Fat-Shaming May Curb Obesity?

RLeighP

http://todayhealth.today.com/_news/2013/01/24/16664866-fat-shaming-may-curb-obesity-bioethicist-says?lite

Found this interesting little article.

A bioethicist thinks that since being nice to obese people isn't helping, maybe a bit of shaming might do the trick. (That's a very concise summary, though)

Thoughts?

(and if anyone can tell me how to make that a link, I would really appreciate it!)

Greenrun99

oh ya lets bully people into loosing weight.. that will solve everything... I mean look at how good it works in schools.

thedescentofhope

Ridiculous. Like people need to be bullied and made feel like outcasts from society even more than they already do. Yeah it may reverse the obesity trend but it'll be replaced by the anorexia and bulemia trends!

MSeel1984

Sounds like a recipe for an eating disorder.

iAMsmiling

Shaming is pretty effective.

Question is, is a society full of people who hate themselves somehow healthier than a society full of the obese?

PapaverSomniferum

yeah, because the constant shame and embarrassment heaped upon the overweight people of the world is working really well so far

Dagoth

The world is way too sensitive these days.

Suzeboo

What a total Twit!!! Honestly some of these scientists are really clutching at straws!! Tut Numpty!!

Thomasm198

Suuuuuuuuuure. Bullying and shaming always is a great idea. :noway:

stephdeeable

When people comment on my weight it only makes me want to rage-eat. This wouldn't help me at all.

RLeighP

Well, one of the arguments was that public shaming of smokers worked to get people to quit smoking.

Some people are genetically predisposed to obesity. Medical issues. Hormonal problems. No one is predisposed to smoking.

Not that that is an excuse to be obese, but it's also very easy for a slender person to make this assumption.

links_slayer

The world is way too sensitive these days.

Word.

sofielein

It's enough to read into a couple people's posts here to see how embarrased and ashamed they already feel. Absolutely no need to bully imho.

mamax5

Sounds to me like that will lead to more obesity. If I am shamed for eating...makes me want to eat in secret. Lets give people a bigger problem. Yeah, that'll work (insert sarcasm).

SoViLicious

I don't like this idea. Shaming me would only make me anger and want to slap someone.

CGPrincessWarrior

You cannot make someone lose weight no matter how hard you try. My friends and family tried to get me to lose weight for years and I never did. I had to make the choice myself to get off my butt and do something about my weight. It has to come from within or it will not happen. Once you take the step to become healthier then it becomes a matter of preference as to what will help motivate you to keep going. Some people like rewards and some people like tough love, but every person is different. Shaming is NOT the answer though and will only lead to more obesity IMO.

MizTerry

These are people that have to be ugly to others to elevate themselves. Sounds like they have their own set of body issues. It's a form of abuse that they are just trying to perpetuate on others whom they deem unworthy.
Jerks.

bcattoes

It is an interesting theory. I grew up in the 60's and 70's. Fat people were shamed much more than today back then. There were far fewer fat people. But I'm not sure that shaming was the reason. But the author is correct that shaming smokers did cause a dramatic drop in the number of smokers.

And for those talking of bullying, shaming and bullying are the same thing.

Thomasm198

Well, one of the arguments was that public shaming of smokers worked to get people to quit smoking.

Some people are genetically predisposed to obesity. Medical issues. Hormonal problems. No one is predisposed to smoking.

Not that that is an excuse to be obese, but it's also very easy for a slender person to make this assumption.

Public shaming of smokers never made me want to quit smoking. All it made we want to do was say "go **** ******* ***** ********" to the person complaining about smokers.

AlsDonkBoxSquat

Yes, that's definitely the issue. When people who are fat or obese talk about how other people perceive them the first thing they say is "it's fine, everyone is do damn nice, I just wish they'd criticise me about my weight." There's definitely no social stigmas attached to it, no nasty words in passing, no random glances, and no different treatments (such as pay grade difference).

SMH

agggie550

I dont think we should shame people for being obese, but also dont play into it when people use that as an excuse. Im tired of hearing people say hes just big boned or its genetics. I spent the better part of my young adult life over weight and used that as an excuse, oh I just have a big frame, blah blah ... and no one would say anything other wise, then one day a close friend was just like no man, you not your just fat... and yeah for me that sparked a fire that started my change. So no i dont think shaming is the best way to go about it for everyone, but a good dose of reality for some over weight people would be good.

myofibril

Positive reinforcement is better than

Positive punishment which is better than

Negative reinforcement which is better than

Negative punishment.

dovetail22uk

The world is way too sensitive these days.

^^Agreed.

But really pleased you posted this as it's going to make some interesting reading!

Micahroni84

When people comment on my weight it only makes me want to rage-eat. This wouldn't help me at all.

^ this! I was body shamed starting at a young age before i was even over weight. It made me feel worthless and i found myself binge eating in response.

Edited to say, the last time i was body shamed was in a gym working my *kitten* off. My brother in law was the one shaming me. I didnt step foot in a gym for a whole year after that.

fbmandy55

Never did being bullied about my weight ever inspire me to lose weight. It made me sad, depressed, guilty and many other things. It made me want to stay indoors, never be seen by people and I would spend that time binge eating. It got to the point that I wouldn't even go out to a bar for fear of people seeing me.

I think a majority of people here can tell you that taking the steps to getting healthy comes from within and is something we have to decide we want for ourselves, not because people are bullying us into doing it.

PBsMommy

Uhhhhhh...... No

We would see "death by being sat on" at an all time high....

angdpowers

The world is way too sensitive these days.

AGREED!!! You have to be nice, politically correct, blah blah blah -- world is VERY sensitive!

MaraDiaz

Yes let's up the murder rate. Hope prisons have extra wide mattresses! They might need to alter the size of their shiny metal bracelets and fine dining plastic chairs, too.

Mailboxhead1

Too lazy to read the article, but what makes him certain that whether you're nice or mean to someone determines what they weigh? That's taking a possibly inconsequential factor, and saying that if you change it you'll change outcomes.

E.G. So, I kicked four goats last week, and it's still hot in Brazil. I guess that means next week if I punch 2 ducks in the face, Brazil will get to a more tolerable temperature....

That's about the logic that I'm hearing from that article.

chelazar88

I am totally against this, I was made fun of as a kid for being fat, and all it did was make me wanna eat more and do it in secreat...Lol on a funnier note...Jillian Michaels pretty much does shame people into losing weight on the Biggest Loser, but they signed up for that!

diodelcibo

Maybe not shaming but telling it how it is may help.