"Lost 100lbs & found out what the world thinks of fat ppl"

TiasF

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aliric

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373LAZYDAZY

You have said what many of us feel and see in the world. We never seem to stop comparing ourselves to the thin world. When you walk into a room, the first thing you do is compare yourself to every one in the room. Even though I work, am healthy and do most things I want to do, the weight stares me in the face every morning and I know that it's for my own self esteem that I want and need to lose the weight. I wonder too what people say behind my back. Sometimes I just think "I'm too old to worry about it", but then most of the time, I think I'm too young not too. I'm 62...have a new grandchild I want to be around for and lots more living to do. I WILL do it....and I appreciate all the people on this site that share their stories, tips, pictures and lives. Thanks for your story.

ALW65

I had a chance to read through only about the first ten pages of this thread, so I apologize if this has been previously mentioned by another poster. It's a bit off topic from the OP, but I think the negative attitudes of society as a whole will perhaps increase in the near future~~

I'm curious about how the recent headlines regarding the current level of obesity and the projections for the next 20 years will affect attitudes towards the overweight. I agree wholeheartedly that our nation as a whole needs to stop and take a look at our health habits and the negative effects on ourselves and society as a whole.

Someone mentioned early in the thread that their obesity doesn't hurt anyone but themselves, but this is inaccurate. The medical expenses related to obesity our a big drain on resources. However, this is no different than those who don't exercise but are at a normal weight, smoke for years, don't take their medicines as prescribed, etc.

I review home health medical charts every day and it really is sad to see the long term effects of all these bad habits. I have patients with 40+ diagnoses - no one should have to have 40 different medical conditions! I sympathize with them as I've been struggling with my weight for 20-25 years now - it's hard to quit smoking, start exercising, eat right, stop substance abuse...whatever the issue/s may be. On the other hand, it's not fair for me to expect other people to pay higher insurance rates because I use up more health care dollars than they do.

I can't tell you how many charts I look at where people are on disability due to conditions that came about because of health habits rather than something like cancer, multiple sclerosis, etc. that aren't so directly tied to health behaviors. Often these are the very folks where we a a society are paying for multiple hospital/home health admissions and then the people won't even attempt to comply with the care and help they're being given.

I don't know what the answer is, but we definitely need to start from the beginning and work with our current children to learn health behaviors that will keep them from following in the footsteps of the last two or so generations. We are the land of plenty but we need to figure out the key to moderation in all things so we can continue to afford to exist in this wonderful society.

Best of luck to us all on our efforts to improve our health and well-being:flowerforyou:

Skyla08

Thank you so very much for sharing that story. I more then relate to it, and know exactly what it feels like to be judged on a daily basis for being overweight. Taking the train to work you are more then reminded that you do not fit in the seat properly and I feel like i'm always trying to squish myself in order not to bother the person beside me. It can be a very cruel world, and just because someone doesn't come out and say it to your face you know you do not fit in. I am happily married but would love to have a guy turn his head when i walk down the street, not for any purpose other then just to feel good. This story relates to a lot of people out there and is so very true. I hope to one day know what it feels like to be on the other side, but I will never judge anyone for there weight as I know how they feel.

luvinmefirst

I love it! People definitely treat you better when you are smaller!

Lib_B

bump to read later.

aqua_zumba_fan

This is fantastic!

Megdmcda

i very much loved it. thank u for sharing this insightful story.

channel11

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IsMollyReallyHungry

bump, will read later. But without even reading this I for sure know this is very sad from personal experience indeed.

Congrats on losing 100 pounds!!:flowerforyou:

ELIZEDAMON

I whish this was not true, but I see my little girls unhappyness and strugles and I know that it is true.

tippi4406

I read this article and it not only bought tears to my eyes it also bought back some very hurtful memories. To have strangers single you out and make rude comments is one thing and hurtful enough, but when it comes from within your own family it's even more hurtful than you can ever imagine.

I began my journey weighing 265lbs. at 5'4' a lot of weight for someone of my height. I currently weight 196lbs. Bullying, abuse and stress are a difficult thing to deal with and I watched my weight increase and my health deterioate as I ate myself into obesity.

I had been singled out and pushed aside. My Mother refused to sit next to me in church, and I was always introduced as the "FAT" daughter or sister, family members or friends that hadn't seen me in awhile always greeted me with "you need to start backin' up from the table and miss a few meals" or "what happened to you'? The list goes on and on.

When you think about doing harm to yourself or consider using crack cocaine to lose weight because you see how fast in make the drug users lose weight...then you know you have a "serious problem".

Prayer and my faith in God bought me back from the brink of disaster. I am on a weight loss journey and a recovery journey rebuilding my self-esteem.

Remember where you were and remember how far you've come. For those of you with children or siblings don't bully them, but offer a little loving help in turning them around. It will make a difference and be a help to them in the long run.

donettetaggart

Amazing. I hope when I loose all the weight I need to that I won't forget either and stay fat on the inside.

vegamy

Very interesting article!!

Joy201

Great story. Thanks for sharing.

emanna11

I have to comment on this...I once weighed 280+ pounds, and that was hard. Harder than anything I've ever been through in my entire life. The way a person would look at you and quickly jerk their head away, like god forbid they should get caught looking at the fat girl, the way doors were always left to shut in your face, the way the booths would squish you and my breasts would practically be sitting on the table. The way it felt to go into a grocery store and know, just KNOW that everyone was judging me if I put one piece of fattening anything in my cart. It was a hard way to exist, that I never wish to go back to.

The funny thing is, that if you've never been there, I cannot fully explain what this existence was like. There's so much shame and self deprecation. The need to just hide in your house and not be seen and looked at.

Now that I've lost a lot of weight, though some of it was before coming here, it's hard to look at the world without the 'fat girl' inside looking out. I see people hold the door open for me, or people talking to me, and I still want to duck and hide. I'm still the same person that was always treated poorly, so the inside me doesn't understand the change. The really hilarious thing, to me at least, is when men flirt. I've been married since I was very young, so I'm a little naive in this area anyways, but since I've been heavy my entire adult life, it really hasn't happened much. Now when it does, I don't even get it until hours later...then I'm like...uh, was that guy hitting on me? Doh.

Wow, this sounds just like me! Does your husband have a hard time with how to react too? One of his coworkers told me I was was looking good the other day and I couldn't tell if he was proud of me or wanted to deck the guy.

Renee2GetFit

That was really great to read. It's amazing how our society is - it's just plain sad actually. Thanks so much for sharing this article with us.

Nteeter

Coming from being a skinny, to fat, and back to skinny perspective she isnt far off. I will say that, dont let being big hold you back. Some of the coolest nicest people I know are large people. No one bad mouths them, no one makes fun of them. I think people in general respond to seeing someone who is helpless and fat. Picking on someone weaker than themselves. It may make them feel better about themselves, I dont know. Those same people pick on skinny helpless people too. Im not blaming her for being weak or even saying she is weak but shallow people will always be around and its up to the individual to not let it bother you. Be who you are or make changes and she did. One thing I have found is that if I show someone my fat picture they treat me different even after meeting them when Im now smaller. They get this picture in their head of you and cant erase it. I dont talk to those people after that cause they are shallow and probably not decent people. Ive had family members even accuse me of being fat cause I was depressed. I wasnt depressed I just loved food to much and didnt respond to my changing age and lifestyle and it got the better of me, for awhile. Now they congratulate me, but I just take it in stride cause I know what they really think and I move on.
There is a stigma with being overweight, its up to us to change that. Dont let anyone keep you down.

silverkitten13

i love this!! ive now lost 90 pounds and have noticed almost everything in this article. i have two kids and with my first when i was about 40+ pounds heavier than i am now people would see me carrying her carseat and a bunch of grocery bags (obviously having trouble) and would NEVER bother to help or hold the door open. now that i just had my second and am at 130lbs almost everytime i go out some guy runs infront of me to hold the door open, ive even had random guys yell at the person in front of me if they dont hold it open.. its nice i guess but very sad that society is that way!