Have people's concepts of normal become too fat?

murphy612

*I don't believe in children

I just wanted to let you know....the verdict is in and children are real.:laugh:

I've read most of this topic and this is what I enjoyed most, hehe

angelcurry130

so many angry people! eesh!


to the OP original comment:
yes, the concepts are changing. it is easier to buy bulk in overly processed "food." it is easier to not get up and move around. it is easier to just buy a larger shirt than to strive for the ones that don't fit anymore. it is easier to ignore rolls of fat because "it is what is on the inside that matters."

don't get me wrong...it IS what is on the inside that matters. sadly, humanity takes people at face value. we are more accepting of larger people to a point, but at what cost? so many people now are at risk for diabetes, heart disease, cancer, breathing conditions...it just goes on and on.

i have no delusions of how i looked at my largest. i tried to IGNORE it, but i was fully aware. that isn't self love. that is denial. some people need a wake-up call. i got mine. i'll never go back, and i'm going to help as many people find health as i can!

Bearbrat

My favorite kind of fat shaming is "concerned fat shaming". You know, when random folks comment on overweight people but insist it's not how they look that upsets them, it's genuine concern for their health. How dare they try to learn to accept and be happy as they are at a UK 16/US 12; what about their health?


Oh and one time someone told m to eat a burger and it hurt my feelings. How dare these overweight people lash out with even a fraction of the venom the world has heaped on to them; they're not allowed to be bitter and mean; after all I'm slim/athletic/skinny and they should aspire to be more like me because I am closer to the ideal.


Who cares if being fat is more acceptable? Are fat people making you fat? Making your kid fat? Eating all your food? Stealing your jobs or otherwise inhibiting your life in some manner beyond making you look upon their overweight forms? As far a I'm concerned it just means more clothes available in my size; sounds like a win to me.

This ^^

onyxgirl17

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/06/14/article-0-139B1B8A000005DC-690_306x531.jpg Fat? REALLY? :huh:

yes really.. she has no waist .

This is such an ignorant post. Body shape differences =/= fat. If two people are the same height and weight, one is a pear and the other an apple... one will have a noticeable waist and the other won't.

Crazyartgrrl

And this is exactly why having plus size models, clothing stores & the like have got to go. People now complain if they get charged more on a plane cause they are fat. They complain if there is no 'flattering' clothing to fit them in their size. They complain then when exercise equipment is not built for their weight.

It's become a world of fat people, an nobody bats an eye at it.

Should overweight people go naked? C'mon. And I haven't met one clinically fat person who has complained because exercise equipment is not built for their weight. I guess maybe you have, but I haven't. What a silly statement!

BinaryPulsar

And this is exactly why having plus size models, clothing stores & the like have got to go. People now complain if they get charged more on a plane cause they are fat. They complain if there is no 'flattering' clothing to fit them in their size. They complain then when exercise equipment is not built for their weight.

It's become a world of fat people, an nobody bats an eye at it.

Should overweight people go naked? C'mon. And I haven't met one clinically fat person who has complained because exercise equipment is not built for their weight. I guess maybe you have, but I haven't. What a silly statement!

Yeah, I agree with you. Not having clothing availability is an issue for everyone on either end of the spectrum. Yes, they should have plus sized clothing stores. Just as there is a need for smaller sized clothing stores that actually sell small sized clothing, and not just larger clothing that has an xs label on it.

sauci

I rather suspect it's actually that our idea of 'ideal weight/body shape' has become too thin. The 'ideal' displayed by Hollywood, the music and print media industries is actually representative of an underweight or very-low-range 'normal' BMI*, in most cases (I'm speaking predominantly of females here), with a very low body fat percentage (unhealthily low for women of childbearing age in many cases) and reflects (again, in general) a physique that is only physically-achievable by less than 5% of the population.

The 'ideal' figures of most of the last century were much, much closer to the 'average' female form, and were achievable or at least emulatable in a healthy way by more women, thus the contrast between 'ideal' and 'realistic' was much less startling. Compare celebrities of the past such as Ava Gardner, Sophia Loren, Jayne Russell, Doris Day or Marilyn Monroe to Reese Witherspoon, Kristen Stewart, Anne Hathaway et al, and this becomes evident very quickly. Even a young Meryl Streep or Diane Keaton was much closer to 'average' in size than the current crop of ultra-thin actresses.

*Which is not a good measure of individual health, but this isn't the place to go into that!

I completely agree with you. I think it's the other way around - people now see thin as normal thanks to what the media shows us.

Agreed!!

getrealforme

Perfect example, the show Mike & Molly. They would lose their jobs if they lost weight, in fact it looks like they have gained weight since the show started. When in reality they are not healthy at all, and at a high risk of having a stroke or heart attack. But yet they are glamarized.

jessipatra

The girl in the ad certainly is not 'fat'. Indeed she 'should' have a BMI of over 25 because when you read the small print on boxes of Special K, they only recommend their diet plans for people of BMI over 25. But I very much doubt the girl in the ad is.

Likewise 'plus size' models are not a bad thing either - most are usually a UK size 12 or 14 and usually within the 'normal', i.e. healthy, BMI brackets.

There is a huge difference between promoting people of a healthy weight and the normalisation of obesity which in most cases results in chronic health problems.

This! ^^

JDBLY11

I rather suspect it's actually that our idea of 'ideal weight/body shape' has become too thin. The 'ideal' displayed by Hollywood, the music and print media industries is actually representative of an underweight or very-low-range 'normal' BMI*, in most cases (I'm speaking predominantly of females here), with a very low body fat percentage (unhealthily low for women of childbearing age in many cases) and reflects (again, in general) a physique that is only physically-achievable by less than 5% of the population.

The 'ideal' figures of most of the last century were much, much closer to the 'average' female form, and were achievable or at least emulatable in a healthy way by more women, thus the contrast between 'ideal' and 'realistic' was much less startling. Compare celebrities of the past such as Ava Gardner, Sophia Loren, Jayne Russell, Doris Day or Marilyn Monroe to Reese Witherspoon, Kristen Stewart, Anne Hathaway et al, and this becomes evident very quickly. Even a young Meryl Streep or Diane Keaton was much closer to 'average' in size than the current crop of ultra-thin actresses.

*Which is not a good measure of individual health, but this isn't the place to go into that!

I completely agree with you. I think it's the other way around - people now see thin as normal thanks to what the media shows us.

I agree. It was never okay for me to be even 30 lbs overweight. I always had issues in social situations, with guys and with self esteem even being a little overweight. I always considered it a problem. I don't know who thinks it is really okay to be even a little heavy. If you look at popular media sites they start attacking people for being heavy even when they are just in the middle to upper range of the normal BMI. I really don't think people now think it is normal to be fat. The ideal is to be skinny in the low to medium BMI range. Everyday people may be heavier but I don't think most are okay with it. Everyone I know who is even a little heavy wants to change it.

JDBLY11

so many angry people! eesh!


to the OP original comment:
yes, the concepts are changing. it is easier to buy bulk in overly processed "food." it is easier to not get up and move around. it is easier to just buy a larger shirt than to strive for the ones that don't fit anymore. it is easier to ignore rolls of fat because "it is what is on the inside that matters."

don't get me wrong...it IS what is on the inside that matters. sadly, humanity takes people at face value. we are more accepting of larger people to a point, but at what cost? so many people now are at risk for diabetes, heart disease, cancer, breathing conditions...it just goes on and on.

i have no delusions of how i looked at my largest. i tried to IGNORE it, but i was fully aware. that isn't self love. that is denial. some people need a wake-up call. i got mine. i'll never go back, and i'm going to help as many people find health as i can!

I don't think people are more accepting of larger people. That is not what I or the larger people I have known have experienced. Life is a lot harder when you are heavy. You are not treated as well when you are heavier. It is harder to make friends. It is harder to get a job. You get called fat. You can't get insurance. It is hard to buy nice clothes. The list goes on and on.

pspetralia

Sigh. Where to begin.

You can care about whatever floats your tiny angry boat sir, but the people you spend so much time fretting over don't care in return.
If your kids eat well and engage in proper fitness then you don't have to worry about A) Them sometimes unhealthy snack food (No one has ever become obese by occasionally eating chips, my goodness.) i'm glad your kids are active and fit and such (Sounds like they need better friends though. What kind of friends mock your good choices, how gross.) I myself don't have children,* but it sounds like if I did you'd wish them all kinds of ill will/hope I was a bad parent.
I didn't say being obese was healthy, I said it's none of your business Angry Internet Man, and it's none of mine either (I'm, after all, not obese. I'm on high end of normal, assuming you give BMI any credence.*)

*I don't believe in children
*I also don't believe in BMI
*I do believe in concern trolls. http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=concern+troll (It's not that I have a problem with fat people, but they really aren't healthy and....)

Tangent:

How does one "not believe in children"? I mean, they exist. I can prove they exist without even trying. The hell?

LOL! I was wondering the same thing!! I teach a classroom full of kids 5 days a week. If they don't exist what the hell am I doing??!!! :huh: Hopefully I'm not the only one who sees them! :laugh:

erdoran

I'm 5'1" and when I got below 115 lbs (22 BMI) at 11% bodyfat (measured on Withings scale) there was a chorus of "you're too thin" from everyone EXCEPT my doctor! Almost everyone I know has told me that I've "taken it too far" and need to regain some weight. I wish they'd shut up and leave me alone. I like the way my body moves and feels at 110 lbs (10% BF, 21 BMI) but the never-ending chorus has made me doubt my own perceptions.

strawberryjellybaby

I would say that I think it is ridiculous to compare today's society to previous generations. Yes we have more obese people but it is my belief we also have more problems regarding anorexia/bulimia. We also are taller than we were previously. I'm 5 foot 11 and even though I'm still seen as very tall I would have dwarfed say my great great grandmother.

Also, around the issues of women's weight problems - it has been part of the experience of moving into the work force, becoming economically and socially mobile that there is not always "the woman" to cook a balanced meal at home everyday. Add this to increased stress in society in general and it is no wonder but I do think it is a small price to pay for moving towards women's equality.

Also, having lived in both the UK and US, a notable difference is transport. In the UK I walk, take the bus and train. In the US everything is so far away from everything else you have to drive. I put on 15 lb in my first 3 months in the US because of the lack of walking and I reckon that is definitely something everyone is society has seen change over the years.

jayliospecky

Okay, hold the phone for a second here. Someone said the UK Special K girl is fat. That would be THIS girl?



Really? Again, THIS girl?



Fat?

BinaryPulsar

Okay, hold the phone for a second here. Someone said the UK Special K girl is fat. That would be THIS girl?



Really? Again, THIS girl?



Fat?

Definitely not fat!

jayliospecky

Okay, hold the phone for a second here. Someone said the UK Special K girl is fat. That would be THIS girl?



Really? Again, THIS girl?



Fat?

Definitely not fat!

Thank you, I thought perhaps I had gone insane for a moment there.

JDBLY11

And this is exactly why having plus size models, clothing stores & the like have got to go. People now complain if they get charged more on a plane cause they are fat. They complain if there is no 'flattering' clothing to fit them in their size. They complain then when exercise equipment is not built for their weight.

It's become a world of fat people, an nobody bats an eye at it.

I agree. Its A harsh reality but it IS REALITY. We have create a culture of coddling that allows people to continue with unhealthy habits.

Really because the last time I checked there aren't that many plus sized stores and the sections in department stores are rare and at a minimum.

I think this post is a "fat" shaming post. While I am obese fat, I can tell you there is NO SYMPATHY at all for fat people.

And calling a size 6, 8, or 12, fat is just plain disgusting to me as a true FAT person. I don't like being fat, I don't like looking at fat people, I don't like shopping in the fat lady's section, and I don't think the world has accepted it as normal at all. This post being the best example of that.

I agree. I was raised to be healthy as well. My mom and dad tried to get me to exercise and I did while I was with them. We had a lot of land and a pool and exercise machines so I was able to get a lot of exercise. My mom was a very healthy cook. The only problem she had was making desserts like once or twice a week. Sometimes I would pig out on them. I was still overweight though not obese like I am now. I have never really believed that I could be healthy and that I could reign in my eating over the long term. It really is my fault for having problems with overeating and exercising enough. I always like exercising when I do it but I am not good at sticking with it. Oh, and it is my problem area, because my sisters are both thin. I think they are both around 130 lbs. It is funny because I am great at reigning in a lot of things like TV and alcohol but eating and exercise I am so bad at.

JDBLY11

Considering I can't go shopping in most "normal" department stores (Macy's, JC Penney, Kohl's, etc.) because their smallest misses size is too big for me and junior's is too young for me....yes, I'd say fat is the new normal. I'm 5'6", 120 lbs, and there's no way in hell I'm a size 0. That's not even a real number!

Ok, my sister was 5'4'' and 115 lbs and she found clothes just fine. My other sister was 5'10'' and 120 lbs and she also found clothes, except that her limbs were longer which made it more difficult. I don't think it is your weight it may be how you are built that causes the problems.

JDBLY11

I know when I'm where I'm to be (BMI / Hgt-wght) I am told I need to eat! I've been called fit - when I know I'm not! I gained 65 pounds being here caring for my daughter and everyone thinks I'm nuts for trying to take it off. I do believe we have 'learned to accept' the new skinny. I find it frustrating when I watch videos from the 60's & 70's Heck they gave Mama Cass a rough time for being 'fat' but today she would be average. The people during that time (footage from the street - not celebs) were thin / more fit but something happened. Yes, mentality has changed.

The only time I have seen people in my family tell someone to eat was when my sister was around 120 and 5'10''. That is a 17 BMI. Underweight is a problem just like being overweight. My other sister looked great at that weight but she was only 5'4''. I really don't think most people consider people of a normal weight to be too skinny. Online, even in this thread, I have seen people who are a healthy bmi called fat, which is wrong and very damaging.