Fatism

12357

Replies

  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
    Rant post: Today a Facebook friend posted a photo he took on his iPhone. The photo was of a larger couple carrying four pizzas down the street. The caption? "Whales left the ocean last night in search of 4 large pizzas. 2 each. No. You don't need that much. Go away fatties #nofatpeople"

    This post got several likes and 'haha's. Not one person said anything in defence of this couple. I purposely didn't comment as I didn't want to start a big argument!
    I mean, maybe these guys had bought pizzas to feed homeless people in the area! Or even just to feed their family - who are we to judge?

    Made me wonder, what would the response have been if the post had been of two men kissing? Two nudists on the beach? An inter-racial couple? Two muslims? Two goths? (Just using these as examples!)

    Why it is more acceptable in society to make fun of 'fatties' than other people that live a different lifestyle to you?

    As someone trying hard to lose weight, and knowing that I have a way to go it breaks my heart to see these kinds of posts, and to hear so many fat jokes/taunts on TV and in conversation. It makes me want to give up. Some people will find faults in others, not matter what.

    Don't click on these links then

    http://bmdarchives.xfitflaws.com/2011/11/09/fat-acceptance-is-unacceptable/

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eTKpVM5jpE

    While I appreciate the point that's trying to be made here, NOT ALL OVERWEIGHT PEOPLE ARE CREATED THE SAME. Not everyone's metabolism is the same. Not everyone grew up being able to afford healthy food choices. The $1 McDonald's menu is much more affordable/satiating than $1 of vegetables for a lot of people in this country. There are undiagnosed thyroid issues and people with metabolisms that are slower than you can imagine (my BMR is 750 cal/day for example, which I paid a nutritionist to find out... how many people can afford this?). What about food allergies/Celiac's that haven't been discovered? If you can't afford veggies, chances are, you can't afford health insurance either, so none of these issues will ever be diagnosed.

    Don't get me wrong, it has taken me 24 out of 28 of my years to figure out what my problem was with losing weight, but to judge the entire populous of overweight/obese people with that type of ridiculous blanket is ridiculous. It would be more helpful if we attempted to help each other through education than poke fun.

    And just for reference, at my highest weight, I weighed 383lbs. I now weigh 168 and my goal is 150, which is still 10lbs overweight for my height (but 10lbs below the top of a healthy BMI). I am borderline allergic to gluten and dairy (which I had to figure out on my own), have a bad case of hypothyroidism (which I have paid to have figured out and am now on expensive thyroid meds), have worked out my whole life (even at 383lbs, I hit the elliptical every day for an hour AND did weight training), and have a slow metabolism (which also cost me $ to figure out).

    Take the energy you'd use at poking fun of someone and reform the healthcare system OR be a lobbyist against corn & diary subsidies.

    Don't judge until you know the whole story.

    With all due respect, what sort of thyroid medication are you on that is expensive? Thyroid meds, from naturally desiccated to artificial, are incredibly cheap, even without insurance. Unless you're getting a specific compound made from a naturopath, I'm wracking my brain as to what thyroid med you could have that costs that much.

    Edited to say: Hypothyroidism also doesn't appear to have put you at such a high weight. You admit very freely on your profile that you gained weight from poor habits early in life, to the point that you gained back all the weight (and some) from a lap band surgery you had done. I am always the first person to say that until someone has experienced the hell that is thyroid issues (let alone the adrenal issues that always seem to come along with it), they can't speak on the difficulty in losing weight. I am on here because of weight gain that did not come from overeating; it came from prolonged high cortisol that did in fact cause fat gain at low calories. So I am one of the "minorities" that gained weight without overeating (my habits used to be incredibly unhealthy because of a history of anorexia, but that's a whole other topic).
  • Agreed...not a good friend or nice human being it sounds like
  • Trechechus
    Trechechus Posts: 2,819 Member
    I would have posted/said something. That was inappropriate and unfair of your friend.
  • My opinion is, "Eh. Let them laugh."

    Who cares if they think it's funny? I'd understand someone making fun of me when I weighed over 210 lbs and they saw me at Taco Bell eating a nachos bell grande, 3 tacos, a 5 layer burrito, a cheesy fiesta potato, and a large mountain dew.

    Not saying I agree with it, but I can understand why someone would make a post like that about self-destructive behavior.
  • doorki
    doorki Posts: 2,576 Member
    My opinion is, "Eh. Let them laugh."

    Who cares if they think it's funny? I'd understand someone making fun of me when I weighed over 210 lbs and they saw me at Taco Bell eating a nachos bell grande, 3 tacos, a 5 layer burrito, a cheesy fiesta potato, and a large mountain dew.

    Darn you, this made me hungry! REPORTED!
  • vim_n_vigor
    vim_n_vigor Posts: 4,089 Member
    Rant post: Today a Facebook friend posted a photo he took on his iPhone. The photo was of a larger couple carrying four pizzas down the street. The caption? "Whales left the ocean last night in search of 4 large pizzas. 2 each. No. You don't need that much. Go away fatties #nofatpeople"

    This post got several likes and 'haha's. Not one person said anything in defence of this couple. I purposely didn't comment as I didn't want to start a big argument!
    I mean, maybe these guys had bought pizzas to feed homeless people in the area! Or even just to feed their family - who are we to judge?

    Made me wonder, what would the response have been if the post had been of two men kissing? Two nudists on the beach? An inter-racial couple? Two muslims? Two goths? (Just using these as examples!)

    Why it is more acceptable in society to make fun of 'fatties' than other people that live a different lifestyle to you?

    As someone trying hard to lose weight, and knowing that I have a way to go it breaks my heart to see these kinds of posts, and to hear so many fat jokes/taunts on TV and in conversation. It makes me want to give up. Some people will find faults in others, not matter what.

    Don't click on these links then

    http://bmdarchives.xfitflaws.com/2011/11/09/fat-acceptance-is-unacceptable/

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eTKpVM5jpE

    While I appreciate the point that's trying to be made here, NOT ALL OVERWEIGHT PEOPLE ARE CREATED THE SAME. Not everyone's metabolism is the same. Not everyone grew up being able to afford healthy food choices. The $1 McDonald's menu is much more affordable/satiating than $1 of vegetables for a lot of people in this country. There are undiagnosed thyroid issues and people with metabolisms that are slower than you can imagine (my BMR is 750 cal/day for example, which I paid a nutritionist to find out... how many people can afford this?). What about food allergies/Celiac's that haven't been discovered? If you can't afford veggies, chances are, you can't afford health insurance either, so none of these issues will ever be diagnosed.

    None of that matters, obesity is caused by a chronic energy surplus regardless of it's healthy or unhealthy foods. So yes all overweight people are created by a chronic over consumption of calories in relation to their expenditure

    Oh ok, so it's a lot less expensive to eat veggies until you're full than it is to eat cheeseburgers until you're full?

    I wasn't going to join this one, but I have to say that it is less expensive to eat healthily than to eat off the $1 menu at McDonald's. Needing a "meal on the go" is just an excuse. It's not cheaper to eat off the $1 menu than it is to buy veggies and such. If a person is willing to put the effort into it, they can eat much more healthily for less money. For the cost of a McDouble, today I had a huge salad w/ 3 servings of veggies, 4 oz cooked weight of chicken breast, 3 T fresh grated parmesan, and delicious full fat dressing. The salad was much more filling and satisfying than a single McDouble. If I needed convenience, I could have a peanut butter sandwich on 100% whole wheat bread AND a banana AND a glass of milk for about $.75. That's with getting the peanut butter on sale but payng regular price for the other stuff. Plus, let's be honest here, most people eating off the $1 menu don't eat one item only. A cheap $1 menu meal is going to be at least $2, if not $3-5. For a family of 4, you're looking at probably at least $10 to eat something quick and easy. That's not cheap and it can easily buy a pound of chicken, some fresh veggies, a starchy side and maybe even something for dessert.

    ETA: If you need cheap and on the go, fresh carrots are pretty darn cheap, easy, and portable. Buy a bag. Open it. Eat it. Peel it if you like, but it's not necessary. Same with celery, cucumber, apples, oranges, bananas, lots of fresh stuff.

    Off the dollar menu for me and my 4 year old and 6 year old, we can't get out for less than $9. Usually it is closer to $12. For that we can have a wonderful meal with daddy and money left over!
  • junejadesky
    junejadesky Posts: 524 Member
    Perhaps, but both are societal health concerns. Both cause my health care premiums to go up.

    Amen...thank you. Hospitals are now having to buy larger beds, toilets, and other basic things needed to treat the growing size of the American people... and we pay for that
  • My opinion is, "Eh. Let them laugh."

    Who cares if they think it's funny? I'd understand someone making fun of me when I weighed over 210 lbs and they saw me at Taco Bell eating a nachos bell grande, 3 tacos, a 5 layer burrito, a cheesy fiesta potato, and a large mountain dew.

    Darn you, this made me hungry! REPORTED!

    Mm, sorry x)
  • ash8184
    ash8184 Posts: 701 Member
    Rant post: Today a Facebook friend posted a photo he took on his iPhone. The photo was of a larger couple carrying four pizzas down the street. The caption? "Whales left the ocean last night in search of 4 large pizzas. 2 each. No. You don't need that much. Go away fatties #nofatpeople"

    This post got several likes and 'haha's. Not one person said anything in defence of this couple. I purposely didn't comment as I didn't want to start a big argument!
    I mean, maybe these guys had bought pizzas to feed homeless people in the area! Or even just to feed their family - who are we to judge?

    Made me wonder, what would the response have been if the post had been of two men kissing? Two nudists on the beach? An inter-racial couple? Two muslims? Two goths? (Just using these as examples!)

    Why it is more acceptable in society to make fun of 'fatties' than other people that live a different lifestyle to you?

    As someone trying hard to lose weight, and knowing that I have a way to go it breaks my heart to see these kinds of posts, and to hear so many fat jokes/taunts on TV and in conversation. It makes me want to give up. Some people will find faults in others, not matter what.

    Don't click on these links then

    http://bmdarchives.xfitflaws.com/2011/11/09/fat-acceptance-is-unacceptable/

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eTKpVM5jpE

    While I appreciate the point that's trying to be made here, NOT ALL OVERWEIGHT PEOPLE ARE CREATED THE SAME. Not everyone's metabolism is the same. Not everyone grew up being able to afford healthy food choices. The $1 McDonald's menu is much more affordable/satiating than $1 of vegetables for a lot of people in this country. There are undiagnosed thyroid issues and people with metabolisms that are slower than you can imagine (my BMR is 750 cal/day for example, which I paid a nutritionist to find out... how many people can afford this?). What about food allergies/Celiac's that haven't been discovered? If you can't afford veggies, chances are, you can't afford health insurance either, so none of these issues will ever be diagnosed.

    None of that matters, obesity is caused by a chronic energy surplus regardless of it's healthy or unhealthy foods. So yes all overweight people are created by a chronic over consumption of calories in relation to their expenditure

    Oh ok, so it's a lot less expensive to eat veggies until you're full than it is to eat cheeseburgers until you're full?

    I wasn't going to join this one, but I have to say that it is less expensive to eat healthily than to eat off the $1 menu at McDonald's. Needing a "meal on the go" is just an excuse. It's not cheaper to eat off the $1 menu than it is to buy veggies and such. If a person is willing to put the effort into it, they can eat much more healthily for less money. For the cost of a McDouble, today I had a huge salad w/ 3 servings of veggies, 4 oz cooked weight of chicken breast, 3 T fresh grated parmesan, and delicious full fat dressing. The salad was much more filling and satisfying than a single McDouble. If I needed convenience, I could have a peanut butter sandwich on 100% whole wheat bread AND a banana AND a glass of milk for about $.75. That's with getting the peanut butter on sale but payng regular price for the other stuff. Plus, let's be honest here, most people eating off the $1 menu don't eat one item only. A cheap $1 menu meal is going to be at least $2, if not $3-5. For a family of 4, you're looking at probably at least $10 to eat something quick and easy. That's not cheap and it can easily buy a pound of chicken, some fresh veggies, a starchy side and maybe even something for dessert.

    ETA: If you need cheap and on the go, fresh carrots are pretty darn cheap, easy, and portable. Buy a bag. Open it. Eat it. Peel it if you like, but it's not necessary. Same with celery, cucumber, apples, oranges, bananas, lots of fresh stuff.

    I think what you're missing here, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, is that again, this is not convenient. This is how I eat, and this is how a lot of us eat, but we make these choices because we have the resources to do so. In Houston, at lunch time, the fast food drive-thrus are full of blue collar workers who either don't have time or resources to eat this way.

    Even at 383lbs, I didn't eat fast food, but I know that the convenience of fatty foods is what is driving a lot of the obesity epidemic. As "good health ambassadors", we need to be out in our communities educating people about inexpensive, healthy, convenient food options.
  • sweetchildomine
    sweetchildomine Posts: 872 Member
    I don't think it's right to make fun of fat people...HOWEVER....does anyone else notice how angry people get when there is a picture making fun of fat people but it seems to be perfectly acceptable to have tons and tons and TONS of pictures basically saying "Thick girls are hot. Skinny girls are ugly" Why is that?
  • whiteheaddg
    whiteheaddg Posts: 325 Member
    And clearly, 1lb of broccoli is also as convenient as fast food because study after study has shown that lower income folks (who likely work more hours, likely not white collar) have higher BMIs.
    ...which is the reason this nation keeps getting wider. We CHOOSE convenience over health. It is an issue of effort more than it is an issue of expense. There is certainly an education piece in here as well - as unhealthy habits are passed down.
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    Perhaps, but both are societal health concerns. Both cause my health care premiums to go up.

    Amen...thank you. Hospitals are now having to buy larger beds, toilets, and other basic things needed to treat the growing size of the American people... and we pay for that

    This is not an American-only problem.
  • weird_me2
    weird_me2 Posts: 716 Member
    Rant post: Today a Facebook friend posted a photo he took on his iPhone. The photo was of a larger couple carrying four pizzas down the street. The caption? "Whales left the ocean last night in search of 4 large pizzas. 2 each. No. You don't need that much. Go away fatties #nofatpeople"

    This post got several likes and 'haha's. Not one person said anything in defence of this couple. I purposely didn't comment as I didn't want to start a big argument!
    I mean, maybe these guys had bought pizzas to feed homeless people in the area! Or even just to feed their family - who are we to judge?

    Made me wonder, what would the response have been if the post had been of two men kissing? Two nudists on the beach? An inter-racial couple? Two muslims? Two goths? (Just using these as examples!)

    Why it is more acceptable in society to make fun of 'fatties' than other people that live a different lifestyle to you?

    As someone trying hard to lose weight, and knowing that I have a way to go it breaks my heart to see these kinds of posts, and to hear so many fat jokes/taunts on TV and in conversation. It makes me want to give up. Some people will find faults in others, not matter what.

    Don't click on these links then

    http://bmdarchives.xfitflaws.com/2011/11/09/fat-acceptance-is-unacceptable/

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eTKpVM5jpE

    While I appreciate the point that's trying to be made here, NOT ALL OVERWEIGHT PEOPLE ARE CREATED THE SAME. Not everyone's metabolism is the same. Not everyone grew up being able to afford healthy food choices. The $1 McDonald's menu is much more affordable/satiating than $1 of vegetables for a lot of people in this country. There are undiagnosed thyroid issues and people with metabolisms that are slower than you can imagine (my BMR is 750 cal/day for example, which I paid a nutritionist to find out... how many people can afford this?). What about food allergies/Celiac's that haven't been discovered? If you can't afford veggies, chances are, you can't afford health insurance either, so none of these issues will ever be diagnosed.

    None of that matters, obesity is caused by a chronic energy surplus regardless of it's healthy or unhealthy foods. So yes all overweight people are created by a chronic over consumption of calories in relation to their expenditure

    Oh ok, so it's a lot less expensive to eat veggies until you're full than it is to eat cheeseburgers until you're full?

    1lb of broccoli is $.99, which is a considerable amount more than what $1 gets you from the dollar menu

    And clearly, 1lb of broccoli is also as convenient as fast food because study after study has shown that lower income folks (who likely work more hours, likely not white collar) have higher BMIs.

    http://smysp.stanford.edu/documentation/researchProjects/2010/fatteningOfAmericaPresentation.pdf

    That link is simply a presentation that it appears someone made for a class or something. I didn't even really see sources. While I don't disagree that people with a lower income may have it harder, and I have seen information about lack of access to nutritional foods in certain areas of low income, it can still come down to personal responsibility and choices. No one has to eat off the $1 menu. With a very limited income, you can eat much more cheaply, but it does take effort. I always think it's funny when people say they don't have $$ to eat healthily, but then they eat fast food 5 times a week and drink soda like it's going out of style. Those things aren't really cheap for what you get. Yeah, they seem like a bargain, but they aren't. Convenience is just an excuse. It's much more convenient for me to have a tub of peanut butter at my house and a loaf of bread than it is to make a stop at McDonald's, or to have a pot of rice and beans cooked up. This is especially true for those without transportation. Even if it costs $5 for a jar of peanut butter and $3 for a loaf of bread, 10 sandwiches for $8 is still cheaper than $10 for 10 sandwiches...
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    Rant post: Today a Facebook friend posted a photo he took on his iPhone. The photo was of a larger couple carrying four pizzas down the street. The caption? "Whales left the ocean last night in search of 4 large pizzas. 2 each. No. You don't need that much. Go away fatties #nofatpeople"

    This post got several likes and 'haha's. Not one person said anything in defence of this couple. I purposely didn't comment as I didn't want to start a big argument!
    I mean, maybe these guys had bought pizzas to feed homeless people in the area! Or even just to feed their family - who are we to judge?

    Made me wonder, what would the response have been if the post had been of two men kissing? Two nudists on the beach? An inter-racial couple? Two muslims? Two goths? (Just using these as examples!)

    Why it is more acceptable in society to make fun of 'fatties' than other people that live a different lifestyle to you?

    As someone trying hard to lose weight, and knowing that I have a way to go it breaks my heart to see these kinds of posts, and to hear so many fat jokes/taunts on TV and in conversation. It makes me want to give up. Some people will find faults in others, not matter what.

    Don't click on these links then

    http://bmdarchives.xfitflaws.com/2011/11/09/fat-acceptance-is-unacceptable/

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eTKpVM5jpE

    While I appreciate the point that's trying to be made here, NOT ALL OVERWEIGHT PEOPLE ARE CREATED THE SAME. Not everyone's metabolism is the same. Not everyone grew up being able to afford healthy food choices. The $1 McDonald's menu is much more affordable/satiating than $1 of vegetables for a lot of people in this country. There are undiagnosed thyroid issues and people with metabolisms that are slower than you can imagine (my BMR is 750 cal/day for example, which I paid a nutritionist to find out... how many people can afford this?). What about food allergies/Celiac's that haven't been discovered? If you can't afford veggies, chances are, you can't afford health insurance either, so none of these issues will ever be diagnosed.

    None of that matters, obesity is caused by a chronic energy surplus regardless of it's healthy or unhealthy foods. So yes all overweight people are created by a chronic over consumption of calories in relation to their expenditure

    Oh ok, so it's a lot less expensive to eat veggies until you're full than it is to eat cheeseburgers until you're full?

    1lb of broccoli is $.99, which is a considerable amount more than what $1 gets you from the dollar menu

    And clearly, 1lb of broccoli is also as convenient as fast food because study after study has shown that lower income folks (who likely work more hours, likely not white collar) have higher BMIs.

    http://smysp.stanford.edu/documentation/researchProjects/2010/fatteningOfAmericaPresentation.pdf

    Musta been why there were so many fatties during the Great Depression because low incomes = fatness
  • jayliospecky
    jayliospecky Posts: 25,022 Member
    I happen to think that the impact of overweight people on the health care system is a tad over-exaggerated.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/03/opinion/our-imaginary-weight-problem.html?hp
  • ash8184
    ash8184 Posts: 701 Member
    And clearly, 1lb of broccoli is also as convenient as fast food because study after study has shown that lower income folks (who likely work more hours, likely not white collar) have higher BMIs.
    ...which is the reason this nation keeps getting wider. We CHOOSE convenience over health. It is an issue of effort more than it is an issue of expense. There is certainly an education piece in here as well - as unhealthy habits are passed down.

    Agreed, and I think what needs to be taken away from this conversation is that we need to encourage personal responsibility.
  • Snoopy2486
    Snoopy2486 Posts: 2 Member
    Attitudes like that completly infuriate me. I used to work with someone who did similair things in taking pictures of overwieght people, it really is just nasty insecure little bullies that do things like that.
  • loneworg
    loneworg Posts: 342 Member
    here my two cents. It gets under my skin how people compare fat to say your race or sex. Take it from a gay white man raising one kid 1/4 middle eastern and my other two are half black. We didnt pick who we are it just is. Fat is something that can change. No body shoved the food down our throtes. We did it to our selves. Baring some rare medical condition, we did this to our selves. Now op, i get why that you would make you upset but it stupid at best. You cant live your life by how others treat other people. Ya know that corny phrase, live-love-laugh, it something I try to go by everyday. People can knock us down but we pick each other up.
  • ash8184
    ash8184 Posts: 701 Member
    Rant post: Today a Facebook friend posted a photo he took on his iPhone. The photo was of a larger couple carrying four pizzas down the street. The caption? "Whales left the ocean last night in search of 4 large pizzas. 2 each. No. You don't need that much. Go away fatties #nofatpeople"

    This post got several likes and 'haha's. Not one person said anything in defence of this couple. I purposely didn't comment as I didn't want to start a big argument!
    I mean, maybe these guys had bought pizzas to feed homeless people in the area! Or even just to feed their family - who are we to judge?

    Made me wonder, what would the response have been if the post had been of two men kissing? Two nudists on the beach? An inter-racial couple? Two muslims? Two goths? (Just using these as examples!)

    Why it is more acceptable in society to make fun of 'fatties' than other people that live a different lifestyle to you?

    As someone trying hard to lose weight, and knowing that I have a way to go it breaks my heart to see these kinds of posts, and to hear so many fat jokes/taunts on TV and in conversation. It makes me want to give up. Some people will find faults in others, not matter what.

    Don't click on these links then

    http://bmdarchives.xfitflaws.com/2011/11/09/fat-acceptance-is-unacceptable/

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eTKpVM5jpE

    While I appreciate the point that's trying to be made here, NOT ALL OVERWEIGHT PEOPLE ARE CREATED THE SAME. Not everyone's metabolism is the same. Not everyone grew up being able to afford healthy food choices. The $1 McDonald's menu is much more affordable/satiating than $1 of vegetables for a lot of people in this country. There are undiagnosed thyroid issues and people with metabolisms that are slower than you can imagine (my BMR is 750 cal/day for example, which I paid a nutritionist to find out... how many people can afford this?). What about food allergies/Celiac's that haven't been discovered? If you can't afford veggies, chances are, you can't afford health insurance either, so none of these issues will ever be diagnosed.

    None of that matters, obesity is caused by a chronic energy surplus regardless of it's healthy or unhealthy foods. So yes all overweight people are created by a chronic over consumption of calories in relation to their expenditure

    Oh ok, so it's a lot less expensive to eat veggies until you're full than it is to eat cheeseburgers until you're full?

    1lb of broccoli is $.99, which is a considerable amount more than what $1 gets you from the dollar menu

    And clearly, 1lb of broccoli is also as convenient as fast food because study after study has shown that lower income folks (who likely work more hours, likely not white collar) have higher BMIs.

    http://smysp.stanford.edu/documentation/researchProjects/2010/fatteningOfAmericaPresentation.pdf

    Musta been why there were so many fatties during the Great Depression because low incomes = fatness

    Yes! Taco Bell was in it's heyday during the Great Depression! Who knew McDonalds has been around for 90 years? Clearly, technology hasn't made food more readily available and consumable.
  • yo_andi
    yo_andi Posts: 2,178 Member

    While I appreciate the point that's trying to be made here, NOT ALL OVERWEIGHT PEOPLE ARE CREATED THE SAME. Not everyone's metabolism is the same. Not everyone grew up being able to afford healthy food choices. The $1 McDonald's menu is much more affordable/satiating than $1 of vegetables for a lot of people in this country. There are undiagnosed thyroid issues and people with metabolisms that are slower than you can imagine (my BMR is 750 cal/day for example, which I paid a nutritionist to find out... how many people can afford this?). What about food allergies/Celiac's that haven't been discovered? If you can't afford veggies, chances are, you can't afford health insurance either, so none of these issues will ever be diagnosed.

    Don't get me wrong, it has taken me 24 out of 28 of my years to figure out what my problem was with losing weight, but to judge the entire populous of overweight/obese people with that type of ridiculous blanket is ridiculous. It would be more helpful if we attempted to help each other through education than poke fun.

    And just for reference, at my highest weight, I weighed 383lbs. I now weigh 168 and my goal is 150, which is still 10lbs overweight for my height (but 10lbs below the top of a healthy BMI). I am borderline allergic to gluten and dairy (which I had to figure out on my own), have a bad case of hypothyroidism (which I have paid to have figured out and am now on expensive thyroid meds), have worked out my whole life (even at 383lbs, I hit the elliptical every day for an hour AND did weight training), and have a slow metabolism (which also cost me $ to figure out).

    Take the energy you'd use at poking fun of someone and reform the healthcare system OR be a lobbyist against corn & diary subsidies.

    Don't judge until you know the whole story.

    Edited to say: Hypothyroidism also doesn't appear to have put you at such a high weight. You admit very freely on your profile that you gained weight from poor habits early in life, to the point that you gained back all the weight (and some) from a lap band surgery you had done. I am always the first person to say that until someone has experienced the hell that is thyroid issues (let alone the adrenal issues that always seem to come along with it), they can't speak on the difficulty in losing weight. I am on here because of weight gain that did not come from overeating; it came from prolonged high cortisol that did in fact cause fat gain at low calories. So I am one of the "minorities" that gained weight without overeating (my habits used to be incredibly unhealthy because of a history of anorexia, but that's a whole other topic).

    People with a medical reason for obesity are often the least accepting of their own obesity, and usually work even harder than most to be healthier. Just some food for thought.
  • Stella_Leigh
    Stella_Leigh Posts: 189 Member
    Body shaming, or people shaming in all forms is horrible.

    Live and let live.

    This. ABSOLUTELY this.
  • weird_me2
    weird_me2 Posts: 716 Member
    Rant post: Today a Facebook friend posted a photo he took on his iPhone. The photo was of a larger couple carrying four pizzas down the street. The caption? "Whales left the ocean last night in search of 4 large pizzas. 2 each. No. You don't need that much. Go away fatties #nofatpeople"

    This post got several likes and 'haha's. Not one person said anything in defence of this couple. I purposely didn't comment as I didn't want to start a big argument!
    I mean, maybe these guys had bought pizzas to feed homeless people in the area! Or even just to feed their family - who are we to judge?

    Made me wonder, what would the response have been if the post had been of two men kissing? Two nudists on the beach? An inter-racial couple? Two muslims? Two goths? (Just using these as examples!)

    Why it is more acceptable in society to make fun of 'fatties' than other people that live a different lifestyle to you?

    As someone trying hard to lose weight, and knowing that I have a way to go it breaks my heart to see these kinds of posts, and to hear so many fat jokes/taunts on TV and in conversation. It makes me want to give up. Some people will find faults in others, not matter what.

    Don't click on these links then

    http://bmdarchives.xfitflaws.com/2011/11/09/fat-acceptance-is-unacceptable/

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eTKpVM5jpE

    While I appreciate the point that's trying to be made here, NOT ALL OVERWEIGHT PEOPLE ARE CREATED THE SAME. Not everyone's metabolism is the same. Not everyone grew up being able to afford healthy food choices. The $1 McDonald's menu is much more affordable/satiating than $1 of vegetables for a lot of people in this country. There are undiagnosed thyroid issues and people with metabolisms that are slower than you can imagine (my BMR is 750 cal/day for example, which I paid a nutritionist to find out... how many people can afford this?). What about food allergies/Celiac's that haven't been discovered? If you can't afford veggies, chances are, you can't afford health insurance either, so none of these issues will ever be diagnosed.

    None of that matters, obesity is caused by a chronic energy surplus regardless of it's healthy or unhealthy foods. So yes all overweight people are created by a chronic over consumption of calories in relation to their expenditure

    Oh ok, so it's a lot less expensive to eat veggies until you're full than it is to eat cheeseburgers until you're full?

    I wasn't going to join this one, but I have to say that it is less expensive to eat healthily than to eat off the $1 menu at McDonald's. Needing a "meal on the go" is just an excuse. It's not cheaper to eat off the $1 menu than it is to buy veggies and such. If a person is willing to put the effort into it, they can eat much more healthily for less money. For the cost of a McDouble, today I had a huge salad w/ 3 servings of veggies, 4 oz cooked weight of chicken breast, 3 T fresh grated parmesan, and delicious full fat dressing. The salad was much more filling and satisfying than a single McDouble. If I needed convenience, I could have a peanut butter sandwich on 100% whole wheat bread AND a banana AND a glass of milk for about $.75. That's with getting the peanut butter on sale but payng regular price for the other stuff. Plus, let's be honest here, most people eating off the $1 menu don't eat one item only. A cheap $1 menu meal is going to be at least $2, if not $3-5. For a family of 4, you're looking at probably at least $10 to eat something quick and easy. That's not cheap and it can easily buy a pound of chicken, some fresh veggies, a starchy side and maybe even something for dessert.

    ETA: If you need cheap and on the go, fresh carrots are pretty darn cheap, easy, and portable. Buy a bag. Open it. Eat it. Peel it if you like, but it's not necessary. Same with celery, cucumber, apples, oranges, bananas, lots of fresh stuff.

    I think what you're missing here, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, is that again, this is not convenient. This is how I eat, and this is how a lot of us eat, but we make these choices because we have the resources to do so. In Houston, at lunch time, the fast food drive-thrus are full of blue collar workers who either don't have time or resources to eat this way.

    Even at 383lbs, I didn't eat fast food, but I know that the convenience of fatty foods is what is driving a lot of the obesity epidemic. As "good health ambassadors", we need to be out in our communities educating people about inexpensive, healthy, convenient food options.

    How is it more convenient to have to make a stop at a fast food place than it is to simply make something and take it with you? I will say it again. It's an excuse. Yes, people may need to be educated, but eating out is more "fun" than eating a peanut butter sandwich at home. I have relatives who receive governmental assistance and really just drive me crazy because they "don't have the $$" for XYZ, but they can justify spending $20 at McDonald's to feed the family because it's cheap. No, it's not cheap, it just tastes better and means they don't have to put any effort in to their food. But, it takes more effort to get in your car or walk yourself down to the local McDs than it does to put some peanut butter on some bread or cook up a box of spaghetti and add some sauce.
  • kkimpel
    kkimpel Posts: 303 Member
    interesting.. I just read about a woman who is unable to store energy because her body doesn't produce fat and muscles .. She is harassed and made fun of because she is "ugly" and "too skinny"

    Kris Kristofferson comes to mind

    Every body's gotta have somebody to look down on
    A fool they can be better than at anytime they please
    Someone doing something dirty decent folks can frown on
    If you can't find nobody else, then help yourself to me...

    In reading the responses I am saddened to find so little support for the reality of pain that fat brings to people... Food is not a choice...but we can be healthier. We can chose to be healthier.

    Bullies are bullies wherever they are..
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    Rant post: Today a Facebook friend posted a photo he took on his iPhone. The photo was of a larger couple carrying four pizzas down the street. The caption? "Whales left the ocean last night in search of 4 large pizzas. 2 each. No. You don't need that much. Go away fatties #nofatpeople"

    This post got several likes and 'haha's. Not one person said anything in defence of this couple. I purposely didn't comment as I didn't want to start a big argument!
    I mean, maybe these guys had bought pizzas to feed homeless people in the area! Or even just to feed their family - who are we to judge?

    Made me wonder, what would the response have been if the post had been of two men kissing? Two nudists on the beach? An inter-racial couple? Two muslims? Two goths? (Just using these as examples!)

    Why it is more acceptable in society to make fun of 'fatties' than other people that live a different lifestyle to you?

    As someone trying hard to lose weight, and knowing that I have a way to go it breaks my heart to see these kinds of posts, and to hear so many fat jokes/taunts on TV and in conversation. It makes me want to give up. Some people will find faults in others, not matter what.

    Don't click on these links then

    http://bmdarchives.xfitflaws.com/2011/11/09/fat-acceptance-is-unacceptable/

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eTKpVM5jpE

    While I appreciate the point that's trying to be made here, NOT ALL OVERWEIGHT PEOPLE ARE CREATED THE SAME. Not everyone's metabolism is the same. Not everyone grew up being able to afford healthy food choices. The $1 McDonald's menu is much more affordable/satiating than $1 of vegetables for a lot of people in this country. There are undiagnosed thyroid issues and people with metabolisms that are slower than you can imagine (my BMR is 750 cal/day for example, which I paid a nutritionist to find out... how many people can afford this?). What about food allergies/Celiac's that haven't been discovered? If you can't afford veggies, chances are, you can't afford health insurance either, so none of these issues will ever be diagnosed.

    None of that matters, obesity is caused by a chronic energy surplus regardless of it's healthy or unhealthy foods. So yes all overweight people are created by a chronic over consumption of calories in relation to their expenditure

    Oh ok, so it's a lot less expensive to eat veggies until you're full than it is to eat cheeseburgers until you're full?

    1lb of broccoli is $.99, which is a considerable amount more than what $1 gets you from the dollar menu

    And clearly, 1lb of broccoli is also as convenient as fast food because study after study has shown that lower income folks (who likely work more hours, likely not white collar) have higher BMIs.

    http://smysp.stanford.edu/documentation/researchProjects/2010/fatteningOfAmericaPresentation.pdf

    Musta been why there were so many fatties during the Great Depression because low incomes = fatness

    Yes! Taco Bell was in it's heyday during the Great Depression! Who knew McDonalds has been around for 90 years? Clearly, technology hasn't made food more readily available and consumable.

    Ah so maybe it isn't low incomes but decision making? If it was low incomes Haiti would be the fattest nation ever, but yet they are not
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member

    While I appreciate the point that's trying to be made here, NOT ALL OVERWEIGHT PEOPLE ARE CREATED THE SAME. Not everyone's metabolism is the same. Not everyone grew up being able to afford healthy food choices. The $1 McDonald's menu is much more affordable/satiating than $1 of vegetables for a lot of people in this country. There are undiagnosed thyroid issues and people with metabolisms that are slower than you can imagine (my BMR is 750 cal/day for example, which I paid a nutritionist to find out... how many people can afford this?). What about food allergies/Celiac's that haven't been discovered? If you can't afford veggies, chances are, you can't afford health insurance either, so none of these issues will ever be diagnosed.

    Don't get me wrong, it has taken me 24 out of 28 of my years to figure out what my problem was with losing weight, but to judge the entire populous of overweight/obese people with that type of ridiculous blanket is ridiculous. It would be more helpful if we attempted to help each other through education than poke fun.

    And just for reference, at my highest weight, I weighed 383lbs. I now weigh 168 and my goal is 150, which is still 10lbs overweight for my height (but 10lbs below the top of a healthy BMI). I am borderline allergic to gluten and dairy (which I had to figure out on my own), have a bad case of hypothyroidism (which I have paid to have figured out and am now on expensive thyroid meds), have worked out my whole life (even at 383lbs, I hit the elliptical every day for an hour AND did weight training), and have a slow metabolism (which also cost me $ to figure out).

    Take the energy you'd use at poking fun of someone and reform the healthcare system OR be a lobbyist against corn & diary subsidies.

    Don't judge until you know the whole story.

    Edited to say: Hypothyroidism also doesn't appear to have put you at such a high weight. You admit very freely on your profile that you gained weight from poor habits early in life, to the point that you gained back all the weight (and some) from a lap band surgery you had done. I am always the first person to say that until someone has experienced the hell that is thyroid issues (let alone the adrenal issues that always seem to come along with it), they can't speak on the difficulty in losing weight. I am on here because of weight gain that did not come from overeating; it came from prolonged high cortisol that did in fact cause fat gain at low calories. So I am one of the "minorities" that gained weight without overeating (my habits used to be incredibly unhealthy because of a history of anorexia, but that's a whole other topic).

    People with a medical reason for obesity are often the least accepting of their own obesity, and usually work even harder than most to be healthier. Just some food for thought.

    Particularly when many of us who gained weight medically do so rather quickly... there's no getting used to it, just a desperation to get back!
  • sweetchildomine
    sweetchildomine Posts: 872 Member
    Rant post: Today a Facebook friend posted a photo he took on his iPhone. The photo was of a larger couple carrying four pizzas down the street. The caption? "Whales left the ocean last night in search of 4 large pizzas. 2 each. No. You don't need that much. Go away fatties #nofatpeople"

    This post got several likes and 'haha's. Not one person said anything in defence of this couple. I purposely didn't comment as I didn't want to start a big argument!
    I mean, maybe these guys had bought pizzas to feed homeless people in the area! Or even just to feed their family - who are we to judge?

    Made me wonder, what would the response have been if the post had been of two men kissing? Two nudists on the beach? An inter-racial couple? Two muslims? Two goths? (Just using these as examples!)

    Why it is more acceptable in society to make fun of 'fatties' than other people that live a different lifestyle to you?

    As someone trying hard to lose weight, and knowing that I have a way to go it breaks my heart to see these kinds of posts, and to hear so many fat jokes/taunts on TV and in conversation. It makes me want to give up. Some people will find faults in others, not matter what.

    Don't click on these links then

    http://bmdarchives.xfitflaws.com/2011/11/09/fat-acceptance-is-unacceptable/

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eTKpVM5jpE

    While I appreciate the point that's trying to be made here, NOT ALL OVERWEIGHT PEOPLE ARE CREATED THE SAME. Not everyone's metabolism is the same. Not everyone grew up being able to afford healthy food choices. The $1 McDonald's menu is much more affordable/satiating than $1 of vegetables for a lot of people in this country. There are undiagnosed thyroid issues and people with metabolisms that are slower than you can imagine (my BMR is 750 cal/day for example, which I paid a nutritionist to find out... how many people can afford this?). What about food allergies/Celiac's that haven't been discovered? If you can't afford veggies, chances are, you can't afford health insurance either, so none of these issues will ever be diagnosed.

    None of that matters, obesity is caused by a chronic energy surplus regardless of it's healthy or unhealthy foods. So yes all overweight people are created by a chronic over consumption of calories in relation to their expenditure

    Oh ok, so it's a lot less expensive to eat veggies until you're full than it is to eat cheeseburgers until you're full?

    1lb of broccoli is $.99, which is a considerable amount more than what $1 gets you from the dollar menu

    And clearly, 1lb of broccoli is also as convenient as fast food because study after study has shown that lower income folks (who likely work more hours, likely not white collar) have higher BMIs.

    http://smysp.stanford.edu/documentation/researchProjects/2010/fatteningOfAmericaPresentation.pdf

    Musta been why there were so many fatties during the Great Depression because low incomes = fatness

    Yes! Taco Bell was in it's heyday during the Great Depression! Who knew McDonalds has been around for 90 years? Clearly, technology hasn't made food more readily available and consumable.

    Why do people say that it's cheaper to eat at fast food restaurants than it is to buy food from the grocery store? ITS NOT. This is coming from someone who was poor for most of their childhood. My Mom NEVER bought us fast food. Not because she was concerned about our health, but because it was cheaper to buy ingredients for something that would last us a few days!! It would have cost her AT LEAST 15 dollars to feed our entire family for ONE MEAL at Mcdonalds. Even if we all chose things from the dollar menu. 15 dollars is enough to buy ingredients for a meal that could last a few days. I don't know what poor people you guys know that are going to Mcdonalds everyday. That stuff is NOT cheap. Sure, it costs 1 dollar for A TEENY TINY BABY BURGER that doesnt even keep my 6 year old niece full for longer than an hour lol. If anything, I think more people go to fast food restaurants because it's CONVENIENT. Not because it's cheaper.
  • yo_andi
    yo_andi Posts: 2,178 Member

    Particularly when many of us who gained weight medically do so rather quickly... there's no getting used to it, just a desperation to get back!

    Exactly!
  • AABru
    AABru Posts: 610 Member
    Let me start with I am overweight...and so happy to say "merely overweight" having been obese for so long. My issues were LEARNED by a family of obese people with poor eating habits. I also had to learn to exercise because although I was taught how to work hard, as we all know now hard work is not the same as working out (well, MAYBE if you are landscaping or doing construction).
    I had to teach myself how to treat myself well: making better food choices most of the time and exercising.

    My husband is a nurse in the cardiac intensive care unit, and 80% of his patients are there because of obesity related disease...80%. That being said, is it okay to taunt people? No.
    I am a big proponent of courtesy; however, I also feel (I am a high school Science teacher) it is my place on Earth to help educate people that are lacking education. I make a huge effort to teach my students and my own chidren and family about how to eat better and exercise. I also INSIST that my students and children treat each other with courtesy...NOT respect. I don't think you can respect strangers because you must earn respect. BUT EVERYONE CAN BE COURTEOUS AND COURTESY BREEDS RESPECT.

    One of the major points NOT addressed has been addiction...smoking, eating, drinking...all addictions. DEAL with the underlaying issues first folks...
  • ash8184
    ash8184 Posts: 701 Member

    While I appreciate the point that's trying to be made here, NOT ALL OVERWEIGHT PEOPLE ARE CREATED THE SAME. Not everyone's metabolism is the same. Not everyone grew up being able to afford healthy food choices. The $1 McDonald's menu is much more affordable/satiating than $1 of vegetables for a lot of people in this country. There are undiagnosed thyroid issues and people with metabolisms that are slower than you can imagine (my BMR is 750 cal/day for example, which I paid a nutritionist to find out... how many people can afford this?). What about food allergies/Celiac's that haven't been discovered? If you can't afford veggies, chances are, you can't afford health insurance either, so none of these issues will ever be diagnosed.

    Don't get me wrong, it has taken me 24 out of 28 of my years to figure out what my problem was with losing weight, but to judge the entire populous of overweight/obese people with that type of ridiculous blanket is ridiculous. It would be more helpful if we attempted to help each other through education than poke fun.

    And just for reference, at my highest weight, I weighed 383lbs. I now weigh 168 and my goal is 150, which is still 10lbs overweight for my height (but 10lbs below the top of a healthy BMI). I am borderline allergic to gluten and dairy (which I had to figure out on my own), have a bad case of hypothyroidism (which I have paid to have figured out and am now on expensive thyroid meds), have worked out my whole life (even at 383lbs, I hit the elliptical every day for an hour AND did weight training), and have a slow metabolism (which also cost me $ to figure out).

    Take the energy you'd use at poking fun of someone and reform the healthcare system OR be a lobbyist against corn & diary subsidies.

    Don't judge until you know the whole story.

    Edited to say: Hypothyroidism also doesn't appear to have put you at such a high weight. You admit very freely on your profile that you gained weight from poor habits early in life, to the point that you gained back all the weight (and some) from a lap band surgery you had done. I am always the first person to say that until someone has experienced the hell that is thyroid issues (let alone the adrenal issues that always seem to come along with it), they can't speak on the difficulty in losing weight. I am on here because of weight gain that did not come from overeating; it came from prolonged high cortisol that did in fact cause fat gain at low calories. So I am one of the "minorities" that gained weight without overeating (my habits used to be incredibly unhealthy because of a history of anorexia, but that's a whole other topic).

    People with a medical reason for obesity are often the least accepting of their own obesity, and usually work even harder than most to be healthier. Just some food for thought.

    Particularly when many of us who gained weight medically do so rather quickly... there's no getting used to it, just a desperation to get back!

    Correct. I gained weight from overeating which was due to having a 750 cal BMR, which I found out about only recently! There are people on this site ("experts") who say that you MUST eat 1500 or 2000 or x number of calories/day. These are the same "experts" who say that it's just as easy and/or inexpensive to cook and pack a lunch.

    I may or may not be an isolated case, but my point is that none of you know the particular situation of any overweight/obese person. Even though you think you may be able to blame it on x, y, or z, you need to understand the reality of the world we live in which is that:

    1. health care is expensive, and increasing in cost due to obesity (cyclical)
    2. healthy eating is oftentimes inconvenient and possibly more expensive (at least perceived this way)
    3. people do not take personal responsibility for themselves
    4. the government subsidizes the wrong food groups (corn, dairy) and
    5. as much as you think you're an expert on good health, weight loss, etc., educate those around you instead of being so judgmental.
  • What that person just did was be very rude...Simply unfreind.........