Fat Shaming - New Research

it's 4:30am, so i'm not actually up for reading the article right now, but in regards to your question, i think that it can have an effect, depending on the person. it's been known for a while that when you label someone as something, that they may start to fulfill that role. fat-shaming can reinforce and perpetuate the problem.

Do you think fat-shaming makes obesity worse?

Yes, without question. Not only fat shaming but the casual daily prejudice faced by overweight people that "they don't want it bad enough" if they do not lose weight or they are lazy. This may apply to a small minority of overweight people. The majority? nah.

If guilt, shame, punishment and unhappiness was a cure for obesity then everyone would be slim as the vast majority of the weight loss industry is based on guilt, shame, punishment and unhappiness.

This may be true for some people, but in my case it did not have any effect (negative or otherwise). It simply flew out the other ear and I did not care enough to either get depressed and eat more or to get motivated and eat less.

I'm honestly not surprised by the results of the study. Overeating can be a form of self-punishment for someone who is already feeling guilty or bad about their choices which only makes things worse. It turns into an endless cycle of obsession for those who are prone to it. It mimics, to some degree, binge eating disorder. I would not go as far as to blame the weight gain on fat shaming, though. That would be taking it an unnecessary step too far. I refuse to believe human beings are marionettes... Yes, some things, actions and circumstances may make change harder, but ultimately we're responsible for our own actions.

Obesity needs to be approached in different manner. Neither fat shaming nor hugging and comforting will make a person change. It needs to come from within. Their next research should be "what's the best thing to do to elicit genuine desire to chance?"

And then there's the thin shaming. "You're too skinny!!" People are never happy We're gonna force-feed you fat! Eat some cake, you are depriving yourself of life!

There are two sides to this... Fat shaming versus ignoring the consequences of obesity all in the name of making someone feel better about themselves (coddling, enabling, contributing to delusion that they are healthy).

I don't really fall into the completely lazy side of the obesity equation, but I am not healthy and I do have a problem with self control. I know obesity is unhealthy and puts me at risk for many things. Pointing these things out and encouraging people to lose weight if they are unhealthy is not fat shaming. This is different than 2 high school cheerleaders laughing at my large *kitten* as I walk out the gym (freshman in college at the time... and about 80lbs lighter than I am today).

That image and the shame I felt was crippling. It took my 2 years before I'd walk into a gym again and only with a personal trainer at my college gym (with 20 more lbs added).

I want people to be real with me because I want to believe them after I've hit my target weight. But you can be real with people and respect them. That doesn't mean offended-free. Often what others say will still cause offense even when said with all the love and respect in the world.

I love articles like this.

Bullying has negative effects shocker!

Like we needed a study to tell us this.

People fat shame and people skinny shame. It works both ways. Does it make it worse? In some cases, depending on the person, of course it CAN. Still that's like saying labeling an alcoholic an alcoholic makes them drink more. Too blanket of a statement, as again, everyone is different.

But doesn't it work for an alcoholic too. They need support not shame. Imagine an alcoholic trying to change by themselves and someone keeps putting them down. It impedes progress instead of helping them it delays them.

I'm curious. Is saying obesity is unhealthy considered fat shaming? Is it also a fact?

Is saying men in general do not find overweight or obese people attractive fat shaming? Is it a fact?

There are two cultures clashing here - the one that gets offended by facts and the one that has no diplomatic filter on their fact discharger. Don't let the fact dischargers get caught up in the anti-bullying campaign.

There is a difference between "Most men don't find large women attractive" and laughing snidely at the large heifer in the grocery store.

One is a fact. The other is bullying.

If you are offended by facts, you need an attitude adjustment.

The comment in the OP was actually well reasoned and articulate and is a far more politely stated version of everything I've read here.

Self-control.
Calories in, calories out.
Eat less, move more.

This is very true but it can become a complicated issue. Honestly when I was fat I reveled in it. It was part of my rebellion against the narcissism and vanity that characterize the way we see each other. You may find this hard to believe. But I stayed fat not just because that's what I wanted or because I was a comfort eater. I stayed fat as a judgement apon how people see each other. I judged people by how they judged me .. the fatty. If they where capable of accepting me despite societies prejudice. I knew there was some good in there somewhere. By the same token I didn't waste my time with anyone who judged me because I was fat.

It was my rebellion, My statement. Yeah I am fat, I ate all the pies and I don't give a ****. And it was terribly bad for me. I was wrecking my health way more than I understood at the time. And there's no way I would have chosen that way to rebel if people hadn't made me feel ashamed about it. And wow they really did that. In fact nothing I could do it seemed provoked a worse response in the people around me than just being a fatty. People can be cruel violent and abusive. But as long as they where cute or hot they got away with it. But have a gut and society was instantly your enemy. It disgusted me. And I wanted to rebel against that. But you can't just brush everything off and so because i didn't care about food i used it as a crutch to deal with the bullying and became a comfort eater. And that's when I went from overweight to obese to nearly morbidly obese.

The point .. Telling fat people the truth is fine. Looking down on them as human beings and shaming or ridiculing them never is.

I'm curious. Is saying obesity is unhealthy considered fat shaming? Is it also a fact?

Ok first up that's not true, whilst a large amount of obese people carry health risks not all do. There are many healthy obese people, it all matters where you carry the fat. Fat around your organs carries the major healt risk but your normal belly fat no where near as much. I'm morbidly obease but have great blood preassure, have no risk of diabeties and only a couple of years ago was taking part in to flight european competition in American football. Granted i was never going to run a marathon but that's because I've traiind for years to be good at different things. so to assume someoen is unhealthy because of their size is ignorant and wrong.

Also ignoring that fact it all depends how it is said and when it is said. If it is part of a conversation where the topic is being discussed or are you saying it to an overweight person when they haven't invited you to talk about it. Bullying has very little to do with the specifics of what is said but the timing and the intent of the comments.

Is saying men in general do not find overweight or obese people attractive fat shaming? Is it a fact?

Again see above about when it is said, and I can't think of a positive reason to say this to an overweight woman. I would say that anyone who did was telling a woman to measure her worth by the value that men place inher opinion. If I heard someone talking like that to and woman I cared about ther are liable to get my fist in their face. Also again it's not really true, the majority of people are attracted to personality with a minority being close minded enough to cut out body types before getting to know people. despite what the media keeps telling you men have a huge range of different opinions in what they find attractive.

There are two cultures clashing here - the one that gets offended by facts and the one that has no diplomatic filter on their fact discharger. Don't let the fact dischargers get caught up in the anti-bullying campaign.

Buy why on earth are you telling a fat person these facts, the onyl possibly outcome is to make the fat person feel bad about themselves and you would have to be a d!ck to want to do that. Do you think there are fat people out there who are unaware of the impact that being fat is having on their lives and all they need of for a great looking person to come along and say "don't you know that more men would like you if you dropped some weight".

There is a difference between "Most men don't find large women attractive" and laughing snidely at the large heifer in the grocery store.

Yes there is one could well be a horriffic thing to say to a fat woman (but may not be becasue it could be in the middle of a conversation about how the ideal body type has changed so much over the years and that what most men find attractive is what they are told to like in the media), whilst the other one is deffinatly just being a massive d!ck.

One is a fact. The other is bullying.

sorry to repeate myself but just because you are saying a fact it doesn't mean that it's not bullying.

Calling a short person "shorty" is a fact but it's still bullying them.

If you are offended by facts, you need an attitude adjustment.

Becuase how facts are presented to people has no impact on how the message is received right? Becdause those "facts" are only ever presented in a supportive setting in a way to help someone reach their goals aren't they?

Of course not, it sounds like you like to use facts to be really mean to people. Granted it would be unfair of me to make that judgement based on one forum post but it's kind of hard not to.

The comment in the OP was actually well reasoned and articulate and is a far more politely stated version of everything I've read here.

Self-control.
Calories in, calories out.
Eat less, move more.

Whilst there is still some debate amoungst the experts about if calories in/calories out is a viable model and if a calorie is just a calorie in general sticking to your advice will produce positive results.

But only an idiot would think that all that is needed is to tell people to eat less and exercise more. Is there anyone in the western world that hasn't been told this a hundred times already, is there a fat person that doesn't hear it on a regular basis?

The issue is not that us fatties don't know what to do but that we struggle to do it. What a lot of people need is emotional support and constantly being told that you ahve a problem and the reasons why you should change are not emotional support. You may have found it easy, you may have had no problem changing your lifestyle and in that case well done, I'm really happy for you. you may have struggled but then found a way. Just because you can do i in the current enviroment doesn't mean that others can.

When I became an alcoholic I found it easy to stop drinking but I accept that for others it's impossible no matter how much they want it. I had the same thing with smoking and my drug problem (I spent some time as a real screw up) but I dealt with it easily because of the enviroment I was in. I different circumstances it would ave been very different.

It is just typical of the blame culture of todays society.

Some people assume you are fat because you are lazy and greedy.

Like some people assume I must be anorexic just because I normally weigh 100 lbs. at 5'4....Some people go as far as to harass me into force feeding like I'm someone about to die, yet I'm still living and kicking, never felt better.
The humiliating and belittling goes BOTH ways and is equally shameful and disgraceful!!!

I agree, I also think that people of your body type also get hit by 'it's ok to be fat' type posts/memes. Whilst they are making a valid point it comes at the expense of others

I think that what fat shaming does is... basically exactly what the name implies. It shames people, which (for many) starts a very nasty cycle of self loathing. They hate themselves for being fat, might not know what to do about it or where to start and then end up indulging in the behaviours which cause it. Then they hate themselves a little more.

There are people out there who use that shame to motivate themselves to do what's needed to change, but they're few and far between.

It's just another way to hate and another excuse to bully... and it's something people who do it often feel justified for doing... "This person did it to themselves" type mentality.

(but I didn't read the articles so this is also a bump for later)

Very well put.

As someone who was obese at age 13, I was shamed left and right by my peers. I was told I would only be worthy x,y,z if I was smaller. As a young woman I was completely embarrassed of my weight and didn't need others pointing it out to make me feel the need to change. Barely a teenager it was very hard to deal with, so much was about my size, that my size defined me as a person.

I did start my health journey at age 15 and it was amazing how the world changed for me when I was smaller. Since then, my weight has gone up and down (realized it wasn't an instant fix) and see the ugly side of shame again. At least now, at age 26, I can handle it better #hatersgonnahate

For every fat person I have ever met - including myself - fat shaming has done nothing but make the problem worse. It was only when I became totally in love with myself that I began my weight loss journey and that sentiment has been echoed all across the fat acceptance community.

Want to combat obesity? Worry about yourself. If you have a loved one who seems to be going in the wrong direction, speak to them privately, respectfully, and from a place of love.

Want to be make the problem worse? Start shouting at fatties on the internet or on the street, mocking and humiliating them as non-people.

Want to be a decent human being? Treat other human beings with respect and dignity, no matter if you disagree with their fat, their leopard print pants, or their piercings.

And get a damned hobby.

totally depends on the person. For me, I found the constant opposite (people lying and said i am fine and I don't need to lose weight) perpetuated me being huge. I was a size 22/24, obese and knew I was overweight but genuinely didn't clock how huge I was until I effectively was fat shamed.

Some people go the other way and put on weight.

With me, the lying of "you don't need to lose weight" only made me think it was acceptable to feel unhealthy, not fit into anything that wasn't a sack as "that's how I am" or "body type" and have now found it hard to trust my own or others judgement.

I was huge because I was greedy. Yes, I exercised but I ate ***** loads, drank loads and kept telling myself "oh skinny people eat what they want" "wah wah not fair".

What do you do if someone asks your opinion? "Do I look fat? Do I need to lose weight?" If you say yes, most people will consider that fat shaming.