at myself in the mirror and be happy with who I am at that moment, regardless of my size. I'm still a good person. I eat better, I'm working on getting more active, but because I'm fat, I'm... not allowed to be proud of myself? I may have just lost five pounds, but hey... since I'm still obese, that doesn't matter, right?

I shouldn't feel like I hate myself every step of the way until I meet what society perceives as the "correct way to be." I can't understand how people believe it's okay for your mind to be shattered, if your body is "healthy." Acceptance for me is being able to look in the mirror and not scrutinize every little thing until it consumes me. It's the ability to walk with my head held high when everyone else tells me I should be ashamed to walk around and stain the earth with my presence. It's the knowledge that I am /changing/ and the change is good. It's loving myself, and being willing to let that self - identity, even - go.

I'm not proud of myself for being fat. It wasn't a contest, I haven't won anything but the derision of cruel people and people who mean well (but should shut up, for their own health). I'd be the first dead in a horror movie, and the first sacrifice in a zombie apocalypse. I'm not proud of that. I /can/ be proud of my accomplishments, scholastic, hobby, and personal, without tagging on "but I'd be better if I wasn't fat." I'm a whole bunch of things... and even fat, that's still a whole lot to be proud of.

Sweetie_darling

Being fat isn't always the same as being unhealthy. Being thin isn't always healthy.

Fat pride seems to be about tying self esteem to something BESIDES your weight just as Black Pride isn't about black supremacy and Gay Pride isn't about an anti-straight agenda.

I think its healthy and, if anything, can be far more motivating when it comes to healthy behavior than fat shaming.

Good response ^^^

Hadn't looked at it in that light before.

Xx

TheCerealKiller

I am a little torn.Over the past decade I have been in every possible weight category. I worked out like crazy to get to what was considered a healthy BMI. What I found out is that being "healthy" for me was not actually healthy. I looked awful, I felt awful. For me, that sweet spot where I looked and felt my best was actually on the low end of obese, according to BMI. So I get being proud of who you are and what you look like, even if the ridiculous BMI is calling you fat. As long as you are eating right and exercising, and are happy with how you feel / look, then be fat and proud.

TheRoadDog

"Fat acceptance" =/= "Fat celebration"

Fat acceptance doesn't mean that you can be proud of yourself BECAUSE you're fat, it means you can be proud of yourself EVEN if you're fat. There's a slight difference.

^^ Nailed it.