Buy Walking VideosWhy I Believe in Fat Acceptance
Every time I post anything about fat acceptance, I get blasted. I try to edit out the most offensive comments before anyone sees them, but the articulate ones are left to bring about discussion. Considering that I am writing about health and fitness, it might seem strange that I’m such an advocate for fat acceptance, so I’m here to tell you why I believe that we need to be willing to see more fat people on television, in magazines and everywhere else.
The opposite of fat acceptance is fat fear, fat disgust, fat discrimination. I’ve been on the receiving end of that spectrum and, quite frankly, it didn’t feel so good. Now that I’m thinner, people are nicer to me. I had less problems in the business world. Everything just got easier. Is that fair? I’m still just as competent and efficient as I was when I was fat, but no one infers that I’m lazy anymore. I’m still just as witty as I was before, but people laugh at my jokes more now. More people look me in the eye. My insurance premiums are cheaper.
Is that fair?
Fat discrimination runs rampant throughout our society and it is accepted by people who would scream bigot if someone made similar comments about race or sexual orientation. Prejudice is fear and hate and I will fight both as ardently as I can. The reason people are prejudice against the obese is because they both fear and hate them.
Fat Hate:
People hate (or resent) fat people because they think fat people can eat whatever they want. They assume that the obese have never dieted a day in their lives. They rationalize that if someone is fat, they are lazy. It’s prejudice, plain and simple. People make assumptions about the obese based solely on their body type which have little to do with reality.
When I was fat, I was constantly starving. I was always on a diet or recovering from one. Exercise was harder for me back then than it is now, because I was packing 75 extra pounds. When I exercised, I burned more calories than I do now because I was so overweight. It was harder, yet I did it every day.
When I was fat, I worked hard at my jobs, yet I had to defend myself against implications that I was lazy all the time. Weighing 235 pounds had absolutely no effect on how many phone calls I could answer or how many insurance claims I could process every day, yet I was constantly defending myself against insults about laziness. Not even my daily performance, which was one of the highest in my group, could protect me from those insults. Only losing the weight changed their perception of me.
Fat Fear:
“Oh my God! Look at that woman! How does she live like that?! Oh please, don’t ever let that happen to me.”
Thoughts like these are far less detrimental to the obese than the prejudice of Fat Hate. They are far more detrimental to the person thinking them. People fear overweight people because they fear the prejudice of others. It doesn’t help that the media is constantly feeding the fear with threats of obesity causing diseases (as opposed to aggravating diseases that are already present).
Living in a state of fear is harmful. It is one of those low-grade stressors that accumulate in your mind and you wonder why your shoulders are tight all the time and you have the beginnings of an ulcer. Learning to accept fat people will lesson that fear and will help you more than you can imagine.
The day I decided that I was going to accept my body (fat and all), was the day that I let go of the fear. After a few months of truly accepting and loving my body for what it was, I started eating healthier to take better care of myself. I started exercising to make my heart healthier. I did all of these things to take better care of my body. I even joined Weight Watchers to learn how to eat healthier because I was so confused by all the diets I had put myself through during my fat years.
The lack of fat people in advertising, magazines, on television and in movies is just a form of Fat Fear. Hollywood is the worst offender in this category. Because being fat can kill the career of an actor or actress, is it any wonder that they fear? That’s why I applaud every magazine that features real-looking people. Don’t feed your fear of fat by only allowing images of the bone thin into your life.
Getting rid of Fat Fear is something that you do for yourself. When you are able to completely accept fat people without prejudice, you are actually helping yourself be healthier. Let go of the fear. It isn’t helping you. It’s harming you.
What I Don’t Agree About Fat Acceptance:
I hear the phrase “Diets Don’t Work” in the Fat Acceptance circles. I hate to disagree with them, but they are wrong. When you eat a healthy diet and consume less calories than you burn, you lose weight. It’s physics physiology. There is no way around it. Fad diets typically don’t work, but a healthy diet does.
I hear stories about people who insist that they ate correctly, but still didn’t lose weight. I think if someone had followed them around all day and kept meticulous track of what they ate and how they exercised, I’m sure they could have found the problem. When we are truly honest with ourselves, we know when we are cutting corners. Now that most food has nutrition facts, it is so much easier than it used to be.
I don’t believe that Fat Acceptance means giving up responsibility. Just because someone is fat doesn’t mean that they deserve the kind of abuse that I received. I believe fat people should be protected from discrimination, but I also believe that being thinner helps a lot of health problems. I chose to lose weight because I wanted my body to be healthy and last a long time, but I don’t think anyone has the right to discriminate against someone who is fat.
Previous: Rigid Control or Occasional Treats?
Next: Ask Laura: Neck Stiffness
January 26th, 2006 at 10:15 am
The opposite of fat acceptance may be fat fear, but people don’t think in black and white – more gray. Just because I don’t support fat acceptance doesn’t make me fear or hate fat people.
My bone of contention with fat acceptance is that it is akin to smoking acceptance or alcoholism acceptance…to a point. Being fat (in my mind, quite overweight) is a health issue. There are lots of health issues related to being fat (diabetes, cardiovascular disease, etc.). It is not an issue of accepting how a person looks but one of health and prevention. The costs of obesity diseases is staggering – sad since it is also mostly preventable and “cureable”.
I get angry at fat people who complain and stuff their faces, but them I am annoyed by anyone who complains about their circumstances but doesn’t try to change them. No, diets don’t work but lifestyle changes do. We choose what we put in our mouths and whether or not we exercise.
January 26th, 2006 at 3:43 pm
People should always be judged by who they are, not by how they look. You are right in saying that prejudice is never good.
Here comes the however. Some stereotypes are what they are because they often fit the population described. There are blonde women who are silly, flighty, and less intelligent than their peers, hence the dumb blonde label. (I’m choosing that because I’m blonde.) There are rather idiotic athletes, etc.
January 26th, 2006 at 4:28 pm
Stereotypes are by definition untrue. People sometimes believe in stereotypes because of cognitve biases that pay attention to when our stereotypical beliefs are confirmed (e.g. when we meet a dizzy blonde) but fail to register when our stereotypes are not confirmed (such as when we meet a hardworking fat person). The psychological reseach on stereotypes is pretty well summarized here:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-19980501-000029.html
I think you are absolutely right, Laura. Sometime in the past few weeks, you have pointed out another stereotype often quoted: that “the costs of obesity diseases is staggering”. What the headlines on the research fail to report is how strong the correlation is between obesity and heart disease (or diabetes)– something you pointed out in your previous article. This is something that hit home with me when my extremely fit (ran 40-50 miles/week) father was diagnosed with Type II diabetes. I wish that more people focused on health rather than weight when analyzing the effects of disease, because the stone cold reality is that you can be fat and healthy as well as thin and unhealthy. Read “The Fat Girl’s Guide to Life” for a good summary of the research in this area. I think it’s pretty clear that constant dieting to lose 20 pounds only to gain them again is more unhealthy than obesity. And I suspect that being chronically underweight and limiting food intake until hunger no longer registers in the body is much more unhealthy than being fat and having a healthy hunger-eating connection.
Fat acceptance is actively fought in Congress and state legislatures, when the diet industry lobbys against fat anti-discrimination laws– because a lack of fat acceptance is good for the diet industry, as it keeps desperate fat people hooked on buying pills, useless equipment, and ridiculous priced meals and programs. I don’t know, though if formal laws against discriminating against fat people would put much of a dent in cultural stereotypes that fat is universally, unequivocably evil.
The last of my disjointed thoughts are sort of twins. I have observed so much fat hatred in thin people, as oriented towards themselves and their own “horrible” fat (or what they think is fat. So much body hatred among women of all sizes that it seems to me that fat hatred is more about how people feel about themselves and less about how they feel about fat people. This seems to be particularly true when the formerly fat lose weight– which is one reason why I find your site so refreshing. Sometimes people project their hatred of their own body onto fat people, but on the rare occasion that I have experienced it, it seems easy to deflect.
I really enjoy and have benefitted enormously from reading your site, Laura. The only small issue I have with this article is that the fat acceptance people are right– diets don’t work. Something like 85% of people who lose weight will gain it back, sometimes they will gain more. But– as you have said before, it’s not about dieting, it’s about a lifestyle change. Lifestyle changes, which include a permanent change in diet (as opposed to a diet per se), combined with exercise, does work, and it will work permanently. It takes time, and I’ve discovered recently that any lifestyle change (in my working schedule, and in my family schedule with my 4 year old) can throw both diet and exercise into flux. It takes time to get back in the groove again.
Thanks for all your hard work. I’ll keep coming back.
January 26th, 2006 at 6:29 pm
I have been struggling with my weight my entire life and I finally got some incentive to go on a diet….I was diagnosed with diabetes. I knew it was coming, but not because I was overweight. BOTH of my parents are diabetic. My brother is in reasonbly good shape (average weight) and he is at risk for contracting diabetes, simply because BOTH our parents have it.
Mine was caught early enough where I keep it under control with oral mediation. I finally got my incentive to go on a diet. I didn’t try any fad diets, diet pills or weight loss programs. I simply changed my eating habits. Working 50-60 hours a week made it difficult to have a regular eating schedule, but I did my best. With encouragement from some co-workers, I managed to lose 52 pounds in a year. I would walk a little every day at work and ate healthier snacks when I was hungry between meals.
Unfortunately, my work schedule changed. I went from afternoon shift to day shift and lost all motivation! I gained back about 30 or so of the 52 pounds that I lost. It’s harder now to lose the weight again, but I am sticking with it. I did it once I can do it again.
My best friend’s oldest boy got suspended from school a few years ago because one of his classmates was making fun of me and he (my best friend’s kid) punched him. Not exactly the right thing to do, but it made me proud to say he is my “nephew” even though we aren’t really related. I went to visit his mom on Halloween weekend a few years ago and his class was having a Halloween party. My best friend was supposed to bring cookies to the party so I tagged along. I got to see his class room and meet his teacher (he introduced me as his aunt!) and I found out a few days later what had happened. I was proud of him for defending me, but at the same time, I was sad that he had to resort to “violence” to do it. All three of my best friends kids accept me for who I am, not what I look like. They love me unconditionally and I love them unconditionally. Wouldn’t it be nice if the whole world could think like children and not pass judgement but just love someone for who they are? Wouldn’t the world be a much nicer place?
Next time you skinny people see a fat person, don’t pass judgement on them just because of the way they look. We are REAL people with REAL feelingss, just like you, your actions and words do hurt.
January 27th, 2006 at 2:22 pm
I agree…actions & words DO HURT! I had a weight problem all my life & struggled beyond belief the few times I was actually able to lose all the weight & get to an “acceptable” & healthy weight. About a year ago, I was about 20-30lbs overweight, but accepted myself & was respected in my job & overall through life. Then I suffered an extensive injury at work & had to undergo surgeries. Due to the sedentariness compared to my normal lifestyle, I have put on an additional 35#s…& HATE IT…but have accepted the fact until I am able to exercise again. Hurtful was the day that I parked my car to go clothes shopping for an X-mas outfit. I was happy & in an overall good mood. Another woman wanted the parking space I pulled into (I have a handicap placard & a cane…but no spaces were available)…& she waited until I fumbled to get out of my car to yell across the parking lot telling me how if I parked further away I could lose my fat *@#!!!! and that (she actually said this!) she hoped my other leg got screwed up too! She continued to rant hurtful “fat” phrases at me, even as I walked away. Needless to say, she managed to upset me & I no longer wanted to buy anything…I went home crying that someone would/could be THAT HURTFUL & CALLUS!!! She had NO IDEA of my lifestyle, activity or food intake, my circumstances, NOTHING! Yet she thought nothing of spewing these hurtful words out!!!! I wish people would put themselves in my/our shoes before engaging mouth! I KNOW that I WILL lose this weight after my doctors/surgeons say I can safely re-enter the normal world’s activities & exercise programs…but until then, I must accept myself for who & how I am. Those who know & love me…understand & support me. Which is why I KNOW I’ll succeed…when it’s safe for me to become active again!
January 27th, 2006 at 9:11 pm
I’ve weighed 350lbs in size 24’s. I was overweight all through grade school and high school. College killed me working at McDonald’s… I graduated college after 8 years working my way – at 320lbs. I gained another 30 over a year! I ate constantly. You have to in order to maintain that weight. A lot of different things motivated me – my friend getting a divorce, not being able to look at myself in a mirror (I still see that face and body today even though right now I’m 232lbs). Only 6 years ago I was able to get down to 170lbs. I met my husband and my life. Unfortunately he can eat anything and everything and burn it off. I gained weight lost some got pregnant and only gained 15lbs during pregnancy. I’m almost at the delivery weight 237lbs! I’m going the Y and watching what I eat (being conscious and daily lowering the amount of calories). I could do a 3 day fast and then be able to eat only 1000 calories a day, but I’d never be able to keep up with my 1 year old if I tried. It’s not healthy. I want to be an example to my daughter about what is healthy. I also want her to have a healthy self image – curves are good – bulges could trigger family history of both heart disease and diabetes. She is beautiful to me no matter what. My friends boy at age 2 when I graduated from college (at about 320lbs) said ‘Pretty’ and I assumed that he was pointing at the picture behind me and describing it. He meant me. I couldn’t understand then but have come to understand that kids see a person’s heart/personality without any concern for the outward appearance. He loved me. I loved him. Shared love makes ‘Pretty’ regardless of later learned behavior. I encourage everyone to look at weight loss not to be thin or pretty or attractive, but as healthy. Already think of yourself as Beautiful. Who cares what people you don’t know think.
January 28th, 2006 at 9:29 am
I thought of something else last night. If overweight people truely did a fat acceptance, they would step off the stairs onto the slide to obese. I think while I was in college that happened to me. 350lbs is obese for someone 5′ 9″. I and my body feel very good at 190lbs even though that still falls in the overweight category. I’m not accepting fat. I accept people as they are with faults and I have my own.
January 31st, 2006 at 6:51 pm
I’m not accepting fat. I accept people as they are with faults and I have my own.
I agree with Nett.The fat acceptance movement should be called the fat denial movement. No, definitely it is not right to discriminate against people because of the way they look. No, definitely it is not right to point and say hateful things to people who are overweight. It is morally reprehensible to do such a thing. But it is equally reprehensible to pretend that being grossly overweight is somehow normal when we know the inherent health risks. It’s no coincidence that diabetes rates are skyrocketing along with obesity rates in this country. I was once overweight. Almost 200 lbs. in fact. My cholesterol was off the charts and my doctor told me I would die of a heart attack at 41. I most certainly would have diabetes by now had I not resolved almost three years ago now to begin a daily exercise regime and begin eating healthier food. So I say, love the “sinner†hate the “sin†when it comes to the overweight. Fat jokes, discrimination and all that against these people needs to stop.
February 2nd, 2006 at 11:02 am
You have some great writing here. I read this one, flipped through some of your earliest posts on this blog, and was stunned and moved by the “FAT!” and “BOSU incident” posts. You made me feel like I COMPLETELY understood your experience. You have me cheering for you when you digest an experience and figure out how to gain nourishment from it.
I agree with you, by the way, that it is possible to completely accept yourself as you are while at the same time being committed to making a change in yourself. “After a few months of truly accepting and loving my body for what it was, … I did … things to take better care of my body.”
PS. I am skinny (well, I used to be), I am a bitch (or so I have been told), and I have brown hair. It wasn’t me. Please don’t hit me.
May 5th, 2006 at 6:10 am
i agree with much of what you said….i was 5’9 250 pounds and i lost it all and have a new image..but life is so much easier!
May 29th, 2006 at 9:41 pm
The things you don’t agree with fat acceptance about means you do NOT believe in fat acceptance. Not supporting fat discrimination doesn’t mean you believe in fat acceptance. You, and your commentators, clearly believe in much fat bigotry and that has no place in fat acceptance. You can’t change hate when you agree with it.
June 1st, 2006 at 8:39 pm
I have been fat all my life. Im 19 and I weigh 220lbs. My father has always yelled at me and people have made fun of me, especially when I try to lose weight. Ive never been encouraged to lose weight in this respect. when I go on a diet, its way too hard and I get hungry too fast. I cant exercise because Im too fat, but I wont lose weight if i dont exercise. Its this horrible cycle that no one understands. And its even harder when youre all alone in it.
June 12th, 2006 at 6:21 pm
I have been fat all my life practically since I was a little kid I was toumented in school and at 8 wanted to commit sucide just a conutining lifesytle of depression. I feel the reason many people became morbid obese is because of sexual and mental abuse. I didn’t know how to cope with the abuse and the only thing that would comfort me was food. It is real easy for people to judge and say how can someone get that big. If that same person was put in a sexual, physical, and mental abusive home since a child chances are they would be fat and have emotional problems. I doubt that it would be so easy to complain if they understood even a little bit of what fat people go through. I have been on countless diets. Always obessing on how I can lose weight. People that have weight problems often have emotional problems and it is not very easy to control the situation. I would love to be 100 pounds but if you have been fighting weight all your life it can be diffcult. Absuse at school, at work, at home, at supermarkets everywhere you go you are treated like trash just because you are fat. To all individuals who are skinny you should praise God you don’t have to deal with the abuse that fat people go through. You are truely blessed.
June 18th, 2006 at 12:50 pm
I understand, I’m still there, and only recently am I changing.
I’m 5’6, and weight about 325. It was a harsh cycle, I was depressed over some past events, and I was teased a lot. So much that I actually pulled myself out of society for 2 years, and pretty much stayed inside all the time. The depression got so bad I even dropped out of school.
Now, I’m seeing a psychologist. I’m trying to eat better, and I’ll be going to the gym when I get my schedule worked out better (I’m a Katrina victim, and we just got a new home).
I also just started school again.
Pulling myself out of this broken state that I’m in will be hard, but I hope I can do it. I’m so tired of having no friends, and being unable to look people in the eyes. 🙁
June 20th, 2006 at 12:59 pm
You are so right in saying that if you make an effort ot accept your body, and circumstances, then you start becoming healthy for the right reasons. It’s all about “being real” with yourself. I started running. I’ve always hated to run. I am realizing that I like it, and it’s changing the way I think about my overall body image. Those of you who can relate, know that sometimes we can’t deal with ourselves, and one day, you will get tired of it. Learn to accept yourself, and the other issues will fall into a better perpective.
July 18th, 2006 at 12:27 pm
Many people forget that their might be serious health circumstances that play a big role in having an eating disorder. Depression (has a big impact), injury and genetics just to name a few. Many of these same people who choose food are similar to those who drink, gamble, and some who excessively exercise. Addictions. We all have em and we should not pass judgment because we are not the Higher Power here. No one likes to be overweight or have an addiction but sometimes our lives for what ever reason has us their in that moment of time. I’ve been overweight my whole life but when I was at my highest weight at 187 being only 5 3†that was pretty big, I loved myself more now at 145. I’m always looking to loose more and exercise more. Obsession has taken over and it scares me because of our society so many girls and now boys are turning to diet pills and vomiting. We should teach our children to love themselves and make that number one. When we love ourselves we care about what we eat, look and feel in turn being an overall better healthier person who is happy.
July 27th, 2006 at 11:42 am
I am thin now 5’6″ 145 lbs., but 4 years ago my weight was almost 200 lbs. I was almost ready to buy into “fat acceptance” thinking there was nothing I could do about it as I worked out every day and was still fat. But my eating habits were pretty much out of control. My cholesterol was through the roof(274) and my wife screaming at me about my cholersterol really motivated me to do something about it. Obesity does run in my family, my mother was obese most of her adult life(she’s slimmed down though at age 87) and my brother is also overweight. My son is too at the same height as me and around 220 lbs. So there is a genetic component. At the time my weight was 197, I was also diagnosed with hypothyrodism.
With an adjustment to my eating habits and the proper dose of thyroid medication and regular exercise (I do 60-90 minutes of cardio 6 days per week) I have been able to stay around 145 lbs. for almost for years now.
Yes, it’s hard. I don’t starve myself but I don’t eat everything I want. I actually enjoy the amount of exercise I do everyday it makes me feel good. I’m also proud of at my age being able to wear 30 inch waist pants(I’m in my late 40’s).
I sympathise with people who are fat I’ve been there I know what it’s like. But I also think fat acceptance is throwing in the towl. Yes, it’s hard work for my to stay slim especially given my genes. But I find it’s well worth it.
August 15th, 2006 at 1:35 pm
Being afraid of something and not liking something are very different. I don’t like liver. I hate the smell of it, taste of it and the look of it. Im not afraid of it. I will cook it for someone if they want it. Many people don’t like fat people because they are digusting looking and obviously don’t take care of themselves. So if you don’t like looking at or being around someone like that, you are afraid of them. nonsense.
September 3rd, 2006 at 12:53 pm
I really like to read this because I know. I just lose 50 punds, it is been a very hard job and now people treat me very different, instead of make me happy is too hard for me, even people dont recognize me, and they dont remember me. So that means I did not exist before??? I was invisible???
September 11th, 2006 at 6:46 pm
I’m just starting this healthy relationship with myself. now i love myself. and it includes my fats :). it was amazing. i eat healthier now. i have more confidence. i even join a cool+expensive gym to give myself more spirit. but some of the trainers (not all) is crap. he seems hate to teach me. so what is it? is it only for a cool+great body gym? how can i even lose weight if my trainer hates me (for what i look like)??
September 19th, 2006 at 11:18 am
I have to admit i am a bit of a “fat hater”. However i do understand some people have an actual problem so im not attacking everyone. It just annoys me how people dont realise how problematic obesity is. Its like watching a smoker smoke. You know they are doing damage to themselves and it frustrates me, especially those who seem to feed off obesity to grab attention when they could get out and lose the kilos no problems. Its the lazy people that bring on the hate and thats when the people with genuine problems get stuck in the crossfire and become unfairly targeted.
People say dont judge others, but unfortunately everyone is judged everyday but everyone they see. Thats the way life goes no matter how cruel it may be, even obese people judge other people.
November 1st, 2006 at 10:43 am
I totally agree that we need to see more fat people in the media, and not just an appearence for poking fun at them. I always think about how unrealistic it is to see only skinny and fit people in a lot of movies and magazines I view- it bothers me that their isn’t more honesty.
January 20th, 2007 at 7:28 am
I wanna feel good for myself and expect others to the same way for me. I’m fat eversince and getting rid of it requires a lot of courage on my end like leaving the used-to-be ways of my life. I am just scared that when i get thinner things might not turn out from what i expect and leaving me disappointed for all the efforts i’ve done in achieving the thinner me. I guess fat people like me needs more motivation maybe not from my inner self but from others encouragements as well. It’s really hard living in the world of stereotypes especially for fat people. The fact that a fat person can also achieve what a thin person achieves is swallowed by this stereotyping among fat people. I wish there is a much better way in getting thin and building self-esteem.
January 25th, 2007 at 10:41 am
I hate making fun of other people (especially to their faces!) so I am all for “fat acceptance”. I accept that many people in the USA are fat, and I don’t treat them any differently for being that way.
But I don’t accept that it’s not their fault. It is their fault that they are fat, but they may not be aware of it. (I also realize that there are a tiny number of medical conditions which make losing weight very difficult no matter what the weightloss regimen)
As someone has previously written, the physics is very simple: If you consume more calories of energy (protein, fat, and carbohydrates) than you burn (exercise, activity) then you will gain weight. If these two figures are in equilibrium then you will maintain your current weight.
Therefore losing weight is as simple as ensuring that you burn more calories than you consume. That’s not to say that the EFFORT required to lose weight is “simple”. It’s not! It’s tough being hungry all the time. Exercise (especially for obese folks) is very difficult.
But “fat acceptance” in the sense of “accepting that becoming fat is OK” is dangerous because it gives the impression that for some people achieving a slimmer body is impossible, just as it’s impossible for me, as a Caucasian, to become an Asian or an African.
I accept fat people for who they are, but I don’t accept that being fat is something that must be embraced as if it was some immutable characteristic like eye color.
February 4th, 2007 at 4:40 pm
What an article! I agree with most of what you have to say. I think that people (especially women) need to learn to love themselves for who they are. Strive to be healthy, not skinny. I think it is hard for skinny people to understand to struggle to be big. I, personally, know that when I was 100 pounds I swore I would never let myself get like that. I believed most fat people allowed themselves to be overweight. Well, two children and one thyroid problem later I am now a healthy 145 at 5′ 4″. No, I am not skinny, but I am a lot healthier than most skinny people I know. I do not eat fast food, processed food, or refined sugars. I eat a mostly vegan diet, and excercise 4 days a week, but I just can not get under 145. I KNOW that I am healthier than my 100 pound fast food junkie friend. I think people need to realize that just because you are skinny doesn’t mean you are healthy. Just as fat doesn’t equal unhealthy. I have curves, and I am proud!!!
March 24th, 2007 at 9:05 am
OH, MY! Did I write this and forget about it? Your story is almost exactly like mine! Now that I’ve lost about 75lbs on Weight Watchers, not only do the thinner people accept me more, but the overweight/obese ‘community’ refuses to accept me. It’s like they assume that because I am not currently overweight that I am going to be prejudiced against them. They have no idea what I’ve been through until I tell them. But even after I do, they still aren’t as friendly to me – like I’m some kind of traitor or something. ??
–K
April 27th, 2007 at 5:11 pm
“When you eat a healthy diet and consume less calories than you burn, you lose weight. It’s physics.”
Actually, it’s physiology.
Physics, physiology… sound similar, but they’re pretty different. :p
April 27th, 2007 at 6:32 pm
Thanks, tuolumne!
I’ve corrected it.
June 22nd, 2007 at 6:41 am
I don’t hate fat people… I’m 70 Lb over my supposedly healthy number… So I don’t hate them… I hate their behavior… like getting a Handicap Placard and walking the shortest distance possible. It’s all about behavior. Excuse me… portly challenged wants to be in the express line… first in…first out…. (sigh)
August 18th, 2007 at 11:39 am
Here are the statistics — reported in in long terms studies (www. pubmed.org) funded by NIH dollars. 5 years post weight loss ( which is really what counts right, weight maintainence, because most people can lose weight, its maintaining the loss that is so tricky for a variety of physiological reasons which I wont get into here) only 2% of people here able to maintain the loss. That means 98% of those who lost weight regained ALL of the weight lossed after 5 years. To those who congratulate themselves on their remarkable self-control, I challenge you to wonder, were you to be in the unfortunate circumstance, whether by genetic predisposition or multiple childbirths or having gained weight as a side effect of steroid medications or anticonvulsants, as many of my patients have, would you be part of the 98% majority of part of the 2% minority? How unfortunate for overweight folks that their personal struggles are manifested so publically. To say that one chooses to be obese is like saying that someone would choose to have a leg cut off without anesthesia — it is a painful painful thing to be fat in this unforgiving culture.
December 8th, 2007 at 6:02 pm
Thank you, Regina. The degree of self-righteousness and woeful misunderstanding (of genetics, of socioeconomic situations, of medical conditions, of so many things) in most of these comments is sad and disheartening. I appreciate your bringing in some facts.
Saying body size is simply a matter of calories in versus calories out is like saying Hamlet is a play about a guy whose father dies.
July 19th, 2008 at 6:07 am
wow people
September 9th, 2008 at 1:55 pm
As a grad student in communication studies starting my thesis on The Fat Acceptance Movement, this is interesting. I’ve done most of my research on obesity and communication competence, Objectification Theory applied to The Biggest Loser (a REALLY not healthy way to lose weight…), Positive food conversations/communication, and etc.
And as someone who is active, a lover of food, and trying to change our communication on food, eating, and body… I am more worried with the messages of pro-eating disorders than FAM. All FAM wants is to create acceptance for those who are obese. I have many friends who are over 200 pounds who work out, eat very healthy, and know they will never be super model thin. And why SHOULD they have to lose a ton of weight to make OTHERS feel better on the situation.
Regardless of size, shape, we ALL have issues with our bodies that SOCIETY has put on us! Pick up Unbearable Weight, a great text on the subject.