View topic - Fat Acceptance
Over the past few years, since the health-food push...more and more people in and out of the media have started to push back with a trend of "fat acceptance". It became more clear to me when people, seriously, started fighting Michelle Obama's Get Moving program geared towards children.
I honestly just don't understand fat acceptance. Are we supposed to accept unhealthy lifestyles now? More and more people are trying to push for this whole "fat is beautiful", and I feel as if it's merely a way to try and justify one's own lifestyle.
No one's saying that you have to be an olympic athlete, but being healthy is a whole other factor. Weight is something that everyone can control, hypothyroidism or not. And maintaining a healthy lifestyle lowers your rate of getting health issues like diabetes and heart attacks.
So, what's up with this fat acceptance movement? What do you think about it?
I honestly just don't understand fat acceptance. Are we supposed to accept unhealthy lifestyles now? More and more people are trying to push for this whole "fat is beautiful", and I feel as if it's merely a way to try and justify one's own lifestyle.
No one's saying that you have to be an olympic athlete, but being healthy is a whole other factor. Weight is something that everyone can control, hypothyroidism or not. And maintaining a healthy lifestyle lowers your rate of getting health issues like diabetes and heart attacks.
So, what's up with this fat acceptance movement? What do you think about it?
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no, weight is not something all people can control. my mom has been over weight my entire life. she has tried just about every weight loss idea out there, she has met with so may doctors i've lost count. and she is still over weight.
maybe you should stop being so critical. its no business of yours how much other people weigh.
maybe you should stop being so critical. its no business of yours how much other people weigh.
purple star wrote:no, weight is not something all people can control. my mom has been over weight my entire life. she has tried just about every weight loss idea out there, she has met with so may doctors i've lost count. and she is still over weight.
maybe you should stop being so critical. its no business of yours how much other people weigh.
Actually it is. Overweight people cause MY health insurance premiums to go up. Smokers at least have to pay higher rates themselves just to be insured. Overweight people don't. They just cause ME to have to pay higher and higher premium rates each and every year. If overweight people had to pay higher premiums for having unhealthy lifestyles, as smokers have to, then I wouldn't care what people weighed.
If your mother has some rare thyroid condition, she is one of the .01% of overweight people out there with a legitimate reason to be overweight.
Hypothyroidism accounts for 1% of the overweight population.
over 90% of obesity is caused by poor lifestyle choices.
@Poot, I agree with you for the most part although I think you're making weight management sound a lot easier than it is. I've never had a problem with my weight but I know some people who have really really struggled with it and even if it's not due to a physical health problem a lot of the time there are issues with mental health.
I don't think we should go around preaching that unhealthy eating habits is okay or a good thing or that being fat should be an ideal anymore than I think we should uphold the perception of beauty as being someone who is stick thin.
I don't know how health premiums and insurance works or how that might all change as Obama's health care plan comes into the mix so I can't speak about that.
I don't think we should go around preaching that unhealthy eating habits is okay or a good thing or that being fat should be an ideal anymore than I think we should uphold the perception of beauty as being someone who is stick thin.
I don't know how health premiums and insurance works or how that might all change as Obama's health care plan comes into the mix so I can't speak about that.
I disagree. Weight is not something in everyone's control. I know many people how have been overweight their entire lives. I look at their family and they are all overweight. My best friend has been overweight his entire life. His mother is overweight and she does stuff all of the time. She renovates homes and rents them; often doing very hard work including moving heavy things and painting walls. My friend runs around despite how fat he is. He can run better than I can and I'm underweight. Granted, some of it is his fault as he stopped maintaining his weight for awhile, causing more weight to accumulate. However, a fat person can be healthier than a skinny person. Some fat people are fat because of genetics. Some people are big-boned and therefore mistaken for being fat. Its ignorant to think the way you do, OP. Your making so many generalizations just because you are able to maintain your weight better than other people.
That being said, I think fat acceptance can be a great thing, however many fat acceptance threads I've been in just diss skinny girls. And well, that just hurts since I'm a skinny girl. I've been bullied and called so many names for my weight all of my life. It goes both ways. People are bullied for being on both sides of the spectrum.
As for insurance, I think it would be unfair to charge more for things out of control. Not everyone who is fat chooses to be so.
That being said, I think fat acceptance can be a great thing, however many fat acceptance threads I've been in just diss skinny girls. And well, that just hurts since I'm a skinny girl. I've been bullied and called so many names for my weight all of my life. It goes both ways. People are bullied for being on both sides of the spectrum.
As for insurance, I think it would be unfair to charge more for things out of control. Not everyone who is fat chooses to be so.
@Mariam Kitra
Weight management is definitely not an easy thing, and I didn't mean to make it sound so. I'm currently faced with being overweight (gained 40lbs last year) due to psychiatric medications and being forced in to a much more sedentary lifestyle, even if it was only temporary.
Essentially, obesity leads to a MUCH higher rate of health issues (diabetes, breathing problems, and coronary heart disease being among the highest) which causes obese people to use the health care system (and thus, their insurance) at a much higher rate than healthy people, which leads to premiums being raised to uphold the demand placed on them. Obese people aren't the only ones, but they are essentially the highest ones. Smokers are up there, too...but smokers are charged higher premiums on their own BECAUSE they smoke...so I have less of an issue with smokers.
@PixieSunBelle
Actually, weight is in almost everyone's control. Hypothyroidism, which accounts for apx 1% of the obese population, makes it more difficult to control weight but is still very possible.
Just because someone has been overweight their entire lives doesn't mean that weight is out of their control. Obesity is no where in a person's DNA, and therefore in and of itself is not hereditary. Lifestyles, on the other hand are essentially what I call a "second force genes". Essentially it's something that a child is taught from a very, very young age. If parents are overweight, it is most likely due to a more sedentary and poor dietary lifestyle, which causes a parent to instill this lifestyle on a child. If you care poorly for a child in the realm of diet and exercise, their metabolism will slow, which sets them up for poor health and difficulty raising their metabolism. There is a reason that childhood obesity is now being classified as child abuse. A child doesn't know any better and will follow in their parents footsteps...and often once they learn what is causing their health problems, it's too late...but can still be reversed with a rigid exercise and diet program.
If you look at America's and the world's history, for that matter...obesity wasn't ever really a problem until we were introduced to a faster paced, sedentary, and fast food lifestyle. Place like Spain didn't start having such high rates of obesity until the last 10 or so years, when similar lifestyles were introduced.
People, now-a-days, are eating over-sized portions of food, not moving around enough, and not eating the right foods. The high rate of obesity that we see now-a-days can be directly correlated to societal-wide lifestyle changes...we've moved from doing things out-doors such as farming, to doing things in-doors, such as typing on computers.
If you look at statistics, you'll see that obesity has become an ever-increasing phenomenon. How is it that in 1985, less than 10% of the population was in the "obese" range, yet currently most states have a recorded 20-30% obese population? This isn't a "natural" phenomenon. This is something that people are bringing upon themselves, and then trying to claim it as being natural and okay. It's not. We're killing ourselves.
@Thread For the record, I don't view any negative lifestyles as being "okay". I don't view being underweight as being beautiful, I don't view addicts as being okay, etc.
Weight management is definitely not an easy thing, and I didn't mean to make it sound so. I'm currently faced with being overweight (gained 40lbs last year) due to psychiatric medications and being forced in to a much more sedentary lifestyle, even if it was only temporary.
Essentially, obesity leads to a MUCH higher rate of health issues (diabetes, breathing problems, and coronary heart disease being among the highest) which causes obese people to use the health care system (and thus, their insurance) at a much higher rate than healthy people, which leads to premiums being raised to uphold the demand placed on them. Obese people aren't the only ones, but they are essentially the highest ones. Smokers are up there, too...but smokers are charged higher premiums on their own BECAUSE they smoke...so I have less of an issue with smokers.
@PixieSunBelle
Actually, weight is in almost everyone's control. Hypothyroidism, which accounts for apx 1% of the obese population, makes it more difficult to control weight but is still very possible.
Just because someone has been overweight their entire lives doesn't mean that weight is out of their control. Obesity is no where in a person's DNA, and therefore in and of itself is not hereditary. Lifestyles, on the other hand are essentially what I call a "second force genes". Essentially it's something that a child is taught from a very, very young age. If parents are overweight, it is most likely due to a more sedentary and poor dietary lifestyle, which causes a parent to instill this lifestyle on a child. If you care poorly for a child in the realm of diet and exercise, their metabolism will slow, which sets them up for poor health and difficulty raising their metabolism. There is a reason that childhood obesity is now being classified as child abuse. A child doesn't know any better and will follow in their parents footsteps...and often once they learn what is causing their health problems, it's too late...but can still be reversed with a rigid exercise and diet program.
If you look at America's and the world's history, for that matter...obesity wasn't ever really a problem until we were introduced to a faster paced, sedentary, and fast food lifestyle. Place like Spain didn't start having such high rates of obesity until the last 10 or so years, when similar lifestyles were introduced.
People, now-a-days, are eating over-sized portions of food, not moving around enough, and not eating the right foods. The high rate of obesity that we see now-a-days can be directly correlated to societal-wide lifestyle changes...we've moved from doing things out-doors such as farming, to doing things in-doors, such as typing on computers.
If you look at statistics, you'll see that obesity has become an ever-increasing phenomenon. How is it that in 1985, less than 10% of the population was in the "obese" range, yet currently most states have a recorded 20-30% obese population? This isn't a "natural" phenomenon. This is something that people are bringing upon themselves, and then trying to claim it as being natural and okay. It's not. We're killing ourselves.
@Thread For the record, I don't view any negative lifestyles as being "okay". I don't view being underweight as being beautiful, I don't view addicts as being okay, etc.
Sure, some people are fat because they sit around on the couch watching TV all day; other people can't help it. What if you have a glandular condition? What if you broke your leg or have a disease that won't let you exercise?
"ᶤ ʷᶤˢʰˑˑˑ ᶠᵒʳ ᵃᶰᵒᵗʰᵉʳ ᵐᵘˢᵗᵃᶜʰᵉˑ"
I'm on a kinda-hiatus - I won't be posting as much as I did.
Some people are genetically made to be bigger than other people.
Anyway, no matter how hard I try; gaining weight is impossible. I've been the same weight since 8th grade and guess what? It hasn't changed despite overeating and chowing on junk food and pop. It doesn't work. My mother is and still is small. She was only 86lbs when she was pregnant with me. Being small runs in my family. Its just the way it is. She could eat whatever she wanted and gain absolutely nothing. I can do the same thing whether or not I sit on the computer and TV all day. Some people are the opposite, like my friend in my other post. Sure, he can control it to a small point but he'll always be overweight to some extent.
Anyway, no matter how hard I try; gaining weight is impossible. I've been the same weight since 8th grade and guess what? It hasn't changed despite overeating and chowing on junk food and pop. It doesn't work. My mother is and still is small. She was only 86lbs when she was pregnant with me. Being small runs in my family. Its just the way it is. She could eat whatever she wanted and gain absolutely nothing. I can do the same thing whether or not I sit on the computer and TV all day. Some people are the opposite, like my friend in my other post. Sure, he can control it to a small point but he'll always be overweight to some extent.
Cheerfully Insane wrote:Sure, some people are fat because they sit around on the couch watching TV all day; other people can't help it. What if you have a glandular condition? What if you broke your leg or have a disease that won't let you exercise?
A broken leg isn't forever, and I doubt I'd go from healthy to obese in the 6-8weeks it takes for a limb to heal. Even then, there are exercises you can do without the use of your legs.
If I had a glandular problem, I'd do what I could to off set it through diet and exercise. Glandular problems make it more difficult to maintain one's weight, but not impossible. I'd educate myself on how best to take care of myself.
If I had a disease that made it impossible for me to move, like being paralyzed from the neck down or a spinal condition, I'd still do what I could.
Again, I'm not talking about being an athlete here, I'm talking about maintaining a relatively healthy weight.
I still just find it amazing that obesity has jumped from 10% in 1985 to 30%+ (some states have a recorded 40% *coughtexascough* rate of obesity) in present day and people are assuming that this is natural and not caused by our own life choices. The more sedentary our life begins, and the less we cook healthy foods at home...the fatter this country is becoming. There is a DIRECT correlation to our increasing rates of obesity steming from lifestyle choices...and yet I can't understand why people still claim it's uncontrollable.
You look at countries that have become more americanized and their rates of obesity are SKYROCKETING.
And yet people are still going to sit here and tell me it's in a persons genetics?
Find me proof that obesity is contained in a persons DNA. Because I've never been able to find any, or have a single doctor tell me that this is the case.
yes, a lot of people are too lazy to exercise or eat healthy. but no one is going to be able to change that. at least not any time soon. by the time something does happen to cause everyone to want to get off their asses and eat right, you'll probably be dead anyway. that is seriously how long it will take to fix this because it's really hard to change laziness and make people put down chocolate cake for something sugar or fat free. trust me, it doesn't taste nearly as good. so unless you are going out there and being actively involved in programs trying to change this and help kids learn about the dangers of obesity, why bitch about it? just cuz your health insurance goes up? that sounds like a really lame reason.
and btw, i do not care about which lifestyles people choose to lead, as long as they aren't breaking laws or putting their children or pets in danger.
and btw, i do not care about which lifestyles people choose to lead, as long as they aren't breaking laws or putting their children or pets in danger.
Death Card wrote:yes, a lot of people are too lazy to exercise or eat healthy. but no one is going to be able to change that. at least not any time soon. by the time something does happen to cause everyone to want to get off their asses and eat right, you'll probably be dead anyway. that is seriously how long it will take to fix this because it's really hard to change laziness and make people put down chocolate cake for something sugar or fat free. trust me, it doesn't taste nearly as good. so unless you are going out there and being actively involved in programs trying to change this and help kids learn about the dangers of obesity, why bitch about it? just cuz your health insurance goes up? that sounds like a really lame reason.
and btw, i do not care about which lifestyles people choose to lead, as long as they aren't breaking laws or putting their children or pets in danger.
Actually, I do go out there and lead programs at elementary schools for kids to exercise and eat right.
I think it's more lame for people to do the, "Well I can't do anything about it, therefore I shouldn't care."
Also, do you realize HOW MUCH insurance goes up? Why should I have to pay hundreds of dollars MORE in MY health insurance, because Joe Slow next door is too lazy to go walk a mile at the end of the night and not eat an army's sized portion of McDonalds for breafast, lunch, and dinner. My health insurance is high enough due to a long list of hospitalizations stemming from food allergies and mental illness.
If everyone were to think the way you do and say, "Well, it's not going to happen in the next 20 seconds, therefore it's not worth bothering about," nothing would have ever gotten done. You think the Civil Rights movement happened within one generation? Or women's rights? or any other movement that changed society? It takes people to start doing what's right, continue doing what's right, and educate the following generation to follow in our footsteps. Same reason I will always and only vote 3rd party in presidential elections.
well, that's good then. i'm glad you do that, i really am. too many people just talk and never actually do anything about it and that's what i can't stand, really.
and it's not that i have the mentality that if nothing will change now, then why bother. there are things i help out with in hopes it will make a difference. it's just that i don't really agree with this particular thing, because it's sounding like you want adults to change the way they live. and that's not really fair. if you want to start with the kids, and teach them how to be healthy, that's fine. it's great, actually. but the only way your health insurance is going to go down is if all or most of the obese adults change their lifestyles. besides being unfair, that's an impossibility. adults do not want to change. they are too set in their ways. if they themselves want to change and be healthy, that's great. but they cannot be forced.
and it's not that i have the mentality that if nothing will change now, then why bother. there are things i help out with in hopes it will make a difference. it's just that i don't really agree with this particular thing, because it's sounding like you want adults to change the way they live. and that's not really fair. if you want to start with the kids, and teach them how to be healthy, that's fine. it's great, actually. but the only way your health insurance is going to go down is if all or most of the obese adults change their lifestyles. besides being unfair, that's an impossibility. adults do not want to change. they are too set in their ways. if they themselves want to change and be healthy, that's great. but they cannot be forced.
Adults are constantly faced with change, and are perfectly capable of changing. But the desire has to be there.
What pisses me off are people that say, "Obesity is no ones business but the obese person" and, as can be seen by posts above, people tell me it's not my business. BUT IT IS. Wanna know why?
1) Health insurance. Yes, I've said it before. But I ask, why should I be forced to shoulder paying hundreds and hundreds of dollars more, and ever increasing premiums because obese people are bogging down the health care system because, fact, obese people are much, much more likely to face preventable health issues which drain the insurance money, and therefore causes health insurance companies to charge EVERYONE more money. Why should I be punished for another's poor choices?
2) Plane seats. Some airlines had started to enforce a rule where if a person weighed over a certain amount, they had to pay for 2 seats on airplanes. This is being taken away because obese people feel that it's discriminating. They say it's not fair. You wanna know what's not fair? I travel to Spain once or twice a year to visit family, and I pay upwards of $2,000 per trip. And more than half the time I have an obese person sitting next to me who is, literally, spilling in to my seat...a seat which is large enough for a healthy person to fit in. So, why should I have my space taken away on an airplane and essentially be smothered by an oversized person who is taking up nearly half of my seat? I feel they should pay me for half of the ticket I paid for.
3) Automobile prices. Since the 80's, car companies have had to change the standardized sizes for cars and seats in order to accommodate obese adults. This means they use more product to make standard cars, which in turn means that they've become more expensive due to people's poor life choices. Why should I have to pay more for something I need, because someone else has made poor life choices?
In essence, Obesity (which is the second leading cause of death in american adults) causes me as an individual to have to pay more for everyday things, all because of poor life choices.
I'm still curious about this "obesity is hereditary and not said persons fault/they can't control it." They can. And no, obesity is not hereditary.
As for the "some people are big boned" argument. Bones are only so big, believe me. Bones don't have rolls.
What pisses me off are people that say, "Obesity is no ones business but the obese person" and, as can be seen by posts above, people tell me it's not my business. BUT IT IS. Wanna know why?
1) Health insurance. Yes, I've said it before. But I ask, why should I be forced to shoulder paying hundreds and hundreds of dollars more, and ever increasing premiums because obese people are bogging down the health care system because, fact, obese people are much, much more likely to face preventable health issues which drain the insurance money, and therefore causes health insurance companies to charge EVERYONE more money. Why should I be punished for another's poor choices?
2) Plane seats. Some airlines had started to enforce a rule where if a person weighed over a certain amount, they had to pay for 2 seats on airplanes. This is being taken away because obese people feel that it's discriminating. They say it's not fair. You wanna know what's not fair? I travel to Spain once or twice a year to visit family, and I pay upwards of $2,000 per trip. And more than half the time I have an obese person sitting next to me who is, literally, spilling in to my seat...a seat which is large enough for a healthy person to fit in. So, why should I have my space taken away on an airplane and essentially be smothered by an oversized person who is taking up nearly half of my seat? I feel they should pay me for half of the ticket I paid for.
3) Automobile prices. Since the 80's, car companies have had to change the standardized sizes for cars and seats in order to accommodate obese adults. This means they use more product to make standard cars, which in turn means that they've become more expensive due to people's poor life choices. Why should I have to pay more for something I need, because someone else has made poor life choices?
In essence, Obesity (which is the second leading cause of death in american adults) causes me as an individual to have to pay more for everyday things, all because of poor life choices.
I'm still curious about this "obesity is hereditary and not said persons fault/they can't control it." They can. And no, obesity is not hereditary.
As for the "some people are big boned" argument. Bones are only so big, believe me. Bones don't have rolls.
I could accept the fact that I am fat only because that is the truth, but I would not say that fat is beautiful. There is nothing beautiful about suffering from health conditions and diseases just because you weigh more than you should. Plus, it is sickening that people would will themselves to believe "fat is beautiful" just because someone they don't like suggested a diet change.
Honestly, most people are just fat because it's really, really, really hard to lose weight, from what I hear. It may very well be out of their control - they can't help it, they're just that lazy. But very few have a genuine medical condition, I think.
But other people being fat does kind of affect you a LOT if you have to be in close proximity with them for an extended period of time (like the aforementioned plane seats, lol). Otherwise they can be as fat as they want, I don't even care enough to judge them for being fat.
But other people being fat does kind of affect you a LOT if you have to be in close proximity with them for an extended period of time (like the aforementioned plane seats, lol). Otherwise they can be as fat as they want, I don't even care enough to judge them for being fat.
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