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Fat Acceptance Movement
Replies
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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 -
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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 -
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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 -
I am all for not shaming obese people, minding your own business (when it is not a loved one), and treating issues due to large size in a sesitive manner. I am not in favor of fat (obesity) acceptance either, and I would not support peoples' choices to remain at an obese size. Accept that you are fat? Yes. People need to have a realistic view of their body and how a large size will eventually negatively impact their health, and then they would benefit from support as they work to improve their health. Support such as going for a walk or sipping unsweetened tea on a patio when you get together with obese friends, rather than making the focus of socializing going for icecream or out for wings.
Going on the amusement park ride without your friend because they are too big to fit on the ride would not be fat shaming. That would be you enjoying an experience that your friend, unfortunately, is now unable to enjoy. They are too fat for the ride. It isn't fat shaming but just a fact even though the obese friend may feel unhappy about it.
Being obese is an unhealthy state. I agree with someone else who said that they do not find obesity attractive, partially because it is an unhealthy state. IMO, obesity does not look, feel, or even sound good or healthy, in myself or in others. When I was overweight I did not think of myself as attractive as I was when thinner, and I am sure others did not either. There may have been a few outliers who thought I looked better 40 lbs heavier but I am sure they are the minority.
I am guessing that obesity is not attractive because it is less healthy. I think we are naturally attracted to health. It just makes sense for the continuation of the species. This would include other health issues too. I have a few autoimmune diseases which has caused thinning of my hair. I dislike it, find it less attractive and try to minimize it's impact on my looks. I find other women with thinning hair to look less healthy than those with thick shiny hair. That's just the way it is for me, and for some others. Thinning hair is not an indicator of good health. The same could be said of acne; I find those with clear glowing, healthy skin to be more attractive than someone else whoses face has a lot of acne, even if they have similarly attractive facial features. I also associate acne wih poorer health, especially since I know my own skin clears up when I eat in a healthy manner for my body (I know this is not true for all).
I agree that overweight people can be healthy, but I do think their long term health would be most likely improved if they lost some weight. I don't believe obese people can remain healthy if they remain obese; I think eventually they'll have issues with metabolic syndrome and it's resultant health problems, as well as being at higher risk of some cancers, some forms of dementia, and some joint problems.
As Dr Peter Attia puts it, obesity is a marker of health problems (often from metabolic syndrome), and not necissarily the cause of the health problems (paraphrased).
Being obese is not healthy, but being obese does not make a person a lesser individual, or someone who should be shamed because of their size.... To be honest, I haven't seen fat shaming happen much - not in many years. Maybe because I am in Canada? It is possible that I could be oblivious to the problem because I am not obese, but I rarely have seen anyone mocked for their size, and those instances I have seen are usually by children and teens - emotionally immature people.8 -
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...
It might be a huge accomplishment for the person who does it (whether fat or thin).
No, it's not objectively going to win any awards, but so? Most of us who run aren't going to, even if our times are quite a bit faster. I've been plugging away at the gym to get 10 reps at 75 lb bench -- that's ridiculously light for many. Does that mean that since I'm not that great I should quit, I shouldn't feel good when I get it? That training for another marathon is pointless for me since I won't hit the podium?
I don't quite get the idea that only objective performance is worth respecting or can be inspiring. Other women lifting has been inspiring to me -- both those with fabulous numbers and results and those early on and working with numbers more like mine. Indeed, the latter were an example of why it was possible and would be something worth doing for someone like me, not something that would get me laughed at. Similarly, years and years ago I bought a book called Slow Fat Triathlete. I wasn't fat at the time (and I also bought books by Joel Friel and others), but reading it and discovering the story of this unlikely woman who'd done and gotten sucked into triathlons was part of what inspired me to do my first one, since at the time the only people I'd met who did them were men in fabulous shape (this was 2004). Also to deal with the fear of being the worst (although I was more mid pack for my age as it turned out).
If the fact that I've done races and enjoyed them (even with mediocre times) encouraged others to do them or helped them see they could get in shape (seeing people I know get into athletics or lose weight has certainly encouraged me), I think that's great, and saying that does not mean at all that I think I should be lauded, that's silly.
Yes, for health it's best if someone obese loses weight. That's not always easy and there are reasons why people may struggle with it. Getting out there and being active is something else good for one's health and if someone feels able to do that I think it's a good thing, and in many or most cases helps with the weight (either losing or not gaining as much as one otherwise would).
I don't see why being fat gives others a right to sneer and judge based on the pretend idea that they are concerned about health, when most things that people do that are unhealthy are not something we know about or think about and most of us could be MORE healthy. Anyway, while I think respecting my body is an ideal to strive toward, I don't really see being occasionally imperfect (or worse) in my health-related habits to be a moral failing or anyone else's business. I mean, there are all kinds of ways we could strive to be better people, and more fully realize our capabilities. Life is a bunch of trade-offs and some trade-offs we make are regrettable in retrospect or, eh, hard to justify if we had to, but we'd still do them again. (I have a lot of really good books I could have read instead of wasting time on MFP, after all.)10 -
ArmyofAdrian wrote: »ArmyofAdrian wrote: »ArmyofAdrian wrote: »Being severely overweight or underweight for that matter is unhealthy. We are naturally repulsed by things that are unhealthy. I don't spend a lot of time worrying about it, but all other things being equal, I do have a lower opinion of people who are obviously unhealthy than of people who appeared to be good physical condition. It's a logical reaction.
I don't think we as a species are naturally repulsed by things that are unhealthy. You might be, but I'd think you'd be in a minority, there.
In scientific circles, there is widespread agreement that disgust evolved to motivate the avoidance of contact with disease-causing organisms. But hey, there are some weird fetishes out there, so whatever floats your boat.
If you would be so kind as to cite you references here I would be grateful.
An evolutionary advantage to avoiding people who are overweight actually does not make any sense.
But the good news is that if there is widespread agreement, you will favor me with a nice list of specific scientific references.
I'll save you the burden of a simple google search. http://pdescioli.com/papers/tybur.etal.disgust.PsychRev13.pdf
This article does not speak at all to people's attitude towards overweight people.
Someone else's obesity is not disease causing to me. It may not even be disease causing to them.
As to "my problem", rudeness and arrogance from someone making a very poor argument is the source.
You didn't ask for an article to speak to people's attitude towards overweight people, nor did I claim there was one. I said there was agreement "that disgust evolved to motivate the avoidance of contact with disease-causing organisms". You asked for a citation to support that. The article supports my statement. Now you're pretending you asked a different question. Hilarious.4 -
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Her lack of putting in the effort others are putting in while simultaneously blogging about it in a "look at me" way, is what I find repugnant. Many of us know where we are in terms of performance, are humble about it, and try hard to improve. Look at what I actually wrote above regarding struggling hard and still failing being inspiring because of the effort. What I don't enjoy is watching self destructive behavior romanticized.
I don't know you, so I don't know if you've ever been truly overweight/obese. I was, very much so. Morbidly obese. I didn't start exercising until I lost 140 lbs and became a healthy weight. I wish I'd started sooner but the reason I didn't is because of the attitudes of some people in this thread. Of course, it's my fault that I let other peoples opinions stop me...a mistake I hope to never make again.
The thing that's inspiring about 'fat girl running' is just that, going out and doing it. I nearly cried the first time I went out for a run, and this was at a size 12. The mental hurdle is for many the hardest part, it was for me.
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ArmyofAdrian wrote: »ArmyofAdrian wrote: »ArmyofAdrian wrote: »ArmyofAdrian wrote: »Being severely overweight or underweight for that matter is unhealthy. We are naturally repulsed by things that are unhealthy. I don't spend a lot of time worrying about it, but all other things being equal, I do have a lower opinion of people who are obviously unhealthy than of people who appeared to be good physical condition. It's a logical reaction.
I don't think we as a species are naturally repulsed by things that are unhealthy. You might be, but I'd think you'd be in a minority, there.
In scientific circles, there is widespread agreement that disgust evolved to motivate the avoidance of contact with disease-causing organisms. But hey, there are some weird fetishes out there, so whatever floats your boat.
If you would be so kind as to cite you references here I would be grateful.
An evolutionary advantage to avoiding people who are overweight actually does not make any sense.
But the good news is that if there is widespread agreement, you will favor me with a nice list of specific scientific references.
I'll save you the burden of a simple google search. http://pdescioli.com/papers/tybur.etal.disgust.PsychRev13.pdf
This article does not speak at all to people's attitude towards overweight people.
Someone else's obesity is not disease causing to me. It may not even be disease causing to them.
As to "my problem", rudeness and arrogance from someone making a very poor argument is the source.
You didn't ask for an article to speak to people's attitude towards overweight people, nor did I claim there was one. I said there was agreement "that disgust evolved to motivate the avoidance of contact with disease-causing organisms". You asked for a citation to support that. The article supports my statement. Now you're pretending you asked a different question. Hilarious.
Your implication seemed to be that this had something to do with people's feelings about obese people.0 -
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Her lack of putting in the effort others are putting in while simultaneously blogging about it in a "look at me" way, is what I find repugnant. Many of us know where we are in terms of performance, are humble about it, and try hard to improve. Look at what I actually wrote above regarding struggling hard and still failing being inspiring because of the effort. What I don't enjoy is watching self destructive behavior romanticized.
I don't know you, so I don't know if you've ever been truly overweight/obese. I was, very much so. Morbidly obese. I didn't start exercising until I lost 140 lbs and became a healthy weight. I wish I'd started sooner but the reason I didn't is because of the attitudes of some people in this thread. Of course, it's my fault that I let other peoples opinions stop me...a mistake I hope to never make again.
The thing that's inspiring about 'fat girl running' is just that, going out and doing it. I nearly cried the first time I went out for a run, and this was at a size 12. The mental hurdle is for many the hardest part, it was for me.
I got fat for a while because I enjoyed eating and didn't care enough about my health. I fixed it because someone who loves me broke my balls about it. She didn't "accept" me not taking care of myself. If you're putting in the effort to change then I applaud that. Of course, that should have been crystal clear if you read what I wrote in this thread. I'm out. I have heavy legs day and a run to attend to.1 -
Springfield1970 wrote: »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.
Nah, I was talking about the people I was watching running...of all shapes and sizes. I was watching people running with pain on their faces and some with pained years in their eyes. Many looked like everything in them wanted to stop & instead they kept going.
If cheering for them and feeling that their marathon accomplishments shouldn't be diminished because of their shape or time or they didn't work hard enough for it while doing 26.2...makes it so I have a chip on my shoulder, so be it.
I wasn't referring to you 'cheering people who are struggling on' as the situation where you seem like you have a chip on your shoulder. You've manipulated the conversation here. I was referring to your general demeanour.
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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/
HAES tells children who are obese - not overweight, obese - that they are perfectly fine, that there are no health problems they can possibly get for being obese. That is not alright.9 -
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even after losing 150 pounds i am still considered slightly overweight and i would consider myself chubby
there are people out there & in this thread that would probably shame me and consider me unhealthy still
but the fat acceptance movement or HAES thing has made it easier for me to try to find acceptance in the way my body is now since it will virtually never be what i want it to be
if fat people are happy the way they are i really do not see why people get so upset about it?? why do people pretend to care about someones health?? do you also police thin peoples health and activity? i highly doubt it
the real fat acceptance haters just seem like some really angry people who think fat people do not deserve to feel attractive or seen as beautiful because if they are seen as beautiful then that is "glorifying obesity & unhealthiness" nah boo you just don't want your "im thin and therefore beautiful" thrown taken away from you
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Springfield1970 wrote: »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.
I have finished 10 full marathons. Some have only been uncomfortable for the last mile or so. Not everyone feels like quitting every step of the way. I have always been of the opinion that the people in the back of the pack were very courageous to fight through and finish.
Parents allowing children to become obese is unacceptable. But this is a completely seperate issue IMO.4 -
ArmyofAdrian wrote: »rankinsect wrote: »ubermofish wrote: »Obese people cannot be healthy. But people shouldn't be shamed or bullied for it.
Why not? Particularly at the lower levels of obesity (class I obesity) there isn't a very significant impact on health. Being normal weight but sedentary shortens your life expectancy by more than being class I obese but moderately active. An active, nonsmoking class I obese person can easily be well above the population average in terms of health.
What is true is that all other factors being equal, an obese person would be healthier if they reduced their weight. That doesn't mean obese people can't be healthy.
Obesity by definition is unhealthy.
No, it is not "by definition". Learn what "by definition" means before you use it next time.
I don't know what definition of obesity you are using, but we're going to have to agree to disagree. I'm going with the CDC's definition of obesity: "Weight that is higher than what is considered as a healthy weight for a given height is described as overweight or obese. " A weight that is higher than what is healthy would be unhealthy.
Also, the AMA, The World Health Organization, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists each recognize obesity as a disease. A disease is included in the set of things that are unhealthy.9 -
sunnybeaches105 wrote: »GaleHawkins wrote: »I take the stance that everyone benefits from healthier choices. I won't assume that an overweight person has failed in this department. Here is an example of a positive model:
http://fatgirlrunning-fatrunner.blogspot.ca/?m=1
Heck, we just lost Prince at fifty-seven. We won't know for a few weeks what felled him but my bet is heart attack.
mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/live-prince-dead-updates-reaction-7805506
It was mentioned they are trying to get the records of his hospital visit 6 days before his death.
It's Prince. My bet is on drugs. Another very unhealthy habit that has been romanticized and excused.
dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3555292/Prince-s-former-drug-dealer-reveals-extent-addiction.html
I just read this from a UK rag. Not sure why the drug dealer is going public if this is all factual.0 -
Springfield1970 wrote: »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.
As an educator, I'm very concerned about children who bully and ostracize other children for superficial reasons like weight, ethnicity, language, or wealth. And I wonder what kind of families they come from that encourage them to be mean, spiteful and vindictive solely to flex power over other people.
22 -
Where does Whitney Thorpe fit into all this?
I find her commitment to exercise commendable, but her not really addressing the diet part of the equation to attain "health" a bit frustrating.
I know she sees a dietician, but I don't know if she has lost any weight?
I'm a season behind, so not really sure where she is at now or where her campaign is going.3 -
I'm late to this conversation, but here are my thoughts.
Nobody should be bullied for any reason. That's just cruel behavior. As someone else mentioned, I also dislike the term "shame" or "shaming". Shame comes from within. Two people who are otherwise identical could be exposed to the same stimulus and one may feel shame and the other not. Accusing someone (or an entity) of fat shaming is pointless. If they're bullying then accuse them of bullying, but don't accuse them of fat shaming because that's not a thing. A very sensitive person could find almost anything to be shaming whereas a very insensitive person could have someone yell in their face "you're fat" and not feel shame.
I agree that there are healthy people at a lot of sizes. I think once you get into obesity (or extremely underweight) that these people are unicorns. Most obese people are not healthy or, if they remain obese, will find their health fails earlier in life. Even obese people with healthy blood panels may have other issues from having to carry all that extra weight.
As for the movements themselves ... I dislike them. I agree that everyone should love who they are. I agree that everyone at any size has the capability of improving their health, whether that's on their own or with the help of a doctor. I disagree that loving who you are is equivalent to being completely at peace with being overweight/obese. You can love who you are and still want to change your health (and your body). The movements are failing to distinguish between those ideas and thus I dislike them. As usual, the extremists ruin it all.
Finally, as for the overweight runner - why are we sitting around evaluating whether or not she qualifies as a "real runner"? She thinks she's a runner, so let her call herself a runner. I don't care if she only runs for 5 minutes out of each hour, if she considers it running then she can call it running. It's not like her perception of her mileage is affecting anyone else. She's not beating anyone out of the Guinness Book of World Records solely through a verbal claim of "I'm a runner and I'm overweight". She isn't going to win the Boston Marathon by saying "give me extra credit because I'm heavy". I could argue the same thing about people who claim to be artists. Just because you make art doesn't make you an artist, in my opinion. Just because someone runs doesn't make them a runner, is what I'm hearing some of you say. But my opinion about artists doesn't really matter and your opinion on runners doesn't really matter. An individual can call themselves a runner and/or an artist if that's how they identify themselves.15 -
ArmyofAdrian wrote: »I don't know what definition of obesity you are using, but we're going to have to agree to disagree. I'm going with the CDC's definition of obesity: "Weight that is higher than what is considered as a healthy weight for a given height is described as overweight or obese. " A weight that is higher than what is healthy would be unhealthy.
Also, the AMA, The World Health Organization, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists each recognize obesity as a disease. A disease is included in the set of things that are unhealthy.
Of course, the line between healthy and unhealthy is uniform for a height regardless of any other factors? That seems very, very arbitrary to me. The BMI definition of obesity is population-statistical. It's uninformative for any individual.4 -
I think that shaming people for the size of their bodies is unbelievably cruel and should not happen, ever. Having said that, it is worrisome to me that it is becoming socially acceptable to be so very overweight. It is super unhealthy and can lead to early death. But, I can only do so much in my little corner of the world, so I encourage my girls to eat right and get decent amounts of exercise, and talk to them openly (and kindly) about the dangers of being obese.It seems silly. Nobody should be made fun of for their weight but it should be acceptable to have a fact-based candid discussion with somebody you care about concerning their weight if it becomes a medical issue.
This + 23
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