Comments on: Fat is NOT a Dirty Word but Maybe it’s the Wrong One

By: Roni

Roni — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 03:29:00 +0000

What great comments guys. I had some side conversations with people on this issue and I left this comment for Lily...

By the way I wanted to say I appreciated your comment on the fat acceptance. You are right, there is a stigma. I remember kids saying "boom shack-a-lacka, boom shack-a-lacka" everytime I walked down the street.

The funny thing is it's both ways. Now that I'm "thin" I feel outcasted by the same group I was once apart of. I can hear them whisper at the WW meetings "why is she here" When I contribute at the meeting I get funny looks. I think we as people (especially women) just need to be more accepting of EVERYONE!

I thought it warranted a post here.

And Liza GREAT POINT. I mean some people are smarter then others, does that mean those of us on the short end of the brain genetics should just give up on school? Everyone has to work on something, we are have blessings and challenges.

By: Liza

Liza — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 15:38:00 +0000

I just read another article that is called the 7 Secrets of Naturally Thin People. This is the link
http://www.ediets.com/news/article.cfm/cmi_2171221
Readers were seriously annoyed by this article. One comment was from a thin person who says that the author seemed to think she lives in a magical Care Bear land where all was perfect and life was easy. The article was brutal on those who have to watch their weight, saying we obsess and that causes unhappiness. I don’t think she realizes that without a form of obsession we will not succeed. Many people gave experiences where they had tried to not obsess and “live like a naturally thin person” and they gained weight. One mother of two adopted daughters shared that one daughter came from two thin parents and one came from two obese parents and that even though those two girls are raised exactly the same in the same household, the one with thin parents is thin and the one with obese parents is obese. Her point was how very much this is dictated by genes. Looking at the Fatmosphere article alongside this article we realize that we may not have chosen to have a body that is not naturally thin, still that is the case and we have to accept and love ourselves anyway. However part of that acceptance and love is doing what is best for our bodies nomatter how hard it is. Our society seems to think (in reguard to many issues) that if it is a genetic and natural problem we can’t and should not have to control it and that we need not practice any self dicipline. The weight is an issue that genetically heavy people have to struggle with and naturally thin people I am sure have their own set of problems. I am thinking of thin people I know and I still can’t figure out what they are, but, they have got to have SOMETHING! Bottom line- sorry Fatmosphere people, genes or not, we all need a healthy dose of self dicipline, we will if we love oursleves.

By: Candace

Candace — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 12:53:00 +0000

Amen, I know some amazing women that are size 16 and 18 who can kick my butt in the gym, IRL and on-line. Overweight doesn’t mean unhealthy or unfit. I also don’t know why pencil thin is so admired, either. Many of the celebs are that way due to poor diet and drug abuse from what I can gather.

By: karen

karen — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 16:55:00 +0000

An interesting range of comments, but I’m a fat woman who’s recently lost about 30 pounds by counting calories & eating incredibly healthy, currently at 235. I read several posts in the fatosphere and I was impressed by many of the views there. One of them is the obesity epidemic is the result of the pressure to be skinny. When I was in high school, I was a size 16 and the “fat girl” who never had dates. Maybe if I had been more society-attractive, I might not have gotten into the dieting/fat cycle. Now, I am trying to lose weight for my health (I’m 50 yrs old), and I will consider my goal met when I can wear a size 18 or possibly 16. That will still be “fat” but will be much more healthier even though I won’t meet society norms. And someone who loses 100 pounds to get down to a size 22 (like one of my friends) is also much healthier. While obese people are at higher risk for many diseases, guess what? Some of them DON’T have high blood pressure or diabetes. Some of them can do fine in a spinning or cardio class. I definitely agree that all shapes and sizes can be beautiful and healthy and we need to accept that. Please be supportive of others, and definitely yourself!

By: totegirl

totegirl — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 15:26:00 +0000

I totally agree with you. It is all about health. I work with a morbidly obese woman who is in constant pain and has diabetes. She doesn’t usually complain about her pain, but she wears a morphine patch. She’s also very meticulous about her dress, hair, and makeup. So she has confidence, doesn’t complain, but has medical issues. This is where I have to say that it’s not okay to be accepting of fat. If it causes health issues, then it’s not okay. If she didn’t have chronic pain or diabetes, then good on her. She has taught me to dress for the body I have right now, and I appreciate that lesson, but I want to be able to run a 5k and do push-ups and chin-ups, etc. If I could do these things, then that would go a lot further to raise my self esteem than a smaller dress size.

By: Donna

Donna — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 14:42:00 +0000

I agree. I like your focus on health versus size.

Also just wanted to say thanks for your site and for sharing. I check it daily and have found great support throughout the community. I think the daily support has been key to maintaining my weight loss. I guess all those Weight Watchers studies were right!!

By: Lisa

Lisa — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 03:44:00 +0000

I agree with you Roni. I think all the “acceptable speach” is just putting a band-aid on the FAT problem America has. I was with my overly obese cousin one day when her son called someone else Fat. She told him that wasn’t acceptable. I’m sorry but covering up the word Fat to spare someone’s feelings isn’t helping that someone. Don’t you think someone would feel just as bad if a child said, “you’re unhealthy”? Children don’t really know any better…but someone who is a size 22 already knows their Fat but maybe they don’t realize they are unhealthy. Thank you for your site Roni. I have bookmarked your page. My husband was told he needs to lose 30 lbs today…because he is unhealthy. We will be using your insite to help him get healthy!

By: Crystal

Crystal — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 02:25:00 +0000

Amen!

By: arimcg

arimcg — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 21:33:00 +0000

I saw that article too…very interesting. I totally agree with you, and think people should focus on health, rather than weight.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 21:24:00 +0000

I admire people who can see themselves as beautiful, when most of society says that they’re not. But, at the same time, I feel that sometimes people say that they are happy with being fat because the alternative is too, well, difficult. It’s HARD to make the choice to eat better and to exercise. I think anyone who has ever attempted to lose weight knows that. But, things like diabetes and heart problems that can be direct results of obesity are not “made up” by society. They’re real. And if you’re BMI level is over 25, being happy and confident unfortunately isn’t going to save you from an early death.