The Biggest Bully: TV show a loser for weight loss

Dom_m

An ex-classmate from way back just published an article that many here may like to read. She's done a lot of work over the past 10 years or so with people who have eating disorders and the article begins focusing on "The Biggest Loser", but covers the general social attitude toward fatness in the west.

You can read it here: http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=10132&page=2

It may appear that the author is promoting the idea of satisfaction with poor health and nutrition resulting in symptomatic fatness. This isn't the case. She is concerned that society has stigmatized fatness to the point that social responses to fat are health impairing, rather than health stimulating.

If you want to discuss the article, there's space at the bottom - better to do it there where the author will see it than here where only we will see it, though feel free to give this a bump if you like it.

bebhinn

Here's a link to take you to page 1 (Sorry, I just read it backwards and thought I would share!)

http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=10132&page=1

payne1919

Bravo! Excellent article. She really hit the nail on the head...

I have a unique one situation that fits her description:
I live in the south and everyone goes to church. I am a believer and know that gluttany is a sin. So past sins have gotten me to where I am now - overweight and guilty. But here I am, on this site and trying to work my way to health. In the meantime, I am wearing my past sins right here, on my belly, for everyone around me to judge. People assume that you are STILL sinning, even though you are working hard everyday to lose it.

Fat people (myself anyway) are usually on a damaging cycle of overindulging and then trying to get it off. Yet while we are working to try to get it off, we are not being sinful. But everyone assumes that we are.

What if everyone had to wear their past sins on their stomachs? The guy who struggles with porn had to wear the word "porn" on his shirt everywhere he goes for months after he stopped looking at it? Or some women had the word "gossip" plastered on her stomach for months after she slipeed up with gossip - even though she worked hard everyday to never do that again?

It's just not fair.... and it is extremley discouraging, as the article points out. Why work out today, I'm still going to be judged? It takes incredible will power and prayer (for me, not for everyone) to overcome this.

Just struggling to get off the roller-coaster....... God help me!

bebhinn

Bravo! Excellent article. She really hit the nail on the head...

I have a unique one situation that fits her description:
I live in the south and everyone goes to church. I am a believer and know that gluttany is a sin. So past sins have gotten me to where I am now - overweight and guilty. But here I am, on this site and trying to work my way to health. In the meantime, I am wearing my past sins right here, on my belly, for everyone around me to judge. People assume that you are STILL sinning, even though you are working hard everyday to lose it.

Fat people (myself anyway) are usually on a damaging cycle of overindulging and then trying to get it off. Yet while we are working to try to get it off, we are not being sinful. But everyone assumes that we are.

What if everyone had to wear their past sins on their stomachs? The guy who struggles with porn had to wear the word "porn" on his shirt everywhere he goes for months after he stopped looking at it? Or some women had the word "gossip" plastered on her stomach for months after she slipeed up with gossip - even though she worked hard everyday to never do that again?

It's just not fair.... and it is extremley discouraging, as the article points out. Why work out today, I'm still going to be judged? It takes incredible will power and prayer (for me, not for everyone) to overcome this.

Just struggling to get off the roller-coaster....... God help me!

Its like the scarlet letter that won't go away! (Well, it will, but man does it ever take a long time!)

payne1919

Here's a link to take you to page 1 (Sorry, I just read it backwards and thought I would share!)

http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=10132&page=1

Ha! Thanks, I was wondering where the BL references were....

payne1919

Its like the scarlet letter that won't go away! (Well, it will, but man does it ever take a long time!)

YES! I forgot about that... that's exactly what it is like!

Dom_m

Here's a link to take you to page 1 (Sorry, I just read it backwards and thought I would share!)

http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=10132&page=1

Oops! Sorry, I shoulda been more careful.