Overweight... The new normal !

Natashaa1991

i'm from a tiny country in Europe, Serbia and i live in China. Not too many overweight people although there are some, maybe like 20% obese and very few morbidly obese. I have never seen a person in a wheelchair just because they're fat. although my American friends tell me it's perfectly normal. In Serbia everyone would look at you like you're some kind of alien.

raeleek

This is not normal. It's obviously not normal because the vast majority of posters are pointing out how horrible it is and how they hate being called skinny. If it were normal no one would care. If this were normal the plus size sections would be half as large if not larger than regular sections. This is not normal because when those people in wheelchairs drive by everyone stares or makes remarks.

I don't know why this would even be a surprise to anyone. The world in general is getting bigger. We live in a world where for most part technology does everything for us. The jobs that used to be manual labor are all done by machines now. We drive everywhere to avoid walking even if it's less than a mile. This is also not isolated to the United States. We don't get together and socialize we are on the computer (guilty).

What I am noticing as normal though is people going out of their way to point out just how fat someone is and call it truth or an observation rather than acknowledging that maybe they could have some decorum. Rude is normal cloaked in "honesty". There is almost this air of self-righteousness.

This is not an attack an any one person but lately I have noticed so many people on here being mean and spiteful and I wonder why that is ok? Almost everyone is entitled to their own choice as far as what they do with their health and well-being. Even if we don't agree with someone else's choices it is not our job to make others feel sub human.

BinaryPulsar

Thanks for sharing, interesting thread. I'm going to read more later.

BinaryPulsar

Just my 2 cents on the subject matter:

People tend to talk a lot about how people that are small must eat very little and starve themselves to be so small.

Then if you try and explain that you do eat regular amounts of food, they say you must be genetically gifted and can eat whatever you want and don't need to work at it.

Reality is that some people are naturally small in size. And they still need to eat healthy foods, in moderation, and keep up with fitness (and work very hard at it). Being small and being fit are two separate things (and people can use that concept to insult a small person's fitness level as well).

Most of the judgement comes from people placing their own issues onto strangers they don't actually know. It can be a strange experience to encounter that. These are not complaints, just observations. I think it is important to understand this and not to allow other people's issues to bring us down. If people feel the need to behave this way, they should find healthier ways to deal with these issues and emotions.

It was informative to read everyone's thoughts and experiences and I appreciate all the sharing. It helps to learn about people and to help me understand the issues people deal with that may be different from my own perspective.

deb3129

I remember a cartoon movie a few years ago called "WALL-E." The future people were so fat they had to ride around on vehicles to get around. That was 2008. I took that as a serious sign as to what we're becoming. Not just a laugh fest at the movies.

I thought the exact same thing when I saw the movie. People in general are becoming less and less active and fatter

Qskim

This is not normal. It's obviously not normal because the vast majority of posters are pointing out how horrible it is and how they hate being called skinny. If it were normal no one would care. If this were normal the plus size sections would be half as large if not larger than regular sections. This is not normal because when those people in wheelchairs drive by everyone stares or makes remarks.

I don't know why this would even be a surprise to anyone. The world in general is getting bigger. We live in a world where for most part technology does everything for us. The jobs that used to be manual labor are all done by machines now. We drive everywhere to avoid walking even if it's less than a mile. This is also not isolated to the United States. We don't get together and socialize we are on the computer (guilty).

What I am noticing as normal though is people going out of their way to point out just how fat someone is and call it truth or an
observation rather than acknowledging that maybe they could have some decorum. Rude is normal cloaked in "honesty". There is
almost this air of self-righteousness.

This is not an attack an any one person but lately I have noticed so many people on here being mean and spiteful and I wonder
why that is ok? Almost everyone is entitled to their own choice as far as what they do with their health and well-being. Even if we
don't agree with someone else's choices it is not our job to make others feel sub human.

This isn't a thread aimed at a particular person but society in general.

A lack of decorum would be if I particularly pointed out to someone they were overweight which I don't think anyone on here would do for the same reason as I - having been in their shoes (still am in overweight category down from morbidly obese) but also in consideration of their feelings. The point is... How far does society let this go? Will morbidly obese become the new normal? Is this ok? For health no! As an acceptance of who each of us are maybe but education about self worth also needs to encompass the importance both in mind and body of looking after yourself physically so that you are a whole person. Fully functioning AND fully self loved.

Wall E is interesting point... Technology, as another poster has said has made our lives easier. I think we are a world adjusting to this new age, looking for a balance. It will come but it needs debate and awareness. What I find interesting is that just as technology may contribute to lifestyle and weight gain, as shown by MFP and fitness devices, it can help us pull ourselves out of this too. Technology also provides an opportunity for mass awareness and education.

It's not bashing to point out where society is failing us ...where we need to become vigilant in a new age. It's not bashing to suggest that in spite of the abundancy of choice available to us now we still haven't found parity for ourselves. We all hated the fashion industry parading thin unhealthy models. But so too - do we want overweight unhealthy role models as a norm/example for our kids? It's not repulsive it's just not quite "right" as much as thin/anorexic models arent. I want to see women/men who are whole..have a healthy balance of self esteem and self responsibity.

The imbalance is not just with ourselves but with the world/environment too. Instant gratification is the name of the game these days. Food choices and convenience therein is half our problem. We should be angry about the economic machines that drive our thinking for profit regardless of what it is doing to ourselves, our children and the environment. We've tipped the scales too far in another direction. How far do we let this go? What are we waiting for before we say enough is enough?

RoadsterGirlie

This is not normal. It's obviously not normal because the vast majority of posters are pointing out how horrible it is and how they hate being called skinny. If it were normal no one would care. If this were normal the plus size sections would be half as large if not larger than regular sections. This is not normal because when those people in wheelchairs drive by everyone stares or makes remarks.

I don't know why this would even be a surprise to anyone. The world in general is getting bigger. We live in a world where for most part technology does everything for us. The jobs that used to be manual labor are all done by machines now. We drive everywhere to avoid walking even if it's less than a mile. This is also not isolated to the United States. We don't get together and socialize we are on the computer (guilty).

What I am noticing as normal though is people going out of their way to point out just how fat someone is and call it truth or an
observation rather than acknowledging that maybe they could have some decorum. Rude is normal cloaked in "honesty". There is
almost this air of self-righteousness.

This is not an attack an any one person but lately I have noticed so many people on here being mean and spiteful and I wonder
why that is ok? Almost everyone is entitled to their own choice as far as what they do with their health and well-being. Even if we
don't agree with someone else's choices it is not our job to make others feel sub human.

This isn't a thread aimed at a particular person but society in general.

A lack of decorum would be if I particularly pointed out to someone they were overweight which I don't think anyone on here would do for the same reason as I - having been in their shoes (still am in overweight category down from morbidly obese) but also in consideration of their feelings. The point is... How far does society let this go? Will morbidly obese become the new normal? Is this ok? For health no! As an acceptance of who each of us are maybe but education about self worth also needs to encompass the importance both in mind and body of looking after yourself physically so that you are a whole person. Fully functioning AND fully self loved.

Wall E is interesting point... Technology, as another poster has said has made our lives easier. I think we are a world adjusting to this new age, looking for a balance. It will come but it needs debate and awareness. What I find interesting is that just as technology may contribute to lifestyle and weight gain, as shown by MFP and fitness devices, it can help us pull ourselves out of this too. Technology also provides an opportunity for mass awareness and education.

It's not bashing to point out where society is failing us ...where we need to become vigilant in a new age. It's not bashing to suggest that in spite of the abundancy of choice available to us now we still haven't found parity for ourselves. We all hated the fashion industry parading thin unhealthy models. But so too - do we want overweight unhealthy role models as a norm/example for our kids? It's not repulsive it's just not quite "right" as much as thin/anorexic models arent. I want to see women/men who are whole..have a healthy balance of self esteem and self responsibity.

The imbalance is not just with ourselves but with the world/environment too. Instant gratification is the name of the game these days. Food choices and convenience therein is half our problem. We should be angry about the economic machines that drive our thinking for profit regardless of what it is doing to ourselves, our children and the environment. We've tipped the scales too far in another direction. How far do we let this go? What are we waiting for before we say enough is enough?

This is so beautiful put! Kudos!!

And congrats on your success so far.

schondell

A man I used to work with that weighed around 400 pounds at 28 yrs old, broke a stadium seat at a pro basketball game and sued the team for 'emotional distress', and was awarded over $80k. There is something seriously messed up with that.

I second that it is "seriously messed up"!! Wow 80k... :noway:

smittybuilt19

lol 45 lbs. ago I never would have thought I should lose 45 lbs. Now I feel like another 10 will get me close to my ideal weight.