are some folks actually happy being extremely overweight?

Sirius66TheBeat
Sirius66TheBeat Posts: 72 Member
in Chit-Chat
Maybe its because I know how I feel about myself...hating how overweight I am but actually doing something about it now...but are there extremely overweight people that have no problem with it?

I only ask because I saw a commercial for that show about the fat woman..My Big Fat Fabulous Life..and she seems to be so happy to be fat. "Empowered" because she's fine with being fat. Is she just full of crap?
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Replies

  • no_day_but_2day
    no_day_but_2day Posts: 222 Member
    Sirius66TheBeat wrote: »
    Maybe its because I know how I feel about myself...hating how overweight I am but actually doing something about it now...but are there extremely overweight people that have no problem with it?

    I only ask because I saw a commercial for that show about the fat woman..My Big Fat Fabulous Life..and she seems to be so happy to be fat. "Empowered" because she's fine with being fat. Is she just full of crap?

    I think she's full of crap. She may be happy with her life and finding a way to love herself for being overweight. BUT, I think it's just for the show thinking she LOVES her weight.
  • pichiPurinsesu
    pichiPurinsesu Posts: 776 Member
    some people are just happy in the skin they're in. I remember seeing an advert for a show about a woman who was intentionally eating a ridiculous amount of cals to become the most overweight woman in the world. It's hard to say how someone elses mind set works though
  • FunbagsMcGee
    FunbagsMcGee Posts: 36 Member
    I think you can be happy DESPITE being extremely overweight, but I don't think many peoples happiness is caused by being overweight.
  • ellebreedlove42
    ellebreedlove42 Posts: 101 Member
    I think she's also lying to herself. Sometimes I feel ok because I was anorexic, and I actually really hated myself for loving how thin I was. But I could finally fit into almost anything and look good- I was breaking down emotionally because I began to feel like I'd never be skinny or pretty enough. But now I've let myself go to the point where I'm struggling with gestational diabetes. I just want to feel healthy again, and happy. Everyone like us who struggles with their weight has an epiphany when the fat is no longer fabulous.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    i was HAPPY when i was overweight, but that didnt mean i was happy with how i LOOKED.

    now im happy and like how i look (most of the time). LOL
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,284 Member
    I'm sure some people can be happy being extremely overweight - and why not? Happiness shouldn't be limited to one shape or size or excluded from one shape or size.

    However, happiness aside, being extremely over weight does carry huge health risks - I would want to lose weight to be healthier not to be happier.
  • DatGuy_Bry
    DatGuy_Bry Posts: 9 Member
    They say they're happy because they don't know what it's like to be thin. The boundless energy, the self confidence, etc. They can only judge on what they know. So no, there's no way that they're "happy". They're just comfortable. Complacent.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,284 Member
    I disagree.

    Not everyone's self confidence comes from being a certain size and not everyone needs boundless energy to be happy.
    And not everyone who is extremely over weight has never been thin.

    I think it is arrogant and presumptuous to decide whether other people could be happy or not.

    Whether they are healthy is another matter.

  • DatGuy_Bry
    DatGuy_Bry Posts: 9 Member
    I think it's naive to say otherwise. The natural endorphins you get by exercising and leading a healthy lifestyle is not something you'll feel when you're obese. Like I said, they're content. Complacent. Indifferent. I am happy because I feel full. If they're having a bad day, they go home and eat something that'll make them feel good. That is a dangerous and unhealthy mentality and leads to depression more often than not. You can be happy about your job, kids, family etc. Those have no weight restrictions but if you feel sluggish and crappy, it's because your body is telling you that you need to make a change.
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,744 Member
    bperritt21 wrote: »
    I think it's naive to say otherwise. The natural endorphins you get by exercising and leading a healthy lifestyle is not something you'll feel when you're obese. Like I said, they're content. Complacent. Indifferent. I am happy because I feel full. If they're having a bad day, they go home and eat something that'll make them feel good. That is a dangerous and unhealthy mentality and leads to depression more often than not. You can be happy about your job, kids, family etc. Those have no weight restrictions but if you feel sluggish and crappy, it's because your body is telling you that you need to make a change.

    Nope, I disagree too. You're generalizing. Everyone's different with different motivations.

    You can be thin and still feel sluggish and crappy because of other reasons...not just because you're overweight.
  • pie_eyes
    pie_eyes Posts: 12,964 Member
    My mom used to try to lose weight but now she just doesn't care
  • DatGuy_Bry
    DatGuy_Bry Posts: 9 Member
    glassyo wrote: »
    bperritt21 wrote: »
    I think it's naive to say otherwise. The natural endorphins you get by exercising and leading a healthy lifestyle is not something you'll feel when you're obese. Like I said, they're content. Complacent. Indifferent. I am happy because I feel full. If they're having a bad day, they go home and eat something that'll make them feel good. That is a dangerous and unhealthy mentality and leads to depression more often than not. You can be happy about your job, kids, family etc. Those have no weight restrictions but if you feel sluggish and crappy, it's because your body is telling you that you need to make a change.

    Nope, I disagree too. You're generalizing. Everyone's different with different motivations.

    You can be thin and still feel sluggish and crappy because of other reasons...not just because you're overweight.

    You can be fat and happy. I'm sure being so fat your bones are getting crushed and you run out of breath after walking for more than 5 minutes is ideal for some people. Until, of course, the accompanying health problems come. Ever met someone who was happy they got Type II diabetes? Nope. So lettuce be cereal. I'm not trying to be mean, I'm just telling it like it is.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I know fat people who are just happy in general...I know lean people who are miserable in their lives.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,992 Member
    Sirius66TheBeat wrote: »
    Maybe its because I know how I feel about myself...hating how overweight I am but actually doing something about it now...but are there extremely overweight people that have no problem with it?

    I only ask because I saw a commercial for that show about the fat woman..My Big Fat Fabulous Life..and she seems to be so happy to be fat. "Empowered" because she's fine with being fat. Is she just full of crap?
    If she was happy, she wouldn't be trying to lose weight.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,992 Member
    People can be happy at any size. And same with being unhappy.

    Being unhappy with weight I believe is something different.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • 1stplace4health
    1stplace4health Posts: 523 Member
    @callsitlikeiseeit well said
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  • greyismycolour
    greyismycolour Posts: 8 Member
    edited February 2016
    DatGuy_Bry wrote: »
    You can be fat and happy. I'm sure being so fat your bones are getting crushed and you run out of breath after walking for more than 5 minutes is ideal for some people. Until, of course, the accompanying health problems come. Ever met someone who was happy they got Type II diabetes? Nope. So lettuce be cereal. I'm not trying to be mean, I'm just telling it like it is.

    You do realize being fat doesn't always mean someone weighs so much they can barely walk, has Type II diabetes and is completely unfit, right? I'm fat - severely obese to be correct - but still manage to walk my dog 2 hours a day, to ride a bike and to use the stairs without getting out of breath. So far my only injury related to my weight is my foot getting hurt because weight + long walks led to plantar fasciitis.
    I believe a lot of people think of people weighing 300+ lbs when they hear "very overweight / fat / obese", which isn't true. I will still be considered obese at 192 lbs (I'm 5'7) and trust me, that's far away from bones getting crushed.

    As far as the original question goes: I think there are some who are ok with being overweight or obese and some might even be happy about it. It's not something I understand but I also don't get other extreme body ideals that are out there - extremely thin & extremely muscular.

  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    For context, the OP mentioned the show "My Big Fat Fabulous Life" - the protagonist is a woman weighing 380 pounds who talks about feeling suffocated by her fat rolls.
  • greyismycolour
    greyismycolour Posts: 8 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    For context, the OP mentioned the show "My Big Fat Fabulous Life" - the protagonist is a woman weighing 380 pounds who talks about feeling suffocated by her fat rolls.

    Well then she's not "extremely overweight" like OP said. ;) Folks, sugarcoating someone's weight isn't helping any discussion at all.
  • PurringMyrrh
    PurringMyrrh Posts: 5,276 Member
    I'd say if they're 100+ lbs overweight, none of them are truly happy, and if they say they are they're lying.
  • Sirius66TheBeat
    Sirius66TheBeat Posts: 72 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    For context, the OP mentioned the show "My Big Fat Fabulous Life" - the protagonist is a woman weighing 380 pounds who talks about feeling suffocated by her fat rolls.

    i've never watched the show...the commercials are annoying enough. It's just the vibe i got watching the ads for the show. Yes, hardly a slice knowing how she feels but just saying.
  • Sirius66TheBeat
    Sirius66TheBeat Posts: 72 Member
    paperpudding wrote: »
    I disagree.

    Not everyone's self confidence comes from being a certain size and not everyone needs boundless energy to be happy.
    And not everyone who is extremely over weight has never been thin.

    I think it is arrogant and presumptuous to decide whether other people could be happy or not.

    Whether they are healthy is another matter.

    i'm basing it on my unhappiness being fat and asking the question in general. Has nothing to do with being arrogant and presumptuous deciding if she's happy or not. And i know basing it on how I feel about myself isn't 100% scientific.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    Sirius66TheBeat wrote: »
    Maybe its because I know how I feel about myself...hating how overweight I am but actually doing something about it now...but are there extremely overweight people that have no problem with it?

    I only ask because I saw a commercial for that show about the fat woman..My Big Fat Fabulous Life..and she seems to be so happy to be fat. "Empowered" because she's fine with being fat. Is she just full of crap?

    In the case of the woman from the show, she suffered from a pretty severe eating disorder before the show. Accepting and finding peace and happiness with her weight seems to be part of dealing with those disordered patterns while trying to lose at a safer pace.

    In general, yes people can be happy without loving every aspect of their current position.
  • salembambi
    salembambi Posts: 5,585 Member
    edited February 2016
    look up: feeder fetish

    ok bye
  • CCThomas3553
    CCThomas3553 Posts: 9 Member
    I think they would probably be happier with the food they eat because it probably tast amazing. Wouldn't it be nice to just eat what you want and not have to worry . now that sounds nice. :p
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,284 Member
    DatGuy_Bry wrote: »
    glassyo wrote: »
    bperritt21 wrote: »
    I think it's naive to say otherwise. The natural endorphins you get by exercising and leading a healthy lifestyle is not something you'll feel when you're obese. Like I said, they're content. Complacent. Indifferent. I am happy because I feel full. If they're having a bad day, they go home and eat something that'll make them feel good. That is a dangerous and unhealthy mentality and leads to depression more often than not. You can be happy about your job, kids, family etc. Those have no weight restrictions but if you feel sluggish and crappy, it's because your body is telling you that you need to make a change.

    Nope, I disagree too. You're generalizing. Everyone's different with different motivations.

    You can be thin and still feel sluggish and crappy because of other reasons...not just because you're overweight.

    You can be fat and happy. I'm sure being so fat your bones are getting crushed and you run out of breath after walking for more than 5 minutes is ideal for some people. Until, of course, the accompanying health problems come. Ever met someone who was happy they got Type II diabetes? Nope. So lettuce be cereal. I'm not trying to be mean, I'm just telling it like it is.

    Nobody said being extremely overweight was healthy or ideal for anybody.

    But people can be happy without being healthy and they can be happy in life without bring happy about everything.

    I am not happy about having crooked teeth, for example - but that doesn't mean I am unhappy in life.

    So, no, I don't think you are telling it like it is - you are telling it like you think it is for other people - and I consider that attitude to be arrogant and presumptuous.
    You are presuming how other people feel.

  • ladymuaythai
    ladymuaythai Posts: 1,298 Member
    I honestly wonder this a lot. Like they can eat whatever they want and food is life lmao. I'd be happy if I could eat whatever I wanted I think . We all got consequences to pay though
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    paperpudding wrote: »
    DatGuy_Bry wrote: »
    glassyo wrote: »
    bperritt21 wrote: »
    I think it's naive to say otherwise. The natural endorphins you get by exercising and leading a healthy lifestyle is not something you'll feel when you're obese. Like I said, they're content. Complacent. Indifferent. I am happy because I feel full. If they're having a bad day, they go home and eat something that'll make them feel good. That is a dangerous and unhealthy mentality and leads to depression more often than not. You can be happy about your job, kids, family etc. Those have no weight restrictions but if you feel sluggish and crappy, it's because your body is telling you that you need to make a change.

    Nope, I disagree too. You're generalizing. Everyone's different with different motivations.

    You can be thin and still feel sluggish and crappy because of other reasons...not just because you're overweight.

    You can be fat and happy. I'm sure being so fat your bones are getting crushed and you run out of breath after walking for more than 5 minutes is ideal for some people. Until, of course, the accompanying health problems come. Ever met someone who was happy they got Type II diabetes? Nope. So lettuce be cereal. I'm not trying to be mean, I'm just telling it like it is.

    Nobody said being extremely overweight was healthy or ideal for anybody.

    But people can be happy without being healthy and they can be happy in life without bring happy about everything.

    I am not happy about having crooked teeth, for example - but that doesn't mean I am unhappy in life.

    So, no, I don't think you are telling it like it is - you are telling it like you think it is for other people - and I consider that attitude to be arrogant and presumptuous.
    You are presuming how other people feel.

    I agree. To be happy, you don't have to be doing backflips about every single aspect of your life. In fact, that seems to be to be a recipe for permanent dissatisfaction. Sure, I could use a million bucks, but you're not gonna see me crying in the corner everyday because I don't have it.

    And, being from another continent where [when I was] growing up, the pressures of being thin simply didn't exist, the idea that nobody but nobody could be happy fat just blows my mind. That happiness would have such a direct, and evidently, compulsory tie to what is in many cases vanity, just seems ludicrous to me.
  • thehexenbiest
    thehexenbiest Posts: 114 Member
    I don't want to get too philosophical but it's hard to come up with a definition for happiness, so it would be hard to generalize and say a person is happy or not, whether they're overweight or not. Being morbidly obese myself, I know there are definitely moments when I'm not happy and for me personally, those happen more often than those when I can say I'm happy. For example just shopping for clothes is extremely stressful and frustrating. So is navigating supermarket aisles when your stomach and your brain want different things.

    On the other hand, I wouldn't generalize and say thin people are happier per se. Their life can suck just as much. Plus, when you take things like depression into account, I think it's naive and dangerous to say that obesity makes you sad and depressed. They can come into play but they're never the only reason and working out and losing weight isn't going to fix this.

    With that said, I don't know if fat people can really be happy. But I do know that a lot of everyday life's things are harder for us. The aforementioned clothes or grocery shopping, traveling (think of fitting into airline seats), restaurant visits, etc. We do carry a higer risk of health problems. It's just a fact, but nothing that has to be related to how happy you are.

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