Ugh, The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance

archgrrrl

Lots of children who live in poverty, live in dangerous neighborhoods where it is unsafe to go outside and play.

archgrrrl

Actually lots of people are saying they should be judged and shamed for it.

chanstriste13

When would being overweight and unhealthy be deemed the "right choice" for someone??

This. We as a society are not accepting of smokers, addicts, or basically any group that puts their health in danger for the pursuit of some unhealthy fixation. How is overeating/obesity different? No one's saying people should be judged or shamed for it, but it certainly shouldn't be promoted, encouraged, or accepted as the norm.

i don't agree with this. as far as society goes, we're quick to look up to any woman who looks great in a sequined dress, regardless of their drug habit. men get a little more slack in hollywood - they can be overweight so long as they are funny. (i know that's a whole different can of worms, but i think it does pertain a bit to this discussion)

also, most people addicted to illegal substances got their by their own devices. but a lot of overweight children got there by being bottle fed soda by their parents as infants.

kateroot

Obesity is mostly correlated to diet, not exercise. Exercise is important, but not being able to play outside is not an excuse for kids to be obese. Poverty is no excuse for eating garbage or overeating. I can buy a bag of rice and a can of beans for very little money, feed a family of four, and have a much more balanced meal than anything you can get off the dollar menu.

chanstriste13

Obesity is mostly correlated to diet, not exercise. Exercise is important, but not being able to play outside is not an excuse for kids to be obese. Poverty is no excuse for eating garbage or overeating. I can buy a bag of rice and a can of beans for very little money, feed a family of four, and have a much more balanced meal than anything you can get off the dollar menu.

true, but the kids don't get to make those kinds of decisions. they eat what their parents give them, and if it's crap all the time, they'll become obese. but if this is how a seven year old lives, how can it be that child's fault when it is out of their control?

kateroot

When would being overweight and unhealthy be deemed the "right choice" for someone??

This. We as a society are not accepting of smokers, addicts, or basically any group that puts their health in danger for the pursuit of some unhealthy fixation. How is overeating/obesity different? No one's saying people should be judged or shamed for it, but it certainly shouldn't be promoted, encouraged, or accepted as the norm.

i don't agree with this. as far as society goes, we're quick to look up to any woman who looks great in a sequined dress, regardless of their drug habit. men get a little more slack in hollywood - they can be overweight so long as they are funny. (i know that's a whole different can of worms, but i think it does pertain a bit to this discussion)

also, most people addicted to illegal substances got their by their own devices. but a lot of overweight children got there by being bottle fed soda by their parents as infants.

I definitely agree with you, I don't think obese kids are to blame, it's absolutely the parents' responsibility.. but I still don't think kids should be taught "fat acceptance." It's the parents' job to teach kids healthy habits, but many, many parents don't own up to this responsibility. If we have a combination of parents not teaching healthy habits along with society saying it's okay to be fat, we're going to see the obesity rate go from 66% to 95% within the next generation.

It would really be a shame. THAT is my problem with the fat acceptance movement.

archgrrrl

Obesity is mostly correlated to diet, not exercise. Exercise is important, but not being able to play outside is not an excuse for kids to be obese. Poverty is no excuse for eating garbage or overeating. I can buy a bag of rice and a can of beans for very little money, feed a family of four, and have a much more balanced meal than anything you can get off the dollar menu.

Have you ever lived in poverty? With a single parent who has to work two jobs to make ends meet and rarely has time to grocery shop, let alone cook healthy meals? In a dangerous neighborhood where playing outside means taking a huge risk with your safety? Do you understand that adults living in poverty situations are frequently depressed? Can you understand on some level that cooking rice and beans every night for your family is maybe not even a possibility or that it feels like even more deprivation? Has it occured to you that not everyone leads a privileged life where making choices like buying beans and rice every week is an easy one? What if the only happiness in your life is a pint of ice cream?

Just stop already with the condescension and the superiority complex. Yes, healthy choices are important, but have a little compassion for those for whom making healthy choices is not easy.

cmeade20

I really don't get he outrage.

They are using the fact that some people have illnesses which make them gain weight as one of the main points behind their argument, but this is a small proportion when compared to the amount who simply eat unhealthily and have poor portion control.

People are asking why Disney think it's their place to educate children. Why do you have an issue with education coming from outside of parents and schools. Disney are providing somewhere that PARENTS can take their children where they can play and learn at the same time. Much like watching Sesame Street or going to children's museums. There is some assumption that parents are using this as the sole nutrition education that their children will get. It isn't something Disney are doing as they feel it's their place - they put these things in because that's what parents want.

Regarding the fact that the characters are fat and the heroes are thin (though I presume they aren't actually 'thin', but in fact somewhat athletic or 'healthy'), that's because eating lots of bad food makes one fat, and eating healthily and properly and exercising appropriately makes one healthy. They are not trying to vilify fat people - rather showing the effects of poor nutrition.

Also - someone was saying about the main hero being called Will Power, asking how many people succeed on will power alone? I would like to put my hand up among the number that have. I don't use any special tricks. I try to eat right and I exercise. What motivates me to do this is looking in the mirror and seeing someone I am happy to be, and also just plain feeling healthier and more energetic.

Someone made an argument about people living below the poverty line not being able to afford to go on 'organised activities. If you are below the poverty line, but are feeding your children junk food and enough of it to make them overweight, then you are spending too much on junk food. There are cheaper options that are healthier. My parents had very little money when I was growing up. Instead of holidays I would get taken to the park or to other free places. All my food was cooked from the ingredients, not bought in a cardboard box and microwaved, mostly because that was how my parents did things, but also because it is cheaper that way!

There is far too much pressure on people to cater for those who might feel insulted in society today, and we end up catering for no one. Our sense of entitlement is at an all time high, whilst at the same time our sense of responsibility for ourselves is at an all time low. Johnny isn't eating right and is fat - it's McDonalds fault for making their food so tasty and advertising it on tv. Sophie isn't doing well at school - it's her teacher's fault for not raising my child for me. Tommy becomes a criminal - it's society's fault, he had no choice.

No one wants to take responsibility for themselves and for those who are in their care, and this makes me sad for our future.

THANK YOU! The lack of personal responsibility in this country makes me sick.

carolann_22

I definitely agree with you, I don't think obese kids are to blame, it's absolutely the parents' responsibility.. but I still don't think kids should be taught "fat acceptance."

Really? I think kids should be taught "acceptance", period.
Acceptance of everyone as a human being with worth regardless of weight, race, disability. Everyone SHOULD be accepted. Now, as a parent, if I see my child developing a weight problem, should I accept THAT. No, that's on me to encourage the changes neccessary to combat obesity. But I'm certainly going to teach my kids to accept fat people as people of worth. That's not what I see happening as a result of this exhibit.

chanstriste13

When would being overweight and unhealthy be deemed the "right choice" for someone??

This. We as a society are not accepting of smokers, addicts, or basically any group that puts their health in danger for the pursuit of some unhealthy fixation. How is overeating/obesity different? No one's saying people should be judged or shamed for it, but it certainly shouldn't be promoted, encouraged, or accepted as the norm.

i don't agree with this. as far as society goes, we're quick to look up to any woman who looks great in a sequined dress, regardless of their drug habit. men get a little more slack in hollywood - they can be overweight so long as they are funny. (i know that's a whole different can of worms, but i think it does pertain a bit to this discussion)

also, most people addicted to illegal substances got their by their own devices. but a lot of overweight children got there by being bottle fed soda by their parents as infants.

I definitely agree with you, I don't think obese kids are to blame, it's absolutely the parents' responsibility.. but I still don't think kids should be taught "fat acceptance." It's the parents' job to teach kids healthy habits, but many, many parents don't own up to this responsibility. If we have a combination of parents not teaching healthy habits along with society saying it's okay to be fat, we're going to see the obesity rate go from 66% to 95% within the next generation.

It would really be a shame. THAT is my problem with the fat acceptance movement.

it's definitely a catch-22. i guess i feel that if a child's parents are not going to raise them responsibly, they there is a very good chance the child will be obese. until they reach an age where they can change that for themselves, i would hope that their peers would be accepting of them, and that they could build strong relationships with others and build up their confidence so that when they reach the time in their life to change, they will have the support already in place. of course, this could backfire, and they could get a 'why bother' mentality, but that kind of thing can't be predicted. if there is no acceptance, there is no self-worth. and who is going to change their lifestyle if they think they aren't worth it?

kateroot

Obesity is mostly correlated to diet, not exercise. Exercise is important, but not being able to play outside is not an excuse for kids to be obese. Poverty is no excuse for eating garbage or overeating. I can buy a bag of rice and a can of beans for very little money, feed a family of four, and have a much more balanced meal than anything you can get off the dollar menu.

Have you ever lived in poverty? With a single parent who has to work two jobs to make ends meet and rarely has time to grocery shop, let alone cook healthy meals? In a dangerous neighborhood where playing outside means taking a huge risk with your safety? Do you understand that adults living in poverty situations are frequently depressed? Can you understand on some level that cooking rice and beans every night for your family is maybe not even a possibility or that it feels like even more deprivation? Has it occured to you that not everyone leads a privileged life where making choices like buying beans and rice every week is an easy one? What if the only happiness in your life is a pint of ice cream?

Just stop already with the condescension and the superiority complex. Yes, healthy choices are important, but have a little compassion for those for whom making healthy choices is not easy.

Yes, I grew up in poverty. Yes, I grew up with parents who struggled with depression and were often pressed for time. You can cook a simple, healthy meal with cheap ingredients just as easily as you can pop a frozen lasagna in the oven and wait for it to cook, and just as easily as you can drive or walk to McDonald's. Not buying into lame excuses is not the same as being condescending. I know plenty of people living in poverty who make healthy food choices for their families, and I know plenty of wealthy people who eat garbage all the time. Poverty does not automatically equal crap food and obesity.

kateroot

I definitely agree with you, I don't think obese kids are to blame, it's absolutely the parents' responsibility.. but I still don't think kids should be taught "fat acceptance."

I think kids should be taught "acceptance", period.
Acceptance of everyone as a human being with worth regardless of weight, race, disability. Everyone SHOULD be accepted. Now, as a parent, if I see my child developing a weight problem, should I accept THAT. No, that's on me to encourage the changes neccessary to combat obesity. But I'm certainly going to teach my kids to accept fat people as people of worth. That's not what I see happening as a result of this exhibit.

I completely agree with you, every single person on this planet has worth and value as a human being. I'm not talking about shunning people who are overweight, making fun of them, or otherwise ostracizing them. I look at it this way.. if you have lung cancer and continue to smoke cigarettes, out of concern for your health the people in your life would likely try to get you to quit. If you're obese and have habitually poor eating habits, it's going to cause your health to further deteriorate. If it were my loved one, I'd reach out. Accepting that, to me, is saying "go ahead and kill yourself, as long as it makes you happy."

jac2lyn

Why does this organization exist??

carolann_22

[I completely agree with you, every single person on this planet has worth and value as a human being. I'm not talking about shunning people who are overweight, making fun of them, or otherwise ostracizing them. I look at it this way.. if you have lung cancer and continue to smoke cigarettes, out of concern for your health the people in your life would likely try to get you to quit. If you're obese and have habitually poor eating habits, it's going to cause your health to further deteriorate. If it were my loved one, I'd reach out. Accepting that, to me, is saying "go ahead and kill yourself, as long as it makes you happy."

And I agree with you I just don't think the exhibit in going to result in ecouragement of better eating habits as much as it's going to result in the ridiculing of fat kids. Maybe I've been around elementary kids too long.

DannyMussels

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




And beer.

Oh lord.

The page was cutoff at the perfect spot for me to have to scroll down.

You made me smile.

sirenap123

YAY! Thank you for posting this. I was getting very upset by all these people who think it's fine/cool/funny to make fun of fat people and children. I don't find six-packs attractive, should I go around making fun of all the people with pictures of their abs on display? Some people...

MrsSpindler

This country has gone to hell. God forbid we should set good examples! Instead we practice "acceptance" so no one has to do anything hard. Nothing great was achieved without hard work and it's no surprise that we are falling behind in every single category.

I agree. I don't think obesity should be glorified.. We should accept people for who they are meaning they are fat and we should accept that. I don't believe that! I think we should find more ways to incorporate healthy eating and exersize into more things. Make the norm instead of "making room" for over weight people.

archgrrrl

Obesity is mostly correlated to diet, not exercise. Exercise is important, but not being able to play outside is not an excuse for kids to be obese. Poverty is no excuse for eating garbage or overeating. I can buy a bag of rice and a can of beans for very little money, feed a family of four, and have a much more balanced meal than anything you can get off the dollar menu.

Have you ever lived in poverty? With a single parent who has to work two jobs to make ends meet and rarely has time to grocery shop, let alone cook healthy meals? In a dangerous neighborhood where playing outside means taking a huge risk with your safety? Do you understand that adults living in poverty situations are frequently depressed? Can you understand on some level that cooking rice and beans every night for your family is maybe not even a possibility or that it feels like even more deprivation? Has it occured to you that not everyone leads a privileged life where making choices like buying beans and rice every week is an easy one? What if the only happiness in your life is a pint of ice cream?

Just stop already with the condescension and the superiority complex. Yes, healthy choices are important, but have a little compassion for those for whom making healthy choices is not easy.

Yes, I grew up in poverty. Yes, I grew up with parents who struggled with depression and were often pressed for time. You can cook a simple, healthy meal with cheap ingredients just as easily as you can pop a frozen lasagna in the oven and wait for it to cook, and just as easily as you can drive or walk to McDonald's. Not buying into lame excuses is not the same as being condescending. I know plenty of people living in poverty who make healthy food choices for their families, and I know plenty of wealthy people who eat garbage all the time. Poverty does not automatically equal crap food and obesity.

I agree that living in poverty does not automatically equal crap food and obesity. But I don't agree that it is a "lame" excuse either. As someone who has experienced poverty first-hand, I am surprised you have such a harsh opinion of people who don't have the same resources as those who live above the poverty level.

Anecdotally - I actually don't know any wealthy people who eat "garbage" all the time (although to be fair, I don't know THAT many wealthy people), and the obesity rate for people living in poverty is much higher than those who do not. I surmise, this is because they have less resources and more obstacles. So I think the "excuses" are valid.

KatieTee83

This country has gone to hell. God forbid we should set good examples! Instead we practice "acceptance" so no one has to do anything hard. Nothing great was achieved without hard work and it's no surprise that we are falling behind in every single category.

Faaawk.

Instead we practice "acceptance" so no one has to do anything hard. <<< this.

What the heck. Wake up people, the truth hurts. It has actually bothered me for a long time that there is this push to make it seem ok or just another lifestyle to be fat. Now, it's one thing to villainize fat "people", because regardless of how we look etc it's never okay to treat other people like dirt. But there is nothing okay about being overweight -- it's unhealthy, it leads to higher medical costs not only to you but to everyone else who has the same insurance as you, it affects your loved ones, etc. No, I will NOT accept fat in people, it's not an okay way to be. That's not saying that everyone has to then be some kind of crazy athlete who spends hours at the gym, but you can eat right, stay active, and live healthy. I know it sounds totally harsh and I'm sure I'll get hate mail for it, but no. You, as a person, are not a bad person. But it is not okay to be fat.

sirenap123

Here here! You made me happy with that post. Someone telling it like it is! Also, I love your picture. hehe nuts!

crimznrose

I just visited that website and I'm disgusted that they have an advocacy group out there trying to say people should just accept obesity. They have a claim that people should accept that obesity can occur from environmental circumstances and poor willpower. http://www.naafaonline.com/dev2/the_issues/index.html

I'm sorry, but we're all on here because we made a choice to change our health and our bodies instead of playing the victim and getting everyone else to accept our poor lifestyle choices or scapegoats of fast food and genetics. Yes, the women in my family become overweight after children, yes my family has generations that used comfort food as comfort, and yes I do sit at a desk in an office all day for my career, but that doesn't mean I have to make society accept my weight.

It sounds like a bunch of self-conscious overweight people in denial run this site who would be happier pointing their fingers at everyone else while they order the super-sized combo with a diet coke (after working 4 years in fast food during high school I saw my fair share of the people who ordered those). We don't need an organization crying "foul" and trying to get America to accept fat, we need overweight people to quit playing a victim and crying injustice and do something to change their own life.

I had to just get that off my chest because I am overweight and rather than blame burgers and fries, portion sizes in restaurants, or even my gene pool, I'm taking accountability and eating better, jornaling everything I eat, and making an effort to get off my butt more. If I can do and everyone on here does it, why can't these people too?!?

archgrrrl

Why does this organization exist??

The same reason every other advocate organization exists: to help defend the rights and end the persecution of a group of people. From what I understand about the group, they are promoting a healthy self-image at any size and work to ensure people who are fat are not discriminated against.

DanielDefelice

Obesity is mostly correlated to diet, not exercise. Exercise is important, but not being able to play outside is not an excuse for kids to be obese. Poverty is no excuse for eating garbage or overeating. I can buy a bag of rice and a can of beans for very little money, feed a family of four, and have a much more balanced meal than anything you can get off the dollar menu.

Have you ever lived in poverty? With a single parent who has to work two jobs to make ends meet and rarely has time to grocery shop, let alone cook healthy meals? In a dangerous neighborhood where playing outside means taking a huge risk with your safety? Do you understand that adults living in poverty situations are frequently depressed? Can you understand on some level that cooking rice and beans every night for your family is maybe not even a possibility or that it feels like even more deprivation? Has it occured to you that not everyone leads a privileged life where making choices like buying beans and rice every week is an easy one? What if the only happiness in your life is a pint of ice cream?

Just stop already with the condescension and the superiority complex. Yes, healthy choices are important, but have a little compassion for those for whom making healthy choices is not easy.

Yes, I grew up in poverty. Yes, I grew up with parents who struggled with depression and were often pressed for time. You can cook a simple, healthy meal with cheap ingredients just as easily as you can pop a frozen lasagna in the oven and wait for it to cook, and just as easily as you can drive or walk to McDonald's. Not buying into lame excuses is not the same as being condescending. I know plenty of people living in poverty who make healthy food choices for their families, and I know plenty of wealthy people who eat garbage all the time. Poverty does not automatically equal crap food and obesity.

Elizabeth_C34

"The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance" Please tell me this is a joke...

WanaBaMomy

For all you out there that have never been "obese", this organization mostly help those who have been discriminated against because of their weight. If you've never been told that "we want someone more phsyically fit" when trying to get a job, then you have no idea. I do think that it's extreme for them to stop the exhibit. but it also not the children's fault. They don't cook for themselves or drive to the fast food restaurant. Society has gotten so bad, we don't want to send our kids out to play for fear they could be taken or harmed. So parent's but video games and 500 tv channels so the kids have something to do.
Come on america WAKE UP!!! Stop shaming any larger person and help them......

dumb_blondes_rock

for the most part, fat kids are lazy and don't eat right, thus the reason they are fat.....tjhey parents let the television or game consul be their babysitter, and they eat mcdonalds happy meals or whatever is ":easy and cheap" for dinner.....and school lunches???? They are HORRIBLE....packed full of sugar and mystery meats. even their fruit is soaked in syrup.

The kids i watch are thin, and they eat junk during the day, b ut they are outside climbing trees, playing around the house, and even going to the park a lot or having racing competitions out in the yard.

2fit4fat

going to disneyland soon. never been to the fl one but man i think that is stupid. i would have loved to see it! someone needs to motivate kids im willing to be MOST arent obese because of genetics. i see kids in my brothers class (they are 6) that weigh my goal weight or more. its nuts

archgrrrl

I just visited that website and I'm disgusted that they have an advocacy group out there trying to say people should just accept obesity. They have a claim that people should accept that obesity can occur from environmental circumstances and poor willpower. http://www.naafaonline.com/dev2/the_issues/index.html

I'm sorry, but we're all on here because we made a choice to change our health and our bodies instead of playing the victim and getting everyone else to accept our poor lifestyle choices or scapegoats of fast food and genetics. Yes, the women in my family become overweight after children, yes my family has generations that used comfort food as comfort, and yes I do sit at a desk in an office all day for my career, but that doesn't mean I have to make society accept my weight.

It sounds like a bunch of self-conscious overweight people in denial run this site who would be happier pointing their fingers at everyone else while they order the super-sized combo with a diet coke (after working 4 years in fast food during high school I saw my fair share of the people who ordered those). We don't need an organization crying "foul" and trying to get America to accept fat, we need overweight people to quit playing a victim and crying injustice and do something to change their own life.

I had to just get that off my chest because I am overweight and rather than blame burgers and fries, portion sizes in restaurants, or even my gene pool, I'm taking accountability and eating better, jornaling everything I eat, and making an effort to get off my butt more. If I can do and everyone on here does it, why can't these people too?!?

I don't think it's so much a campaign to get America to "accept fat", but to get America to realize that fat people are human too and as such deserve to be treated with respect and dignity regardless of whether they are able or willing to 'get off their butts more'. Maybe I'm misunderstanding the organization's intentions *shrug* I haven't read their mission statement or anything, but why anyone would be AGAINST the acceptance of fellow human beings regardless of their personal circumstances or the size of their pants, is beyond me.

ScienceMom77

Omg there should be no such organization.

That was my first thought too...

DanielDefelice

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.