Because Fat-Shaming is Sooo Cool

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Robin070
Robin070 Posts: 18 Member
in Chit-Chat
"Why are today's young women so unashamed about being fat? Horrified by the rolls of flesh she's witnessed on show this summer, LINDA KELSEY takes no prisoners."

^^That is a quote I read from the article linked below. Yes, being overweight is unhealthy but this lady's tone totally made me feel like she wrote this article thinking to herself, 'I'm going to be so cool for calling fat chicks out'. Ugh. What is your take on this article?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2686676/Why-todays-young-women-unashamed-fat-Horrified-rolls-flesh-shes-witnessed-summer-LINDA-KELSEY-takes-no-prisoners.html

Here is Linda Kelsey.
article-2686676-037AE662000005DC-879_306x423.jpgI guess she considers herself to be attractive and perfect unlike 'fatties' as she references overweight girls/women in the article.
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Replies

  • MegE_N
    MegE_N Posts: 245 Member
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    This is where fat acceptance comes in, and actually has a role. You can't tell a girl 'it's what is inside that counts' one day and 'how dare you even come out on the street where decent people can see you?' the next.

    Fat acceptance is about not being afraid to be happy and enjoy life despite your size. It is NOT about promoting gaining unhealthy amounts of weight for poops and chuckles. This is what a lot of people don't seem to understand.

    As someone who has been fat all my life, the fat acceptance movement really helped me lead a fuller, richer existence. It made me realize I can do well in my career, have friends, and fall in love - and that doing all of those things while being fat was ok. And in turn, it made me realize that I can take control of my weight. That's why I'm here.

    I know on MFP I'm going to take a lot of flack for being pro-fat acceptance, but there it is.

    Also please replace the word 'fat' with 'gay' and tell me if that article is still considered okay. No? Hmm, that should be a clue.
  • HannahLynn91
    HannahLynn91 Posts: 238 Member
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    WOW.

    I wonder why she thinks anyone actually cares about her opinions. lol
  • jamesryanfletcher
    jamesryanfletcher Posts: 128 Member
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    No fat shaming is not cool, but the principle of freedom of speech is a double edged sword.

    Where people are free to say what ever they want some people will be annoying, crude and offensive to some groups. They should still be allowed to express themselves freely. Just as you are free to be offended and to rebut their comments.

    She does go on in the article to point the finger in some sensible directions and owns up to being prejudiced. It's an op-ed piece on the website of a tabloid style newspaper. It's supposed to be confrontational to get people reading, talking about and ultimately driving traffic to their website.

    Heck I know I have body image issues and I'm a 29 y.o. male. Teenage girls have much higher societal expectations and pressures. If anything she seemed to more be hacked-off at the attitude that fat is becoming acceptable despite all the downsides obesity has.
  • bkthandler
    bkthandler Posts: 247 Member
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    2 (somewhat snarky) thoughts:

    That article was horribly written, I know it’s a stereotype but I expect better from the British.

    She needs to see someone about her ability to apply eyeliner. Now.
  • echofm1
    echofm1 Posts: 471 Member
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    This is where fat acceptance comes in, and actually has a role. You can't tell a girl 'it's what is inside that counts' one day and 'how dare you even come out on the street where decent people can see you?' the next.

    Fat acceptance is about not being afraid to be happy and enjoy life despite your size. It is NOT about promoting gaining unhealthy amounts of weight for poops and chuckles. This is what a lot of people don't seem to understand.

    As someone who has been fat all my life, the fat acceptance movement really helped me lead a fuller, richer existence. It made me realize I can do well in my career, have friends, and fall in love - and that doing all of those things while being fat was ok. And in turn, it made me realize that I can take control of my weight. That's why I'm here.

    I know on MFP I'm going to take a lot of flack for being pro-fat acceptance, but there it is.

    Also please replace the word 'fat' with 'gay' and tell me if that article is still considered okay. No? Hmm, that should be a clue.

    +1

    The nerve of those girls for having fun and laughing with each other while being fat. Or wearing less clothing during the summer time because they should obviously be hiding their fat rolls with garbage bags so as to not make this woman sneer about something that does not affect her.

    I too really benefited from the fat acceptance movement. I was morbidly obese, but thanks to the assurances of my friends and family as well as positive messages from the media, it wasn't soul crushing. There were some things that I still got down about (I wasn't sure I'd ever find a guy, but was also wrong about that), but for the most part I could look in the mirror and see a beautiful, confident woman. The things I did mattered, even though I did them while overweight.

    And when I decided my weight had gotten too high, I didn't stop and tell myself that I'm beautiful just the way I am so I don't have to lose weight. I said I'm beautiful, but losing weight will make me feel even more so in addition to being better for my health. It's possible we need to find a middle ground when it comes to parenting (Assuring your child he or she is worthwhile no matter their size, while also promoting healthy food and activity choices to preserve their health), but his article just aims to make people feel bad for existing while fat. How is that even a little helpful?
  • Naamah
    Naamah Posts: 8
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    I would hit that.

    ...with a giant sized nerf bat for being so inconsiderate and stupid.
  • chaosrock
    chaosrock Posts: 13 Member
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    Fat acceptance is probably one of the most damaging things to health and fitness. It tells people that fat is normal and acceptable and not a very obvious sign that they need to change their habits. Fat isn't healthy, at all. It's a symptom of eating disorders, health problems, or other issues. This would be like "rash acceptance" or something. Fat is a sign of a problem. Do not embrace it and encourage it.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    WOW.

    I wonder why she thinks anyone actually cares about her opinions. lol

    apparently people do care though :laugh:
  • MegE_N
    MegE_N Posts: 245 Member
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    Fat acceptance is probably one of the most damaging things to health and fitness. It tells people that fat is normal and acceptable and not a very obvious sign that they need to change their habits. Fat isn't healthy, at all. It's a symptom of eating disorders, health problems, or other issues. This would be like "rash acceptance" or something. Fat is a sign of a problem. Do not embrace it and encourage it.

    wronggif.gif

    Spoken like someone who has NO IDEA what they are talking about. Fat acceptance is not about damaging your body. Fat acceptance is about everything except your weight. It is about being able to appreciate the other facets of life and not letting fat or size RULE your life. Fat acceptance is about taking control of the fact that you can be happy even if you are fat, and that positive reinforcement helps people take control of their weights too.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    While I don't get down with fat shaming- giving someone a legitimate hard time for something that's none of your business isn't okay. And even if you do it- keep it to yourself and don't be making personal judgments about other people.

    But.
    yes- there is a but....
    I guess she considers herself to be attractive and perfect unlike 'fatties' as she references overweight girls/women in the article.

    this- is not acceptable either. You just did to her what she did. Neither is okay.

    Spoken like someone who has NO IDEA what they are talking about. Fat acceptance is not about damaging your body. Fat acceptance is about everything except your weight. It is about being able to appreciate the other facets of life and not letting fat or size RULE your life. Fat acceptance is about taking control of the fact that you can be happy even if you are fat, and that positive reinforcement helps people take control of their weights too.

    you... I like you.

    What I think is great about this idea/concept- is it speaks to the mental health. Because how often do we watch people drop tons of weight- and then realize they are completely unhappy when they hit "goal weight" and they realize the being unhappy about being fat was hiding the fact they were not OKAY with who they are fundamentally adn they hadn't learned to be content/okay/love themselves.

    You can love yourself and still want to make changes and improvements and not be satisfied with your work. Being content with who you are as a person extends far beyond your size- hair color- skin color and status in life. It's about being okay with YOU.
  • jim180155
    jim180155 Posts: 769 Member
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    Also please replace the word 'fat' with 'gay' and tell me if that article is still considered okay.

    Exactly. Fat shaming is just another form of discrimination. And like other types of discrimination, we should all work on being more accepting of others.

    On the other hand, if you're ticked off about fat shaming but don't see the harm in looking down on others because of their race, creed or lifestyle, you might want to reconsider a few things. Also, as an ex-smoker, I noticed a general trend that overweight non-smokers seemed to be overly critical of smokers.

    I think the tendency to discriminate against others is a natural human trait, but it's not one of our more admirable qualities. And by being aware and working at it, we can get better.
  • Sie_Con
    Sie_Con Posts: 101 Member
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    I also struggle with being in love with the fat acceptance movement, but also trying to lose weight.
    It's difficult for some people, myself included at times, to find distinction between being proud of who you are, thinking you're beautiful and worthy of having a fulfilling life, love, career etc, while also being unhappy with your level of health and wanting to lose weight. I'm playing for both teams, and I think it's beneficial. I know I don't need to lose weight in order to be worthy of walking outside wearing shorts, finding a boyfriend, or daring to have fun on a vacation as this article points out.

    Fat acceptance is helpful to me because when I look in the mirror, I still can only see my flaws, my big stomach, soft arms, and puckered thighs, but I don't need to apologize to anyone for having the "courage" (a very patronizing term) to exist in my body. I'm trying to improve my health through cleaner eating, portion control and exercise. I'm not doing it so that I can walk the streets without hateful people telling me to put more clothes on. Or that I shouldn't be allowed to have fun until I've reached an "acceptable" weight.

    The aim of fat acceptance isn't to promote fatness or to ignore possible health risks, but to tell young women (mostly) that they shouldn't have to feel unworthy of happiness just because of their body size. It's a confidence boost. You know what happens when you have more confidence? You start to improve all aspects of your life, including fitness and healthful diet.

    Bullying people doesn't make them change. I don't know how people don't understand this yet.
  • Slacker16
    Slacker16 Posts: 1,184 Member
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    I take it no one here is aware that "The Daily Mail" is affectionately nicknamed "The Daily Fail"?
  • bizco
    bizco Posts: 1,949 Member
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    Fat acceptance is probably one of the most damaging things to health and fitness. It tells people that fat is normal and acceptable and not a very obvious sign that they need to change their habits. Fat isn't healthy, at all. It's a symptom of eating disorders, health problems, or other issues. This would be like "rash acceptance" or something. Fat is a sign of a problem. Do not embrace it and encourage it.
    +1.
  • tarcotti
    tarcotti Posts: 205 Member
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    I'm going to be the first to say that I agree with a lot of what she is saying. If fat acceptance wasn't a thing, we would have less obese people in America. I state this as a fact because many years ago, accepting "fat" people wasn't as important as it is now. And in this day and age, obesity is one of our nation's biggest health concerns. The % of the amount of obese Americans has changed too much since the early 90s, too fast for it to be just chance. There is a cause, and "fat acceptance" is probably the cause. Some could say there is too much available fast food now, but we do have to take responsibility. Nobody forced us to eat what we eat.

    Now don't get me wrong, I don't think you should go up to some happy overweight person and tell them their fat. You wouldn't go up to an anorexic person and confront them like that. And yes, I consider both of them eating disorders. It should be done by friends and family in a caring loving way out of concern. Linda Kelsey is just fed up and fired up. I do that too now and then...
  • Veil5577
    Veil5577 Posts: 868 Member
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    She looks like a boiled foot.
  • MegE_N
    MegE_N Posts: 245 Member
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    I'm going to be the first to say that I agree with a lot of what she is saying. If fat acceptance wasn't a thing, we would have less obese people in America. I state this as a fact because many years ago, accepting "fat" people wasn't as important as it is now. And in this day and age, obesity is one of our nation's biggest health concerns. The % of the amount of obese Americans has changed too much since the early 90s, too fast for it to be just chance. There is a cause, and "fat acceptance" is probably the cause. Some could say there is too much available fast food now, but we do have to take responsibility. Nobody forced us to eat what we eat.

    Now don't get me wrong, I don't think you should go up to some happy overweight person and tell them their fat. You wouldn't go up to an anorexic person and confront them like that. And yes, I consider both of them eating disorders. It should be done by friends and family in a caring loving way out of concern. Linda Kelsey is just fed up and fired up. I do that too now and then...

    Because fat people weren't a thing before fat acceptance movements. All the fat people lost their weight after being ridiculed and made to feel worthless in every aspect of their lives from the loving and supportive family members they all had back then.

    Damn millennial fatties!

    Youths.gif

    *edited for gif.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    So, she sees a few overweight girls in an airport and they aren't curled up in balls rocking back and forth lamenting their size and that means they aren't concerned about it? They aren't allowed to be happy, like, ever?

    Are they supposed to just hide in dark dungeons until they've lost the proper amount of weight?

    I'm all about being healthy and stuff, but wow.
  • sassyjae21
    sassyjae21 Posts: 1,217 Member
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    She looks like a boiled foot.

    omg i just spit my water out
  • salembambi
    salembambi Posts: 5,592 Member
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    Fat acceptance is probably one of the most damaging things to health and fitness. It tells people that fat is normal and acceptable and not a very obvious sign that they need to change their habits. Fat isn't healthy, at all. It's a symptom of eating disorders, health problems, or other issues. This would be like "rash acceptance" or something. Fat is a sign of a problem. Do not embrace it and encourage it.

    no just no

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