Social Science Weightism. Human rights for fat people

[CM86]

>>>>>Fat Pride article<<<<<
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I just read this article on how the world is discriminating against fat and obese people.

Just wondering what everyone else's view on this is?

I am sick of the "blame everyone else" attitude that the majority of obese people have. The attitude that they suddenly lose once they start doing something about it, and lose the weight.
Diet, exercise, gastric bands whatever, as soon as they have lost the weight, they start saying that obese people have no one to blame but themselves.

They claim they are being oppressed by societies constrained views forcing the ideal person onto us. But it is just evolution, we are programmed to seek out healthy mates. Society is actually all about enabling the obese, and trying not to hurt anyones feelings.

Obesity isn't a disease, it isn't contagious, it isn't irreversible, stop acting like there is nothing that can be done.
Can you imagine if someone found out they had cancer, and did nothing about it? You would say "well it is that persons choice... but what an idiot"

I will feel sympathy for these people, when they can show me one person in existence, who after a year of healthy eating with small portions and daily exercise, hasn't become trim and fit.

 

[Yabba]

Studies have shown that if you have fat family members or friends you are also more likely to be fat. So in some respects it is.

That said obesity should not be celebrated as something to take pride in. The same way we don't celebrate an alcoholic or smoker.

 

[The Passenger]

Studies have shown that if you have fat family members or friends you are also more likely to be fat. So in some respects it is.

That said obesity should not be celebrated as something to take pride in. The same way we don't celebrate an alcoholic or smoker.

??

george best... jim morrison... keith richards

 

[ioppolo]

What REALLY pisses me off are the ones who are at the shopping centre food court during the day eating a massive plate of chips & gravy with a couple of bottles of Coke. Then when you look at them, they look at you like you're the scum! Even worse is for some reason these people seem to have 5 or more kids. All they do is exist and nothing more, and this is where tyaxpayers money ends up!

End rant.

 

[JuddsABlue]

I havent heard many fat people 'blame everyone else' for it. I think most people that are overweight are aware of why but prefer to live a life where they can eat foods they enjoy and be unhealthy for it, exactly like a smoker/drinker/drug user

I also believe people naturally dislike overweight people more than fit people. Not sure why, maybe its just wired into our brains but it sure does happen

 

[JuddsABlue]

What REALLY pisses me off are the ones who are at the shopping centre food court during the day eating a massive plate of chips & gravy with a couple of bottles of Coke. Then when you look at them, they look at you like you're the scum! Even worse is for some reason these people seem to have 5 or more kids. All they do is exist and nothing more, and this is where tyaxpayers money ends up!

End rant.

If you're staring at people and not liking them because of what they're having for lunch, then yes you are the scum.

 

[ioppolo]

If you're staring at people and not liking them because of what they're having for lunch, then yes you are the scum.

I don't stare at them, but sometimes when I see an obese person eating that I think 'why? why would you...'

 

[Yabba]

??

george best... jim morrison... keith richards

They were all stars in their own field, that had flawed personalities. We would still know who they are if they lives straight edge lifestyle.

 

[radiojake]

“Fat subjects are produced as irresponsible and therefore as unworthy, and this is used to justify the (threatened or actual) denial of health care, transport, education, employment, representation and dignity”.

Does this actually happen? Can we have documented cases were 'fat people' are denied health care, transport, education, employment and representation? - Diginity is subjective

 

[Harvey Leadpipe]

I havent heard many fat people 'blame everyone else' for it. I think most people that are overweight are aware of why but prefer to live a life where they can eat foods they enjoy and be unhealthy for it, exactly like a smoker/drinker/drug user

I also believe people naturally dislike overweight people more than fit people. Not sure why, maybe its just wired into our brains but it sure does happen

Probably because fit people don't clog up so much room and get in everyone's way with their waddling, so they don't annoy you as much. And fat people are much moodier and sour looking, but that probably stems from being tired and achy having to lug around the excess baggage all day.

 

[MrNatural]

I don't stare at them, but sometimes when I see an obese person eating that I think 'why? why would you...'

So you never indulge in anything that is unhealthy?

As someone who has recently lost some weight, im slowly finding myself on the other side of the weight fence, and its strange to come to grips with.
Lately, i have found myself doing much the same as you do, looking down on others stuffing themselves to oblivion.
Its almost as if, i was once a part of that 'crowd' but now im beginning to find myself on the other side, and its an instinct to look down on people in those situations.
Anyone else feel this way?
I look back on the way i was, I'd be one of those people you're referring to who would stuffing himself at the food court, thankfully im not anymore

 

[CLUBMEDhurst]

Be gone with you, fat haters. A man's never known lovin', 'til he's had lovin' from a big woman

http://www.dimensionsmagazine.com/

 

[ioppolo]

So you never indulge in anything that is unhealthy?

I do, but in moderation, plus I exercise, the people I talk about don't even try to eat healthy and don't try to exercise.

 

[Messenger]

I havent heard many fat people 'blame everyone else' for it. I think most people that are overweight are aware of why but prefer to live a life where they can eat foods they enjoy and be unhealthy for it, exactly like a smoker/drinker/drug user

I also believe people naturally dislike overweight people more than fit people. Not sure why, maybe its just wired into our brains but it sure does happen

I think a portion of these sort of people lack a degree of will power when it comes to eating. I don't think its a matter of choice to be unhealthy so much as its easy and therefore the default option for them.

 

[Andre]

Studies have shown that if you have fat family members or friends you are also more likely to be fat. So in some respects it is.

Passed on poor eating habits and raised that an inactive lifestyle is the norm. Of course they'd have higher incidences.

I'm all for bagging reality TV, but one thing the biggest loser shows is anyone obese can lose weight - IF they do the work. Find me an obese person who drinks water and no alcohol and/or sugary drinks each day, has 5 - 6 healthy small meals a day (no snacks), does 30+ minutes of cardio every day and weights 3 - 4 times a week, month after month and still doesn't lose any weight and I'll believe in 'it's genetics'.

 

[CM86]

Studies have shown that if you have fat family members or friends you are also more likely to be fat. So in some respects it is.

That said obesity should not be celebrated as something to take pride in. The same way we don't celebrate an alcoholic or smoker.

Studies have shown that fat families pass on their life styles to their kids. Nothing about genetics.
Plenty of Olympic athletes with overweight parents.

I havent heard many fat people 'blame everyone else' for it. I think most people that are overweight are aware of why but prefer to live a life where they can eat foods they enjoy and be unhealthy for it, exactly like a smoker/drinker/drug user

I also believe people naturally dislike overweight people more than fit people. Not sure why, maybe its just wired into our brains but it sure does happen

Obese people will happily give a list of reasons as to why they are so large, most of the time, none of the reasons come back to their lack of will power. It's their surroundings, their upbringing, their genetics, society, how hard their life is.
It is wired into our brains, our basic instincts are looking for a mating partner that can provide healthy children. Animal instinct.

So you never indulge in anything that is unhealthy?

But it is different to indulge now and then, and to do it everyday. No one can say they have never indulged.
And as you said, you have been losing weight, can you say honestly that you didn't give out thousands of excuses to yourself and others as to why you couldn't lose weight?
Well done on the will power to start doing something about it!

I think a portion of these sort of people lack a degree of will power when it comes to eating. I don't think its a matter of choice to be unhealthy so much as its easy and therefore the default option for them.

It's so easy for them to make excuses. "So tired after work, don't feel like cooking at home, fast food it is!"
Will power is really the only difference between being fit, and being obese. (Might sound simplistic, but if you can find someone that makes themselves get up every morning at 6 for an hour of exercise, and stick to a healthy diet, I promise you they wont be obese)

Passed on poor eating habits and raised that an inactive lifestyle is the norm. Of course they'd have higher incidences.

I'm all for bagging reality TV, but one thing the biggest loser shows is anyone obese can lose weight - IF they do the work. Find me an obese person who drinks water and no alcohol and/or sugary drinks each day, has 5 - 6 healthy small meals a day (no snacks), does 30+ minutes of cardio every day and weights 3 - 4 times a week, month after month and still doesn't lose any weight and I'll believe in 'it's genetics'.

Exactly! Spark up your metabolism, include some cardio and weight training, and you will lose weight.

It's very simple, burn more calories than you eat, and you will lose weight.

I'm just tired of the whole "woe is me, I'm obese, but YOU have to get used to it". Go ahead, be obese, get diabetes, die young. But don't convince the world that it is a healthy lifestyle, and that it is ok.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

I am sick of the "blame everyone else" attitude that the majority of obese people have.

What a load of unadulterated shit.

 

[Cthublhu]

Probably because fit people don't clog up so much room and get in everyone's way with their waddling, so they don't annoy you as much.

The worst thing is being stuck next to some lard-arse on a plane or bus and have their bulges of fat pushing into your space, making the trip horrible. The morbidly obese should have to purchase two tickets.

 

[MrNatural]

can you say honestly that you didn't give out thousands of excuses to yourself and others as to why you couldn't lose weight?
Well done on the will power to start doing something about it!

I made every excuse under the sky, and when i look back i regret the fact it took my many years to finally do the right thing.
However, i don't feel ridicule of overweight/obese people will make them change.
In my experience, i had many people ridicule me for my weight, it had an effect on me to change, but it never really sunk in.
Just like any other disease or addiction, obesity needs to be treated the same.

 

[He_Beast]

Ex-fattie here, with a partially on-topic post that isn't directed at anyone in particular, and will no doubt be obvious to lots of people, but is just information I like to put out there when discussions like this are happening.


These are some problems I think play a big part in obesity

- perceived difficulty of losing weight
- Scary gyms that try to keep people fat
- most "health" or "fitness" information being bullshit, or overly complicated versions of good advice
- "healthy" food items
- general lack of nutrition knowledge

Losing weight is very simple, as simple as watching what you eat, but weight loss is an industry, so fatties are bombarded with information, making everything seem more complicated or difficult.

All you have to do to lose weight is take in less energy than you burn. So watch what you eat. That doesn't mean giving up beer or gummi bears or mint slices or whatever, it means keep track of it. Ideally you would track everything down to the micronutrient level, but this isn't even close to practical. Personally I have macro (protein, carbohydrate and fat) targets that I try to meet daily, but for most people it's just counting kilojoules (or calories). Keep track of every last morsel of food you eat. Is you're weight changing the way you want it to? If it is, hooray, if it isn't, adjust your intake.


There are other things to consider for overall wellbeing (exercise, obviously), but that's all you need for weight loss.

 

[fairdinkum]

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/has-society-accepted-obesity.530883/

I've been following this issue for a while. I have a few points to make:

1) It is very easy to be overweight/obese in this country. Walk in to a coles/wworths and take a look around. Every single time I walk into my local coles, cadbury blocks and/or tim tams and/or chips are on special. Every single time. The aisles are filled with sugar/fat-laden crap and it is priced well within reach of the lower-middle class (who are per capita the fattest people in Australia today). Walk around the shopping centre proper and it is filled with overweight and obese people. Whereas there was once a genuine stigma attached to being out of shape, it is now the norm in this country. It is very easy to be fat.

2) Kids don't really get a say in it. Children brought up in a fat household with shithouse diets have almost no hope of reaching adolescence in good health and with good eating habits - and people who reach adolescence overweight rarely ever get back to a normal weight for the rest of their lives. In fact I can think of only one person I know personally who did succeed (and he was driven by his homosexual vanity NTTAWWT and spent thousands to get excess skin removed). These helpless kids are the ones I truly feel sorry for and it is why, although I have a natural aversion to 'social engineering', I support any money directed towards educating kids in school/front of the telly at home about the virtues of a good diet and exercise.

3) Marketers are the scum of the earth who prey on the stupidity of their fellow man for a living. I hope they all kill themselves. Yes, I am channeling Bill Hicks. Seriously, if you work in marketing crap food to kids (like by highlighting high iron in Coco Pops to make dumb mothers think Coco Pops is somehow not an abysmal option for a kids breakfast), I hope you spot a tree on the way home tonight and veer into it at 80km/h. There is no hope for you on this earth, only god's forgiveness can save you now: kill yourself.

 

[CM86]

Ex-fattie here, with a partially on-topic post that isn't directed at anyone in particular, and will no doubt be obvious to lots of people, but is just information I like to put out there when discussions like this are happening.


These are some problems I think play a big part in obesity

- perceived difficulty of losing weight
- Scary gyms that try to keep people fat
- most "health" or "fitness" information being bullshit, or overly complicated versions of good advice
- "healthy" food items
- general lack of nutrition knowledge

Losing weight is very simple, as simple as watching what you eat, but weight loss is an industry, so fatties are bombarded with information, making everything seem more complicated or difficult.

All you have to do to lose weight is take in less energy than you burn. So watch what you eat. That doesn't mean giving up beer or gummi bears or mint slices or whatever, it means keep track of it. Ideally you would track everything down to the micronutrient level, but this isn't even close to practical. Personally I have macro (protein, carbohydrate and fat) targets that I try to meet daily, but for most people it's just counting kilojoules (or calories). Keep track of every last morsel of food you eat. Is you're weight changing the way you want it to? If it is, hooray, if it isn't, adjust your intake.


There are other things to consider for overall wellbeing (exercise, obviously), but that's all you need for weight loss.

Good post. And a great point about weight loss being an industry. A very lucrative one.
As you said, all the bullshit needs to be put aside, and a solid view emerge of simplistically saying, burn more than you eat. Eat less. Forget jenny craig, weight watchers, carb free diet, protien free diet, carrot only diet and everything else. Just reduce your portions, and get some daily exercise.

Again as you said, that doesn't mean you need to stop socialising, and stop doing all the things you enjoy. But if you are the only obese person in your social group, why not think that there is a way that you can still have fun, and lose weight? What are your friends doing differently?

The big problem I think, is that people looking to lose weight set a time limit on themselves. Work hard for 2 -4 weeks, not see much change, give up. It isn't a short term goal, it's long term. They need to think of it as a change to a healthier lifestyle for the rest of their lives.

 

[nicky]

Probably because fit people don't clog up so much room and get in everyone's way with their waddling, so they don't annoy you as much. And fat people are much moodier and sour looking, but that probably stems from being tired and achy having to lug around the excess baggage all day.

I must admit that i harshly judge overweight people harshly to myself when i can't get a seat on a train and they're taking up 2 seats. But really i'm just sooking because i don't have a seat, ultimately i do not care how fat they are.

Has anyone been watching fat and fatter on abc?

 

[MrNatural]

What was worse in the long run, the people who ridiculed you and/or made you think about it, or the people that ignored it, and pretended you were on the right track?

I had people on both sides of the ledger.
But those who did ridicule, never actually gave advice or guidance.
I was crying out for guidance and for someone to take me under my wing, but it never happened. So it took me a number of years before i managed to sort out the problems myself.

Losing weight is a simple science, eat less, exercise more. But trust me its not easy. Its a complete lifestyle change.
Those who haven't needed to lose weight in their lives, clearly don't understand what its like IMO.

Its the same as giving up other addictions such as alcohol, drugs, cigarettes etc

 

[dumb]

there are times (well, when i happen to see it on ACA or something like that) that fad diets earn the praise when suddenly they've taken up exercise at the same time. oh, i ate the atkins diet for a month and exercised and the weight just came off. duhhhhhh.
there are 'diets', and healthy eating. dieting can look a lot like depriving yourself of nourishment for the sake of weight loss, ie not balanced.

i agree, much is to do with portion control. and willpower.