Ugh, The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance

Silverkittycat

Heaven forbid we actually treat people with dignity, regardless of our opinions of health.

Thank you, Mike.

0EmmeNicole0

To point out a different perspective it isn't always the obese kids that are getting bullied. My younger sister is 110 lbs and is 5'6. These two girls (she used to hang with) were both overweight, with one teetering on obesity. They used to always torment her for being too thin and she used to be really hurt by it. The one time she said something to them along the lines of "Shut up about my weight, get off your 'butt' and worry about your own" they disowned her. It's funny how when the obese people ridicule the skinny ones it's okay, but the other way around it's cruel. This isn't always the case, but honestly with the people I've been around the obese people ridicule just as much as the skinny ones do. It's offensive either way.

GoldspursX3

I haven't seen a single post advocating to point at the "fat kid" and laugh. No one is trying to demonize fat people. If seeing an exhibit that promotes a healthy lifestyle shames someone then maybe they should not go to it. It's about educating people on a healthier exsistence.

The argument many are making is that the nature of the exhibit will have the effect of fostering an environment where children will ostracize obese kids and mock them. They believe (and I agree with them) that the nature of the exhibit will cause associations to be drawn between overweight kids and the villains from the exhibit, making them 'bad' or 'wrong' or 'different'. I have been trying to state that changing tone of the message would do a better job of promoting a healthy lifestyle and that the exhibit listed does not effectively promote a healthy lifestyle. I don't think anyone has said we should NOT promote healthy living.

^ This. The "villains" in the exhibit are overweight, with problems like eating junkfood and being lazy. The heros are skinny. Most people who are overweight know what it takes to lose weight, but there are other issues getting in the way. And saying to those people, who already know what to do, "All it takes is eating healthy and getting some exercise, what's the big?" is telling them that they are fat and lazy. That in and of itself is shaming, and the exhibit, and most of the "This exhibit is educational" merely perpetuate that thought pattern.

Bollocks. The issues getting in people's way, the majority of the time, are their self control. I'm perfectly fine with a sedentary lifestyle filled with crap food being demonized. It's much better than ignoring the problem or promoting it as a perfectly fine lifestyle choice.

ArroganceInStep

Sorry, but food isn't the villain. Doesn't even make sense to me. Food didn't make me gain weight. I made me gain weight by not knowing when to get off my *kitten* and stop eating. It was MY fault, not food's. Food didn't hold a gun to my head and force me to eat it. Even unhealthy foods like fast food are ok to eat in moderation....that's the key though: moderation.

Parents need to take responsibility for the habits they teach their children, plain and simple. Stop blaming genetics, society, McDonald's, or whatever, and take some responsibility for your health and the health of your children.

Furthermore, to tell children that the food is the villain is a really good way of setting them up for an eating disorder.

Instead of crying about being obese and people not being accepting of it, look at yourself and figure out "What can I do to make this situation better?" The only change you can make is a change for yourself.

I think you have a better argument in this regard for adults than you do for children. I've matured enough to not be hurt as much by other's comments (it also helps that I can be pretty intimidating in person so I imagine a majority of the snide remarks are said behind my back), but children don't always have the benefit of that maturity and self-confidence. Although it should be the parent's job, they don't always live up to those responsibilities and it is not necessarily the child's fault. I know what it was like for me growing up (and I had good parents that tried to help, I can't imagine if I didn't) and I don't want that for my children. I personally believe in what I've said previously: fostering positive associations with healthy habits is more effective at promoting a healthy life than creating negative associations with the results of unhealthy living, and I will be practicing that belief with my children. Because I believe that is a better strategy, I do not think this exhibit is doing a very good job at encouraging a healthy lifestyle in young people, which it would appear was the intent. For me, it's not about making people feel good about themselves, it's about the how well the message is received by the audience and if it actually effects change in them.

astrampe

I'm not surprised we are being forced to except any wrong life style that comes down the road.

Oh wow.

Being overweight is now being "wrong". Please explain to the class the "right" life style.

^^^ Exactly what I was thinking.

Nobody said being overweight is being wrong....... A lifestyle that leads to health problems is wrong.... And if you refuse to put overweight and obesity under that lifestyle, you are really on the wrong website...

FitLink

Really? It's not ok that your obesity exhibit suggests fat kids have poor eating habits? give it up already

No, it's not. First of all, it's way more complicated than that, and secondly, kids don't always (even often) have control of what kinds of food they're served. And it is NOT okay to suggest that fat kids are necessarily lazy kids.

Saruman_w

Such a stupid thing to advocate.... Fat Acceptance? I see Fat Acceptance as a bunch of people basically saying yes they're fat, and no they're not going to do anything about it, and rather than spending all that extra energy getting their bodies in shape they form organizations trying to convince people that being fat is OK as they continue to eat themselves into an early grave.

forgottenfraggle

Bollocks. The issues getting in people's way, the majority of the time, are their self control. I'm perfectly fine with a sedentary lifestyle filled with crap food being demonized. It's much better than ignoring the problem or promoting it as a perfectly fine lifestyle choice.

First, it's not really up to you what I do with my life. Second, I'm really happy for you that you have the self confidence right now to look at yourself, say "Poo, I probably ought to slow down eating this crap and move around a bit more, I'm filling out a bit around the middle". Really, I am. That's not sarcasm. I'm glad that you are there. My point is that a lot of people are not there, and telling them that their self-control is the problem is, again, calling them lazy. It's not going to make them feel better, it's not going to make them deny the one thing that they can rely on to give them comfort, and it's certainly not going to motivate them to get up and move around.

If you'd spent your entire life being told your "insert body part here" was horrifically ugly and you should be ashamed of it, you'd believe it. If I've spent my entire life being told I'm just lazy, imaging how good I'd feel about myself, how motivated to take care of myself, how inspiring that must be for me. My self-worth would be rock bottom. Why would I bother to change it?

cmeade20

This is the reply of a person who clearly did not grow up in poverty but wants to say they did to add credibility to their post. No one who has ever had to work two jobs just to get by would say it is just as easy to make healthy food as it is to go to McDonalds and that does not ever consider the cost.

If you really want to eat a healthy diet then it is far more expensive and time consuming than eating fast foods. In this country, a lot of people want to think they grew up poor because they could not afford to go to Mexico on spring break. Real poverty is a much different thing.

To say having no time and no money and no safe place to get exericse are not excuses to be fat is to shout oout to the world that you have never lived that life.

You have no idea what my background is or how I grew up, so I'd appreciate you not making those assumptions. I was taught not to use my circumstances as an excuse to live poorly and to always do the best with what I have, period. If you think that means I'm lying about growing up poor, whatever. Like I said, you have no idea.

If you really want a REASONABLY healthy diet and are living in poverty it CAN be done, and it's not all that hard. Canned vegetables are cheap, as are many in-season fresh vegetables, which I am aware are not available cheaply in all areas. Rice is cheap, potatoes are cheap, beans are cheap, whole chickens are cheap, as are chicken breasts in bulk. Seasonings are not cheap, but a little can go a very long way. Ramen noodles can even be made reasonably healthy if they're cooked in chicken broth (also cheap) and seasoned with salt and pepper rather than that god awful seasoning packet. Many people living in poverty also have some assistance like food stamps, and it's possible to buy reasonably healthy food with food stamps. I'm not denying that it's very difficult, if not impossible, to eat an optimally healthy diet with very little money for food.. but a reasonably healthy diet is an entirely different story.

I don't know if you live near an Ocean State Job Lot but seasonings are 89 cents a bottle there. :-)

There's one 5 miles from my work....that's awesome! I guess they really gouge you at the grocery store...

They really do. I only go to Stop and Shop/Shaws for certain sale items now

ArroganceInStep

Such a stupid thing to advocate.... Fat Acceptance? I see Fat Acceptance as a bunch of people basically saying yes they're fat, and no they're not going to do anything about it, and rather than spending all that extra energy getting their bodies in shape they form organizations trying to convince people that being fat is OK as they continue to eat themselves into an early grave.

Have you gone to their website and looked at their mission or are you just going off their choice of title?

GoldspursX3

Bollocks. The issues getting in people's way, the majority of the time, are their self control. I'm perfectly fine with a sedentary lifestyle filled with crap food being demonized. It's much better than ignoring the problem or promoting it as a perfectly fine lifestyle choice.

First, it's not really up to you what I do with my life. Second, I'm really happy for you that you have the self confidence right now to look at yourself, say "Poo, I probably ought to slow down eating this crap and move around a bit more, I'm filling out a bit around the middle". Really, I am. That's not sarcasm. I'm glad that you are there. My point is that a lot of people are not there, and telling them that their self-control is the problem is, again, calling them lazy. It's not going to make them feel better, it's not going to make them deny the one thing that they can rely on to give them comfort, and it's certainly not going to motivate them to get up and move around.

If you'd spent your entire life being told your "insert body part here" was horrifically ugly and you should be ashamed of it, you'd believe it. If I've spent my entire life being told I'm just lazy, imaging how good I'd feel about myself, how motivated to take care of myself, how inspiring that must be for me. My self-worth would be rock bottom. Why would I bother to change it?

Listen, I don't care what you do with your life. And I do get it that going through life being mocked for your body would not be fun. Obviously you would bother to change it or you wuldn't be on this website.

I see things very black and white. If your fat and want to be healthy then work out and eat healthy. If your fat and want to stay fat then keep on trucking. There is an obesity problem and a little education wouldn't hurt anyone. Not like we are legislating laws that say fat people should be put in concentration camps with the coaches from the "Biggest Loser". No one is saying you mut listen to healthy messages.

FitLink

To point out a different perspective it isn't always the obese kids that are getting bullied. My younger sister is 110 lbs and is 5'6. These two girls (she used to hang with) were both overweight, with one teetering on obesity. They used to always torment her for being too thin and she used to be really hurt by it. The one time she said something to them along the lines of "Shut up about my weight, get off your 'butt' and worry about your own" they disowned her. It's funny how when the obese people ridicule the skinny ones it's okay, but the other way around it's cruel. This isn't always the case, but honestly with the people I've been around the obese people ridicule just as much as the skinny ones do. It's offensive either way.

I get it. It's okay for Disney to shame children about their weight and portray skinny and athletic as heros and fat people as villains because you've met some mean fat people.

cmeade20

I think the exhibit would have been fun. The only change that I think may have needed to happen was that they should have had obese and skinny children in the group of children who do nothing but eat and watch tv all day. Just because a kid is skinny does not mean he/she is eating a well balanced diet. I think it should have went that route. It is ridiculous though that this organization exists. I may go to their website and look.

Edit: okay, I went to their website. I understand why they exist: So that fat people don't get discriminated against or lose their jobs cause they are overweight, etc. (BTW, I know I am fat which is why I am learning how to eat better and change my life. So I use the word Fat a lot. Fat Fat Fat Fat) Then it goes too far. Calling people "a larger size" or calling it size acceptance doesn't make being overweight any healthier. You can't tell me every overweight person has a glandular problem. I am fat because I ate like a pig. This organization pisses me off. Of course we should not discriminate against anyone due to their weight. However, you can't go around and say that it is alright to be overweight considering all the health problems obesity can cause. Yes, as the website states, we all come in different shapes and sizes, but that does not mean that you should want to stay that way. just because you are happy being overweight does not mean you are healthy.

It's nice to see honesty. I wish more people could face the truth like this. Good luck to you :-)

tigersword

The exhibit should take shots at the parents but they're the ones spending the money so that's not going to happen.

Personally, I agree with this.

Whilst the exhibit did sound ok it is really obese kids who will bear the brunt of the teasing / stigma rather than the parents who are making poor choices on their behalf.

"Shaming" children won't work except in the minority of case in my view.

Very true. The kids aren't the ones buying the food in the house. Parents aren't parents anymore in America. They're friends to their kids. Remove the junk food from the house, remove the Xbox, the Wii, whatever and make your kids do something besides sit in front of the TV. YOU ARE THE PARENT FOR GOD's SAKE.

But the way I see it, many parents are not going to change. So sometimes kids have to count on themselves and make their own healthy choices unfortunately. And i think encouraging them to get active is a great idea

it is a great idea, but how can a kid know he needs to make a change if his parents eat terribly and they buy terrible food. Kids have no other example to follow but that of their parents. and at some point the kid is going to have to make his own changes but if the parent instilled a healthier lifestyle from the get go then the kid would be fine. A kid cant go out and decide he wants a grilled chicken sandwhich instead of fried chicken and gravy, if thats what moms making thats what your eating.

Which is why this Disney thing is such a good thing, as it allows kids to see that what their parents are doing may NOT be a good example, and they may learn something about making changes for themselves.

FitLink

Such a stupid thing to advocate.... Fat Acceptance? I see Fat Acceptance as a bunch of people basically saying yes they're fat, and no they're not going to do anything about it, and rather than spending all that extra energy getting their bodies in shape they form organizations trying to convince people that being fat is OK as they continue to eat themselves into an early grave.

Have you gone to their website and looked at their mission or are you just going off their choice of title?

Yeah. Because their vision statement: "A society in which people of every size are accepted with dignity and equality in all aspects of life" is something to look down upon. If you have made choices the poster disapprove of you don't deserve dignity or equality.

GoldspursX3

Such a stupid thing to advocate.... Fat Acceptance? I see Fat Acceptance as a bunch of people basically saying yes they're fat, and no they're not going to do anything about it, and rather than spending all that extra energy getting their bodies in shape they form organizations trying to convince people that being fat is OK as they continue to eat themselves into an early grave.

Have you gone to their website and looked at their mission or are you just going off their choice of title?

Yeah. Because their vision statement: "A society in which people of every size are accepted with dignity and equality in all aspects of life" is something to look down upon. If you have made choices the poster disapprove of you don't deserve dignity or equality.

Ofcourse everyone shold be treated with respect! One of the things I saw on their website was that no one overweight should be discriminated against for a job. Guess the U.S. Army should start allowing morbidly obese recruits. Wouldn't want to upset this organization.

FitLink

Such a stupid thing to advocate.... Fat Acceptance? I see Fat Acceptance as a bunch of people basically saying yes they're fat, and no they're not going to do anything about it, and rather than spending all that extra energy getting their bodies in shape they form organizations trying to convince people that being fat is OK as they continue to eat themselves into an early grave.

Let me make sure I understand you. If people don't want to lose weight, or can't, they don't have a right to dignity and equality? And it's okay for Disney to portray fat as unhealthy and skinny as healthy, even though we all know it's not true, because it should make fat people want to change. "Cause we all know that the skinny kids always eat healthy and the fat kids never do. Disney's Epcot display should not portray all the "good" people as skinny and all the "bad" people as fat. We all know that isn't an accurate portrayal of reality.

NAAFA doesn't say anywhere on it's site that it's or it's member's are "saying yes [we're] fat, and no [we're] not going to do anything about it." They're saying that they should not have to lose weight in order to be given dignity and equality. That these are two separate things, and one of them--someone else's weight--is none of your business.

FitLink

The exhibit should take shots at the parents but they're the ones spending the money so that's not going to happen.

Personally, I agree with this.

Whilst the exhibit did sound ok it is really obese kids who will bear the brunt of the teasing / stigma rather than the parents who are making poor choices on their behalf.

"Shaming" children won't work except in the minority of case in my view.

Very true. The kids aren't the ones buying the food in the house. Parents aren't parents anymore in America. They're friends to their kids. Remove the junk food from the house, remove the Xbox, the Wii, whatever and make your kids do something besides sit in front of the TV. YOU ARE THE PARENT FOR GOD's SAKE.

But the way I see it, many parents are not going to change. So sometimes kids have to count on themselves and make their own healthy choices unfortunately. And i think encouraging them to get active is a great idea

it is a great idea, but how can a kid know he needs to make a change if his parents eat terribly and they buy terrible food. Kids have no other example to follow but that of their parents. and at some point the kid is going to have to make his own changes but if the parent instilled a healthier lifestyle from the get go then the kid would be fine. A kid cant go out and decide he wants a grilled chicken sandwhich instead of fried chicken and gravy, if thats what moms making thats what your eating.

Which is why this Disney thing is such a good thing, as it allows kids to see that what their parents are doing may NOT be a good example, and they may learn something about making changes for themselves.

But it is neither necessary, nor accurate, to portray all the "poor eaters" as fat and all the "healthy eaters" as skinny. It's shaming, it denies fat kids dignity, and it's seriously wrong.

0EmmeNicole0

Bollocks. The issues getting in people's way, the majority of the time, are their self control. I'm perfectly fine with a sedentary lifestyle filled with crap food being demonized. It's much better than ignoring the problem or promoting it as a perfectly fine lifestyle choice.

First, it's not really up to you what I do with my life. Second, I'm really happy for you that you have the self confidence right now to look at yourself, say "Poo, I probably ought to slow down eating this crap and move around a bit more, I'm filling out a bit around the middle". Really, I am. That's not sarcasm. I'm glad that you are there. My point is that a lot of people are not there, and telling them that their self-control is the problem is, again, calling them lazy. It's not going to make them feel better, it's not going to make them deny the one thing that they can rely on to give them comfort, and it's certainly not going to motivate them to get up and move around.

If you'd spent your entire life being told your "insert body part here" was horrifically ugly and you should be ashamed of it, you'd believe it. If I've spent my entire life being told I'm just lazy, imaging how good I'd feel about myself, how motivated to take care of myself, how inspiring that must be for me. My self-worth would be rock bottom. Why would I bother to change it?

(To the hypothetical person you are speaking of)
This is why: To prove to others and MAINLY yourself that NO you are not lazy, and NO you are not ugly. The self defeated attitude doesn't hinder anyone else but yourself. It isn't what other people call you, but what you answer to. You can't depend on others for motivation, it comes from yourself. And there are many of people on this site that wouldn't necessarily say they are motivated every day, and sometimes they feel like *kitten* and don't want to continue but they do. You can't wallow in self pity forever, eventually you are going to have to change it. And i personally won't feel sorry for somebody that feels sorry enough for themselves. I can be sensitive to obesity, but i cant be sensitive to self defeated attitudes. That's just lame.

kelseyhere

Honestly, I wish Disney would serve healthier foods within their parks.




And beer.

Yeah I agree with you. If Disney wants to promote health, they need healthy options to eat. I was there last April, and it was all junk. My mom and I had such a hard time finding anything remotely healthy to eat.

Beer, while not healthy, would be a nice addition as well