Fat Anchor on News

sdtrex
sdtrex Posts: 18 Member
in Chit-Chat
MFP has been incredibly empowering for me. But it has also made me less sympathetic to people who say they "can't" lose weight, and are playing victim or enabler, like the news anchor we've been hearing about. Anyone else changing their outlook?
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Replies

  • taylor5877
    taylor5877 Posts: 1,792 Member
    881999-this_will_not_end_well_super.jpg
  • corn63
    corn63 Posts: 1,580 Member
    It makes me change my outlook on committing homicide.
  • morgansmom02
    morgansmom02 Posts: 1,131 Member
    Where's the popcorn?
  • bella_babe_86
    bella_babe_86 Posts: 503 Member
    She never said anything about wanting sympathy, she acknowledged the fact that she is overweight, the point is fat, skinny, tall, short, black, white, or purple nobody deserves to be bullied. PERIOD.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    It makes me change my outlook on committing homicide.

    Me too! I feel much less guilt over "culling the herd"
  • emilydumarce
    emilydumarce Posts: 46 Member
    agreed!! omg thank you! thats what ive been saying. im from lacrosse, wi and i grew up watching news ch 8 and jennifer livingston. my fb is crowded with feedback saying omg she brought me to tears, omg shes my hero! bleh i just wana feel sick. whos she standing up for? the obese crowd? theres nothing right with that! the guys who wrote the letter wasnt even mean, he spoke eloquently and respectfully. wasnt even being a bully. thank God someone shares my feelings!!
  • Litlbeast
    Litlbeast Posts: 340 Member
    881999-this_will_not_end_well_super.jpg

    Oh thank you sir, may we have another. Theme of the week! :happy:
  • Litlbeast
    Litlbeast Posts: 340 Member
    Where's the popcorn?

    All that's left is the tofurkey.
  • LadyQueefsalot
    LadyQueefsalot Posts: 150 Member
    Yeah- but he was commenting on her appearance, which is out of line. He wouldn't have written a letter to a Latino news anchor person saying "I see you're still Mexican and this concerns me because of our increasing border problem in America". The guy who wrote that was a condescending jerk who should have his mouth sewn shut.
  • scs143
    scs143 Posts: 2,190 Member
    Where's the popcorn?

    All that's left is the tofurkey.


    Then pass the booze.
  • UpsideMeagan
    UpsideMeagan Posts: 67 Member
    We don't know her health background, her eating and exercise habits, etc. She never asked for sympathy... she was simply telling people it's not ok to give other unsolicited advice on their perceived health and appearance.

    And yes, I hate excuses. She wasn't giving excuses.
  • Litlbeast
    Litlbeast Posts: 340 Member
    Where's the popcorn?

    All that's left is the tofurkey.


    Then pass the booze.

    Awkward. :indifferent:
  • UpsideMeagan
    UpsideMeagan Posts: 67 Member
    Yeah- but he was commenting on her appearance, which is out of line. He wouldn't have written a letter to a Latino news anchor person saying "I see you're still Mexican and this concerns me because of our increasing border problem in America". The guy who wrote that was a condescending jerk who should have his mouth sewn shut.

    This. Thank you. Replace "obese" with any other adjective used to describe a person (old, black, latino, asian..etc) and it wouldn't be accepted. But calling out her body and what he perceives as her bad health is ok? It's not.
  • Alr080389
    Alr080389 Posts: 38 Member
    She never said anything about wanting sympathy, she acknowledged the fact that she is overweight, the point is fat, skinny, tall, short, black, white, or purple nobody deserves to be bullied. PERIOD.

    I agree. It is no one's concern except hers what weight she is or any of that. I don't feel that she is looking for sympathy...if it wasn't for someone being nosey and ridiculous then she wouldn't have to be defending herself in the first place.
  • bebreli
    bebreli Posts: 227 Member
    This is why I never sent that email to Donald Trump about his hair.. puts head down in pure shame.:noway:
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    Am I the only one that thinks she bullied the guy by broadcasting his name, without concent?

    Go.
  • oregonzoo
    oregonzoo Posts: 4,251 Member
    Where's the popcorn?

    All that's left is the tofurkey.
    Damn count me out
  • Heather_Rider
    Heather_Rider Posts: 1,159 Member
    Where's the popcorn?

    All that's left is the tofurkey.


    Then pass the booze.

    Pass Pass Puff... this ****s gonna get ugly.
  • Elzecat
    Elzecat Posts: 2,916 Member
    We don't know her health background, her eating and exercise habits, etc. She never asked for sympathy... she was simply telling people it's not ok to give other unsolicited advice on their perceived health and appearance.

    And yes, I hate excuses. She wasn't giving excuses.

    ^This.
  • sdereski
    sdereski Posts: 3,406 Member
    Where's the popcorn?

    All that's left is the tofurkey.


    Then pass the booze.


    Please! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
  • ErinBeth7
    ErinBeth7 Posts: 1,625 Member
    Oh geez...again. He was totally out of line for sending that email to her. She was wrong to use a news camera to respond. How unprofessional is that? I could give a **** less whether or not she's overweight. I would have just ignored that email or sent my response in an EMAIL and called it good. No need to turn it into a public affair.
  • amalsbury29
    amalsbury29 Posts: 2
    I don't know if I agree with him necessarily writing the letter, but him being a "bully". You are right not once did he call her names or anything. So though I may not agree with what he did. I also don't agree with everyone making her a hero either.
  • wolverine66
    wolverine66 Posts: 3,779 Member
    Where's the popcorn?

    All that's left is the tofurkey.


    Then pass the booze.

    Pass Pass Puff... this ****s gonna get ugly.

    Umm.... i think you have that backwards....
  • 0Karina0
    0Karina0 Posts: 131 Member
    Yeah- but he was commenting on her appearance, which is out of line. He wouldn't have written a letter to a Latino news anchor person saying "I see you're still Mexican and this concerns me because of our increasing border problem in America". The guy who wrote that was a condescending jerk who should have his mouth sewn shut.
    I know right, why cant ppl just stop being fat, or Mexican or disable, i mean whats their problem? why cant they be productive members of society like me, a d.ouche who hides behind a screen to make fun of someone? /s

    Source: I'm mexican :)
  • wolverine66
    wolverine66 Posts: 3,779 Member
    Oh geez...again. He was totally out of line for sending that email to her. She was wrong to use a news camera to respond. How unprofessional is that? I could give a **** less whether or not she's overweight. I would have just ignored that email or sent my response in an EMAIL and called it good. No need to turn it into a public affair.

    what she said
  • amalsbury29
    amalsbury29 Posts: 2
    Being overweight and mexican are two different things, I would know I'm both!
  • melbot24
    melbot24 Posts: 347 Member
    I'm not sure that I would call that letter "bullying".
    However, I think it's inappropriate as well as ignorant to assume that she doesn't work out and doesn't care about her health based off her appearance.

    I work out a lot, have plenty of muscle, lots of endurance, eat healthier than most people I know and I'm still overweight. I'm less overweight than I was, but still...I am not at a healthy bmi. I am a work in progress. Will I ever get down to a healthy bmi? Well I'm not sure. I've been overweight my whole life, it might just be a battle I will fight forever.

    That is the real problem here, the ignorance behind assuming a person is a certain way because of the way they look.
    Fat=lazy, black=ghetto, gay=weak. Whatever the case is...it's a problem. That's the issue she should have confronted.

    When you're in the public eye, there is a responsibility to be a good example for the community. Does she promote health walks? Does she feed her children healthy food? Does she eat healthy herself? I don't know these things. I wouldn't assume to know these things from watching her show once.

    Finally, let us not forget there is an additional responsibility for celebrities local or otherwise to be relatable as well. I can't relate to a size 2 news anchor with blindingly white teeth and cosmetic fillers. I would be as motivated by her as I would be by Paris Hilton.

    Sure it wasn't bullying, but it was definitely ignorant and judgmental. Again, I wish she had approached this differently and crafted her response in a way that highlighted the real problem.
  • rungirl1973
    rungirl1973 Posts: 2,559 Member
    I am almost 39 years old and have never been overweight in my life until the last 2-3 years. It's all emotional for me, and I'm getting a handle on it now. I find myself having far more empathy toward those who struggle with weight than I ever did before.

    I think that it is very hateful to say that you have "less sympathy" for somebody who is struggling with weight issues. Even if you do, it isn't your place to call them out on their appearance. That's bullying, and it will never be OK.
  • Elzecat
    Elzecat Posts: 2,916 Member
    Yeah- but he was commenting on her appearance, which is out of line. He wouldn't have written a letter to a Latino news anchor person saying "I see you're still Mexican and this concerns me because of our increasing border problem in America". The guy who wrote that was a condescending jerk who should have his mouth sewn shut.

    People might see this differently if the newscaster had been in a wheelchair.

    "Dear Ma'am Newscaster, I see that you are still in a wheelchair after all these years. You're a bad role model for little girls because you can't get out of that chair and stand up, so they will assume that you're encouraging people to sit on their butts and be unhealthy."


    I'm being ridiculous...sort of...because there WAS a TV newscaster in Denver for many years who used a wheelchair due to a car accident. No idea whether she ever received any insulting mail based on HER appearance or lack of "standing" skills, but I doubt if we'd all be saying that someone sending insulting mail to her would be ok.

    Fat-shaming or body-shaming in general still seems to be ok with the general populace, even here on MyFitnessPal where many of us have struggled with our weight and/or eating disorders.

    I don't think shaming or insulting someone based on their outward appearance is ever ok, particularly if you don't know their circumstances. That's what I was taught as a child and I try very hard to follow that today.
  • fiberartist219
    fiberartist219 Posts: 1,865 Member
    I don't like to use the term "bully" to describe full grown adults, but I do admire her response to him. She's called attention to something that we all experience from time to time. I would never tell someone they are fat. If they bring it up, I might offer up a good recipe or workout that they might find useful, but I would never bring it up myself, because like she said, he didn't know the full story, or anything about her.

    I would be pissed as hell if someone said I was a "bad role model" because of my weight. I could see someone being a bad role model because of their habits that caused them to gain weight, but from what I understand, she has a thyroid condition, and she does exercise by running. Uh yeah, I can relate! I am also hypothyroid. I strongly believe that good role models should eat healthy food and work out, but I also believe that your weight is a much more complex formula than calories in vs. calories out. We should all do what we can, and be proud of that.

    The viewer wanted to make her feel ashamed for the way she looks, and she wasn't going to take it. She wanted to set an example for her kids and everyone else in the broadcast that people are worth a lot more than what they look like. Cheers to that!

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