Ugh... this really &^#*es me off!

http://www.oddee.com/item_98687.aspx

This is one of my favorite "time wasting" websites... so when I go there today I see this Fat celebrating article basically saying that if you're fat you're pretty much invincible.

Actual quote from the article: So, the next time anyone tells you that you're getting fat, just look deeply shocked and reply, “It's my bullet-proof protective layer. You don't have one?!”

NO. I DON'T. I have a layer of potentially dangerous and life-threatening mass which could contribute to heart disease and diabetes, among several other health problems that can kill me. Yeah maybe being larger did help these people avoid death by trapping bullets or making them too big to fit down a damn hole, but it makes it seem like it's completely OK for everyone... that it could save their life some day. Don't get me wrong, I am obese. I know this, and have been most of my life, but I'm trying to change that because I want to live a good life. Not one that will make it so that I don't die by being shot in the stomach just to die from heart disease a few years later.

Replies

  • mperrott2205
    mperrott2205 Posts: 737 Member
    “Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.”
  • stackhead
    stackhead Posts: 121 Member
    One of the few good things about being in the UK - the chances of me getting shot are quite low, so no need for a bulletproof layer!

    TBH I didn't think it was in any way celebratory, and it wouldn't encourage me to stay fat.
  • aetzkorn14
    aetzkorn14 Posts: 169 Member
    “Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.”

    True that
  • AmykinsCatfood
    AmykinsCatfood Posts: 599 Member
    One of the few good things about being in the UK - the chances of me getting shot are quite low, so no need for a bulletproof layer!

    TBH I didn't think it was in any way celebratory, and it wouldn't encourage me to stay fat.

    Maybe that's a difference between the UK and North America too.. I know far too many people who would take it as an excuse to stay fat.
  • tlou5
    tlou5 Posts: 497 Member
    To each their own- some people need to learn the need for healthy eating/ exercise the hard way.
  • quirkytizzy
    quirkytizzy Posts: 4,052 Member
    Those cases made the cut because they were extreme. Most people will never be stabbed, fall off a balcony, or contract the flesh eating virus.

    Not so much an excuse for staying fat, but definitely sensationalist journalism.
  • lauren3101
    lauren3101 Posts: 1,853 Member
    I didn't find it celebratory at all. Just interesting and vaguely humorous. The quote that you mentioned was designed to be humorous and no-one in their right mind would take that seriously.

    If you know people that would choose to be fat because of these stories then those people would pick any excuse, so the problem lies with them, not with this article.
  • Calliope610
    Calliope610 Posts: 3,783 Member
    Re: Example #5 - "The 400-Pound Woman Who Fell Through a NYC Sidewalk and Survived Because She was Overweight" - somehow I'm thinking a smaller (120-180lb) woman would not have had the ground collapse (sic) beneath her.
  • 5ftnFun
    5ftnFun Posts: 948 Member
    Those cases made the cut because they were extreme. Most people will never be stabbed, fall off a balcony, or contract the flesh eating virus.

    Not so much an excuse for staying fat, but definitely sensationalist journalism.

    Yeah, my reaction pretty much. It's an article of interest because these people are the exception, not the rule, and it makes for an unusual read.
  • jetlag
    jetlag Posts: 800 Member
    A 400-pound woman who fell through a New York sidewalk claims that her size actually came to her rescue and that a slimmer woman may not have survived the accident. Ulanda Williams, 32, of Queens was attempting to take shelter from the rain outside a restaurant on Manhattan's Upper East Side when the ground collapsed beneath her.

    Erm, is it possible the "ground collapsed beneath her" because she weighed 400lbs?
  • 5ftnFun
    5ftnFun Posts: 948 Member
    Re: Example #5 - "The 400-Pound Woman Who Fell Through a NYC Sidewalk and Survived Because She was Overweight" - somehow I'm thinking a smaller (120-180lb) woman would not have had the ground collapse (sic) beneath her.

    lol....good catch on that one. :laugh:
  • xeno8604
    xeno8604 Posts: 193 Member
    Its all about analyzing risk and seeing what is the biggest risk factors are, even with clear statistical data this can hold up. With all the statistical data being fat could act as a positive, but like I said there are too many risk factors that out weigh this as a positive such as health issues and what not. In the end, its really about personal choice, and bottom line, "WHO REALLY CARES!!"
  • explosivedonut
    explosivedonut Posts: 419 Member
    Man, though their bulletproof layer might help them with bullets, let's hope that they don't drop something on their foot, or have to run from an animal, or have to catch someone, or need to be carried out of a burning building. I don't think their adipose/kevlar would help them in those situations.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    I didn't find it celebratory at all. Just interesting and vaguely humorous. The quote that you mentioned was designed to be humorous and no-one in their right mind would take that seriously.

    If you know people that would choose to be fat because of these stories then those people would pick any excuse, so the problem lies with them, not with this article.

    What she said.

    Does dieting also reduce people's senses of humor?
  • MzManiak
    MzManiak Posts: 1,361 Member
    I didn't find it celebratory at all. Just interesting and vaguely humorous. The quote that you mentioned was designed to be humorous and no-one in their right mind would take that seriously.

    If you know people that would choose to be fat because of these stories then those people would pick any excuse, so the problem lies with them, not with this article.

    QFT
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    That article was to help justify why people can stay fat - People do that to justify their size!

    I'll give you an example, my brother in law recently was teasing me about my weight loss which I didn't like - he was basically putting me down saying I'll not live any longer because I'm thinner, that my life is laid out for me no matter what - now to an extent I agree that our days are numbered, we are born to die but there is also another saying 'the foolish die young' - My BIL and his wife are morbidly obese, I guess them teasing me about my fitness/diet helped them feel better about themselves? I only know that since I started this journey my energy has increased, my stamina for workouts is much improved and I look pretty darn fine lol. Ok a part of me hopes that my healthier lifestyle will help me as I age, but it can't hurt to be healthier and fitter can it!

    Thanks for your post OP
  • I know a person who hates wearing a seatbelt because she knows someone who lived through an accident that would have been fatal if they had had their seatbelt on. In that one case, not wearing the seatbelt saved that person's life. Statistically, seatbelts save lives, and most people benefit from their use. These stories remind me of that one person.
  • elvensnow
    elvensnow Posts: 154 Member
    One of the few good things about being in the UK - the chances of me getting shot are quite low, so no need for a bulletproof layer!

    TBH I didn't think it was in any way celebratory, and it wouldn't encourage me to stay fat.

    Ironic considering the first story in the article is about a man in the UK who survived being stabbed 38 times.

    Having extra fat isn't necessarily a death sentence and I'm not even talking inside the scope of the article. There's tons of evidence that being "overweight" but also healthy and active can give you way more health benefits than being skinny and non active.

    It's more about lifestyle and overall health than just fat vs skinny. Interesting article though. And I don't think it was trying to justify being fat, I think it's just showing that being overweight can possibly save lives as well. It's not all black and white.
  • delicious_cocktail
    delicious_cocktail Posts: 5,797 Member
    Sounds like a modest proposal.
  • DashDeV
    DashDeV Posts: 545 Member
    It's meant to be humorous.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    Sounds like a modest proposal.

    I'm not sure everyone is going to get this reference, considering. But I agree.
  • skullshank
    skullshank Posts: 4,323 Member
    It's meant to be humorous.

    we wont have any of that here.

    now, back to being srs!

    serious_cat_is_serious.jpg
  • Miss_Meliss86
    Miss_Meliss86 Posts: 372 Member
    It's meant to be humorous.

    we wont have any of that here.

    now, back to being srs!

    serious_cat_is_serious.jpg

    Dude, that's a creepy looking cat!!
  • Jennisin1
    Jennisin1 Posts: 574 Member
    I didn't find it celebratory at all. Just interesting and vaguely humorous. The quote that you mentioned was designed to be humorous and no-one in their right mind would take that seriously.

    If you know people that would choose to be fat because of these stories then those people would pick any excuse, so the problem lies with them, not with this article.

    What she said.

    Does dieting also reduce people's senses of humor?

    Yes... they are all HANGRY...
  • MsPudding
    MsPudding Posts: 562 Member
    It's not celebrating being fat - it's simply a case of a trash article site thinking "Oh what can we do a piece on this week? We've had:

    9 Shocking Cases of when you're too fat to....
    http://www.oddee.com/item_98346.aspx

    ..and we've done

    The man who sued McDonalds for making him fat
    http://www.oddee.com/Quickee_1097.aspx

    ...and

    10 Heaviest People in the World
    http://www.oddee.com/item_98150.aspx

    ...and

    World's Fattest
    http://www.oddee.com/item_97614.aspx


    So what shall we do this week? I know, what about fatties who've been saved by being fat! Woo-hooo, power up the Mac Sophie and let's celebrate with an extra, extra skinny double hazlenut latte with extra chia seed sprinkles.
  • teamAmelia
    teamAmelia Posts: 1,247 Member
    One of the few good things about being in the UK - the chances of me getting shot are quite low, so no need for a bulletproof layer!

    TBH I didn't think it was in any way celebratory, and it wouldn't encourage me to stay fat.

    Maybe that's a difference between the UK and North America too.. I know far too many people who would take it as an excuse to stay fat.

    True. Women are told to embrace their curves (is it Dove?). It's okay to be curvy as long as you're healthy, but that last part is not always delivered with message.
  • Akimajuktuq
    Akimajuktuq Posts: 3,037 Member
    FYI: obesity does not cause diabetes. In fact, obesity is your body's warning sign that it is trying to prevent diabetes. Obesity, diabetes, and many other illnesses are symptoms of the same disease. Metabolic disease is something you could waste some time investigating if you are bored.

    I agree though: fat is not healthy. However, as long as people keep getting the worst possible advice on how to get healthy and lose weight I don't think there will ever be a solution to the obesity epidemic; except for those of us who get fed up with the misinformation and find a better way. Sick people are great for profits.
  • stackhead
    stackhead Posts: 121 Member
    One of the few good things about being in the UK - the chances of me getting shot are quite low, so no need for a bulletproof layer!

    TBH I didn't think it was in any way celebratory, and it wouldn't encourage me to stay fat.

    Ironic considering the first story in the article is about a man in the UK who survived being stabbed 38 times.

    Irrelevant considering I said 'shot' not stabbed. I believe the implements for the two injuries are somewhat different...
  • pearson114
    pearson114 Posts: 66 Member
    Re: Example #5 - "The 400-Pound Woman Who Fell Through a NYC Sidewalk and Survived Because She was Overweight" - somehow I'm thinking a smaller (120-180lb) woman would not have had the ground collapse (sic) beneath her.

    My thoughts exactly...
  • steffij100
    steffij100 Posts: 85 Member
    It's meant to be humorous.

    we wont have any of that here.

    now, back to being srs!

    serious_cat_is_serious.jpg

    Is it me, or does that cat look like William Hague?! (With all apologies to the cat)