Fat-Shaming May Curb Obesity?

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.

I think the fact that there was less food available per capita and therefore it was comparatively much more expensive was more likely the reason.

I read somewhere that food was the main household expendature then, now rent is - basically, an abundance of cheap food meant the landlords could up the rent...

Perhaps, though I never noticed a lack of food. There was much less fast food, but we had Little Debbie and homemade cookies and cakes and ice cream and chips and a lot of other junk food.

I believe the difference was the amount we sat. We didn't have video games and cable TV. Sitting in the house was no fun back then. We had 3 fuzzy TV channels and parents in the house. so, we went outside and played with our friends because inside was boring. Most households were still one income so kids were home after school and in the summer, instead of in a structured day care. We roamed the woods and rode our bikes. We were too busy to just sit in front of the TV and eat.

fbmandy55

fatladysings72

Shaming is pretty effective.

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

I had teachers in school who subscribed to the theory of shaming to teach (this pretty much equates to the same thing). I still struggle with those subjects now..ie..math, social studies. SHAMING DOES NOT WORK!!! Only the person can change it, no one can force them.

darkguardian419

It may not work, but it sure is fun.

I don't make fun of people out in town... I don't care about them. The people I do make fun of for being fat are my coworkers. You can't be fat in the military, you'll lose your job.

Now, this goes with a grain of salt... being submariners, all we do is make fun of each other. It's how we don't go crazy(er). Calling someone a fat worthless POS who needs to go choke on bacon grease is just another way of saying "hey dude, let's go work out"

PeachyKeene

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

Unfortunately, only MFP links can be made active, anything off this site you just have to copy and paste from your post.

Bumdrahp

Being bullied SUCKS!!!!!! I remember when i was in 4th grade, this JERK ( i still remmber his name!) used to call me WIDE LOAD!.. sad thing? When I look at photo's of myself back then.. I feel like I looked just like all the other kids! Funny thing? I bet he would never ever, remember saying that to me now...

We always remember! It doesn't help, it just scars you! I am here not because of stupid bullying as a kid, but because I finally felt it was time..In my opinion, You need to feel it.. not be bullied into it.

cubbies77

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).

This, I have Binge Eating Disorder and being arseholes about my weight or bringing it up is a huge trigger for me.

Ditto. I know I'm fat. I'm well aware of that. I don't need a reminder.

If someone insults me or says, "Wow, you should really lose some weight," it makes me feel ashamed and depressed, and there were/are times I was suicidal. I would hate to be that trigger for someone, and it's a shame others feel it's okay to do so.

My mother berated me about my weight for the millionth time a few years ago. Some other relatives and a couple (ex)friends were getting on me as well, as if it were a campaign or intervention. I ended up hiding at home, refusing to go out with friends for fear of more mocking and looks from strangers, and ate myself into comfy oblivion. I gained 40 pounds. I'm STILL dealing with severe social anxiety. So no, bullying doesn't work.

If one of my friends approached me about weight loss (and some have, now that I've lost weight), then I would help them, but I certainly wouldn't come at it all judgy and full of insults. I'd let them know it takes time and patience and that I'm there for them whenever they need someone to talk them out of eating a box of Krispy Kremes.

dovetail22uk

Shaming, no. But there is a difference between shaming and tough love. They know that they are obese and most are ashamed to begin with. Pointing out these flaws does nothing. A constructive conversation about health issues and the basic steps it takes to get to a healthy weight would probably be a much more beneficial conversation.

I agree with this but don't they teach people about healthy eating etc etc etc in school? Some people are just too busy chewing to listen.

sunsnstatheart

Shaming? No. Honesty? Yes. And honesty doesn't have to be cruel or brutal. It depends on the person and your relation to them. If you don't know them, then you have no business speaking to them about their weight. If its your kid, then you need to fix their diet because frankly its in your hands anyway.

cubbies77

Now, this goes with a grain of salt... being submariners, all we do is make fun of each other. It's how we don't go crazy(er). Calling someone a fat worthless POS who needs to go choke on bacon grease is just another way of saying "hey dude, let's go work out"

That actually made me laugh. If you guys are okay with it, then that's fine, and I've seen military friends joke around like that.

My friend and I are losing weight together, and we often joke we should rent advertising space on our butts since you can see them on Google Earth. That's totally different from someone saying that TO us, though.

Kat5343

For me personally, my ex-husband (note the ex part) would bully me and shame me because of my weight. It made me just want to eat more. Unfortunately, me thinking "Ill show him" really showed me and landed me in the weight predicament I am in now. I came to find out, I was only hurting myself and not him.

MelStren

I think a much more effective idea is to make it harder to get health care/welfare if you are obese.

ldrosophila

Either that or you have a bunch of heavy kids g taking their own lives or going into a school and taking the lives of their friends. I've been called every name under the book degraded by strangers and family.

None of that ever inspired me to lose weight if anything it pushed me deeper into my binge cycle. It pushed me to eat more and as a result of the weight I moved less.

You know what got me to move?? OMG this is a novel idea. I wanted to learn to love myself and grow old healthy! Guess it would have been better if I had been called a beached whale, gotten Moo calls, had some idiot little ugly short fat man tell me I should get a plate of dessert, or be called a sumo wrestler by my uncle. Oh wait, that already happened. Yeah that really motivated me...to hurt myself! I think it was shortly after the sumo comment I learned not only does it feel good to binge it also feels good to slice open my disgusting piece of flesh stomach with my nails and a razor blade.

F'en bioethist what do they get paid to do preach to us what is humane and not.

I'd laugh at his beaky little bald head and shame him into a toupe to curb baldness.

Note I have nothing against baldness my BF is quite the cue ball.

Bumdrahp

Shaming, no. But there is a difference between shaming and tough love. They know that they are obese and most are ashamed to begin with. Pointing out these flaws does nothing. A constructive conversation about health issues and the basic steps it takes to get to a healthy weight would probably be a much more beneficial conversation.

I agree with this but don't they teach people about healthy eating etc etc etc in school? Some people are just too busy chewing to listen.

If I eat Doritos there is NO WAY I can listen to anything! Crunch too loud!

1stday13

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.

^^^^^ that^^^^^ its called "hitting rock bottom" Just like an alcoholic (I know both from experience), We have to want it for ourselves. Shamming only makes me angry,ashamed,worthless,hopeless & want to deny it & hide it

Bumdrahp

Now, this goes with a grain of salt... being submariners, all we do is make fun of each other. It's how we don't go crazy(er). Calling someone a fat worthless POS who needs to go choke on bacon grease is just another way of saying "hey dude, let's go work out"

That actually made me laugh. If you guys are okay with it, then that's fine, and I've seen military friends joke around like that.

My friend and I are losing weight together, and we often joke we should rent advertising space on our butts since you can see them on Google Earth. That's totally different from someone saying that TO us, though.

You can see them on google earth?! You're lucky.. My *kitten*, is the actual moon.

ldrosophila

I think a much more effective idea is to make it harder to get health care/welfare if you are obese.

What if I have prader willis and I'm unable to care for myself. What if as a result of my obesity I develop onset diabetes should I not be able to get the insulin I need or access to a doctor and dietitian to help me to learn to manage my diabetes?

What if I get pregnant when I'm obese should I not have access to prenatal care?

happywithme12

How about shaming the parents who teach their kids these terrible, self-destructive behaviors when they are at too young an age to know better and make better choices for themselves. I'm sorry, but I'm in China now, the land of the One Child Policy and I see, on a daily basis how terribly spoiled these children are. I'm not sure they're much better in the States though. But nothing enrages my inner teacher like a little fat kid (and I mean really fat) stuffing his face with the little cakes his grandmother is feeding him on our class breaks.

Don't shame the kids, shame the parents! (Or grandparents)

I totally disagree with this as a mother of a little girl who is about 15 pounds over weight and in sports and tries to eat better but can't seem to loose weight and who has consulted a dr who said to keep up what your doing that she will thin out some as she gets taller, yes maybe some parents feed in to it and let there kids do what they want but don't generalize and say that when a kid is heavy it must be the parents fault. how about blaming all the **** they put in foods now and all the chemicals that they treat everything with. My daughter is not overweight from lack of trying to help her she eats fruits and veggies and very little junk food and does yoga and basketball so you might want to think about that statement. That would be like me blaming my kids teacher for the fact that they are failing which some parents do.

Roxiehart9

Bullying and shaming isn't the answer, but the truth and honesty hurts. No one wants to be called fat or overweight, but numbers and sizes don't lie. People know they are fat, however, It's time that society stops glorifying it. There are a number of health risks that come with being overweight and obese. Why should anyone be proud of those issues? Being confident in your body is great and I applaud anyone that is! I'm still working on that; however, being healthy should be a priority. I'm not syaing everyone should be a size 2-4 with washboard abs. But being 300lbs and choosing not to do anything about that is just neglecting yourself, and anyone that is dependent on you.

holapaola7

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.

Yes, but in the 60's and 70's there were no cell phones, hand held gaming devices, iPads, Playstations, 60" plasma 3D TVS, etc. People were more active, in life and in their careers. Children played outside instead of sitting glued in front of the tv playing video games or watching the inappropriate cartoons on tv nowadays. The food was also less filled with hormones and chemicals.

Personally, I was shamed by kids at school, given looks by adults and even my parents made me feel horrible about myself sometimes, but NOT ONE OF THEM MADE ME LOSE WEIGHT. I made the decision to get up off my *kitten* and get to work, I made the commitment to workout, I made the commitment to cut the calories and I made the decision to lose the weight and finally get fit. I want to live longer, I want to have babies and be around for them. It took me over 15 years, but I'm finally doing it. I've lost 85lbs all by myself, not because someone called me fat or made me feel like a cow.

This article is ridiculous, in my opinion.