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Fat Acceptance Movement
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I see it both ways as well. There on one hand people are cruel. I was driving down the road one day and there were these group of women walking in the middle of the road. I was coming home from work. I had to slowly drive behind them for a little while. Finally I honked and they all moved but when they did they started calling me names and doing horrible impressions. I came home and sat on my bed and cried. Then if you are overweight and workout where people can see you in public then the laughing and jeering really start. People act like they are being discreet about what they are saying but are not really as quiet about it as they should be. I never hear anyone talking crap in any restaurant I ate in though. I assume that is because that was a fat woman doing as a fat woman is supposed to do.....eat. Cruel people make losing weight more difficult than any diet and exercise. They mentally beat all the confidence out of you. It is disgusting and hateful. I do believe though that anyone who is unhealthy because of their weight should not be shamed for doing something about it either. That is ultimate love right there. So much love that you want it to be health and active. So much love that you would push to make it happen. Love doesn't come from complacency it comes from work and sacrifice.11
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My attitude as a pretty fit, slender person, formally fat, (I worked my butt off) 57 year old wife, mother, grandmother. We are all just one injury, life change, health set back away from an unhealthy weight. Kindness matters.19
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stephanieluvspb wrote: »I enjoy running. I love putting music on and being out in the fresh air totally in my own world. I have never ran a race and have no desire to do so. Running gets my heart rate up and burns calories. I run in my neighborhood, same distance and same time. Why do I have to beat my time? if I'm a normal weight and I'm running for cardio and stress relief am I suddenly unhealthy or a failure because I'm not getting faster?
No, nothing wrong with it (I said so myself prior). However, you're hardly in a position to be lauded for it.5 -
I've read the thread and the mental gymnastics is not being done by me. Over a whole page of this thread was spent exercise shaming someone who dares to run/exercise while being obese and then high fiving each other as a result. That's what is repugnant, but I'm out of this conversation since those who shame as a motivation tool aren't my jam.
Nobody is shaming here. Merely pointing out she's not a great example to use. There's plenty of other great examples of people who were fat, took matters into their hands, took up running, and lost weight.8 -
coreyreichle wrote: »coreyreichle wrote: »
Different perspectives. The act of doing is what I focus on. Many might have quit, but she found something she enjoys doing and the fact that she comes in last doesn't stop her from going out the door and doing. I find inspiration in that.
I guess. I idolize people who work to improve themselves, and not just people who over years, just "aim to finish"... I'm glad she enjoys doing what she does, my point is she's not a particularly good example to use as someone to aim for. She's mediocre at best, and in reality, she's a sub-par performer for her age, consistently placing nearly dead last (Even by age group) in every event she's been in.
So all the people who "finish" the Boston Marathon but don't place officially are mediocre?
One of the victims from the 2013 marathon bombing lost a leg. She ran this year. I heard she didn't finish until around 7pm. May have been last or almost last. Is she mediocre?
I don't know who the fat girl runner is. I admire her that she has the courage to call herself that. I admire her that she runs.
I only walk. Don't want to know what you think of me.
Please re-read what I wrote, and then come back at me. You'll see nothing what you're asking applies to what I've said.
You only walk? Cool. We'll not use you as an example of a runner to idolize either. Cool with that?12 -
coreyreichle wrote: »stephanieluvspb wrote: »I enjoy running. I love putting music on and being out in the fresh air totally in my own world. I have never ran a race and have no desire to do so. Running gets my heart rate up and burns calories. I run in my neighborhood, same distance and same time. Why do I have to beat my time? if I'm a normal weight and I'm running for cardio and stress relief am I suddenly unhealthy or a failure because I'm not getting faster?
No, nothing wrong with it (I said so myself prior). However, you're hardly in a position to be lauded for it.
Who are you to say whether she should be lauded or not. Who made you the decider?11 -
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coreyreichle wrote: »
There has been quite a bit of that in this thread. What I'm seeing are people who need constant praise and approval and if they don't receive it accuse others of shaming them. It's a twisted reality. I remember the same thing with the accusations of "discrimination" against smokers in the 90s and early 00s. Same is true of the pro-ana movement, the reactions against heavy drinking, and the glorification of drug use in the music industry. I don't see this as any different, except the current demographics are allowing this one to grow. People who would greatly benefit from change won't.9 -
eileen0515 wrote: »coreyreichle wrote: »stephanieluvspb wrote: »I enjoy running. I love putting music on and being out in the fresh air totally in my own world. I have never ran a race and have no desire to do so. Running gets my heart rate up and burns calories. I run in my neighborhood, same distance and same time. Why do I have to beat my time? if I'm a normal weight and I'm running for cardio and stress relief am I suddenly unhealthy or a failure because I'm not getting faster?
No, nothing wrong with it (I said so myself prior). However, you're hardly in a position to be lauded for it.
Who are you to say whether she should be lauded or not. Who made you the decider?
Why should someone be praised for simply doing an activity they enjoy? I enjoy floating down a lazy river in an inner tube with a six pack. I don't expect a trophy for it.
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caffeinatedcami wrote: »I was thinking about body image issues (my own and society's in general) and I learned about something called the Fat Acceptance Movement. The Healthy at Any Size Movement is related to this as well. I am curious what people's thoughts on this are.
Personally I am of two minds about it. I have never been clinically overweight but I definitely flirted with the normal-overweight bmi boundary at one point. I have had body image issues since I was a teenager and three of my immediate family members have suffered from anorexia. So I know the toll that negative body image can have on a person. Everyone should love themselves regardless of their size. And fat-shaming should not be tolerated. However, I agree with a lot of the points made in this blog post "6 Things I Don't Understand About the Fat Acceptance Movement". At a certain point does it really demonstrate self-love to give up on weight loss? What are your thoughts?
http://thoughtcatalog.com/carolyn-hall/2014/04/6-things-i-dont-understand-about-the-fat-acceptance-movement/
I've only really had one experience, and that was on another forum. I got into a very heated debate with someone who was really into the movement and she was very overweight. She was coming at it from how society treats certain people, and how she's proud to be the weight she was at and she was perfectly fine/healthy. I was coming into the conversation as someone who used to be overweight and was now thin. Right off the bat, that didn't go over to well with her
As our back and forth proceeded I kept bringing up the health aspect of the whole thing, and she kept insisting that she was healthy and her weight was not a negative in any way. Finally, I suggested we both post our latest blood panel results (I was willing to post my before weight loss ones, as well as my current ones). She kept deflecting and then finally admitted she hadn't been to the doctor in years/hadn't had blood work done.
I then shared my own story, of being overweight and totally happy with my life/weight. I seriously didn't care that I was overweight. And I didn't have any out of the normal health issues/symptoms. If you had asked me the day before I had unplanned/emergency blood work done, I would have sworn up and down that I was overweight and perfectly healthy. What I didn't know is that I had a glucose number in the pre-diabetes range. The CDC estimates that 90% of people who have pre-diabetes don't know they have it. And one of the biggest risk factors is being overweight.
I thought I was healthy. I felt fine. I was actually sick and on my way to having a life altering disease that kills a lot of people. After I told her this the other person left the conversation. The whole encounter was really sad and its left a really bad impression on me about the fat acceptance movement.
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Running the neighborhood is hardly the same as floating down the river with a six pack.eileen0515 wrote: »coreyreichle wrote: »stephanieluvspb wrote: »I enjoy running. I love putting music on and being out in the fresh air totally in my own world. I have never ran a race and have no desire to do so. Running gets my heart rate up and burns calories. I run in my neighborhood, same distance and same time. Why do I have to beat my time? if I'm a normal weight and I'm running for cardio and stress relief am I suddenly unhealthy or a failure because I'm not getting faster?
No, nothing wrong with it (I said so myself prior). However, you're hardly in a position to be lauded for it.
Who are you to say whether she should be lauded or not. Who made you the decider?
Why should someone be praised for simply doing an activity they enjoy? I enjoy floating down a lazy river in an inner tube with a six pack. I don't expect a trophy for it.
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ReaderGirl3 wrote: »caffeinatedcami wrote: »I was thinking about body image issues (my own and society's in general) and I learned about something called the Fat Acceptance Movement. The Healthy at Any Size Movement is related to this as well. I am curious what people's thoughts on this are.
Personally I am of two minds about it. I have never been clinically overweight but I definitely flirted with the normal-overweight bmi boundary at one point. I have had body image issues since I was a teenager and three of my immediate family members have suffered from anorexia. So I know the toll that negative body image can have on a person. Everyone should love themselves regardless of their size. And fat-shaming should not be tolerated. However, I agree with a lot of the points made in this blog post "6 Things I Don't Understand About the Fat Acceptance Movement". At a certain point does it really demonstrate self-love to give up on weight loss? What are your thoughts?
http://thoughtcatalog.com/carolyn-hall/2014/04/6-things-i-dont-understand-about-the-fat-acceptance-movement/
I've only really had one experience, and that was on another forum. I got into a very heated debate with someone who was really into the movement and she was very overweight. She was coming at it from how society treats certain people, and how she's proud to be the weight she was at and she was perfectly fine/healthy. I was coming into the conversation as someone who used to be overweight and was now thin. Right off the bat, that didn't go over to well with her As our back and forth proceeded I kept bringing up the health aspect of the whole thing, and she kept insisting that she was healthy and her weight was not a negative in any way. Finally, I suggested we both post our latest blood panel results (I was willing to post my before weight loss ones, as well as my current ones). She kept deflecting and then finally admitted she hadn't been to the doctor in years/hadn't had blood work done.
I then shared my own story, of being overweight and totally happy with my life/weight. I seriously didn't care that I was overweight. And I didn't have any out of the normal health issues/symptoms. If you had asked me the day before I had unplanned/emergency blood work done, I would have sworn up and down that I was overweight and perfectly healthy. What I didn't know is that I had a glucose number in the pre-diabetes range. The CDC estimates that 90% of people who have pre-diabetes don't know they have it. And one of the biggest risk factors is being overweight.
I thought I was healthy. I felt fine. I was actually sick and on my way to having a life altering disease that kills a lot of people. After I told her this the other person left the conversation. The whole encounter was really sad and its left a really bad impression on me about the fat acceptance movement.
You gave her the attention she was craving. Just as I'm making the same mistake here. Some people need help and will never get it. It's tragic, but some people are just wired to slowly kill themselves. I've seen it happen too many times to not recognize it. There was a time when it made me very sad and angry. Now, I guess it depends on whether I know the person and am forced to watch it happen in slow motion. Not everyone can be helped. It's part of this very complicated struggle called life. I just don't have to celebrate it.
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I'm divided over it. On one hand, I first discovered "Health At Every Size" about 7 or 8 years ago, and it was an inspiration to me. Back then, it seemed m ore focused on the idea that you could exercise and get healthy at any size, there was a community that encouraged eachother's fitness goals, tips on finding plus-size workout wear, etc. It was mostly positive and helped inspire me to start getting more active (I lost about 40 pounds, then got pregnant as my PCOS symptoms lessened, then gained back that weight plus 60 more pounds over the next few years after having my son and leaving an active job).
It seems like it's changed in that time, especially as it shifted away from health at every size (encouraging a healthier lifestyle at any weight) to "fat acceptance". I don't like this new idea that seems to see fat as some sort of in-born, unchangeable characteristic like race, gender, or sexuality. I guess it fits the whole modern social justice narrative, but it is being used to discourage people who want to change and, in many cases, to contribute to some unhealthy and borderline delusional thinking that can endanger people's health.
In some ways, I could easily claim to be "healthy" fat. I'm over 300 pounds, my bloodwork looks great (overlooking PCOS symptoms the thyroid medication I know take), and I enjoy walking and hiking. But, even with "good" numbers, I know that I used to wake up a lot with a sore back and hips and have knee pain after a lot of exertion, and that has lessened after losing even 30 pounds. I am slower than most of my smaller friends because of the extra weight, even when compared to those who don't exercise regularly, and I get out of breath much more easily. There's no doubt in my mind that losing the excess weight I'm carrying will help with speed and endurance for hiking and building up from walking/jogging to running, and just enjoying life and being more active and able to keep up with friends and family, and pretending otherwise would just be ignoring reality.26 -
eileen0515 wrote: »coreyreichle wrote: »stephanieluvspb wrote: »I enjoy running. I love putting music on and being out in the fresh air totally in my own world. I have never ran a race and have no desire to do so. Running gets my heart rate up and burns calories. I run in my neighborhood, same distance and same time. Why do I have to beat my time? if I'm a normal weight and I'm running for cardio and stress relief am I suddenly unhealthy or a failure because I'm not getting faster?
No, nothing wrong with it (I said so myself prior). However, you're hardly in a position to be lauded for it.
Who are you to say whether she should be lauded or not. Who made you the decider?
We give accolades to "winners". There's a reason we have "winners".
Note both teams don't "win" in a soccer match.
This "a trophy for everyone" idea in the US is silly.13 -
eileen0515 wrote: »
Running the neighborhood is hardly the same as floating down the river with a six pack.eileen0515 wrote: »coreyreichle wrote: »stephanieluvspb wrote: »I enjoy running. I love putting music on and being out in the fresh air totally in my own world. I have never ran a race and have no desire to do so. Running gets my heart rate up and burns calories. I run in my neighborhood, same distance and same time. Why do I have to beat my time? if I'm a normal weight and I'm running for cardio and stress relief am I suddenly unhealthy or a failure because I'm not getting faster?
No, nothing wrong with it (I said so myself prior). However, you're hardly in a position to be lauded for it.
Who are you to say whether she should be lauded or not. Who made you the decider?
Why should someone be praised for simply doing an activity they enjoy? I enjoy floating down a lazy river in an inner tube with a six pack. I don't expect a trophy for it.
For myself, it's not all that different. A 3 mile jaunt through the neighborhood is actually relaxing, and enjoyable.
I don't need to get attention every time I do it, though.2 -
I think everyone who finishes a marathon gets accolades and a medal....because it's a pretty amazing accomplishment.
Well I guess unless you do it while being overweight or obese...then you are someone who should be made fun of or told how not good enough you are.
Everyone that can finish a marathon deserves respect, but I wouldn't call "amazing" a PB of 6:14...2 -
It depends on the individual and their personal motivations or agendas. If you are looking to actually make changes and better your life or improve yourself, I will support you 100%. If you enter a marathon, are dead last and crawl across the finish line hours behind the last person, I will applaud you.
However, if you are using your circumstances for fame, notoriety, financial gain (Whitney Thore) or for the sole purpose of obtaining a metal so you can claim you're an elite athlete and marathon competitor (Regan Chastain to all of the aforementioned), and have zero desire to make positive changes to your life or health while discouraging others for even thinking about trying, I will never support you. I don't care how overweight or skinny you are. If those are your motivations, you're pathetic.15 -
Gianfranco_R wrote: »I think everyone who finishes a marathon gets accolades and a medal....because it's a pretty amazing accomplishment.
Well I guess unless you do it while being overweight or obese...then you are someone who should be made fun of or told how not good enough you are.
Everyone that can finish a marathon deserves respect, but I wouldn't call "amazing" a PB of 6:14...
As watching those who finish with that time....and how every step is a struggle, I do. When I watch the Marathon, I wait...and those are the people I cheer for. Their brain wants to quit with every step and they keep going. Amazing.
I have not been able to accomplish a marathon and if and when I do...no matter the time, it'll be an amazing accomplishment. I am sure others will poo poo it and try to tear it down, but it will still be amazing.
I also find it laughable that there is an assumption that the runner we are speaking of is not trying to better herself because she has not lost weight. As if anything else is irrelevant. She has bettered herself by increasing her mileage. I even read her current goals and she is working on her pace and hoping to have something in the 10 minute mile as an ultimate goal. However the shaming judgment because she is not the size that is considered acceptable will probably always continue. It is part of our society where those who are fat (and especially those who are fat and female) are considered less than. I know I felt it when I was overweight and still witness it now that I am not.
Gotta go now though. Gotta head out and pick up not one, but two race bibs. I won't win either of those races...so to some I probably shouldn't even bother. But those people don't matter and I will bother.
You do know that everyone in a marathon slim or curvy or overweight is feeling like giving up on every step right?
You almost come across as an inverse discriminator against normal and slim fit people.
I'd even go so far as to say you have a chip on your shoulder.
Either way I don't give a toss about any of your choices. As a parent, who's kid goes to school wit overweight kids who are ostracised, I very much care about the parents letting them get like that. Any pro overweight encouraging behaviour is screwing the future generation over as far as I'm concerned. I don't want my son growing up in such a destructive society.
Thank god we live in England. I'm dual nationality and I'd be in big trouble if I lived in the states. It's a quagmire of gluttony.15
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