The body positivity movement emerged due to the growing awareness of the negative effects of weight bias and fat shaming. The movement emphasizes the importance of being overweight and supports the belief that being overweight does not equate to living an unhealthy life. Expert opinion is unanimous that being overweight is bad for health, particularly for the heart. The average weight of Americans has increased in the last two decades, and anti-fat bias has also increased by nearly 40% according to a Harvard study.
Fat communities, such as the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA), have contested society’s stubborn generalizations that associate fat people with unhealthy lifestyles. Critics argue that fat acceptance ignores studies that have shown health issues to be true. As a person existing in a fat body, they are increasingly concerned by the moral duties that fat people are expected to perform to receive “acceptance” in mainstream body positive circles.
The fat acceptance movement aims to normalize obesity, letting everyone know that it’s fine to be fat. Four indicators of obesity commonly include BMI measurement, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and body fat percentage. The movement promotes an unhealthy lifestyle by glorifying obesity and encouraging unhealthy habits.
In 2008, Lily-Rygh questioned whether the fat acceptance movement is bad for our health, as it imposes a national cognitive dissonance upon discussions about obesity. The fat acceptance gurus are rapidly deconstructing the evidence-based conclusion that obesity is an unhealthy and largely preventable condition.
📹 Fat Activists Are Dying | Health at Every size Proven Wrong Again
What you will notice though is that many of the fat activists saying they feel great and their weight is not holding them back are …
Is being fat unhealthy?
Overweight or obesity can lead to serious health issues such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis, and certain cancers. These conditions can cause premature death and substantial disability. The risk of health problems starts when someone is only slightly overweight, increasing as they become more overweight. These conditions cause long-term suffering for individuals and families, and can have high healthcare costs. However, overweight and obesity are largely preventable, and the key to success is achieving an energy balance between calories consumed and used.
Why is obesity bad for society?
Obesity increases the risk of serious health conditions and diseases, significantly impacting the US healthcare system and military readiness. Risk factors include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and breathing problems like asthma and sleep apnea. Obesity also affects military readiness and military readiness. Therefore, it is crucial to address obesity and promote overall health.
Is body positivity really contributing to obesity?
Muttarak’s research focused on the associations between people’s BMI, self-perception of their body weight, and their attempts to lose weight. However, the study did not investigate or assess whether the body-positive movement has had any impact on these factors. To draw conclusions, experimental or longitudinal research would be necessary, such as measuring exposure to body-positive media imagery across time. The “body-positive movement is probably contributing to the obesity crisis” is unfounded, and the study did not even investigate this question.
Muttarak hints at this relationship in her article, stating that the availability of “plus-size” clothing may have contributed to the normalization of stigma associated with overweight and obesity. However, no solid evidence is given to support her statements, and references to other research are either unrelated to her claims or have misinterpreted the referenced study’s findings. This misleading writing is careless and unacceptable in a scientific journal and raises serious concerns about its peer review process.
The research cannot be used to support the claim that the body-positive movement is contributing to “overweight” or “obesity”. The reviewers at Obesity should have picked up on this, and journalists should have done their homework. Sloppiness in science, peer review, and journalism is unacceptable, especially when so much awareness has been raised about these issues in recent years. Scholars, reviewers, and journalists should get the facts straight and not spread false claims.
What is the toxic body positivity movement?
The body positivity movement, which promotes a positive view of our bodies, can sometimes reinforce the idea that our worth is solely based on appearance. This can lead to a preoccupation with appearance and remove the complex qualities that make us unique. This disconnect from our bodies can hinder our progress. To address this, professionals must be more realistic about where clients are starting and mindful of the ultimate goal.
Body neutrality, which focuses on understanding the unique qualities of our bodies, can help clients connect with their feelings and beliefs about how society has taught us about body function and appearance.
Body neutrality practices are supported across various cultures and populations through mindful movement, meditation, and therapy. It is crucial to emphasize the importance of pushing for body equality, representation, and dignity.
What is the purpose of fat acceptance movement?
The fat acceptance movement, which began in the 1960s, aims to counter anti-fat discrimination and societal ideals around beauty, dieting, and health. In 1969, activists created The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, dedicated to protecting the rights and improving the quality of life for fat people. Discrimination in education, hiring, work compensation, medical care, and the legal system affects fat individuals, leading to misdiagnoses, stigma during medical visits, and avoiding appointments altogether. The movement aims to lobby for change in politics, business, and the media to improve the quality of life for fat people.
Why is obesity glamorized?
The fat acceptance movement has emerged as a way for overweight or obese individuals to cope and find a community that they feel welcome in. This movement was created by individuals from various backgrounds and education levels who question health information and reports about obesity. The “Fatosphere” community was born from this movement, where people come together to feel accepted and fulfill their sense of belonging. A study by researchers found that the Fatosphere community may be more focused on acceptance than medical concerns surrounding obesity.
Social media is not solely responsible for the rise of obesity; it has also played a significant role in normalizing obesity. The social influence hypothesis suggests that social contacts of individuals directly or indirectly influence obesity-related behaviors, shaping who becomes obese. This model is another way to look at how an individual develops behaviors that have become normalized by those in their communities or around them.
From a medical standpoint, the increase in desirable body size is due to the normalizing of obesity, which increases the risk of multiple chronic diseases. However, studies have shown that lack of communication between doctors and patients with obesity is common in culture today. A study by Dr. Tiffany Powell at the University of Texas Southwestern found that nearly 1 in 10 obese people had misconceptions about their body weight.
Is it acceptable to be fat?
Fat is not the enemy, and it can be beneficial in some cases. Being healthy doesn’t require being thinner or fatter; almost half of overweight people are metabolically healthy, while 30 of normal people are not. Physical activity is more important for health than BMI, as people with high BMIs who are very physically active have the same likelihood of heart disease as those with normal BMIs who are just as active.
However, correlation doesn’t equal causation, and the link between obesity and certain diseases may have underlying reasons, such as societal factors or diet, or weight stigma may play a mediating role in predisposing fat people to illness.
Is it OK if I am fat?
Overweight individuals are at a higher risk of health issues, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. However, obesity is still considered a healthy condition that requires proper management. A healthy lifestyle, including regular physical activity and a nutritious diet, is the best defense against obesity. Fitness level is often more important than weight, as overweight individuals with fit cardiovascular measurements have lower death rates than those who are unfit.
Is body positivity good or bad?
The available evidence suggests that promoting positive body image is beneficial, as it is closely linked to mental health and effective weight management.
Which of the following is a criticism of the body positivity movement?
The body positivity movement has faced criticism for encouraging unhealthy lifestyle habits, particularly those promoting overweight and obese individuals. The movement’s excessive approval of overweight individuals may discourage them from improving their health, leading to lifestyle diseases. Health professionals, including dietitians, nutritionists, nurses, and doctors, have shown low agreement with the movement. Feminists have also criticized the movement, arguing that posting unedited photos of oneself on social media does not prevent women’s worth from being directly linked to their physical appearance.
A recent study found that 40% of body positivity posts on Instagram were centered around appearance, which has been criticized for being contradictory due to its photo-sharing nature. The movement’s focus on appearance has been criticized as a contradiction.
Is body positivity for skinny people?
Body positivity is meant for everyone, but the lived experiences of fat people differ significantly from those of skinny people. Fat people are often compared to pigs and cows, discriminated against in the workplace, and debated as if they are not worthy of the same things as thin people. The movement is fighting for body positivity and acceptance, and it is important to understand the struggles of fat people who have been made fun of for their appearance.
The personal feelings of skinny people should never trump the lived experiences of fat people, as someone telling you to eat will never be the same as telling you to starve. At the end of the day, skinny people are the standard in society, and it doesn’t matter what you feel about yourself or the rude jokes made at your expense, you have the ideal body type.
📹 The Dangers Of The Fat Acceptance Movement: How Influencers Are Glorifying Obesity
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I used to be in the “fat pride” movement and said “I’m king sizes” but my health was in horrible decline… I was 264Lbs had super high BP and was diabetic. I had kidney pain. Horrible body acne, was sweating so bad as well. I since lost over 90lbs and got my health back. I now speak out against this dangerous movement.
I once heard a funeral director say, “I’ve buried old people and I’ve buried fat people. But, I have never buried an old fat person.” I was obese and was not proud of it at all. I finally took myself in hand and lost 80 lbs. over about 18 months. I have kept it off within 5 lbs. for over 25 years. It’s hard because the desire to overeat is still there at 77. I’m no skinny mini, but I work at keeping my overeating in check and do exercises within my physical limits. My health isn’t wonderful, but it’s not too bad either considering Type II Diabetes (controlled), high B/P (controlled), and bad knees, all the result of obesity.
I am obese. I am fat. And I started going to the gym, making my own lunches and breakfasts, and walking during my 10 min. Breaks at work because I know I am unhealthy and need to make a change so I can live longer and feel stronger. Part of loving yourself is taking care of yourself. Sincerely, from a Hispanic, fat, woman
I was formerly over 225 lbs. I stopped weighing myself at 225 cause at that point I just didn’t care anymore. I made small changes to my lifestyle, I didn’t diet but made healthier choices. Stopped drinking pop, stopped eating highly processed food, stopped eating takeout all the time. Started walking around the block after dinner, then I added stairs, drinking more water. Now I’m down to 144 lbs and I feel great. Edit: for those asking I’m 5’2.
As a former heroin addict, I think it’s beyond irresponsible for these celebrities and influencers to lie to people, telling them they’re healthy, for money. You think Tess holiday and Vergie Tovar aren’t getting rich as hell off this bs? I can only imagine how much harder it would’ve been for me to change my life if there were glamorous voices telling me drugs were great and healthy and it didn’t make any difference if you shot up all day, you were beautiful and valid. Well, buttercup, 2 things can be true at one time. We are all beautiful and valid We all have struggles that don’t help us thrive and we can all strive to be better, happier and healthier.
I’m young, 18. In 2022 I lost 100 lbs, I had no diseases proven when I was fat, but still I see so much difference. I went from bmi 46,5 to 30 (still technicaly obese), but now my legs don’t hurt when I walk, I don’t get winded after walking couple of stairs, my heart don’t hurt after walking 200 meters, I don’t get those dark discoloration on skin caused by high blood sugar levels (I still eat a lot of sugars). I’ve never felt so good, no I wish I had done things that I didn’t do because I was obese like going to prom, going out with friends more often. I feel like those in fat acceptance don’t accept the fact that they are fat, they accept the fact that they have given up in trying. Deep down they probably would love to be skinnier and more phisically capable.
Michelle, please dont stop doing what you do. When I first found you I was in quarantine and weighed 210lbs, but now I’m 140. I had a group of friends who were all obese and they encouraged me to keep eating like them and liked that I was gaining weight. When I started realizing i needed my health back they wanted nothing to do with me. Eventually I saw the mental health problems they were developing due to their terrible diets and I’m so grateful that I got my body clean so that my mind can be too. I used to hate my weight loss because I got less “thicc” and lost some relatability with my peers. Listening to your articles gave me a new friend that reminded me I’m not crazy, the world is. Obesity has real consequences and if its not making you physically sick its making you mentally sick, and I couldn’t have come to that clarity without your influence ❤️
Jamie’s story made me so sad. She didn’t know about how bad obesity can be at first, and tried to help those with it in a salon. She eventually figured it out and lost 400 pounds(400 pounds!!!) and apologized to you, she became a lot better, put in hard work, and still passed away. It’s heartbreaking and I feel so sorry for her.
I was permanently kicked off a reddit list on fat acceptance because I told MY story about how I was so fat that I could not sit up. How I worked hard to lose the weight and still have bad knees and heart problems caused by my being overweight. There are men who like fat women. Ther are men who like really old men and young boys, men who like sheep, men who like amputees. It does not prove that fat women are sexy, only that there is a small percentage of people who have some really strange fetishes.
As someone who was obese, let me tell you something. Your self esteem and self confidence just went up once you get out from that zone. It took years but omg! Everything is worth it. Edit: people said its not the same for everyone and i agree but this is my experience. People calling me fat and ugly in classes. I was 107kg, 160cm and now im 60kg, 165cm, of course i would be proud and confident
Two years ago I weighed approx 210 pounds and I didn’t feel great. I was out of breath even after walking up just a few stairs… Whoever says “oh I feel good with my overweight and there are no problems etc” is lying to themselves. I managed to lose 20 kilos and felt a hughe phicically difference / improvement!
Had a staff member who was obese when she started, then became morbidly obese after a few years. She jumped on this bandwagon while being able to do less and less at her job. At first, it was missing a day here and there due to ‘feeling bad’…then it was not being able to walk the 30 yards to the warehouse to deliver her reports because it ‘was too tiring’. Then her health problems increased until she was unable to show up at work. She was only 36…and 360lbs on a 5’5″ frame. She finally succumbed to heart failure at 38. No one else in her family had a history of heart issues and the coroner stated it was directly due to her weight. A human body is only built to handle a certain amount of bulk. The joints can’t deal with 4-5x that weight, nor can the heart or kidneys or lungs…etc….
It honestly makes me so upset when people put out the narrative that being morbidly obese is good and healthy. People are literally dying in their 30s and 40s because of this. I’m all for loving yourself. But can you love yourself enough to get healthy and improve your quality of life? As someone who was obese and needed to learn to love myself enough to get healthier, I know just how much it has improved my life. 45lbs left to lose!
This is an absolute nightmare for health care providers. At 56 I am a disabled RN, post 2 spinal surgeries for herniated disks, having to live the rest of my life in chronic pain as a result of years of trying to physically care for these types of people. Their attitude is that we are incompetent for not knowing how to care for them. I went to school to be a nurse not a heavy equipment operator.
As a D.O. and knowing well how the “health industry” works, I am very convinced that this push for acceptance comes from big food and big pharma. This is the perfect business model: big food keeps selling their crap and this lead to the use of loads of medication. Win win (for them). One thing many well meaning people get wrong is that the concept about body positivity is about accepting being fat/obese. No, it’s not about that, nor being extremely skinny. Body positivity is about feeling well in your body shape without feeling depressed and doing unhealthy things to fit into size 0 clothes. Only a small percentage of population is naturally very skinny eating “normally”. We need to stop glorifying the extremes: the very skinny models and the obese “influences”.
I feel sorry for the people that are trapped in the cycle of denial, finding a community in denial, and feeding each other’s denial into full blown delusion. Someone with an addiction is impossiblly more likely to relapse (binge in this case) if the people around them are also addicts. This includes food addiction, if consumed recklessly eating can create a europhric high, it is bionchemically and behaviourally comparable to any drug addiction. It’s very sad to watch people loudly announce their personal denial, knowing it will kill them n
I was morbidly obese for years and then one day I fainted. Went to the doctor and was diagnosed with diabetes. I’m down 80 pounds and no longer morbidly obese, just fat. I feel great and have been true to my diabetic plan. My glucose has gone from nearly 400 to as low as 134. It does fluctuate though.
Obesity and total fatness do have a negative connotation and will continue to have it. But each person has the right to determine which direction they wish to go. It’s a personal issue and that’s that. We all know and realize that obesity and extreme overweight is a determent to our health, but hey, live your life as you choose.
I work in healthcare. Most of the people that make it to 90 or into their late 80s in decent health are thin to only slightly overweight. The people who are heavy might make it but their quality of life is so poor. It’s extreme suffering and immobility. I’ve seen so much unnecessary weight related suffering.
I used to be a part of this group. At my heaviest I was 450. I had a major health scare that landed me in the hospital for the week and after speaking with the Doctor I realised that I needed to lose weight or Id end up dying by the time I was 45. 3 years later im at 220 and am still losing weight, I cannot tell you how much better I feel now after losing the weight.
I used to be 20kgs overweight a few months ago & hated myself for allowing it to happen…. i’ve lost 5 kgs since & trying to regain a good weight…. how can these people remain at 300Kg+ hippos & not be worried about the medical conditions that arise from obesity? Heart failures, diabities, high cholestrol, fatty lever leading to lever failure, so much stress on your bones etc.
I was genuinely heartbroken when I heard about Jamie Lopez’s death. I would have loved to meet her. I actually liked her idea of a plus size friendly salon– I didn’t feel like it was really part of this health-at-every-size bs– just a place for bigger girls to get pampered without feeling embarrassed or judged. Anyway, rest in peace, Jamie.
I was once in the range of being “obese”, now I’m just a bit overweight. As an older person, I lost weight to alleviate the constant pain in my hips, knees and feet. Almost 30lbs later, I rarely experience joint pain and I can go for longer walks with a daypack. These younger, obese people may not live to my age so they can’t experience the benefits of not being overweight. Similar to a life long smoker, they’ll never get to enjoy a longer life free of breathing issues, fitness issues, and joint pain.
As a retired EMT, let me tell you that obesity can be detrimental to your health. For example, getting you to the emergency room on time to save you is essential, but if it takes time to call the volunteer fire department to get enough people to get you up and in an ambulance may cause you to be too late. Also, not every ambulance service can afford Bariatric stretchers. Had to borrow a horse trailer for one patient that was too large for the ambulance!
I was obese for most of my life and I was always aware of how awful and wrong it felt, being tired, out of breath, skin discomfort and frankly looking bad by my own standards. It took worsening health and chronic disease to get myself the motivation to commit to change. I’m now still moderately overweight but it already feels so much better.
I have a fat activist friend, and it’s incredibly difficult to talk to her about anything even remotely related to weight. For instance, I might tell her I went on a jog, she would tell me that society is brainwashing me. If I mention being at the dentist, she would rant about how the dentist checks her blood pressure—as if only fat people have their blood pressure checked at the dentist to discriminate. She even makes the same claims about her obesity having no effect on her health, even though one flight of stairs leaves her out of breath. She’s a wonderful friend, but it feels impossible to rationally argue with her about this subject when fat activists design the language to work against anyone who questions it.
I’m morbidly obese. I have been overweight for a majority of my life. I was sexually abused at a young age. This is when I began my obsession with food. It brought me comfort and happiness. At my biggest I weighed 320lbs. I’m around 280 lb currently. . I’m 48 years old. I want to at least want to lose 100 lbs. To be honest about weight I have never excepted my weight. It’s not healthy and I don’t like the way I look. I’m chronic pain from my weight. Anybody who is morbidly obese that says they accept themselves being overweight is lying to themselves!
As an obese woman myself, these “activists” disgust me due to the way they spread the ignorance of “healthy at every size”. Obesity and morbid obesity can and will hurt you one way or another. Nobody wants the pain and health problems that these women are not talking about and will not face up to. I’m very sad to see that some have lost their lives. May their untimely deaths not be in vain.
The biggest problem is when you see that their stubbornness is being passed on to their children. I got caught up in a situation where this plus size family sits on the plane and tilts their seats back (all of them). When the lady who was sitting behind them asked the mother if she could please leave the seat upright because she had to finish writing a report on her laptop so she could submit it as soon as we landed, they all simply started calling her fatphobic and proceed to change to the row in front of me. Then she turns around and loudly asks me “It’s ok if i tilt the seat, right?”. I didn’t even finished saying that we are supose to keep the seats in an upright position during take off and her daugther tried to slap me. I blocked her hand and they all started to scream that i had assaulted her. Luckily, since they first started shouting to the laptop lady, they draw the attention of the cabine crew, who came to my rescue, told them that i was right in the first place, the seats must be in the upright position during landing and take off and furthermore if i wanted to press charges against the daughter for trying to hit me, they would be escorted out of the plane by the autorities. They all lost it, calling everyone fat shamers and worse, threatening to sue, and the father, who had been quiet until now, even pushed the flight attendant. In the end, they were escorted out of the plane, the flight got delayed for more than 1 hour, and about 2-3 weeks later i had to miss a day at work to testify in court and face charges since they came up with a whole different story where everybody was rude to them and i supposedly banged her seat and called her fat.
My SIL died at age 32. She was 500lbs. She said she was “healthy”. The cause of death was sequela of morbid obesity. Fat kills!! It doesn’t care about your feelings. She was found in the bathroom with her pants around her ankles and her bum in the air. It took many firemen to get her out of the house. She would have been humiliated if she knew what happened.
Body positivity originally: My confidence took a huge hit after I got these burn scars on my face, but thanks to the support I am finally starting to feel better! “Body positivity” originally: I WILL NOT STOP SHOVING FOOD INTO MY FACEHOLE MY EVERY WAKING MOMENT, AND IF YOU TELL ME THAT MY UNSUSTAINABLE, SELF-DESTRUCTIVE LIFESTYLE IS WRONG, I WILL SCREAM AT YOU!!!
My wife has been fat most of her life, and I since my 40s. She’s lost 90# over the past 18 months, and I’ve lost 50. We’re both older, but we’re both enjoying better physical health; even at our ages of 70 and 60 we’ve rediscovered wonderful intimacy and love the feeling of being close to each other once again. Fat is exactly what you say: A slow death. I don’t see a need to shame anyone; on the other hand I don’t see a need to ignore the truth. RIP for those “you’re beautiful as you are” people who died from being too fat.
As a formerly 360 pound man who’s down to 300 and trying to get even lower… I didn’t realize how much being obese was dragging me down till i started losing weight, for every ten pounds I lost my mobility, energy and mood improved noticeably. I’m only about halfway through the amount of weight I want to lose and I’m already feeling better than I have in years. Idk what these people are on
I’m a Las Vegas hair & makeup stylist. I worked with Jamie to open the salon as well as on hair for her current reality show. Jamie was a beautiful person, unfortunately her struggle was her weight. She was working on her weight and was making progress. Unfortunately the weight won, but she was such a kind hearted and lovely person, I can’t believe she’s gone. RIP baby doll! ❤️
Ok…I am overweight. While I agree you can accept yourself at any size it doesn’t mean you can’t improve on yourself. I am comfortable in my skin but I am actively trying to lose weight to be healthy…I don’t understand why these people act like being fat is the end all be all…well honey tell my knees fat is healthy because they hurtin cause all this fat!
Jamie’s story saddens me the most. She legitimately tried to help others and spent her life running a business where fat women or even just women who were bullied for their appearances or health could feel safe and beautiful. She was really pretty and fashionable herself as well, even with the obesity. She really did seem sweet. But when I saw that part in the article of her opening up Babydoll Salon where she was struggling to just get out of a van… it really hurt. Daily tasks shouldn’t be a struggle like that, be it for disabled people or fat people. Her legacy should be remembered as both a cautionary tale of the dangers of obesity but also the story of a woman who dedicated the rest of her life to making women feel beautiful and accepted. There’s a bittersweetness there, I feel. God bless Jamie and the rest of the Lopez family. May she rest in peace, may her family mourn, and I hope her salon is still managed in good condition even after he death. ❤
I’m a midsize girl, I’ve fluquated from 180 to 135 and I personally believe that the bad feeling you get about yourself when you start gaining weight isn’t only social shame. I believe that it’s your body telling you you need to change your food habits because something off. Nowdays I feel it’s a hot take but our bodies know what they are doing, and I think that we need to start listening to them. If your leg hurts when you walk alot, most of the time you’ll try to do stretches or excercises to help it get better, but when our weight goes up because we are taking in more than we need, and our bodies try to tell us, we blame the system and refuse personal responsibility for our actions. The entirety of modern day arguments about our rights and morality is more about how much we don’t wanna deal with our consequences, and how we don’t deserve to deal with them
I cannot thank you enough, Michelle, for continuing to post this content. I just turned 26 a few days ago and I am overweight, I didn’t realize how this movement was influencing media I consumed (really! I don’t seek it). I want to grow healthy and old with my boyfriend, especially after working hard in therapy to recover from an abusive household. I deserve a happy life where my fitness doesn’t make it hard for me to do stuff. Thank you for promoting science and talking about how dangerous it is! I’ve started a light daily workout and am committed to this year being the year I get to a healthy weight. ❤️❤️❤️
I am extremely sorry for Jamie, it’s so unfortunate that she was ready to change but it was too late. But i have to thank you for making this article, because i am young and morbidly obese. Each time i binge i think to myself : „Oh there’s still a lot of time to change “. But Jamie’s death at a relatively young age just showed me that if i don’t change my condition until 30 i might not make it much longer than that. Rest in peace Jamie.😞❤️
Holy crap, that’s so sad. Dead before 50, both of them. I wish that this were more of a wake up call for people in FA, but I just know that there will be people that say (in Jamie’s case) “See? Losing a lot of weight is dangerous!” But Jamie was already in a very dangerous place, and the effort just happened too late.
Fat acceptance really gets under my skin. I have watched family die over morbid obesity. First they lost body parts. Then death. It’s a slow and agonizing way to die. But through it all, they refused to change and ate as they pleased till the very end. Fatness runs in my family and we struggle daily. Thankfully I was able to lose 45lbs 3 years ago. Sadly I got 10lbs back but I’m working on it. It’s an up and down battle in our family. But most of us are actively trying to do better everyday. Sometimes we even try to see who will get the most steps for the day in a group chat to motivate each other. Never give up on being healthy. We as humans are not to be bigs as giant balls.
These two women passing is exactly why I started taking my weight, and health, seriously. I was 230 lbs in my freshman year of college and I felt horrible. I hated how I looked, I hated how I felt, and I hated the fact that I was constantly wasting money on junk food. I spent the next three years exercising and getting healthy. I am now in my 170s and happy as can be. I’m glad to be at a healthier weight and encourage others to do their best to not end up dead at an early age just because they’re scared of the truth.
My mother is fat, due to her being raised poor by a single mom who wasn’t able to afford anything other than junk food, and she’s never been able to get the weight off since then. However, she’s a diabetes nurse now, and raised me and my sister to exercise often, and to not eat too much junk food (she understands that by restricting it completely, it’ll just make it more desirable) Thanks, mom!
Finally, a website that speaks truth! Goodness, it’s become increasingly more difficult to find like-minded people on this subject. It’s so sad that my view of, “just focus on being healthy/eating healthy/staying active and everything else will fall into line” is highly controversial & deemed “disgustingly fat-phobic” among my friends and peers. I struggled with my weight for the majority of my growing up years, being bullied for my weight to the point of being taken out of school to be homeschooled, so I’m well aware of the struggles and challenges that come from being overweight/obese. I’m sensitive to this topic & understand that self love & true confidence doesn’t come from being at a certain weight, but rather from within.. a heart change. But overall health & wellness should be a major priority in that too, which is where many people seem to disagree. I just don’t understand this new mindset & view it as one of the most toxic ideas of our time
Jamie Lopez was an utterly stunning woman, and she seemed like such a warm, comforting presence. And actually her salon concept was really sweet. Health and weight aside, all women should be able to pamper themselves and feel confident and that was a really great idea. It’s so sad that she hauled ass to get healthy in the last year of her life only to lose the battle anyway. That’s so heartbreaking, but her hard work doesn’t go unnoticed. 400lbs in a YEAR is completely insane!!! It must have been so freeing to rid herself of all that weight. May she rest in peace and be a reminder for people of any shape and size how important it is to put your health first.
I fat shamed my favorite aunt. Everyone in may family didn’t want to upset her and everyday i worried she wouldn’t see the next. She was so mad at me but i wouldn’t stop. I made a deal with her if she lost over 200lbs i would pay for her and her daughter to go on weekend trip to where ever she wanted. She went from being 320 down to 186. Im so proud of her. I paid for her and her daughter to go on their vacation. Best $2000 ive ever spent. I love my aunt and it was totally worth it.
Social stigma from fatness will never die. It’s instinctual to see fatness as undesirable. Even when your buddy is fat, your first instinct isn’t to encourage them to be fat. Most people would tell them to eat healthier and exercise. Sure, it hurts to be reminded that you’re fat. I feel that first-hand. But it’s absolutely necessary.
There is a difference between calling for kindness and empathy when discussing obesity and just outright promoting it as a healthy lifestyle. I feel so bad for people struggling with this and I honestly feel like to get to that point of morbid obesity there has to be something mentally wrong as well. Just as if someone were to become dangerously thin, I would worry there was something mental behind it because what is comes down to is it is a form of self harm, you are not caring for your body and you are damaging your health greatly. Also as someone who is not overweight, I at times struggle with motivation to exercise and eat healthy, so I can’t imagine weighing so much that it’s difficult to stand much less walk, and still somehow finding the energy to exercise or not resort back to emotional eating. And I know these people are made fun of and mocked constantly by strangers who don’t care to know their struggles, so I understand why they’re trying to push back and defend themselves by saying being “fat” is a beautiful thing, but doing that is not helping anyone. We should be supportive and kind to people who are overweight, but we should not lie to them and tell them that it is healthy or something to be celebrated.
Back in the 1990s my mother was required to buy an extra airline ticket as her ass took two seats. She thought of that was fair but she was so humiliated that she loss the weight and kept it off until her death in 2012. She said that humiliation is a great motivator and she was grateful as it was the wake up call she needed.
I started this year at 275 and now after Christmas I’m 250. I had to pause my gym time about 6 months ago due to some health issues but I’m glad to say that in those 6 months I haven’t gained back any of the weight I’d lost during the first 6 months of the year. I’m now recovered from the health issue I was having and have been cleared to continue going back to the gym starting tomorrow. Weight loss is a journey. You might face obstacles that are difficult to get over but don’t let the obstacles set you back or lead you down the opposite path.
No one in my life, family/friends/doctors EVER addressed my morbid obesity. It just played right into my denial. Then, I had a near death experience in 2010. I took my weight seriously after that and lost 56 pounds (I’m short, top weight was 188). But ever since I lost the weight, I’m labeled as morbidly obese by my doctors. They tried to get me to go to classes, workshops, join a gym, recommended me to seek a mental health professional for counseling, etc. It’s as if I never lost the weight at all. I’m now in a new state, new doctor. I had a article appt with her recently. The FIRST topic she wanted to discuss was my weight and the fact that morbid obesity is a contributing factor to poor health. I asked if my current weight was considered obese. She literally said, “once you are diagnosed with morbid obesity, it doesn’t matter if you lose the weight for a while…..statistics show you’ll gain it back. So, you must be treated for it ‘forever'”. I’ve kept it off for five years. It’s just mind blowing to me that no one ever talked about it BEFORE I lost the weight, and now they are obsessed with talking about it as if I still need to lose those 56 pounds. It doesn’t make me want to gain it back. I tried to get bloodwork done before my article appt and was TURNED AWAY from the lab because my health records showed I weighed 188 pounds and clearly I don’t weigh that now, they literally said I was committing medical fraud by not being the person on the chart. I had ID and everything and was told to leave.
How old is Tess Holiday? It seems like around the 40s is when it gets really dangerous to continue on like this, especially if you’ve been like that for almost half your life. Poor Jamie, and she was really trying too. Maybe if she had started sooner, then maybe things would be different. Rest In Peace 👼🏾
I was never obese, but being overweight and getting close to obese territory was miserable for me. My knees really suffered and I was sweaty all the time. But the biggest thing for me was feeling so trapped and restricted for no good reason. I have hypothyroidism, which many of these fat acceptance types point to as a reason to be fat (it’s not — it actually makes it a lot worse). I lost 80lbs since then and it was crazy how much I didn’t realize my weight was affecting things like my sleep or my mood until I lost it. Now I have to get big again since I’m pregnant — but only the healthy amount to grow a baby. I’m glad I’ll be at a size where I will be able to keep up with my children and play with them 🙂
its really upsetting how often people realise their mistake just a month or 2 too late and their fate is sealed. i’ve known a lot of people that were making great strides and lost a lot of weight, but the damage was already done. For those that are in a similar situation, please dont leave it to have ur first medical emergency before doing something to prevent it.
I was up to 190 pounds at my heaviest. I’m 5 feet tall. I felt awful. I was so depressed. I hated going out. Nothing fit. I had pains in my legs and I could barely walk because of pain. I gave up. Then i started walking (not far at first) and gradually walking further and further. I lost a lot of weight. These insane people have just jumped on this bandwagon because they want to tell US how to feel about THEM. This is happening more and more with other groups of people. Narcassists
I was too skinny as a kid and and as a result went too far (or too fat) and now had some health issues as a result. I am obese and not proud of it, BUT I am making healthier choices now and will become (hopefully soon) an appropriate weight. I believe we all can make our own choices, we can set the bar higher for ourselves OR demand that we have rights and play “victim” when reality bites us in the @$$. I personally love these articles as it inspires me NOT to be them.
I’m just as passionate about trying to talk people out of smoking, heavy alcohol consumption, and drug abuse as I am about trying to talk people into eating healthier. Being a bit overweight and curvy is still manageable with help of blood pressure and cholesterol control. But being hundreds of pounds overweight will mess your heart and joints up.
I looked up Jamie Lopez the owner of the obese nail salon after I watched this article, it’s so shocking (but also not so) that she died so very young. It’s so sad, so self inflicted AND she had lost so much weight.Hopefully a wake up call will be coming soon, it certainly has for me I have gained almost all the weight I lost back (40 out of the 60 pounds) and it has been a struggle to get back into the swing of things
As someone that is obese, I really liked this article! For my own experience, the best for me out of the fat empowerment movement if that it inspires you to live. Throughout my 20s and 30s I hid in my house and did nothing as I felt I could not do anything without losing weight first, travel, going out, wearing what you want to wear etc. It is like self-exile from society. It is like perusal everyone around you live their best lives and you are stuck. After years of this, it puts you in a rut mentally and facilitates emotional eating as your only comfort and dopamine hit, and it is a never-ending circle. So, I like it that it gives you the personal strength to love and live as you are. I believe if I love who I am right now, and give myself permission to live my life, I will in turn love myself enough to finally beat obesity. For me, this is what the movement should focus on. We all have the right to live and love. At this point this is where my views with the fat empowerment splits, I do not want to celebrate my fat, as I want to be healthy. But I want to celebrate and love me now and not wait to lose weight first. This is one of the only ways to break that mental barrier.
This movement was supposed to have been about not bullying or discrimitating those who cannot look like a Barbie or a Ken in places where physical appearance has nothing to do with anything (like most jobs), not about telling everyone that a morbidly obese person with an life expectancy of 30 years is supposed to be the ideal thing to do.
I was nearing morbid obesity, before I finally decided to do something about it while i still could. I strictly regulated my diet and exercise. Naturally, there were days I felt I wasn’t making progress, but I did eventually lose over 100lbs, reaching what might even be considered a healthy weight. Entering into my mid 30s, I can definitely see I made the right call.
At 380lbs l was never in the fat acceptance movement. Even I knew that I wasn’t as potentially healthy as my thinner counterparts. It didn’t matter though, I am an addict. Instead of joining a support group that told me everything was great, I just kept my focus on the immediate gratification that food brought me, and worked hard not to think about what the future would bring. This worked while I was younger, but at 62 my body crashed. My health collapsed suddenly like a line of dominos. My heart, my lungs, my kidneys all seemed to give up the ghost at the same time. I spent 90+ days in the hospital. Some of it in ICU on a ventilator. I was ready to change. But finding doctors willing to take me seriously about that were hard to find. That’s the part l never considered. Doctors wrote me off. They wouldn’t listen when I said that I wanted a chance to change. That was the most terrifying part of my nightmare. I was lucky enough to find doctors willing to give me a shot, and I took it. I am 200lbs lighter. My health is so much better but not without some permanent damage to my heart, kidneys, and lungs. I have no one to blame but myself. Telling yourself and others that being fat is beautiful and poor health is not a likely outcome is suicidal. It’s the addiction talking. Let me be a cautionary tale to those would might think they are immune to the effects of abusing their bodies with food.
My cousin was very obese and was like that for as long as I can remember. She already began to have Heart problems in her early 30s and she passed away by the age of 37. It was very devastating. If you are obese you got to make those changes soon. Do not wait because if you ever end up getting heart failure your days will become numbered. And at that point losing weight will not reverse heart failure. Cardiac cells do not regenerate. You get one heart and that’s it. Heart transplants are very hard to come by and someone else has to die to donate that organ.
I have an incurable illness which will likely cause me to die young, I work so hard to maintain the health I have, am very careful with my diet and exercise a good amount. It really gets to me when people voluntarily give up their health and die early, just because they don’t want to face reality or hold themselves accountable, while I’m fighting to make it to late adulthood.
Hearing this makes my blood boils. I used to weight 130kg then after taking myself in charge (cooking my own food, cooking comfort food from scratch like making the pizza dough and other stuff) it makes me find a real appreciation for food products and to create dishes myself. I went through the surgery process, losing weight down to 117kg that I got 6 months ago. Just to say this is horrendous how those people think promoting death by eating is the best lifestyle. I understand the idea of fighting against bullying towards obese people. It’s just evil to tell us stay morbidly obese, you look perfect and healthy like that.
I was at a spa once and an overweight woman broke the pedicure chair next to me and somehow broke the plumbing. Everything started leaking and let’s just say it was not a relaxing experience. They had to keep getting towels, it was a mess. I have also been the unfortunate traveler that has had to share my already small airplane seat with a large passenger. I believe everyone deserves compassion, and that health care needs to do their best to keep patients healthy, regardless of size. But you need to inform people of the facts, even if correlation is not causation. Do it with kindness, but it needs to be done.
Jamie’s passing really shook me. She was a sweet woman and I had looked forward to going to her salon. In recent years she spoke frequently of the toll that her weight had taken on her body. i think its important to note that while she had residual heart problems stemming from her weight, it wasnt that alone. She had been ill with a respiratory virus for a while. Her body just wasnt strong enough to fight it. I was concerned about the weight loss products she was selling though. The stuff she was selling contained a lot of caffeine from what I saw. Caffeine + heart issues = no good and cant help but wonder if that and her extremely quick loss complicated matters. 🙁 Still so sad. All she wanted was for everyone to have a place they felt comfortable going to for self care. You can be fully aware of your weight issues and still deserve to take care of yourself and feel beautiful while you work on your health.
I’m 30 and started my journey at 280 lbs. I had started seeing my doctor once a month and a nutritionist to help me lose weight because I really want to be healthy, but also to feel better. I also have no shame in seeing a therapist to keep my binge eating in check. Since losing 50 lbs so far, I can walk better, enjoy exercising now, actually WANT to make healthy food choices, and just keep telling myself “you feel this great now, you’ll feel even better the closer you get to your goal.” I do have thyroid issues but I don’t want to use that as an excuse or hold me back. It’s just taking longer to shed the weight but diet and exercise IS working. No time limit to get healthy. I’ll get there 🙌🏻 I’ve been following you for a while and appreciate your articles discussing the topic because it helps and you’re always coming from a good place. I’m pre diabetic and my goal is to hopefully to no longer❤
I used to be very thin as a teen, and stayed thin until 25, I ate so much and never gained much at all. Until the joys of aging hit me, and then it really creeped up on me SO fast, like my skin and tummy hurt from gaining so much so fast, it was weird experiencing pain by gaining weight, the Dr say gaining weight is not painful, but it was for me! I was considered obese for the first time in my life, weighed 215 pounds at the heaviest. I was so uncomfortable in my body, I wasn’t feeling great, it was not fun. I am now down to 170, and damn is it hard to get to my goal of 150, those last 20 pounds is damn stubborn!!! I WILL win though, never giving up on my health.
I sometimes go to the loseit subreddit that focuses on weight loss. Every now and then, a woman will tell a very similar story. They had always struggled with their weight, and they got into the fat acceptance movement. They felt that for the first time in their life they were loving their body, and really taking care of themselves. Then one day they realize that none of their clothes fit, they are struggling to walk up stairs, or they see a picture of themselves when they thought they looked really cute but in the picture they look really bad. Then they end up back in the “diet culture” because they have gained a ton of weight. There is obviously a major disconnect about what it means to take care of oneself and what it means to self destruct. Some people seem to associate dieting and exercising to self flagellation and they just want to finally “love” themselves. I don’t really know how society can change this.
I think there are a few lines here. Fat people do face barriers in society; they’re subject to discrimination at work, and doctors often look no further than their weight, leading to health complications that wouldn’t have happened otherwise. (Dr. Mike has a great article on someone who nearly lost his life because his doctor blamed symptoms of a serious medical condition on his weight.) Even being moderately overweight, but otherwise healthy, causes social problems. I have exercise instructors who are chunky chicks, and all people see is their extra weight. But I do agree that “healthy at every size” is a myth. I’ve lost close to 70 pounds, and while I’m still moderately overweight for my height, I feel so much better now. Mind you, I was still exercising hard five days a week at 230 pounds and was relatively healthy, but I felt it in my body that I needed to lose. I got to the right space in my life to lose weight, and I did. I think we need to get over fat-shaming, because that doesn’t work. But going in the opposite direction doesn’t help.
I bought the fat acceptance lies for a while, believed that remaining fat was inevitable and decided to let myself go instead of addressing my unhealthy relationship with food. Between 21 and 22, due to various factors, I gained 33lbs and reached my heaviest weight at 225lbs. At 5’3 I was on the verge of becoming morbidly obese and wasn’t feeling well After quitting my toxic job in August, I decided to take care of my mental and physical health. Medical exams showed I had a fatty and enlarged liver, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. I’ve been going to therapy, changing my eating habits and increasing physical activity. I’ve managed to lose 22lbs in less than 4 months and I know I’ll keep losing more pounds in the months to come and I expect to heal my body from the harmful effects of obesity. Obesity hurts our bodies in the long run and no amount of feel good propaganda is going to change that fact
My sister was like this because she refused to eat well and exercise. Her typical meal was mac & cheese in the box, with tons of extra cheese added and a stick of butter, washed down with at least a quart of ice cream. She ate almost nothing but processed, fatty, sugary or salty foods and the doc said that even as she weighed 400lbs, she was starving from lack of nutrition. She spent the last several years of her life disabled and pitched over of a heart attack at 51 in front of the family. The fat acceptance movement is a hellish lie.
I was 160 lbs, 5’7″ super healthy, ate healthy, worked out 5 days a week until I got really sick. My doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong. I didn’t change any of my eating or exercise habits but I was uncontrollably gaining weight, I was bloated and a host of other symptoms. In 6 months I gained 40lbs. Turns out I had a rare form of ovarian cancer that attacks the hormone system. I had surgery and was placed on a hormonal steroid cocktail that also puts your body in a medical menopause. I gained another 30lbs. Yes I was alive but I wanted my body back. The body positivity movement helped me to love my new body as a testament to being a survivor… BUT I still try to make healthy decisions and I exercise. Do I miss my old body? Yes!!! Do I feel proud of the body I have? Yes! Its a paradox
My top weight was in my mid 20s. I am 5’10″ and was close to 350 lbs. I say close to because when I stepped on a scale at the gym and saw the trainer record 339lbs, that was the last time I willingly stepped on a scale for about 5 years. I was one of those fat chicks who always dated fit or slim men. I wore what I wanted and still went dancing every week. It took a cascading and crippling set of symptoms to finally discover that at least a little of my weight gain and inability to lose weight was due to hashimotos thyroid disease. While medication helped a little, it wasn’t until I addressed my eating habits that I really began to lose weight. Now at 5’10″ I weigh 190 muscular pounds and I’m in my early 40s. My only regret is that I didn’t get my crap together sooner. That I didn’t learn to REALLY love myself sooner. Anyone who is morbidly obese and is trying to sell the public on how good it feels being 100+ lbs overweight is lying to you, and sadder still lying to themselves. Not being able to climb a few flights of stairs without having to stop and gasp for air isn’t cute and it isn’t fun. Not being able to hike with friends isn’t fun. The embarrassment of asking for a seatbelt extender is humiliating and not fun. Not being able to join your boyfriend on amusement park rides and roller coasters isn’t cute. Not being able to go shopping with your girlfriends or Only being able to buy your clothes from one or two places or online isn’t fun. Going to football or baseball games and having to climb the stairs while other people watch you pause for breath isn’t fun.
We don’t talk about obesity to be mean, or demeaning, we talk about it to help others. We want you to succeed in life, in the best health possible. You are loved and deserve respect at any size, but being obese is dangerous. Surround yourself with people who can support and help you to your goals, whatever they may be.❤
It’s not just all about YOU and what YOU want. What about your friends and loved ones? How about being healthy so you can participate in fun activities with them like sports or hiking or swimming or rock climbing or horse back riding, etc? And living long enough to see your grandchildren? Your family deserves to have you in their lives.
My Mother had a heart attack a little over a year ago at the age of 68. She’s no where near the size of these people, only somewhere around 215-230lbs (maybe?) She didn’t pass away from it but I’m pretty sure she had stopped breathing for a while. I was trying to help her stand up after she had fallen over and was telling her she needs to lose weight and exercise when she just went limp and seemingly died. I was on the phone with 911 trying to figure out how to get her in position to perform CPR when she started breathing again, and she was conscious by the time the ambulance arrived. Scared the crap out of me. Unfortunately she hasn’t learned much from it but she has lost some weight. Another thing that obese people need to consider is how are people supposed to try saving you if they can’t move you. Not only with medical conditions like heart attacks but also things like accidents or violence.
Is the real problem, GLUTTONY, which is one of the 7 Deadly Sins? Is the true problem, the obsessive pursuit of pleasure by eating and drinking foods that activate dopamine and other pleasure inducing neurotransmitters. Is the true problem depression, sadness, self-hatred, disrespect of self, lack of self-love, self-preservation, and self-protection?
I worked with a woman who got up to over 700 pounds before going on basically a starvation diet and losing a whole bunch of weight. After she lost all the weight she died. It’s not surprising that someone who lost 400 pounds in one year died from the experience. I mean, she put herself through all that and still weighed over 400 pounds. And it took her a lot longer than a year to put on all that weight.
I was up to 220 lbs and super ashamed. I didn’t even want to hear people talk about it because I was just embarrassed and no longer felt attractive at all. Well, I quit soda and had a bit of a health crisis so I forced myself to diet. I lost 40-50 lbs, and I was beyond proud of myself for getting below 200. I just wanted to share some of the ways I did it in case anyone else in in the situation where they need to lose weight: I only ate when I was hungry and often would not finish meals because I was no longer hungry. I stopped letting myself get full on food but instead just ate enough to get by. I started eating a 2 egg omelette with cheese during the middle of the day and snacked a little afterward, but I had a rule that past 5pm, I would not eat anything else. The more weight I lost, the more lax I became so now I need to get back to being strict. I find my weight does fluctuate but if I cut back, I lose weight much more easily. Anyway, just wanted to share this in case anyone needed any tips. I’ve gotten a lot smaller, and I’d like to get skinnier still. But, I would also really like to know that I’m healthy, so that’s kind of my goal soon….
I was always bigger as a kid, up through to an adult. I was my biggest at like, 205-210. I’m only 5’1″. TERRIBLE. I lost over 80 pounds after I ended a relationship with someone obsessed with my “bigger” figure. That shit really showed me how the whole fat hype ain’t true. They really fed my head w that. Even tho in MY eyes, I disliked myself. I didn’t wanna be that big!!! But they loved it and glamorized it as if it wasn’t a problem. In the meantime blood pressure shot up to borderline diabetic. We broke up in that time and I lost weight. I’m happier now. Fuck obesity. fuck all of ir
I grew up in a time when every school photo shows armies of slim kids-the 1950s. In New Zealand we didnt have all the snacks and after wartime rationing my mother would not permit demands for treats. Its all changed and there are fatsos all over the country and in the UK where I live. I saw people in my office snacking all the time and decided not to do it! I watched their backsides and guts expand terribly while I am still as slim as I was at 20. (I always made a proper cooked meal in the evenings and there was no harm in a treat from time to time. But Gosh this is a madness and these fatsos are just greedy and stupid . They look disgusting !)
Love this dialogue. Thank you for not being afraid to talk about it. I had, just 3 days ago, a man…look, there’s no other way to put it, morbidly obese, legit yell at me “Name something you can do that i can’t!”…I’m not a mean person, but it hit a nerve and I’m ashamed to say i took the bait. I said “Jump? See my toes? Live passed 40? Take less than 2 minutes to get off the couch?” >.< Beauty doesn't equal healthy! Large men and women can absolutely be considered beautiful! They still are not healthy. >.< Omg...The Jamie story hurt my heart. Good for her for taking charge and doing something. So sad to see it turned out the way it did. 🙁
This is so important. I’m a 40 year old mum of two and I’m 28lbs over a healthy BMI- I’m classified as overweight but not obese. I recently had a blood test which revealed I have raised cholesterol. My weight is my ONLY risk factor- I have never smoked, I do eat a varied diet (but big portions and a few extras that sneak in), I’m active and I don’t drink to excess. My doctor said that I probably do have a genetic element, but, guess what, losing my extra weight will probably take me back into the healthy range. They said that some people have no health complications from their weight for a while but others are far more susceptible- and you don’t know it’s you until it happens. In this era of ‘fat acceptance’ it has been very easy for me to look at morbidly obese people who say they are healthy and then think I must also be fine as I’m a Uk size 14 (US 10)- but I’m not. Being overweight has caused a health issue that could shorten my life and cause complications at a younger age than I would like. I’ve now stopped the excuses, reduced my portion sizes and treats, added weight training to my daily extensive walking and I’m determined to get back to a healthy weight. I used to think the 35lbs I gained after I had kids wasn’t enough to be harmful- I was wrong!
I worked with a woman who was heavy but was mobile. Then she kept getting heavier and heavier. She went from a cane, to a walker to a mobility scooter. She got terrible leg ulcers then became bedbound and got decubitus ulcers that would not heal. And still she kept eating. She died way too soon because she simply would not quit eating and eating and eating.
This is so sad. I think you have to love yourself wherever you are at that moment. But you can do that and still recognize you’re unhealthy. No one should be shamed and treated horribly and it’s unfortunate that they are. I think that’s the real reason they turn to this other extreme of saying they don’t care is to hide the hurt they feel from the treatment they get. It’s a double edge sword that I’ve experienced. I know I’m fine…but I also didn’t like the way I felt and knew I had to make some changes. It breaks my heart there’s such extremes when it comes to being healthy
Yeah you can. You can feel sorry for a woman who died way before her rightful natural lifespan. It’s called compassion. Here’s the deal. The Fat Acceptance movement is a crock of sh!t. You’re right. It does deny that being overweigh is terrible for a person’s health and the goal for everyone should be to help overweight people lose to a healthy weight. But what are you so hostile to these people? You don’t have to live like them and you don’t have to associate with them. The fact is, there is a lot of hostility directed at overweight people. This article is evidence of that. Why not just be nice and helpful to overweight people. Maybe if they didn’t face so much hostility they wouldn’t feel the need to push back so aggressively and they could spend their energy doing more productive things.
I wonder if the founder of their movement being a fetishist is why FA types have such a weird relationship with desirability. They’re simultaneously trying to get everyone to desire them while also crying about being fetishized anytime they’re pursued because of their size. Edit: I will never get over Health At Every Size being co-opted by the FA movement. The original message was “variation in body shape and height doesn’t matter, just eat whole foods and do moderate exercise rather than obsessing about weight” and I thought it was genuinely brilliant. How that became “eat whatever the fuck you want and who cares if you’re 500+ lbs” is beyond me.
Thank you for tackling such a big problem. I first became aware of the fat problem years ago while in a movie theater. There was a fat couple behind us munching away on the picnic they’d smuggled in and I was given to recall one experience where, again, a couple of very fat people held up the aisle as they struggled to leave their seats and where really slow to move; you also couldn’t get by them. And so it dawned on me – what would happen in an emergency like a fire – you’d be trapped behind them as they struggled to move along, catch their breath, all that. I turned to my girlfriend “we need to move”. Once we settled into a section that clearly was free of any fat people impediments I explained to her and she got it. She turned and looked over towards the plus++ sized pair “whoa, I never looked at it that way, they’d get you killed”. Fat people are a danger to others, one need only think things through. It’s very upsetting to pay for your baggage, or adhere to weight limitations, while traveling and see a 350-400 lb passenger be treated the same as the 150-200 lb people. If their weight was a consideration they’d be restricted to a purse and we could have that extra bag. Thanks again, just discovered your website and love it – you make so much sense!