People judge - that's just "reality" - BULL****!

minadeathclutch

So, I am keenly aware of the fact that people judge me for being obese. I have a thick skin for this judging at this point. However, where the bull**** factor comes in is when someone tells me "that's just reality". Oh really? So it is "reality" for people to be hateful, stupid, and just plain misinformed? I have been reading Gary Taubes' book, Why We Get Fat and his other book, Good Calories Bad Calories and I now know that "reality" isn't what it seems to be.

We live in a dream world - where science is opinion when it doesn't meet with our expectations and prejudices, for example - when the idea that losing weight is simply about calories in/calories out and that fat people have a psychological problem that makes them fat (totally forgoing the SCIENTIFIC research that points to the PHYSIOLOGICAL REASONS for obesity). If you don't understand the cause of a problem, how can you ever come up with a solution for that problem?

What makes us fat? Most of you I am guessing will say that it's caused by overeating (gluttony) and lack of exercise (sloth). That it's simply a calories in/calories out equation - this site is certainly set up that way! But that says nothing about what is ACTUALLY happening in the body to make it convert energy into fat and then store that fat in your cells. What causes that to happen? No one could answer this question for me - until I read these books.

We get fat because of the over-production of insulin which is caused by the excess (and for some people even moderate) ingestion of carbohydrates and especially sugar. This coupled with an imbalance in other hormones and your genetics is when, where, how, and yes WHY we get fat. I am fat because my body is predisposed to put on fat when these conditions are presented (high-carb, high-sugar diet). This in turn starts a vicious cycle where the body is in growth mode (it makes no difference if it is to grow taller or fatter - it's still growth mode), thereby REQUIRING more energy (i.e. food). We all overeat when we are in growth mode - when we are growing children and when our body is getting fatter. Gluttony (overeating) and sloth (physical inactivity) are NOT the CAUSES of obesity, rather they are the EFFECTS of obesity.

So, if you want to talk about "reality" please start with the FACTS. The fact is that most people will be happy to judge but never happy to be judged. I work towards a reality where the cause is the start of the solution and where people are a little less judgmental about the things they don't understand.

Sorry for the rant!

we do live in a dream world if science is blamed for everything rather than OURSELVES and OUR PERSONAL CHOICES AND LIFESTYLES.

judging is a part of everyone.
IT IS LIFE. people see my dog and think shes gonna eat their babies, JUDGING. oh well I ignore it, **** off you don't know my dog. right? right.

being lazy and overeating ARE the cause of obesity. and that my friend, IS REALITY. if you want to call food energy...okay lets see- you put energy in your body, but dont use up any of it.. what happens the next time you put energy in your body? IT SITS ON TOP OF THE OLD ENERGY. and so on and so on. none of it is being used up so it's staying in there. no need for science. lol.

Atlantique

It's not an "either / or" situation.

People get fat by eating too much. (Yes, there is a tiny segment of the population that can gain weight due to some horrible genetic problem, but that's a TINY segment.) To pretend that the overwhelming majority of people gained weight without overeating is to deny reality.

It's also true that the composition of your diet can have severe ramifications on your health, your hunger levels and your propensity to gain weight and your relative ease or difficulty in losing weight.

I think it's great that you're researching the ways in which diet composition affects your health and weight. Hopefully this will make your weight loss and maintenance easier. However, I think you've drawn some unreasonable conclusions.

crisanderson27

I enjoyed reading your post, but I don't agree with it.

Ditto.

I'm going to go with this too.

Scott613

<---- was fat.........then did something about it.

mericksmom

Whoa time out......instead of pointing out the obvious and main cause of obesity.....there ARE others out there who do have other underlieing issues that causes their issues.

I watched what I ate but I cronically underate for so many years but when I ate anythng above 1100 cals I would keep it on. I know now what the issue is and now taking care of it. I also have sensitivity to hormones and the pill/depo made a lot of things worse for me with bloating and weight even when I was very active.

The thing is she is going above and beyond and trying to figure out why she is having issues and learning how to take care of them. She might be in the group where it wasnt just over eating and sloth.

We shouldn't be all over the article picking at it if we dont agree well then you dont agree but maybe someone out there is having that issue and they need to see it to see that they can change for the better with some reading to understand their condition and to talk to their Doctors.

candistyx

Why is it so important to some of you to see obesity as a moral failing rather than a physiological failing?

We know for a fact some people eat to satiety and do not become overweight. We even know that some people who are experimentally overfed automatically and unconsciously expend more energy in thermogenesis and activity.

Obese people (obviously don't). A person isn't morally superior because their body responds to excess energy a different way nor are they morally superior because when they reach a certain level of food intake they feel like they don't want to eat anymore. Yet plenty of people have bodies which respond to overfeeding appropriately, that is their appetite shuts off and their expenditure goes up, unconsciously and naturally.

And not just years, not just decades, not just centuries but literally millenia of telling fat people to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and just stop eating and start doing more has not worked for the vast majority of fat people. We are at a juncture in human history where we have the means to understand the biochemical mechanisms behind all of this and more and more we are learning about it, and it's by learning how we REALLY work that we're going to fix these problems.

But it seems like people are offended by that idea, they are offended by the idea that the fat ugly slobs they see around them, maybe the fat ugly slob they think they are or was, are that way for reasons beyond simply being bad people. And I just don't get it... maybe they need to hate the person they don't want to be in order to sustain the energy to force themselves to stay at a weight their body thinks (possibly wrongly) is way too small.

Jade_Butterfly

I enjoyed reading your post, but I don't agree with it.

Ditto.

I'm going to go with this too.

Agreed. ..I will add that one of the things they say on the Biggest Loser is that within the first month the contestants are usually off most if not all of their medications of things that were brough on from being overweight. . so just a thought.

tross0924

Why is it so important to some of you to see obesity as a moral failing rather than a physiological failing?

We know for a fact some people eat to satiety and do not become overweight. We even know that some people who are experimentally overfed automatically and unconsciously expend more energy in thermogenesis and activity.

Obese people (obviously don't). A person isn't morally superior because their body responds to excess energy a different way nor are they morally superior because when they reach a certain level of food intake they feel like they don't want to eat anymore. Yet plenty of people have bodies which respond to overfeeding appropriately, that is their appetite shuts off and their expenditure goes up, unconsciously and naturally.

And not just years, not just decades, not just centuries but literally millenia of telling fat people to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and just stop eating and start doing more has not worked for the vast majority of fat people. We are at a juncture in human history where we have the means to understand the biochemical mechanisms behind all of this and more and more we are learning about it, and it's by learning how we REALLY work that we're going to fix these problems.

But it seems like people are offended by that idea, they are offended by the idea that the fat ugly slobs they see around them, maybe the fat ugly slob they think they are or was, are that way for reasons beyond simply being bad people. And I just don't get it... maybe they need to hate the person they don't want to be in order to sustain the energy to force themselves to stay at a weight their body thinks (possibly wrongly) is way too small.

The problem I have is that - yes for a good sized chunk of the population you could be insulin sensitive, you could be in a growth phase, and you could have a hard time releasing fat to be used as energy because of your insulin levels. All physiological reasons for us to be obese.

But the rub lies in that, in my opinion, I got that way because I over ate. I caused my body to enter that state, and then I didn't do anything to help get me out of that state. It wasn't emotional, but it was inattention. I didn't care what I was eating. I ate what I wanted and when I wanted it, causing my body to enter a state that made it very difficult physiologically to do anything but grow.

So did I gain weight due to circumstances beyond my control, or did I gain weight because I ate too much to put myself there?

I chose to take responsibility for my actions and in actions, and I chose do something about it.

candistyx

Yeah but... 1/3rd of women at any given time are on a diet apparently...
..it's really not for lack of trying for some people.

ashlinmarie

I'm not saying that it can never be a physiological problem. My mom was on an anti-anxiety medication that made her gain weight and screwed with her body so much that it took her 3 years to lose 70 lbs. But, we do have to accept the fact that obesity was never seen as an issue before fast food replaced home cooked meals. Throughout the centuries, the ones considered "obese" were the wealthy because they could afford to eat and back then, it was a good sign to be fat. But still very few people were obese. People ate less and worked with their hands more.

When a parent allows their overweight child to eat a large sized big mac meal with a soda or shake at McDonalds, that is not just science. That child is fat because the parent allows them to eat large amounts of unhealthy foods and I can almost guarantee that the child will go home and play video games or watch TV rather than go outside. I see it every single day and it makes me sad that people teach their kids such horrible habits.

crisanderson27

Why is it so important to some of you to see obesity as a moral failing rather than a physiological failing?

We know for a fact some people eat to satiety and do not become overweight. We even know that some people who are experimentally overfed automatically and unconsciously expend more energy in thermogenesis and activity.

Obese people (obviously don't). A person isn't morally superior because their body responds to excess energy a different way nor are they morally superior because when they reach a certain level of food intake they feel like they don't want to eat anymore. Yet plenty of people have bodies which respond to overfeeding appropriately, that is their appetite shuts off and their expenditure goes up, unconsciously and naturally.

And not just years, not just decades, not just centuries but literally millenia of telling fat people to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and just stop eating and start doing more has not worked for the vast majority of fat people. We are at a juncture in human history where we have the means to understand the biochemical mechanisms behind all of this and more and more we are learning about it, and it's by learning how we REALLY work that we're going to fix these problems.

But it seems like people are offended by that idea, they are offended by the idea that the fat ugly slobs they see around them, maybe the fat ugly slob they think they are or was, are that way for reasons beyond simply being bad people. And I just don't get it... maybe they need to hate the person they don't want to be in order to sustain the energy to force themselves to stay at a weight their body thinks (possibly wrongly) is way too small.

Actually, the person who put the moral spin on this was the original poster. She chose gluttony and sloth as her key words...everyone else just took that lead.

I was fat. I was lazy. I was complacent. I was someone who I'd never been before in my life. I didn't really 'over' eat (I mostly just ate the same way I did when I was healthy and active)...but what I did eat was PURE and simple crap.

Now that I am no longer lazy or complacent, I am no longer fat. My diet is certainly nothing to brag about for the last month or so...and eating clean for three months straight did help, though not as much as I'd have expected.

Leaves a person a lot to think about when compared with the original post.

suzieduh

agree

tross0924

Yeah but... 1/3rd of women at any given time are on a diet apparently...
..it's really not for lack of trying for some people.

Right. Which is why Atkins works great for a lot of people. It eliminates there insulin sensitivity and unlocks them from growth mode allowing them to lose weight. Which is fabulous, but then what. They stop paying attention again, stop doing something about it and they gain it all back, then they claim that they have a physiological problem that means they can never lose weight. That is total self delusional BS. No matter what physiological problem people have there is nothing that dooms them to a life of obesity. People may have problems that make it hard as heII but not impossible. And to me insulin sensitivity an excuse for either not trying or an excuse for failing.

Zolita

Im fat and I take responsibility for what I put into my body. Science didnt do me in, stuffing my face did.

I agree, I conned myself into believing that what I ate was right....I really had my eyes opened. Eating 12 oreos with coffee was the cause of gaining more than I could imagine

TK421NotAtPost

I read Taubes' book a few years ago. While I recognize his contribution to the science of dieting and weight loss, his position on insulin playing a larger role in body composition than calories is a load of C R A P.

Delve deeper into his research and you'll see that he cherry-picks his data and ignores the one thing that pretty much makes most of his research moot....and that is the overwhelming tendency for people on loosely controlled studies to underestimate calories consumed and overestimate calories burned.

Atlantique

Why is it so important to some of you to see obesity as a moral failing rather than a physiological failing?

We know for a fact some people eat to satiety and do not become overweight. We even know that some people who are experimentally overfed automatically and unconsciously expend more energy in thermogenesis and activity.

Obese people (obviously don't). A person isn't morally superior because their body responds to excess energy a different way nor are they morally superior because when they reach a certain level of food intake they feel like they don't want to eat anymore. Yet plenty of people have bodies which respond to overfeeding appropriately, that is their appetite shuts off and their expenditure goes up, unconsciously and naturally.

And not just years, not just decades, not just centuries but literally millenia of telling fat people to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and just stop eating and start doing more has not worked for the vast majority of fat people. We are at a juncture in human history where we have the means to understand the biochemical mechanisms behind all of this and more and more we are learning about it, and it's by learning how we REALLY work that we're going to fix these problems.

But it seems like people are offended by that idea, they are offended by the idea that the fat ugly slobs they see around them, maybe the fat ugly slob they think they are or was, are that way for reasons beyond simply being bad people. And I just don't get it... maybe they need to hate the person they don't want to be in order to sustain the energy to force themselves to stay at a weight their body thinks (possibly wrongly) is way too small.

I'm not seeing people saying that there was some "moral failing" involved, other than the OP. Everyone else is simply admitting to overeating, making poor food choices, choosing not to exercise or all of the above. If you choose to interpret those as moral failings, that's your choice.

lbgano

I think what sucks is that a lot of people see an obese person and write them off completely. Don't even take time to get to know them and then base their opinion on that person's other qualities.

I have a very skinny friend who is openly judgmental about obese people. I told him "everyone has vices. just because yours don't manifest as fat on your body doesn't mean you are any better than a person whose vice shows up as extra weight." He smokes like a chimney and then has the temerity to go on and on about how being overweight is unhealthy.

I am sorry that you are being judged for being human and having human struggles. That nothing but sucks.

FearAnLoathing

EVERYONE gets judged! Its not exclusive to just overweight people.

sunyg

When a parent allows their overweight child to eat a large sized big mac meal with a soda or shake at McDonalds, that is not just science. That child is fat because the parent allows them to eat large amounts of unhealthy foods and I can almost guarantee that the child will go home and play video games or watch TV rather than go outside. I see it every single day and it makes me sad that people teach their kids such horrible habits.

I agree with this completely. I've seen it first hand. I wouldn't say that my family has always eaten super healthy but I've always cooked at home way more than we go out. This is how my girls grew up. They eat veggies and fruit and drink milk over soda. Soda, kool-aid, chips, etc. are a "treat" for them. They still get those things but they aren't allowed to sit on the couch all day eating junk.

When their father and I separated he didn't really know how to cook much and isn't big on a lot of veggies. So he did the best he could and made the girls drink V-8 Splash. Not the best thing but better than nothing.

He remarried last year to a woman with 2 kids. She doesn't like to cook and wants to eat out all of the time. The girls have had huge issues with this. They aren't use to it. She allows her 10 year old son to eat 2 Big Macs 2 large fries and a large coke. She thinks they are healthy though because they do Karate once a week. How does that work? They are both very over weight and rarely play. It's very sad.

I have joint custody so they get them every other week. It's been a huge struggle for my girls because if they don't want to eat garbage they are told they aren't eating. They eat a lot when they are here. I've tried talking to my Ex over this but the friendship we had for 8 years dissolved the minute he got re-married. So the girls and I have discussed how to make the best choices they can when they are with their Dad. It's a very hard situation.

I hate to say it because this will sound horrible and judgmental but I am terrified that my girls will eventually give in and think it's ok to eat like that every day and will end up looking like their step siblings.

r3451

<---- was fat.........then did something about it.

WIN. In the end, no matter the circumstance, it is that simple.