The Fat Acceptance Movement… Thoughts??

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  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
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    I think that it is a decision that a large part of society is hoping to make that will result in bad behavior being glorified and ignorance and stupidity (in their true definitions, not as insults) becoming preferable to knowledge, action and personal betterment.

    I will always believe in survival of the fittest, so tis actually doesnt worry me at all, since I wont suffer from their delusions.

    But if smokers have to pay more for insurance, so should lazy overeaters <~ i say that to differentiate between those with actual real live legitimate disorders that prevent them from moving.

    I dont mean we shouldnt love them, I mean we shouldnt accept it as OK.
  • KBGirts
    KBGirts Posts: 882 Member
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    Most people here seem to be saying that no one should be judged on appearances, everyone loved for who they are, etc. Which is true, but that is not what the fat acceptance movement is about. It's about being FORCED to make accomodations for large peopl. Example: Airlines being required to have larger seats. It's kinda like ADA but for large people who are not "disabled".

    So the question here should be: How do you feel about that?
  • sktllmdrhmz
    sktllmdrhmz Posts: 2,073 Member
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    **Only mature and respectful comments please!** :smile:

    Oh, sorry. *picks up hobo gear and marches on*
  • tehpounce
    tehpounce Posts: 64
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    I think everyone should be accepted for who they are and the choices they have made. Just because I am not happy with myself, doesn't mean I should push my beliefs on someone else about weight loss. It's no different than race, or religion. We all have to come to terms with the choices we make in life whether good or bad. Yes, being fat is unhealthy - we all know this. Some of us remedy it, some of us don't but aren't we all here to support each other when we do make that choice to better ourselves? We can't fix everyone, but we can at least accept them.

    Also on this note, accommodations will always be made whether skinny or over weight for trivial things. Best to just get over it and let it not affect you. Would you REALLY complain about having larger airline seats? I fly a lot and I would definitely not mind that at all!
  • tanyaleighcummings
    tanyaleighcummings Posts: 105
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    I have known and loved many in the fat acceptance movement. I like strong, powerful people.

    Weight is not the be-all of health. These are individuals that swim marathons in the ocean! Individuals who eat clean, delicious food they cook themselves. Despite my years boxing, and the belt on my wall - these are individuals who could take me down in a heartbeat if such was their whim. These are individuals who love themselves and thier bodies.

    And yes, these are individuals who still are capable of feeling stung when they are judged, belittled or verbally attacked.


    No, shoveling junk into your body is not healthy or a act of self-love. But there are those that do that and are skinny. Size isn't the issue. Eating well, exercising often...these are indications of health. Not size.
    The woman who wants to be the largest in the world is as sad a case as the one who wants to have the most children.

    And many heavyweight boxers can be judged as 'fat' as well.
  • Beastette
    Beastette Posts: 1,497 Member
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    I don't accept fat for myself. It doesn't bug me if someone else wants to feel good about himself/herself, as long as I don't end up paying for healthcare for any lifestyle-related illnesses.
  • Amo_Angelus
    Amo_Angelus Posts: 604 Member
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    I think it's good that people are accepting more natural figures. Curves are good and overweight is still bad, but there's more understanding for people with disabilities (seen or unseen) being overweight. And that's a good thing, so many girls (boys too, but it's mainly girls) have NO body image, they're shown from childhood that women are skinny with big breasts and sexy, they're shown air brushed images of women who have eating disorders or have been air brushed and told that's attractive, that's how you should be, and then they can't live up to it! It's disgusting! Hell the number of suicides based solely on medias portrayal of women is diabolical! So yes, I fully support larger love. I believe that the body was never meant to be as skinny as the media pretends is sexy and I think larger was always nicer. I also think that if you're over weight to a degree then that's ok too, being slightly overweight is healthier than underweight. And if you have a disability that prevents you from loosing weight (I don't know technical things but preventing you from excercise, and there's also something that stops the body from digesting properly?) the last thing you want is nasty hate for being overweight because of something you cannot control. So power to it.

    I do, however, think that the lazy fat *kitten* who like to eat and are too lazy to even accept responsibility will see this as acceptance of them. I don't think that's right. But then, these people are the ones who coasted through anyway, usually saying things like "Big is beautiful" or "I'm not fat" or, my all time favourite "They're just jealous that there's more to love about me" so no, I don't really think public perception was ever going to make a difference to those people, and the change in it isn't going to make any difference anyway.
  • EvanKeel
    EvanKeel Posts: 1,904 Member
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    I haven't seen other posts on here with this topic so forgive me if I am being redundant. And no, I wouldn't say that I am trying to stir the pot but more so just facilitate a discussion.
    Like I said, this topic was brought up on another thread I was on but due to the number of other comments and conversations that were going on at the same time, it was hard to keep it going.

    I'm confused. If the thread still exists, you should still have access to it via a search if nothing else?

    Okay... You can either comment on the post or not- it's your choice.

    Very well. I accept that you don't want to answer the question for unspecified reasons. Enjoy your day...and thread.
  • KBGirts
    KBGirts Posts: 882 Member
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    Also on this note, accommodations will always be made whether skinny or over weight for trivial things. Best to just get over it and let it not affect you. Would you REALLY complain about having larger airline seats? I fly a lot and I would definitely not mind that at all!

    Yes! Less people on the plane = higher fairs.
  • tehpounce
    tehpounce Posts: 64
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    I have known and loved many in the fat acceptance movement. I like strong, powerful people.

    Weight is not the be-all of health. These are individuals that swim marathons in the ocean! Individuals who eat clean, delicious food they cook themselves. Despite my years boxing, and the belt on my wall - these are individuals who could take me down in a heartbeat if such was their whim. These are individuals who love themselves and thier bodies.

    And yes, these are individuals who still are capable of feeling stung when they are judged, belittled or verbally attacked.


    No, shoveling junk into your body is not healthy or a act of self-love. But there are those that do that and are skinny. Size isn't the issue. Eating well, exercising often...these are indications of health. Not size.
    The woman who wants to be the largest in the world is as sad a case as the one who wants to have the most children.

    And many heavyweight boxers can be judged as 'fat' as well.


    This. Most of my "skinny" friends eat nothing but crap and lounge around all day. One of them has high cholesterol. Where here I am busting my butt to get in shape and eating healthy and it's a struggle. Skinny does not mean healthy, fat does not necessarily mean unhealthy. Everyone is different.
  • bathsheba_c
    bathsheba_c Posts: 1,873 Member
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    Can't it be both? People are really *****y to overweight people, even as our conception of "normal" becomes heavier and heavier. Someone once said that hatred of fat people is the last acceptible bigotry. While that's, um, totally not true, it is true that overweight people have to put up with a lot of hateful behavior and attitudes.

    That said, the list of medical conditions suffered by overweight people, even those who stay relatively healthy, are astounding. Heck, let's start with the orthopedic problems alone! I certainly hope the fat acceptance movement isn't encouraging people to remain overweight.
  • prism6
    prism6 Posts: 484 Member
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    I didn't know there WAS a fat acceptance movement....
  • tehpounce
    tehpounce Posts: 64
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    Also on this note, accommodations will always be made whether skinny or over weight for trivial things. Best to just get over it and let it not affect you. Would you REALLY complain about having larger airline seats? I fly a lot and I would definitely not mind that at all!

    Yes! Less people on the plane = higher fairs.

    I wouldn't mind paying a slightly higher fare to not be treated like a human sardine. But hey, that's just me.
  • starla5881
    starla5881 Posts: 190 Member
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    I don't think unhealthy habits should be glorified (ie. the woman trying to the fattest in the world), but I'm so sick of the concept that you can judge someone's health based solely on their size. Even with a BMI well into the obese range, I've never had high blood pressure or cholesterol, never struggled with diabetes, never had health problems other than seasonal allergies and the occasional flu. My activity has never been limited by my size. So why should there be any debate about whether or not my size is "acceptable"? I'm working on improving my diet and exercising more consistently, but it's less because of my fat and more because I'm trying to get out of an emotional holding pattern in my life. So let's discourage unhealthy habits while "accepting" everyone, regardless of size, shall we?
  • Tropical_Turtle
    Tropical_Turtle Posts: 2,236 Member
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    The problem here though I see is people generalize that fat people are lazy over eaters. I used to be skinny as a kid, then ballooned up to over 200 lbs due to a brain tumor. But because you did not know me you would assume I was fat and lazy, when in all actuality I would swim, bike and be just as active. The tumor instigated the weight loss and after many years, finally lack of mobility before they could identify what the problem was (I had a rare case of Cushings Disease - on my pituitary is where the tumor was).

    Sadly the tumor screwed up my body as a whole and never was able to regain back what I had lost. I had to learn to love me as I was,even though society saw me as a fat lazy over eater. There are always exceptions to the rule.
  • RilantheFirebug
    RilantheFirebug Posts: 207 Member
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    I think its good in the sense that no one should be judged or bullied based on their appearance. Bad that those who need to lose the weight for health reasons may not see the need to. Low weight doesn't always equal healthy either.... As for more accommodations being made for overweight people...its a double edged sword. More and more people need those extra accommodations but then I'd hate to encourage people to be unhealthy.
  • Ariberri9
    Ariberri9 Posts: 206 Member
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    Based on what I've read and heard from friends, the "fat acceptance movement" is not about "I'm overweight, and I'm okay with it!" in terms of health. It's "I'm considered overweight according to society's measures, but I still have feelings of confidence and self worth."

    We live in a shaming society -- fat-shaming, skinny-shaming, black-shaming, white-shaming -- you name it, someone out there shames it. With the obesity crisis coming into the limelight (via laws concerning sodas and new programs in schools for overweight children), fat-shaming is becoming more prominent -- and more nasty and degrading.

    The "fat acceptance movement" has been caused not only by the obesity "epidemic: (and the resulting shaming) but also by society's perception of beauty. Because of how we have been raised, we believe that fat people are "lazy, ugly, non-motivated", etc.

    The fat acceptance movement was established to help people who consider themselves obese, overweight, etc., to accept themselves and love themselves. Would you love yourself if you felt like the entire world was calling you lazy and ugly? Would you feel good about yourself if your body was always cast in a negative light with nasty societal consequences?

    This movement isn't about "acceptance of unhealthy ways"; it's about acceptance of oneself and love of oneself. It's about self esteem and self-confidence.
  • kathdela
    kathdela Posts: 148 Member
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    I think it's a great movement that is teaching people to love their bodies and also dispelling some myths tied with obesity. It promoted heath at every size and discourages body policing.

    And frankly, if it's not for you, move on. But NEVER tell someone what they NEED to do with THEIR body.

    Honestly, it's BECAUSE of this movement that I started being healthy again. It taught me to love my body no matter what, and BECAUSE I love my body, I want to start respecting it.

    I also think that a lot of people don't really get the purpose of fat acceptance and see it as nothing more than promoting an unhealthy lifestyle. That's not the case and I would strongly encourage people to do a lot more research on it.
  • KBGirts
    KBGirts Posts: 882 Member
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    Also on this note, accommodations will always be made whether skinny or over weight for trivial things. Best to just get over it and let it not affect you. Would you REALLY complain about having larger airline seats? I fly a lot and I would definitely not mind that at all!

    Yes! Less people on the plane = higher fairs.


    I wouldn't mind paying a slightly higher fare to not be treated like a human sardine. But hey, that's just me.

    Me either. I'm just using that as an example.... there are many, many more. The point is there would be laws in place to force these things on society, which is okay and fine by me..... but I would be scared that people would become complacent and not feel it necessary to change.

    And I don't care if someone is overweight or not..... this is just a political stand point.
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
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    I think that it's very sad that we live in a country that has such a huge obesity problem that we no longer recognize what a healthy weight looks like. Over 60% of Americans are overweight or obese.

    People don't realize that the damage done by obesity and being overweight is LONG TERM, not short term, and the cost to society is a generation or more of people whose quality of life and life expectancy is WORSE than the previous generation. That's the real problem I have with this "fat acceptance" movement. It just throws all of that to the side and says, "we're fat, and it's fine" It isn't fine, not for any vanity reason, but for the damage to the health of the nation. The truth of it is that most people who are overweight or obese are not physically active and overeat.

    We need to stop focusing so much on "accepting" obesity and focus more on improving the health of the nation.

    FYI: I do NOT condone putting anyone down because of their weight or size. That's completely unacceptable. Just want to be clear on that.

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