33.8 % of adult Americans are OBESE.
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Ugh I have been told I'm "too skinny" and that I need to "eat something" all my life...that's probably how I ended up being the definition of skinny fat. Fat belly, flabby arms and just yuck! I used to eat as much crap as I could to try and gain weight bc people would talk about how skinny I was.0
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I have a girl crush on you :blushing:
I get the same. I go home and ALL of my family tells me I need to eat more, gain weight, too thin, blah blah blah. I love them to death, but they are all obese-morbidly obese and I just find it wrong.
Don't EVER call anyone fat though. Call anyone skinny, rail thin, gross, disgusting, manly, but NEVER fat :noway:
You are gorgeous and don't let them get you down. I am obese, but I used to be severly morbidly obese. I do agree that too many people in the world are obese...I'm just doing something about it. :flowerforyou:
Aww ty!!
And look at how much progress you are making! You are doing great and becoming more and more healthy. Which is a great attitude!
Comments like "she could really use a sandwich" make me sad
I couldn't say the opposite to someone on the boards ya know?? That would be mean!
OMG I love this... especially since you added a kitty pic. And not just any kitty - a british shorthair!!!!!! I have the same cat and I love love love love him, like crazy-person love him.0 -
Truth. It especially bothers me when people use the "average american woman's" size/weight/what have you as the comparison for what is realistic for people to reach in terms of size and fitness. The "average" is too effing fat these days, not the gold standard of health.
AMEN SISTER!! I can't tell you how many times I've been told "but you're like the average woman's size, you don't need to lose weight." UM when the average woman's size is this (I'm about 30 lbs overweight at the moment), we have a problem!! I don't want to be "the norm" if the norm is unhealthy and overweight. While I think body shaming is wrong (no matter what size you are) this whole "embrace your womanly body" bullshiz makes me crazy. Why should we tell women who are unhealthy to embrace their size and stay that way on either end of the weight spectrum??0 -
Agreed.... 1st world problems people bring onto themselves, make me frustrated to put it lightly.
I was thinking the same thing. It's only been recently in all of human history that having an abundance of food is a problem.0 -
One person's take on fat acceptance, be warned he is quite harsh
http://beastmodaldomains.com/2011/11/09/fat-acceptance-is-unacceptable/
This is great!0 -
I am also from a family where everyone 18+ (besides myself now & my husband) are overweight or obese. Whenever we visit I'm told that I need to "Eat more! Take some home!" And I"m constanty being asked, "Have you eaten anything today? Are you okay?"
...and yes, I've even been accused of not feeding my husband properly!!! (He's 180 lbs at 5'11")
Ugh.
BUT on the bright side, my dad just joined weight watchers and told me that I inspried him; so I guess if you can make it through the harrassment stage, you might be able to make it to the making a difference stage!!!0 -
A lot of celebrities are not healthy. A lot of people just can't be healthy and be a size 0 or 2. I know some people can but a lot of people's frames are not meant to be that small. When I was a 4/6 (and perfectly happy) some people told me I was too thin. I couldn't have disagreed more; however, I certainly didn't want to lose weight and I definitely think it would have been unhealthy for me to be smaller. However, if I was in Hollywood I would be described as a "big" actress. My profile pic is me as a 4/6 (my inspiration) do I look big? Seriously, if that is described as big it's a recipe for encouraging body dysmorphia and eating disorders.
I'll never be a size 2 either. I'm 5'9" and 160lbs.
But really, why do we care about Hollywood? How does it make sense to look at a size 0 star and say "she's too skinny so it's okay to be obese"? We need to focus on ourselves. Most of us can tell what is healthy and most of us here know a healthy way to get there. Yes, eating disorders are real, scary and a huge concern. But in all honestly they are much less common than obesity. I looked it up. Only 1% of teenage girls have eating disorders. 15% of them are obese. Not just "overweight". Obese.
Good point.0 -
One person's take on fat acceptance, be warned he is quite harsh
http://beastmodaldomains.com/2011/11/09/fat-acceptance-is-unacceptable/
whoa! that picture of the woman "giving birth to herself" WOOF!0 -
I believe if people acknowledged that you're healthy and fit, they would also have to acknowledge that they're not. So for them it's much more comforting--and safer--to move the goalposts of normalcy and declare that you're too skinny and need to eat more.
i agree. it makes them feel bad when people are "normal" sized so they have to label us. but it's ok, they can say it if they want. i'd rather be "too skinny" (their mislabeling of normal) than "too fat"0 -
I have definitely noticed a little bit of a frosty attitude from my coworkers lately. They all went a diet around the same time I did but they hopped back off the wagon after a week and I have lost 12 pounds. It always reminds me of an article I read once. The author asked, "Why is it socially acceptable to call someone out for smoking but rude to call someone out for eating unhealthy foods. In the end, they are just as harmful to the body." Being fit is worth the cold shoulder. I know there are people out there who appreciate the same things I do, thank goodness for MFP.0
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Slightly OT, but still trying to get my head around the concept of "deep-fried butter"...
Yeah, they have it at the Texas State Fair (along with deep fried oreos, snickers, queso, bubblegum, bacon...you name it, us southerners can deep fry it). It's basically like a biscuit completely soaked in butter then thrown into the deep fryer. It makes my arteries clog up just thinking about it.0 -
BTW I just DIED reading that article. It's like he took the mean things I think from time to time and wrote them down in a way that makes me feel not so mean.0
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I'm sorry, but i agree to a certain extent about people being concerned with media portrayals of both men and women being underweight. I don't think that being overweight is something to be encouraged, but you only need be on these boards 10 minutes before coming across some form of disordered eating, someone pushing the limits of caloric deficit in the name of quick results, or a 19 year old at 114lbs complaining about her "saddlebags". One of my bosses daughters asked me how many calories were in the jelly beans on my desk. She's about 9.
I think both extremes are pretty tied into one another and the fixation on "weight" rather than healthful living.0 -
I was one of their number until I joined MFP! Now I'm only overweight. Am I happy? Yes, I am! Now to work on being overweight. My husband is soooo worried that I'll get skinny - hahahahahahaha! That will never happen. :laugh:
Have a great day.
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Define normal. Normal is relative. And it is becoming "normal" to people because it's all around them... processed foods are easy to get and eat. They are also perceived to be cheaper (though I contest that they are not, both in the short and long run, but I'm sure I would be preaching to the choir here)... Also food (and weight no matter which side of the spectrum) is largely emotional... especially for women. Not to mention the fact that no one wants to be told they are wrong (in this case linving unhealthily). In addition to all these other things we have the "it's not my fault" mentality... which goes back to not wanting to be told they are living in the wrong way...0
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THIS sums it up for me ......
This is why I want to lose weight. I have fat around my belly and I do not want to end up diabetic. I know that I will look better. But first and foremost for me, this is a health issue.
And people are overweight because so many things in society allow them to be. If they stopped making larger size clothes, people would need to lose weight so they could wear them. If they would stop running around and go to the grocery store instead of eating out, people wouldn't be overweight.
We live in a world of "convenience" so no one has to be held accountable. McDonald's isn't making us obese. People's laziness and lack of caring is what is killing them. Just like people who smoke. If you want to disregard your health, especially in this day and age where people know what is unhealthy, then that's your bad.
GO US! We all decided to make a change for the better. And the ones who can't? Well they just aren't trying hard enough. Nothing in life worth having is easy.0 -
We were JUST talking about this, how rude to judge a skinny person as it is a heavy person. Its like being in your 40's the first time you hear someone say you are getting to "that age". If only we didn't have NUMBERS to label ourselves or others, by age, by the scale, by our pay, by our homes square feet!
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Slightly OT, but still trying to get my head around the concept of "deep-fried butter"...
Yeah, they have it at the Texas State Fair (along with deep fried oreos, snickers, queso, bubblegum, bacon...you name it, us southerners can deep fry it). It's basically like a biscuit completely soaked in butter then thrown into the deep fryer. It makes my arteries clog up just thinking about it.
It's quite surprising that we don't have a higher obesity rate than Mississippi or Alabama, because of all this... we also *love* our BBQ and chicken fried (insert meat here)...0 -
Why is it wrong to label a woman with an unhealthily high body fat percentage as "fat"?
Honesty is usually not politically correct.0 -
Slightly OT, but still trying to get my head around the concept of "deep-fried butter"...
Yeah, they have it at the Texas State Fair (along with deep fried oreos, snickers, queso, bubblegum, bacon...you name it, us southerners can deep fry it). It's basically like a biscuit completely soaked in butter then thrown into the deep fryer. It makes my arteries clog up just thinking about it.
It's quite surprising that we don't have a higher obesity rate than Mississippi or Alabama, because of all this... we also *love* our BBQ and chicken fried (insert meat here)...
And don't forget the gift from God that is Mexican food (a little more prevalent the further south you go in TX). Good lord I could go to TOWN on some Mexican food. Hence why I'm 30 lbs overweight...0 -
and I am NO LONGER one of them.... BLAM!
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I have definitely noticed a little bit of a frosty attitude from my coworkers lately. They all went a diet around the same time I did but they hopped back off the wagon after a week and I have lost 12 pounds. It always reminds me of an article I read once. The author asked, "Why is it socially acceptable to call someone out for smoking but rude to call someone out for eating unhealthy foods. In the end, they are just as harmful to the body." Being fit is worth the cold shoulder. I know there are people out there who appreciate the same things I do, thank goodness for MFP.
In reference to the quote... it is probably because when a person smokes it doesn't just affect the smoker, it affects those around the smoker as well (both during and after they smoke)... but if someone goes to the Heart Attack Grill or the Texas State Fair and eat until they puke, that's just affecting them (in a direct physical sense).0 -
These statistics are based on BMI - and BMI is faulty. All it is is a height to weight ratio. A body builder can have the same BMI as an obese man.
I wouldn't put too much into those numbers.0 -
Slightly OT, but still trying to get my head around the concept of "deep-fried butter"...
Yeah, they have it at the Texas State Fair (along with deep fried oreos, snickers, queso, bubblegum, bacon...you name it, us southerners can deep fry it). It's basically like a biscuit completely soaked in butter then thrown into the deep fryer. It makes my arteries clog up just thinking about it.
It's quite surprising that we don't have a higher obesity rate than Mississippi or Alabama, because of all this... we also *love* our BBQ and chicken fried (insert meat here)...
And don't forget the gift from God that is Mexican food (a little more prevalent the further south you go in TX). Good lord I could go to TOWN on some Mexican food. Hence why I'm 30 lbs overweight...
MMM.... yes, Mexican food... There is a place in OKC that makes AWESOME tortilla's and queso... and it's a good thing they aren't here in Texas otherwise, I would be more overweight than I already am.0 -
I disagree. We spend a lot of time telling people that "being fat makes you a worthless person so you don't deserve nice stuff or to be happy."One person's take on fat acceptance, be warned he is quite harsh
So I 100% accept the fat acceptance movement. Everyone needs to find their own health and happiness, and everyone else should stay out of it in my book.I understand why this article went in the following direction, but my takeaway from it was that there really is a sub-culture -- and race doesn't matter -- where people glamorize being overweight.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/black-women-heavier-and-happier-with-their-bodies-than-white-women-poll-finds/2012/02/22/gIQAPmcHeR_story.html
I have seen a few other takes on this study about the differences between black women and white women in terms of body confidence. The most interesting thing is that the average black women goes about "losing weight" to improve their health and not to improve their looks. The average white woman is doing it to "look better" fit into a certain size. A very different perception on the benefits of losing weight.
Study after study talks about how hard it is for people to maintain weight loss, but one common thread is getting in more daily activity, eating well, and losing even a small percentage of weight improves your health in a myriad of ways. I'd much rather see us encouraging people to incorporate healthy behaviors regularly instead of focusing on the scale. Everyone would be in better health if they exercised for 30 minutes a day, cut down on fast food, ate more whole grains, and ate plenty of produce. At the end of the day don't we want a society full of healthy people who aren't dealing with chronic diseases? Who cares if health comes in size 2, 10, or 22.A lot of celebrities are not healthy. A lot of people just can't be healthy and be a size 0 or 2. I know some people can but a lot of people's frames are not meant to be that small. When I was a 4/6 (and perfectly happy) some people told me I was too thin. I couldn't have disagreed more; however, I certainly didn't want to lose weight and I definitely think it would have been unhealthy for me to be smaller. However, if I was in Hollywood I would be described as a "big" actress. My profile pic is me as a 4/6 (my inspiration) do I look big? Seriously, if that is described as big it's a recipe for encouraging body dysmorphia and eating disorders.
Exactly most celebrities do not look very healthy at all. Some people are naturally a size 2. Other people do lots of unhealthy stuff to sit at that size.
I have one friend who is a pear shaped size 0-2. She feels like her legs are HUGE! Because she keeps seeing all of the these people at her size with legs the size of parking meter poles. She won't be one of those people unless she was anorexic. If she lots 10 pounds she'd be what I'd consider too skinny -- my definition of too skinny is visible bones, and minimal muscle tone. For some people too skinny happens at size zero and others it happens at size 12.
I wish we'd all just focus on functional health and drop the rest.0 -
These statistics are based on BMI - and BMI is faulty. All it is is a height to weight ratio. A body builder can have the same BMI as an obese man.
I wouldn't put too much into those numbers.
While true, that doesn't account for changes over time (e.g., 17% in year X and 33% in year Y). There just aren't that many bodybuilders (or similar) to have much of an impact on the overall rate, either, I would guess.0 -
While I think body shaming is wrong (no matter what size you are) this whole "embrace your womanly body" bullshiz makes me crazy.
I am an ardent supporter of embracing your womanly body. Unfortunately we fail to embrace the fact that a womanly body comes in lots of different packages.
For some women that means curvy hips, for some that means muscular thighs, or big boobs, or small ones, or big arms, or small ones. The best thing you can do is be your best YOU. Your best "you may not look anything like my best "me."0 -
What concerns me is not so much the super-skinny celebrities, but when we look at a celebrity who has (omg) gone up to a size four and talk about her "getting fat".0
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Preception through the years...
From the "wonka" movies in 1971 then in 2005 of the same character.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-1CQquSoVDZM/T00t661ViWI/AAAAAAAAH_0/AmRKqaGsqYw/s144/image-of-childhood-obesity-1975.png0 -
The obesity epidemic plaguing our pets is what I'm really worried about. The obesity rates for cats and dogs is at 54%! Stay away from kibble and friskies, people! Canned food kills!
Again, portion control there too... My cats and dog are all on kibble (I used to give canned food too, but not so much anymore, though I hope to again soon just because I know they like it) and they are not overweight at all nor are they starving... the problem here is people are putting out those big huge feeders, instead of feeding them everyday.... When we got our second cat, I noticed she was getting huge, partly due to being spade, but also due to her eating /her/ food AND the other cat's food. I then seperated the food and put one bowl to where she couldn't get (she can't jump as high as our male) but that the other could... now she is a much healthier weight. Not to mention that the people don't give their pets opportunity to exercise....0
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