Why Do We Hate Being Fat So Much?

I'm significantly cuter when not fat.

This has been on my mind this morning. I've hated being fat since around the 6th grade. I wasn't bullied, made fun of in any great way at all, and wasn't fat shamed at home. Yet the realization that I was "fat" hurt and upset me. I didn't like the look of my doughy body compared to the lean boys around me. It set off a battle with my adipose tissue that continues to this day.

Why does nearly everyone seem to hate being fat (or hate others being fat) so much? Is it socialized? Inate? Do we hate the look of it, the feel of it? Is it more about what other people think? I've thought before that I do believe I'd lose weight even if I was the only person left on earth.

What do you think it is?

It's a social/media protrayal. In places where they don't focus on how people look as much, they are still content. When I lived in Saipan during the 80's, all people did on the weekends was eat and drink beer. I believe a lot of Polynesian/Island cultures are that way. Not worried about being seen as large.

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The way it affects you in day to day life is an indicator of overall poor health.

I'm significantly cuter when not fat.

And sex is better.

All of the above plus clothes look cuter on me.

All of this as well. My wardrobe has really expanded and gone in new directins these past few months.

So there you go: Cuter, better clothes, better sex. What's not to love?

For me its the fact that I can't do every day things because of my weight hell I couldn't even go to the fair because I can't fit on the rides. So yes I hate being this way that's why I'm changing

there are statues and paintings covering hundreds of years featuring women considered to be beautiful who have bellies and thighs that these days would be considered fat, but at those times and in those cultures were considered beautiful and feminine. this question reminded me of this article i read a couple months ago about a woman who in 1912 was considered "perfect", and she weighed 171 pounds.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/26/perfect-woman-1912_n_2365529.html

She was a perfect pear shape by measurements. Then again, if, as it was reported, she really did have a figure similar to the Venus de Milo, she also had a six pack. She probably really did have more muscle than most of us do now. Maybe it shows that fit was the old skinny as much as that voluptuous was prized more than it is today.

By the way, these body models from the ancient greek and "de milo" times were not really the norm for the time. Being a naked model was not a high profession. These models were probably workers and had farming backgrounds or were slaves or courtesans in a time when having a suntan was a show of the common worker and the elite did nothing all day but live large and have pale skin to show they did not do outdoor work. I will assume that the proviliged persons from that time were sloppy as well.

We don't live in the dark ages anymore (well, you'd think we don't) where being fat is a show of wealth and good health. Lets stay in this century, shall we?

The quoted article on the 'perfect woman' doesn't quite go back that far. It's from 1912. The young woman was compared to the de milo. I stated that, if she was comparable, she did indeed have more muscle tone than most of us have today.

After reading other responses...

I felt SO ugly when I was fat. Never had boyfriends. All my friends were getting married off, having babies, and I was staying in more evenings eating myself to "happy." I never tried anything new - what if I was bad? People would actually "see" me and see the fat and laugh at me/hate on me. I had zero feeling of self-confidence/self-worth/self-esteem. Zip. Leading to more overeating...you get the picture. Vicious circle.

Fast forward to me being 70lbs lighter and I'm a different person. I'm much happier now. Enjoy exercise. Still eat too much but then I probably always will. I don't mind looking foolish in front of people - who cares?! At least I'm trying something new. I still struggle with former fat kid syndrome - only see the fat me in the mirror, etc.

I'm rambling now. Shutting up.

Good post OP!

Mostly I hate it when my body rubs against itself.

The health thing doesn't concern me as much as the social aspect.

The idea of settling down as a fat dad with a fat partner is disgusting to me. Would rather look beautiful and be miserable than being fat and "happy" for the rest of my life.

Why does nearly everyone seem to hate being fat (or hate others being fat) so much? Is it socialized? Inate? Do we hate the look of it, the feel of it? Is it more about what other people think? I've thought before that I do believe I'd lose weight even if I was the only person left on earth.

What do you think it is?

It's probably different for everyone.

I didn't gain weight until after I married my husband. And honestly, yep I totally hated it. Here's why:
- None of my cute clothes fit
- I could no longer just go to walmart and buy a bra. I now had to go to specialty shops and the bras were expensive.
- I felt like crap. Literally. Not about body image or anything like that, just day to day felt off.
- I was constantly getting sick. Something that rarely happened before I gained weight.
- I was constantly tired. Had absolutely no energy.
- I had let myself get so out of shape that I could no longer do a lot of the activities I once enjoyed.
- I didn't like the way I looked. Maybe it was societies influence. Maybe it was the fact that I had been in shape once before. Maybe it was some combination of the 2.
Then I got pregnant with my first child. The pregnancy was full of complications, my health was horrible, and as a result of the combination, I wasn't able to carry him to term. I felt guilty. Knowing that if I had just taken better care of myself before I got pregnant, my pregnancy probably wouldn't have gone that badly.


So here I am. 7wks out of my 2nd pregnancy (which was a perfectly healthy pregnancy). Although I still have a ways to go before I get to my goal, I am lighter now than I was when I got pregnant with my first and still have to lose about 18lbs to get to my pre-pregnancy weight from this last pregnancy. I can't claim to not be tired currently. I am, but at least I know that it's not poor health that is making me tired. I'm rarely sick anymore. I'm starting to feel like me again.

I hate being fat because I know what I'm supposed to look like. I used to be the perfect weight for my height and I looked good (though I didn't know to appreciate it at the time lol) and now I just look weird...my face is far too full and my body looks strange to me haha! I long for the days when I could wear a dress or skirt in summer without having to worry about the dreaded 'chub rub' on my thighs :'D People feel better when they're a healthy weight - Onwards and upwards!

Because it's uncomfortable and yucky. Because I don't like to sweat the seat of my pants. Because I don't like inner thigh rash. Because I like to breathe with ease. Because I like to be able to run in case of an emergency. Becasue it's not healthy.

I could go on.....why, is being "fat" somehow good and healthy adn the ideal state for a human being?

I don't even have to type! This sums up PERFECTLY why I don't want to be fat anymore.

Gunna have to go with all of those that said it just feels uncomfortable. Not to mention I always felt lethargic before and I have so much energy now. I also spent a lot of time in Mexico growing up and about 20lbs ago my Mexican family told me to stop losing weight, that I was getting to skinny, losing my curves etc. It wasn't the culture at this point that kept me losing weight- I just feel better physically.

Cloths not fitting. I really hate not fitting into pants I did in the winter time.

I hated how I did with members of the opposite sex.

I decided to start loosing weight and getting in shape to attract women.