The 'Fat Acceptance' Movement
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I used to be really excited about the Fat Acceptance movement.
I'm petite. At my highest non-pregnant weight, I only weighed 140lb, which in the midwest, isn't really considered "fat" at all, though because of my scoliosis and my body fat composition dragging on my spinal deformity, was debilitating and nearly put me in a wheelchair. I had overweight friends who told me my weight wasn't a problem and put me down for working so hard to lose it. They were members of the Fat Acceptance movement. They were personally insulted by my diet and exercise, and one by one, shunned me for it. A couple of them told me off to my face about how I was being "hateful" towards them for bettering myself.
Still, I was excited about the Fat Acceptance movement.
I'm attracted to people who are overweight. I'm a "chubby chaser". I see the value in people accepting their body how it is. I'm hurt when people assume I have low self esteem for dating a man 3 times my size.
Yet, I am vilified by members of said "fat acceptance movement" because I refuse to allow myself to become overweight again, let alone obese. I'm a horrible person because of my "thin privilege"? I'm not welcome when there's a BBW potluck at the camp I go to (told so, to my face, when I was preparing to attend), because I am not, myself, fat.
The "fat acceptance" movement sounds good on paper. Don't treat fat people poorly. Accept your body however it looks. Great.
But the movement isn't like that at all. It's a vicious "us against them" ring of blogs and meet ups designed to feel sorry about themselves and spit hatred at anyone who isn't "like them". And by "like them", I mean hateful fat women (almost all women, very few men) who want to revel in their size, deny the consequences of their actions, and blame any overt consequences they cannot deny on anyone else. They outright claim that diabetes and heart disease are not linked to obesity. They outright claim that the medical community lies about the links in order to force them into conformity.
They are insane.
They are insane, and they detract from more level headed body acceptance movements trying to preach health and true body acceptance.0 -
I can get behind the 'don't be an a**hole to people because of their weight' movement, but lets not pretend that being overweight (or underweight, for that matter) is healthy. Someone saying "I'm 50 pounds over weight (or 20lbs underweight) but perfectly healthy" is like a smoker saying "I smoke a pack a day and don't have cancer".
eta: and don't get me started on 'thin privilege'. I get white privilege (have benefited from it). I get straight privilege (don't know if I have benefited, but I wouldn't be surprised). I get male privilege (anyone who thinks it doesn't exist should have to work in a field where people call you 'sweetheart' on the reg). No one can help their race/orientation/gender. But 'thin privilege'? GTFO with that. Weight is a choice, except in a few extreme medical situations.1 -
size is not a reliable indicator of health, at any point on the spectrum.
RIght, that 600lb women was the specimen of health.
fine. i'll concede to eliminate extreme outliers on either end.
If you can't walk up a flight of stairs without gasping for air and you feel like you're going to pass out or die, you're not healthy. Regardless of your size. There. Happy now?0 -
it is a free country .if you want to be fat, be fat; you want to be thin, be thin; but when you get sick or unhealthy from either condition just don't expect me to foot the bill...
If you live in the US then it is too late, its called Obamacare or Affordable Care, whichever you want, but premiums are going up across the country because of it. (Not trying to be political, just honest, cost of Insurance are not going down.)0 -
I'm sorry, but if you're over 30 pounds overweight you're not healthy.
Wrong! I am considered overweight by 40 lbs. my blood pressure, labs (cholesterol, blood sugar), heart function are absolutely perfect according to my doctor. He has told me that if I choose not to lose another pound I will be perfectly fine. That is because I exercise daily and try to eat healthy most of the time. Now I cannot generalize and say this would be the same for every active 50 year old carrying an extra 40. BUT you also cannot generalize and say anyone 30lbs overweight is unhealthy. Individuality....
As for fat acceptance, it's like anything else. If fat people, gay people, black people, mentally retarded people etc. etc. etc. don't stand up for themselves and say it's ok to be who I am, no one else is going to do it for them. And blah blah blah we all have to pay into the health system that deals with some of their health problems. Just add it to the list.... The drinkers, the teen parents, the families that have 6 kids but neither parent works, there is a ton of people biting into the support pie. It's part of being in a developed country. Rather have that than live in a third world country where no one gives a crap for each other and it's a daily battle to survive.
You blood panel doesn't tell you how much pressure is being put on your joints, or what visceral fat is doing to your organs.
nor does the blood panel of a thin person relay any information regarding bone density. what's your point?
How is her point not obvious, and where did she say anything about thin women being healthy? Don't be mad that she is right even if it pertains to you.
ablah? her post implied that accepted medical test results indicating good health are possibly not providing a full picture of patient health. as far as that goes, i agree, however assuming that someone fat *must* have secret undetected health problems based entirely on a socially determined appearance ideal is illogical. for what it's worth (which is not much) i'm not angry, and this isn't personal. i'm a conventionally attractive woman (so many unfounded assumptions!)... can you look at my symmetrical bone structure and postulate about the condition of my various and complex biological systems? does that single factor tell you anything useful about my mental health?
with respect to the population-borne cost of obesity related health care, it's a slippery slope: for example, do we restrict access for people who run long distances because they are statistically more likely to suffer overuse injuries? call me canadian, but i'm a fan of socialized, subsidized and accessible health care for everyone--not just the individuals who think and choose in accordance with my personal values.
Even skinny and/or fit people can have undetected health issues, I acknowledge this. I'm just saying by choosing consciously to be overweight and stay that way, without regard for the effects, is irresponsible. Fat acceptance blogs advocate that there is no need to lose weight, and deny the reality that extra weight can jeopardize their health.
why limit this to the overweight? or even specifically just weight? or appearance? there are several more reliable indicators, such as lifestyle/behaviour; body composition; etc. further, why go so far as to draw conclusions on the health status of strangers at all? my argument is that the focus on size is largely (hah! see what i did there?) socially driven concern trolling.0 -
I'm sorry, but if you're over 30 pounds overweight you're not healthy.
Wrong! I am considered overweight by 40 lbs. my blood pressure, labs (cholesterol, blood sugar), heart function are absolutely perfect according to my doctor. He has told me that if I choose not to lose another pound I will be perfectly fine. That is because I exercise daily and try to eat healthy most of the time. Now I cannot generalize and say this would be the same for every active 50 year old carrying an extra 40. BUT you also cannot generalize and say anyone 30lbs overweight is unhealthy. Individuality....
As for fat acceptance, it's like anything else. If fat people, gay people, black people, mentally retarded people etc. etc. etc. don't stand up for themselves and say it's ok to be who I am, no one else is going to do it for them. And blah blah blah we all have to pay into the health system that deals with some of their health problems. Just add it to the list.... The drinkers, the teen parents, the families that have 6 kids but neither parent works, there is a ton of people biting into the support pie. It's part of being in a developed country. Rather have that than live in a third world country where no one gives a crap for each other and it's a daily battle to survive.
You blood panel doesn't tell you how much pressure is being put on your joints, or what visceral fat is doing to your organs.
nor does the blood panel of a thin person relay any information regarding bone density. what's your point?
How is her point not obvious, and where did she say anything about thin women being healthy? Don't be mad that she is right even if it pertains to you.
ablah? her post implied that accepted medical test results indicating good health are possibly not providing a full picture of patient health. as far as that goes, i agree, however assuming that someone fat *must* have secret undetected health problems based entirely on a socially determined appearance ideal is illogical. for what it's worth (which is not much) i'm not angry, and this isn't personal. i'm a conventionally attractive woman (so many unfounded assumptions!)... can you look at my symmetrical bone structure and postulate about the condition of my various and complex biological systems? does that single factor tell you anything useful about my mental health?
with respect to the population-borne cost of obesity related health care, it's a slippery slope: for example, do we restrict access for people who run long distances because they are statistically more likely to suffer overuse injuries? call me canadian, but i'm a fan of socialized, subsidized and accessible health care for everyone--not just the individuals who think and choose in accordance with my personal values.
But none of that has to do with what she said. You are making a general assumption about her for discussing a topic that somebody else started. Why don't you start a discussion of those other things and maybe she will give you her thoughts. Her point still stands, the test the women took doesn't give the whole picture of her totally body health. I'm overweight, and my blood panel has always been good. My knees on the other hand who knows. My EKG's where always fine, but maybe I have clogged arteries.0 -
size is not a reliable indicator of health, at any point on the spectrum.
RIght, that 600lb women was the specimen of health.
fine. i'll concede to eliminate extreme outliers on either end.
If you can't walk up a flight of stairs without gasping for air and you feel like you're going to pass out or die, you're not healthy. Regardless of your size. There. Happy now?
no. i suffer from major depressive disorder. BUT YOU'D NEVER KNOW IT FROM MY MAGNIFICENT CHEEKBONES AND ALMOND SHAPED BEDROOM EYES.0 -
I guess I missed the Fat Acceptance Movement when I am being asked if I am pregnant, or am sneered at on the airplane or have to shop in the tiniest corner of Macys...I wonder where this movement is as I am shamed EVERY SINGLE DAY NONSTOP for being overweight.0
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I'm sorry, but if you're over 30 pounds overweight you're not healthy.
Wrong! I am considered overweight by 40 lbs. my blood pressure, labs (cholesterol, blood sugar), heart function are absolutely perfect according to my doctor. He has told me that if I choose not to lose another pound I will be perfectly fine. That is because I exercise daily and try to eat healthy most of the time. Now I cannot generalize and say this would be the same for every active 50 year old carrying an extra 40. BUT you also cannot generalize and say anyone 30lbs overweight is unhealthy. Individuality....
As for fat acceptance, it's like anything else. If fat people, gay people, black people, mentally retarded people etc. etc. etc. don't stand up for themselves and say it's ok to be who I am, no one else is going to do it for them. And blah blah blah we all have to pay into the health system that deals with some of their health problems. Just add it to the list.... The drinkers, the teen parents, the families that have 6 kids but neither parent works, there is a ton of people biting into the support pie. It's part of being in a developed country. Rather have that than live in a third world country where no one gives a crap for each other and it's a daily battle to survive.
You blood panel doesn't tell you how much pressure is being put on your joints, or what visceral fat is doing to your organs.
nor does the blood panel of a thin person relay any information regarding bone density. what's your point?
How is her point not obvious, and where did she say anything about thin women being healthy? Don't be mad that she is right even if it pertains to you.
ablah? her post implied that accepted medical test results indicating good health are possibly not providing a full picture of patient health. as far as that goes, i agree, however assuming that someone fat *must* have secret undetected health problems based entirely on a socially determined appearance ideal is illogical. for what it's worth (which is not much) i'm not angry, and this isn't personal. i'm a conventionally attractive woman (so many unfounded assumptions!)... can you look at my symmetrical bone structure and postulate about the condition of my various and complex biological systems? does that single factor tell you anything useful about my mental health?
with respect to the population-borne cost of obesity related health care, it's a slippery slope: for example, do we restrict access for people who run long distances because they are statistically more likely to suffer overuse injuries? call me canadian, but i'm a fan of socialized, subsidized and accessible health care for everyone--not just the individuals who think and choose in accordance with my personal values.
Even skinny and/or fit people can have undetected health issues, I acknowledge this. I'm just saying by choosing consciously to be overweight and stay that way, without regard for the effects, is irresponsible. Fat acceptance blogs advocate that there is no need to lose weight, and deny the reality that extra weight can jeopardize their health.
why limit this to the overweight? or even specifically just weight? or appearance? there are several more reliable indicators, such as lifestyle/behaviour; body composition; etc. further, why go so far as to draw conclusions on the health status of strangers at all? my argument is that the focus on size is largely (hah! see what i did there?) socially driven concern trolling.
Probably because this thread is about fat acceptance. Not drug use or any of that other stuff. And on top of all of this, I will never bully or be rude to someone because of their size. I just don't believe they are healthy. If that's considered fat shaming, I'm guilty.0 -
People should be healthy. They should be active. They should eat fruits and vegetable and maintain a balanced diet.
People should not yo-yo diet. It's worse for you than being overweight. People should not be morbidly obese. They should not be dangerously thin.
That being said, judging a specific person for the choices you assume they are making is stupid. You don't know what is going on in their lives.
For example, if many people saw Holley Mangold eating two quarter pounders and a large fries in McDonalds, they'd assume that she lacked self-control and was killing herself through poor choices. They probably wouldn't register her as an Olympic level athlete.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1285642-holley-mangold-competes-in-womens-weightlifting-at-2012-london-olympics0 -
Even skinny and/or fit people can have undetected health issues, I acknowledge this. I'm just saying by choosing consciously to be overweight and stay that way, without regard for the effects, is irresponsible. Fat acceptance blogs advocate that there is no need to lose weight, and deny the reality that extra weight can jeopardize their health.
To be fair, I have yet to read an article that advocates being obese is a healthy choice as a general matter. Now, I don't read a lot of blogs, but I suspect I would have seen such a post linked/mocked given the forums I typically frequent. Is it possible for an overweight person to be in generally good health? Yes, I think it is. As a general matter, is being overweight/obese healthy? No, and I have never seen anyone suggest as much.
All that said, it's clear that not everyone prioritizes their health, at least not until they "need" to. Actually, I'd say it's a minority of people that are truly health conscious. So, if health isn't your priority, you hate dieting and you're all-around happier being overweight and eating a certain way, I say go for it (as long as I don't have to foot the bill). Is it the optimal choice for their health? Of course not. But how many people have a few drinks on the weekend, smoke the occasional cigar, forget to floss daily, and on and on? The average person makes plenty of decisions that are not optimal for their health, knowingly, and yet we make these "unhealthy" decisions because it's all about balance and finding ways to enjoy life.
So, is there a "need" to lose weight? I'd say it depends on the person's priorities but it's their call to make.0 -
I'm sorry, but if you're over 30 pounds overweight you're not healthy.
Wrong! I am considered overweight by 40 lbs. my blood pressure, labs (cholesterol, blood sugar), heart function are absolutely perfect according to my doctor. He has told me that if I choose not to lose another pound I will be perfectly fine. That is because I exercise daily and try to eat healthy most of the time. Now I cannot generalize and say this would be the same for every active 50 year old carrying an extra 40. BUT you also cannot generalize and say anyone 30lbs overweight is unhealthy. Individuality....
As for fat acceptance, it's like anything else. If fat people, gay people, black people, mentally retarded people etc. etc. etc. don't stand up for themselves and say it's ok to be who I am, no one else is going to do it for them. And blah blah blah we all have to pay into the health system that deals with some of their health problems. Just add it to the list.... The drinkers, the teen parents, the families that have 6 kids but neither parent works, there is a ton of people biting into the support pie. It's part of being in a developed country. Rather have that than live in a third world country where no one gives a crap for each other and it's a daily battle to survive.
You blood panel doesn't tell you how much pressure is being put on your joints, or what visceral fat is doing to your organs.
nor does the blood panel of a thin person relay any information regarding bone density. what's your point?
How is her point not obvious, and where did she say anything about thin women being healthy? Don't be mad that she is right even if it pertains to you.
ablah? her post implied that accepted medical test results indicating good health are possibly not providing a full picture of patient health. as far as that goes, i agree, however assuming that someone fat *must* have secret undetected health problems based entirely on a socially determined appearance ideal is illogical. for what it's worth (which is not much) i'm not angry, and this isn't personal. i'm a conventionally attractive woman (so many unfounded assumptions!)... can you look at my symmetrical bone structure and postulate about the condition of my various and complex biological systems? does that single factor tell you anything useful about my mental health?
with respect to the population-borne cost of obesity related health care, it's a slippery slope: for example, do we restrict access for people who run long distances because they are statistically more likely to suffer overuse injuries? call me canadian, but i'm a fan of socialized, subsidized and accessible health care for everyone--not just the individuals who think and choose in accordance with my personal values.
But none of that has to do with what she said. You are making a general assumption about her for discussing a topic that somebody else started. Why don't you start a discussion of those other things and maybe she will give you her thoughts. Her point still stands, the test the women took doesn't give the whole picture of her totally body health. I'm overweight, and my blood panel has always been good. My knees on the other hand who knows. My EKG's where always fine, but maybe I have clogged arteries.
i agree. but i don't think the average lay-poster would be able to tell you anything significant about your knees or arteries based on the hastily assessed circumference of your ribcage, and you would probably think it very strange if he or she attempted to do so.0 -
It is actually not a fact that being overweight is any more unhealthy then being a normal weight. On the other hand there of course are negative health effects to being obese. That being said, to say that being obese, and im not talking 700 pounds i mean regular obesity, is as unhealthy as being anorexic you are seriously mistaken.0
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Fat acceptance is a pretty large movement that can easily be vilified-- as proven by many of the commenters here. It is pretty stupid to try an compare it to the "pro-anorexia" movement though. They are two different things, and any comparison you can draw won't benefit either cause. There are plenty of Fat Acceptance voices out there that I disagree with, but the primary takeaway I have always had and can agree with are these two points:
- Health at Every Size: There is more to health than the number on a scale-- it requires healthy eating, an active lifestyle, and so on. A person can be fat, and still eat healthy and be active. A fat person can live longer and healthier than a thin person. Plenty of studies have shown that there are correlations between health and size, however, correlation require many many data points. A single person's weight does not fully determine their health. When someone is trying to become healthy, or maintain their health, they should probably look at more then one factor anyways, right? Could you imagine a normally sized heroine addict having a clean bill of health just because they are the "right" size? I think the original effort here is to take emphasis off of the "weight loss" idea, and to focus more on an ideal lifestyle that would probably lead to weight loss anyways. This an important idea that everyone should realize... no matter their size.
- "We are people too": Just because a person is fat, doesn't mean that should be treated as sub-human, or with any less respect than a normal or thin person. Period.0 -
I have heard of it. I just keep thinking, "dang, with my luck by the time I am skinny "fat" will be "in" and "skinny" will be horrid. hehe Not that I care :glasses:0
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People should be healthy. They should be active. They should eat fruits and vegetable and maintain a balanced diet.
People should not yo-yo diet. It's worse for you than being overweight. People should not be morbidly obese. They should not be dangerously thin.
That being said, judging a specific person for the choices you assume they are making is stupid. You don't know what is going on in their lives.
For example, if many people saw Holley Mangold eating two quarter pounders and a large fries in McDonalds, they'd assume that she lacked self-control and was killing herself through poor choices. They probably wouldn't register her as an Olympic level athlete.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1285642-holley-mangold-competes-in-womens-weightlifting-at-2012-london-olympics
EXACTLY.0 -
Fat acceptance is a pretty large movement that can easily be vilified-- as proven by many of the commenters here. It is pretty stupid to try an compare it to the "pro-anorexia" movement though. They are two different things, and any comparison you can draw won't benefit either cause. There are plenty of Fat Acceptance voices out there that I disagree with, but the primary takeaway I have always had and can agree with are these two points:
- Health at Every Size: There is more to health than the number on a scale-- it requires healthy eating, an active lifestyle, and so on. A person can be fat, and still eat healthy and be active. A fat person can live longer and healthier than a thin person. Plenty of studies have shown that there are correlations between health and size, however, correlation require many many data points. A single person's weight does not fully determine their health. When someone is trying to become healthy, or maintain their health, they should probably look at more then one factor anyways, right? Could you imagine a normally sized heroine addict having a clean bill of health just because they are the "right" size? I think the original effort here is to take emphasis off of the "weight loss" idea, and to focus more on an ideal lifestyle that would probably lead to weight loss anyways. This an important idea that everyone should realize... no matter their size.
- "We are people too": Just because a person is fat, doesn't mean that should be treated as sub-human, or with any less respect than a normal or thin person. Period.
EXACTLY 20 -
Even skinny and/or fit people can have undetected health issues, I acknowledge this. I'm just saying by choosing consciously to be overweight and stay that way, without regard for the effects, is irresponsible. Fat acceptance blogs advocate that there is no need to lose weight, and deny the reality that extra weight can jeopardize their health.
To be fair, I have yet to read an article that advocates being obese is a healthy choice as a general matter. Now, I don't read a lot of blogs, but I suspect I would have seen such a post linked/mocked given the forums I typically frequent. Is it possible for an overweight person to be in generally good health? Yes, I think it is. As a general matter, is being overweight/obese healthy? No, and I have never seen anyone suggest as much.
All that said, it's clear that not everyone prioritizes their health, at least not until they "need" to. Actually, I'd say it's a minority of people that are truly health conscious. So, if health isn't your priority, you hate dieting and you're all-around happier being overweight and eating a certain way, I say go for it (as long as I don't have to foot the bill). Is it the optimal choice for their health? Of course not. But how many people have a few drinks on the weekend, smoke the occasional cigar, forget to floss daily, and on and on? The average person makes plenty of decisions that are not optimal for their health, knowingly, and yet we make these "unhealthy" decisions because it's all about balance and finding ways to enjoy life.
So, is there a "need" to lose weight? I'd say it depends on the person's priorities but it's their call to make.
A lot of the blogs that we are discussing here advocate being overweight and obese as a good thing. They ENCOURAGE weight gain because they believe that only overweight people are attractive. Clearly you have never come across one before, which makes you lucky.0 -
Even skinny and/or fit people can have undetected health issues, I acknowledge this. I'm just saying by choosing consciously to be overweight and stay that way, without regard for the effects, is irresponsible. Fat acceptance blogs advocate that there is no need to lose weight, and deny the reality that extra weight can jeopardize their health.
To be fair, I have yet to read an article that advocates being obese is a healthy choice as a general matter. Now, I don't read a lot of blogs, but I suspect I would have seen such a post linked/mocked given the forums I typically frequent. Is it possible for an overweight person to be in generally good health? Yes, I think it is. As a general matter, is being overweight/obese healthy? No, and I have never seen anyone suggest as much.
All that said, it's clear that not everyone prioritizes their health, at least not until they "need" to. Actually, I'd say it's a minority of people that are truly health conscious. So, if health isn't your priority, you hate dieting and you're all-around happier being overweight and eating a certain way, I say go for it (as long as I don't have to foot the bill). Is it the optimal choice for their health? Of course not. But how many people have a few drinks on the weekend, smoke the occasional cigar, forget to floss daily, and on and on? The average person makes plenty of decisions that are not optimal for their health, knowingly, and yet we make these "unhealthy" decisions because it's all about balance and finding ways to enjoy life.
So, is there a "need" to lose weight? I'd say it depends on the person's priorities but it's their call to make.
A lot of the blogs that we are discussing here advocate being overweight and obese as a good thing. They ENCOURAGE weight gain because they believe that only overweight people are attractive. Clearly you have never come across one before, which makes you lucky.
That is very dangerous. And not just in the physical sense. Nothing wrong with being curvy, but encouraging people to become fat:huh:0
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