The Fat Acceptance Movement… Thoughts??

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Replies

  • smantha32
    smantha32 Posts: 6,990 Member

    There's a difference IMO between making public, general posts or something, or ... as happened to an overweight friend of mine ... having a stranger take food out of her grocery cart because it wasn't healthy enough.

    Yeah. Seriously.


    Oooo.. i would have ripped that assh*t a new one..
  • smantha32
    smantha32 Posts: 6,990 Member
    I don't want to accept my fat. I want it to go away.

    Awesome! You are BEAUTIFUL just for thinking like that. Now make it happen, girlie!

    Working on it! :smile:
  • SoozeE512
    SoozeE512 Posts: 439 Member
    People are people regardless of the amount of fat they have on their bodies, and people should be accepted for who they are in terms of thoughts, feelings, personality, etc.

    However, I am not about to be accepting of unhealthy lifestyles. The U.S. needs to set new food standards to push for healthier, cleaner options in stores and restaurants, for healthier portion sizes at restaurants, and for healthier food advertising.

    To be accepting of fat is to say that I was okay with gaining weight and to be okay with the health problems that went along with it. This is my life and I refuse to accept that being fat and unhealthy is a standard I should be living with. I refuse to accept that my lifespan can be shortened by eating in an unhealthy and fattening manner. I want my lifespan to have longevity.

    That's why every weekend now, I stock up on vegetables and fruits at the food store instead of cookies and ice-cream and pastries. That's why I've been trying new raw vegetables and fruits that I've never before given a chance. That's why I cut out soda and juices completely and stick to water, milk, and tea. That's why I've set my body into motion

    That's why I joined this site, to stand up for myself in a Healthy Living Acceptance Movement.

    None of this is to say that fat people are bad people. I'm overweight myself and I think I'm a good person, but I'm an unhealthy one.

    What I'm saying is that I've been working to change that for my own wellbeing, and if our culture was more accepting toward healthier eating and smaller portion sizes, it would make my Healthy Living movement a lot easier on me.

    To say I'm okay with the Fat Acceptance Movement is to say that things should remain going in the direction they're going, and I don't think that's fair to the people working so hard to save their own lives by reversing the effects this fat movement has on our health. This is like the fight against smoking. I know plenty of smokers who are great people, but their habits aren't helping anyone, including themselves. Unhealthy lifestyles in general are polluting our people, decreasing their lifespans, making them sick, and settling them into poor conditions of living while their friends and family around them watch in agony. I simply cannot stand for this.

    I don't think the fat acceptance movement is about accepting unhealthy lifestyles. (I didn't start the movement, nor do I do much to support it other than say on this message board that I agree with it... so maybe I'm not the best person to reply).

    But IMO, it's about accepting that we all come in different shapes and sizes. A fit size 16 woman should be looked at as just as beautiful as a fit size 2. Obviously we shouldn't be glorifying the extremes that are never healthy... If someone is 500 pounds, they shouldn't be content and accept it (and they should receive respect, support, and help to get healthy).

    To me, it's all relevant. Just my opinion. To each his/her own.
  • monty619
    monty619 Posts: 1,308 Member
    It's just an excuse. Period. I don't care what anyone says, you cannot be healthy and fat at the same time.

    yes you can... look at NFL lineman, they are in awesome cardiovascular shape and have a considerable amount of muscle mass. also refer to powerlifters.
  • SoozeE512
    SoozeE512 Posts: 439 Member
    I think if smoking were still cheap, socially accepted, and as strongly advertised as our junk food is today, the number of smokers would never have decreased and would probably still be increasing. Likewise, if junk foods were heavily taxed, socially unacceptable, and if all of the junk food ads (and weight loss "diet" ads) disappeared from TV and magazines, obesity wouldn't be as much of a problem. I'm not necessarily calling for more taxes or legislation on food, I just find it to be an interesting comparison. In general I don't think the majority of people will change if they are not forced in some way to do so whether it be economically or socially or maybe even a health scare. However, I know a lot of people who have health problems or have family members with health problems relating to obesity and they are still not motivated to change.

    That's interesting. I do think it's a little different since food is a necessity and it's a choice about type as opposed to whether or not to purchase it. Since fast food is cheaper, I think one of the major motivating factors is price. If they were to increase prices through taxes, I think it would definitely be interesting to see the effect it has (although I would personally be against any such tax).

    But it isn't really all that different. If people were eating real, natural foods that their body needs for the necessary nutrients, people wouldn't be so fat. The foods that are getting people fat are the foods that are modified to increase appetite and keep you eating, the foods that can barely even be considered foods, the foods that lack nutritional value and go against your health - just as smoking is unnecessary and goes against your health.
  • kimkim1123
    kimkim1123 Posts: 20
    I think there is so much more to this story that isn't being addressed. If hypothyroidism was properly identified and treated the number of individuals diagnosed would at least double. Holistic doctors have estimated that half of us have some kind of underlying thyroid problem.

    If this is true, it could explain why so many people try and fail to lose weight and keep it off. Because of the thyroid issue they are set up to fail from the very beginning. Without that thyroid issue being properly treated, losing weight and keeping it off would be next to impossible.

    The below link explains how dieting lowers thyroid hormone and metabolism even more, making it impossible to lose weight. The article also explained how exercise lowers thyroid hormone, creates more thyroid issues, making it nearly impossible to lose weight.

    I have to wonder if the majority of those seeking "fat acceptance" fall into this category of under diagnosed / under treated hypothyroid.

    http://nahypothyroidism.org/deiodinases/

    <snippet>

    Dieting
    Acute or chronic dieting can result in a significant decrease in intracellular and circulating T3 levels by up to 50% (46,47,51,90), which significantly reduces basal metabolic rate (number of calories burned per day) by 15-40% (48,230,232). With chronic dieting, the thyroid levels and metabolism often do not return to normal levels; the body stays in starvation mode for years with significantly reduced metabolism despite the resumption of normal food intake, making it very difficult to lose or maintain lost weight (48).

    <snippet>

    This 25% percent reduction in metabolism equates to an approximate deficit of 500-600 cal per day. Thus, if the previous overweight person is to maintain the reduced weight he or she lost, he or she must either eat 600 cal per day less compared to a person of same weight who has not had a weight problem or must jog about 1 ½ hours per day to maintain the lost weight. This equates to approximately a pound per week of weight gain, explaining why weight is so quickly gained without continued very strict dieting. So many people who have difficulty keeping weight off don’t eat excessively but are continually told they are eating too much or they need to exercise more by people who have never had a weight problem. They are made to feel it is a character issue and that nobody believes how how little food they actually consume. Unless the physiologic thyroid dysfunction is corrected, any diet and exercise strategy is doomed.

    <snippet>

    Exercise

    It has been shown that women or men who perform more than moderate exercise, especially when associated with dieting, have reduced T4 to T3 conversion and increase reverse T3, counteracting many of the positive effects of exercise in women including weight loss (236,237). Consequently, T3 and reverse T3 levels should be evaluated in individuals who exercise and/or diet to better determine cellular thyroid levels, as TSH and T4 would not necessarily reflect tissue levels in such patients.
  • marz42
    marz42 Posts: 223 Member
    I guess it depends on what your idea of the FAM is and everyone seems to have a different definition. To me it's simply accepting the fact that a) you're fat and b)it does not define you as a person. If you asked me to describe myself the word fat wouldn't even make the top 10. I'm hardly delusional, I'm well aware that I'm fat, but I'm also a good friend, a wonderful wife and mother, a great cook, I'm funny, I'm smart, I have a moderate amount of musical ability...the list goes on. The fact that I'm (currently) fat has no more to do with my personality than my blue eyes or my freckles.

    For me it's about separating a physical issue from someone's worth as a human being. The fact that fat people were generalized as lazy overeaters a few times in this thread makes me sad. Sure some of them probably are but they're also smart and funny and wonderful parents and talented, creative people.

    ^^ This
  • marz42
    marz42 Posts: 223 Member
    The difference with your rather daft religious anaolgy is that medical advice is based on years of scietific study and irrefutable data.

    The point of that being people who feel it's their business to tell other people how to live. It doesn't matter if they have scientific study behind them or a book of fairy tales.

    It's not telling people how to live, it's presenting them with facts and letting them chose how they live

    People never used to be aware how damaging smoking was - they were presented with the facts and made their choices accordingly. Are you suggesting that there should never have been a campaign telling us the risks of smoking? Was it not their business to tell us?

    That's cool. If a person who is fat asks you to educate them, by all means do so. If you post the dangers of being fat on a public message board or forum, that's awesome. It's being done in a constructive manner that doesn't make a person feel like a sub-member of the species.

    There's a difference IMO between making public, general posts or something, or ... as happened to an overweight friend of mine ... having a stranger take food out of her grocery cart because it wasn't healthy enough.

    Yeah. Seriously.

    Did it make her lose weight? No. It made her go home and cry and then eat a quart of ice cream to feel better.

    Yep and sadly this sort of thing happens all the time. Someone up above asked what is happening to make overweight people feel sub-human....this sort of thing.
  • rosemiller11
    rosemiller11 Posts: 224 Member
    I'm for accepting the PEOPLE who are fat and being able to look past it at who they are... it's the FAT that I can't regard as acceptable, not with a national health crisis arising from it.

    We do have a dual problem in the US, on the one hand we are becoming too materialistic, shallow, superficial... but on the other hand too many of us are also becoming overweight and obese. Both are severe problems, it's just that one is spiritual in nature and the other is physical. We have every ability to fight both battles at the same time, and we should.
    This! ^^^
  • Imajicat
    Imajicat Posts: 114 Member
    I'm all for stupid people intolerance. If your IQ doesn't meet a certain prerequisite, I think you should be bashed and abused repeatedly.

    I'm also for political intolerance. If you blindly follow a political party, I think you should be bashed and abused repeatedly.

    I mean if its ok to bash and abuse fat people for being fat, we should be able to bash and abuse stupid people and close minded people too right?

    ;)

    This is obviously the most ridiculous thing ever - first of all, there's a HUGE difference between "abusing and bashing" and actually informing them that their life choices are unhealthy. But thanks for allowed me to bash you for your stupidity :) I'm so glad you approve.

    You're such a pretty princess. I'm glad that you thought I was talking about you (I didn't read the thread I jumped in to the end to discuss fat acceptance and fat bashing which are often tied hand in hand).

    Informing a fat person that their life choices are unhealthy is pretty noble of you. I'm sure that they had no idea.

    ^^^THIS!!!^^^
  • If people want to be fat, let them be fat. Worry about yourself.
  • Imajicat
    Imajicat Posts: 114 Member
    [Many of the people who "help" others by telling them that their being fatasses are unhealthy aren't done in a constructive or compassionate way. They are done cruelly and with the intent to judge or put the person in a perceived inferior position. One only needs to paruse these very forums for several examples.

    I have noone in my life that would do that. I do not know anyone who would do that. Do people do it on the internet? sure...thats sad...but people who do that in every day real life are either actually really rare or I never see it

    Apparently, you just never see it. It happens. It happens a lot. It's happened to me, it's happened to friends. It didn't happen over the internet, either. It happened every time in person, in my face, in public. It isn't rare, it isn't even close to rare. Anyone who truely and honestly thinks that any kind of cruelty/bullying/mocking/threatening/crap aimed at all the 'different people' all over the streets of america actually is rare or isn't happening is just plain naive or is turing a blind eye.
  • Wonderob
    Wonderob Posts: 1,372 Member
    Here's the bottom line, guys. It is not YOU job to police anyone's body or their choices. It doesn't matter what they are doing. IT. IS. NOT. YOUR JOB. You have no business telling anyone how they should be eating.

    If you wouldn't accept it for yourself, that's fine. Then don't do it yourself. You're not some great hero who's come in and giving this overweight person brand new information. Chances are, they've heard it before.

    But again, and I can't say it enough. IT IS NOT YOUR JOB.

    Job? No business? I really don't understand this attitude. Are we not supposed to help anyone these days?

    I can't believe it's common for strangers to walk up and start lecturing about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle so I guess we are talking about friends and family here

    If you saw your sister sunbathing in a heatwave with no sun lotion, do you think "I'm not some hero who has come in and given her brand new information on the dangers from the sun. Chances are she's heard it before"? I know I wouldn't! I would tell her that's she is likely to burn!

    If my grown up daughter was getting bigger and bigger, no exercise and eating at McDs 3 times a day then I would say something, offer to help. I would do for friends too. Or is that 'NOT MY JOB'?

    Where do you draw the line? Turn your back on friends and family who have started to take drugs? Let them just get on with it; you can't say anything - IT'S NOT YOUR JOB!
  • Gilbrod
    Gilbrod Posts: 1,216 Member
    Here's the bottom line, guys. It is not YOU job to police anyone's body or their choices. It doesn't matter what they are doing. IT. IS. NOT. YOUR JOB. You have no business telling anyone how they should be eating.

    If you wouldn't accept it for yourself, that's fine. Then don't do it yourself. You're not some great hero who's come in and giving this overweight person brand new information. Chances are, they've heard it before.

    But again, and I can't say it enough. IT IS NOT YOUR JOB.


    Job? No business? I really don't understand this attitude. Are we not supposed to help anyone these days?

    I can't believe it's common for strangers to walk up and start lecturing about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle so I guess we are talking about friends and family here

    If you saw your sister sunbathing in a heatwave with no sun lotion, do you think "I'm not some hero who has come in and given her brand new information on the dangers from the sun. Chances are she's heard it before"? I know I wouldn't! I would tell her that's she is likely to burn!

    If my grown up daughter was getting bigger and bigger, no exercise and eating at McDs 3 times a day then I would say something, offer to help. I would do for friends too. Or is that 'NOT MY JOB'?

    Where do you draw the line? Turn your back on friends and family who have started to take drugs? Let them just get on with it; you can't say anything - IT'S NOT YOUR JOB!

    I have to agree. People keep saying "If they want to be fat, let em be fat!" Barring disabilities, true disabilities; not the one where you're considered disabled just because you packed on the weight on purpose like Homer Simpson did once, I will let people I don't know live their lives. But if I knew that someone I love is at risk because of their habits, regardless if what they were, what kind of person would I be to not tell em, in many ways, that might kill you. People are confusing this completely. I will let you live your life. I won't mock you. I will respect your beliefs and way of life. But if your "movement" is forcing things upon me, to raise my taxes and prices just so you can be more comfortable, I am not OK with that. Especially if you are truly not handicapped or disabled, but just a lazy body. It's narssacistic and selfish.
  • purplelilac123
    purplelilac123 Posts: 37 Member
    I read a few of those blogs after reading another thread on this subject. They tend to focus on healthy habits like nutrition and exercise without the goal being weight loss. I don't see that as a bad thing. Also, loving yourself now is important because weight loss may take a long time. I have issues with weight so it is kind of liberating to read about self acceptance. I fit comfortably with room to spare in a size 14. My husband likes the way I look and I am starting to as well. Guys glance at me at the gym. I probably would be fine living at this weight. will I stop tracking my calories? No, because I personally was not comfortable with myself at a bigger size and I still have some room to lose. I no longer think I need to be a size 2 though. I always liked a curvier figure anyway.
  • vklebanova
    vklebanova Posts: 152 Member
    I'm all for stupid people intolerance. If your IQ doesn't meet a certain prerequisite, I think you should be bashed and abused repeatedly.

    I'm also for political intolerance. If you blindly follow a political party, I think you should be bashed and abused repeatedly.

    I mean if its ok to bash and abuse fat people for being fat, we should be able to bash and abuse stupid people and close minded people too right?

    ;)

    This is obviously the most ridiculous thing ever - first of all, there's a HUGE difference between "abusing and bashing" and actually informing them that their life choices are unhealthy. But thanks for allowed me to bash you for your stupidity :) I'm so glad you approve.

    You're such a pretty princess. I'm glad that you thought I was talking about you (I didn't read the thread I jumped in to the end to discuss fat acceptance and fat bashing which are often tied hand in hand).

    Informing a fat person that their life choices are unhealthy is pretty noble of you. I'm sure that they had no idea.

    ^^^THIS!!!^^^
    [/quote


    congrats for joining in on the fat loving convention. it's disgusting.
  • Krissy366
    Krissy366 Posts: 458 Member
    You all know Homer Simpson is a cartoon character, right? LOL

    Not much to say on this subject that hasn't been said, but I do think it's absurd some people are basing their arguments by comparing people to cartoons.
  • terrabit
    terrabit Posts: 33 Member
    NM
  • sunnybunny5us
    sunnybunny5us Posts: 18 Member
    I am against the idea of just accomodating everyone, but the airlines do need bigger seats. I am overweight but have a very small frame and only wear a size 10 in pants but the seats seem very small to me. Most people are bigger than I am and in most public places that I sit in seats (the bank, the dentist office etc) the seats leave quite a bit of wiggle room for a person my size on each side, not on an airplane though where you are going to be sitting for hours and many people want to sleep (even if they are not even overweight - a tall/big person would be very uncomfortable in airplane seats).
  • grinch031
    grinch031 Posts: 1,679
    For many people, long term weight loss is a hopeless battle. They would be best off getting in regular exercise, trying to eat more natural, less processed foods, but weight loss may or may not be a side effect of these lifestyle changes. Trying to force weight loss through calorie restriction is really not sustainable for the majority of the population who has struggles with their weight.
  • AmyParker979
    AmyParker979 Posts: 84 Member
    I will never accept my fat. It moves too much when I try to run. That said, if anyone ever yells "Hey fatty!" At me out their car window, they risk getting a brick thrown through it.

    <3
  • meechi53
    meechi53 Posts: 195 Member
    Well there is a BIG difference between Chubby acceptance and Obese acceptance. 40 LBS overweight, even 50 is a lot different than 100 lbs and more overweight, number one healthwise and number 2 just being able to move around and be active and mobile. My big beef with acceptance if you want to call it is calling someone who's a 10, 12 even a 14 "Obese" or a Fat Girl, and making them feel like they are 100+lbs overweight.
  • payupalice
    payupalice Posts: 126 Member
    I believe that everyone needs to accept and love themselves as they are right now, while realizing that there are areas for improvement. Personally, I think I'm great, but I realize that I'm overweight, that it's unhealthy, and it needs to change. I guess I don't really know what the 'fat acceptance' movement was designed to do, or how it's trending, but I think that accepting yourself in a way that makes you want to be the best you possible is how I would approach and ideology like that.
  • marz42
    marz42 Posts: 223 Member
    Fat or skinny. Short or tall It doesn't really matter. It's about your health. If you're big and have no health issues whatsoever because of your weight then fine. Being FAT and not simply a tad overweight will always bring health problems. Your body was not meant to be weighed down by 50+ lbs of greasy FAT. Yell to the world that you're happy to be fat if you wan,t but if you need to make such a big deal of how happy you are, then I'm 99% sure you're miserable. Self confidence is a lovely thing, being sick and unhealthy is not.

    Fat does not equal miserable, nor does thin = happy. Lots of people loose weight and end up surprised though it makes some things better its not a miracle cure that fixes all your problems. There is so much bs and bias out there that fat = miserable and a million other negative assumptions. It's not a universal truth and never has been. Is there any wonder there is some backlash in the form of the people that are fairly happy with life at whatever "fat" weight making kind of a big deal of that on lists and such?
  • marz42
    marz42 Posts: 223 Member
    Here's the bottom line, guys. It is not YOU job to police anyone's body or their choices. It doesn't matter what they are doing. IT. IS. NOT. YOUR JOB. You have no business telling anyone how they should be eating.

    If you wouldn't accept it for yourself, that's fine. Then don't do it yourself. You're not some great hero who's come in and giving this overweight person brand new information. Chances are, they've heard it before.

    But again, and I can't say it enough. IT IS NOT YOUR JOB.


    Job? No business? I really don't understand this attitude. Are we not supposed to help anyone these days?

    I can't believe it's common for strangers to walk up and start lecturing about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle so I guess we are talking about friends and family here

    If you saw your sister sunbathing in a heatwave with no sun lotion, do you think "I'm not some hero who has come in and given her brand new information on the dangers from the sun. Chances are she's heard it before"? I know I wouldn't! I would tell her that's she is likely to burn!

    If my grown up daughter was getting bigger and bigger, no exercise and eating at McDs 3 times a day then I would say something, offer to help. I would do for friends too. Or is that 'NOT MY JOB'?

    Where do you draw the line? Turn your back on friends and family who have started to take drugs? Let them just get on with it; you can't say anything - IT'S NOT YOUR JOB!

    If its a stranger, its never your job. Ever.

    If it's non-adult daughter then yeah, it's your job. If it's your adult daughter, then it seems fair enough to say something in a kind and concerned way,..ie..saying that you love her at any size but you are concerned for her health, is there something you can do to help or support her in developing healthier habits, go for walks together or offer to pay for a class or a health club if that is workable for the two of you and she's truly interested..but pushing and criticizing will probably backfire. In the end she's an adult and they are her choices. Badgering or criticizing her (I'm not saying you do this..I don't know you, I'm speaking generally) is very unlikely to fix it and if she's eating for emotional reasons it may make it worse.

    I used to get the criticism from my dad when I was younger something awful, and did it make me suddenly realize the error of my ways? No...it made me want to avoid him, it made me feel like shutting down and shutting people out..made me feels shame, which made me want to be invisible, made me feel controlled, and made me feel like utter crap. Never mind my grades were straight 4 points, or that I was first chair clarinet, on the honor roll or whatever..I was heavy so none of it mattered. (I know now he didn't actually think that, but that's how it came off at the time).

    Eating was a comfort when in emotional distress, and a bit of a rebellion. You often hear that anorexia can be about control, in some ways it was like that for me in the other direction as I got to be a teen, it was one thing I could control..one thing he couldn't entirely regulate, a rebellion in a sense. The more they tell you not to do something the more you want to. It set up a really bad pattern and relationship with food so to speak.

    Years later (and many other changes later) I met a group of people (men and women) that were pretty big on fat acceptance...happy, social, active people of varying sizes, most in happy relationships, from just a little fat, to really really fat. I remember being floored by this...I was amazed at all the things they did and felt confident doing despite the weight. They danced, did martial arts, went camping, long walks,...even wore tank tops in public and went swimming. In that group I finally felt OK to be me.

    And ironically THAT was what helped de-program a lot of the bad crap I dealt with growing up....it was the feeling of acceptance and finally feeling okay to be me as I was that gave me the strength and desire to change, eat healthier, exercise more, and finally to try to loose weight......because *I* wanted to, not because anyone one else wanted me to, or any sudden enlightenment that fat wasn't healthy. And now it feels like something *good* I'm doing for me, I'm doing something good for my body by exercising and putting veggies in it instead of crap, not like the punishment it felt like back in my teen years whenever I tried.

    So though it may seem on the surface like 'fat acceptance' would encourage people to gain or give up, it often works the other way around.
  • AmyParker979
    AmyParker979 Posts: 84 Member
    I don't understand why the focus is on fat acceptance vs. health education. How many times have you gone to eat at a restaurant and had NO CLUE what the caloric rate was for what you ate? How about portion sizes? Let's not focus on making seats bigger and focus on making restaurants be more open with their nutritional facts. I ate a McD's third-pounder once... then I looked up the calories on that bad boy - holy crap! If I had known pre-eating that it was 1000+ calories, I would have REALLY thought twice about eating it. (Not to say I would never touch one of those again...it was mighty tasty, but now I'd KNOW what I was putting in my body).

    On the other side - no one should be treated poorly due to their weight, but honestly, people just suck. I work out with a large group of large people who are trying HARD to become healthy. One night last week a skinny (smoker) yelled out his window "Thank you for trying to stop being obese!" Jerk. :mad:

    In all fairness, he could have been being nice - supporting us. But as "fat people" we are trained to think that everyone is mocking us because, 75% of the time, they are. When I did my triathlon 18 months ago, I was last... dead last. I saw people pass me over and over and over. As I entered the transition area, people clapped for me to urged me on. Did I feel that they were supporting me? Nope, I was embarrased and thought they were mocking me. This is because I've been crapped on so often that it didn't occur to me that skinny people could see something positive in what I was doing.
  • NuevaNatalia
    NuevaNatalia Posts: 72 Member
    I'm pretty against it. Of course no one should be judged solely on their weight/appearance, and being overweight doesn't make anyone a bad person, but advocating for staying fat is not even remotely ok. I have a hard time believing anyone who is obese is truly happy with their body (in my experience, happy people don't usually walk around demanding everyone recognize how happy they are).

    Excellent point. Furthermore, there is something patronizing about the fat acceptance movement and seems more detrimental in the long run for those who embrace it. Why bother trying to get to a healthy weight and minimize risks of diseases that are associated with obesity? I just need to tell myself that it's ok to be fat, while I eat more than I should. But, it's not ok and I'm sure deep down, this fat acceptance movement is just a defense mechanism against the cruel people out there, society's obsession with thinness, failed diets, good intentions, laziness and maybe even lonliness (I'm considered the chunky kid in my family).In the long run, this movement will hurt more than help.
  • airbent
    airbent Posts: 150 Member
    I'm only two pages into this thread but I've enjoyed reading a lot of the responses (more than I would've expected) against fat-shaming. I want to make friends with a whole bunch of you! Regardless what any of us want to do or not do to have a lifestyle that works better for us, I think as a society we need to always work to broaden what counts as "normal" or abnormal-- not keep that definition as narrow and exclusive as possible. There isn't only one way to be attractive or even healthy. Period.
  • Donnaakamagmid
    Donnaakamagmid Posts: 198 Member
    I think that there shouldn't be a question that we accept people no matter their size, race, gender, sexual preference, marriage status, religious preference, and on and on. Whatever happened to there just being human acceptance? Why are we so hell bent on making ourselves different from others and then exploiting it? I was just raised in the concept that all people deserve respect until they do something heinous.

    As far as the movement, I don't have a problem with it, but I will admit I don't understand people who want to be obese and choose to live their life that way and exploit themselves (specifically, I'm thinking of a Dr. Phil episode recently when a 500lb woman wanted to be the biggest person in the world). I think that calling unneccesary attention to yourself gives the impression of low-self-worth and desperation.

    This
  • CookieCatCatcher
    CookieCatCatcher Posts: 324 Member
    Personally I think it is just an excuse. There is nothing comfortable or acceptable about being overweight. I would not go as far as to say that everyone should follow BMI calculators but I do feel that people should be at a healthy weight in close relation to the calculators. Its really just an excuse to be lazy and not worry about the health issues that come with bearing extra weight.

    This!

    Man, I've been fat most of my life - and it sucks to be treated differently. HOWEVER - that does not mean it should be OK to be obese.