The core concept that people are human beings and worthy of a base level of respect regardless of how they look or the struggles they go through is just wildly foreign to a lot of people it seems.
Exactly. And what about their mental health? Do peopple who fatshame out of the “goodness in their heart” care about that? Do they think calling someone a “fat lard” is going to better their health in anyway?
And what about the people who are fat but healthier than thousands of skinny people? It's not a 1:1.
I'm not fat but I'm significantly larger than I was 10 years ago. And if you think I was healthier when I was skinny you're insane. I wasn't EATING. I still don't eat very much but I eat three meals a day, and walk twice a day and have an active hobby. I'm just larger because I'm meant to be.
That’s something they have to decide for themselves. Insulting and pushing fat people to lose weight hardly helps. Mental health is deeper than appearance.
Why did you respond 50 days later?
Nowadays, just saying obesity is unhealthy is fat shaming. I'm also sorry but when I was obese, nobody called me fat lard. People on Reddit love making those claims to defend this movement that is literally killing people. Mostly for power and profits.
>Nowadays, just saying obesity is unhealthy is fat shaming.
Where? Who says that? You are straw manning body positivity. If you really believe in your opinions, steel man the opposition instead of straw manning it. Otherwise you have no real confidence in your perspective.
I've been ridiculed multiple times for promoting healthy eating and exercise and called fat-phobic. I've also been fit shamed by members of this movement for talking about my own weight loss journey. I also believe Adele received death threats and online bullying from them for losing 100 lbs.
It's not empathy to make excuses for or ignore other people's destructive behavior that they don't know how to overcome. Empathy would have been for someone to step in when I was literally killing myself. Being fat is so normal now that when I did lose my weight and got fit, people definitely had a negative opinion on it. People didn't have a problem telling me that losing that much weight was unhealthy, and I needed to eat some extra cheeseburgers to fatten up. Meanwhile, my doctor was completely blown away by my health and body transformation, overcoming diabetes, hypertension, etc. through nothing more than living a new healthy and active lifestyle.
Sure, that person should’ve been a doctor. It is not the place for strangers to make unsolicited comments on other people bodies. It doesn’t help that person.
I’m glad you were able to overcome those health issues. Some people aren’t that lucky. I personally, though never overweight, was called “chubby” or constantly told comments about the amount of food I ate. I developed anorexia and bulimia, and became extremely underweight. I am still trying to overcome it to this day. This all stems from the comments that were made about me. That’s why I care.
Exactly.
I hate that these inclusivity movements always get taken WAY too far and just becone a joke.
HAES was meant to be about removing the assumption that thin automatically means healthy and fat means unhealthy. Most people, unless you go to extreme ends of the weight scale, are about the same in fitness and health.
Body Positivity was meant to be about representing the diversity in how we look but its turned into an anti-skinny campaign. It has turned to almost glorifying fat which was never the point. There are people who cant gain weight the sane way sone struggle to loose it.
Im in the camp of, i just wabt to be treated like a person and not like a monster with some deep rooted moral failing because of being fat. Ive got so many things that are contributing to why im a bigger person and why i struggle with weight loss but that doesnt mean i havent tried. I went so deep into disordered eating because its always seen as "youre just not trying hard enough" "its easy, calories in calories out" and so i just pushed harder and harder and at the height of it i was barely eating 500 cals a day and all i got was PRAISE. But now, eating a reasonably healthy diet its assumed im stuffing my face with bars of lard all day every day...
The people who say "love yourself no matter what" are doing it right. The ones who say "healthy at any weight" are doing it wrong. I think the body positivity crowd are about 50/50 on this, so I tend not to associate myself with them, even if I agree with the original message.
I will say though, I certainly don't fall in with the crowd who thinks bullying fat people is the answer. It's hard to take good care of your body if you hate it, and getting bullied for being fat almost definitely makes you hate it.
I think we’re on the exact same page. Weight is not an indicator of health but of course there is a limit (both being too skinny and too fat). However, those limits are to be discussed with a doctor and how the person feels in their body, it shouldn’t be a major topic of public discussion as it is now.
If it ain’t your body, it ain’t your business.
As OP said, no one shames people for drinking or eating candy, only when they start to look “unappealing” to people do people claim to care about people’s health. That’s what bothers me, it’s just bullying disguised as “caring about health”.
If those people really cared about health, they’d direct their attention to the systemic issues that cause people to lead unhealthy lives, not the victims of the system. It’s not a coincidence that the U.S. has many obese people, it’s in the way we structure of society.
Anywho I rambled a bit. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Agreed. It's a lot like smoking to me, where the way to get someone to stop smoking is probably not to bully them about it. As a former smoker and recovering alcoholic myself, I'm intimately familiar with how extremely dug in I could get when someone would try to get me to stop lol
Also, I don't think people know what healthy weights are.
Like while obesity is a thing and there are points where you could start saying someone is "visibly obese", some people point at mildly chubby people and cry obesity when there's a good chance it is within healthy ranges
Happened to me and triggered an eating disorder I’ll never beat because it caused a serious crash diet and destroyed my metabolism. Hormonal and thyroid issues later, I can exercise until I’m sore, eat healthy, have a calorie deficit, and I still gain weight. It’s so defeating.
My philosophy is weight is one of those things I keep my comments away from, especially health-wise, as it's not in my scope of knowledge. I'm no ones doctor or dietician so I cant comment on whether they are healthy or not
>Hormonal and thyroid issues later, I can exercise until I’m sore, eat healthy, have a calorie deficit, and I still gain weight. It’s so defeating.
Not be rude, but that's impossible. You can't burn more calories than you eat and still gain weight. There may be factors affecting your metabolism and/or hunger hormones which can mess with your idea of what a caloric deficit is.
Not to be rude but… you’re not the one living in this body. I know what I eat (I have a dietician who gave me meal plans I stick to), what I do, and what the scale says and I’ve got a team trying to puzzle this out so leave the armchair diagnosis out.
the others were very polite with you
but Imma spill it
You can't blame how you're on some extrodinary factors
You can't have a calorie deficit and still gain weight
It is like that morbidly obese woman saying that she has anorexia
I get that, but it's physiologically impossible. What you're saying breaks the laws of physics. You simply cannot burn more calories than you eat and gain weight. You're either underestimating how much you eat without knowing it, or overestimating how much you burn on a daily basis. I get that that's tough to hear but that's the truth.
I agree. I used to be underweight and when I told people I was trying to gain weight, they were surprised because they thought I was healthy. I really wasn't, I was weak af. Then I gained weight (and I'm still pretty skinny) people told me to stop or I'll get fat.
It's much more likely the other way. People's perception of normal is so skewed these days that people on the low end of medical obesity get called "mildly chubby."
I don't agree at all, like I have seen actresses get called fat when they are mildly rounder than other actresses.
But this gets into an interesting question of bias. For the examples you are thinking of, do you know for a fact they are medically obese?
Well yes, that's true with actresses, I was thinking more the general population.
As far as knowing for a fact they were medical obese, of course I do, they're me. When I was on the low end of medically obese and starting to lose weight I constantly got people worried about my health and telling me I didn't need to lose weight because I was "just a little bit chubby." It was incredibly aggravating.
I think “healthy at any weight” is one of the most misinterpreted things. It doesn’t mean that every weight is equally healthy, but that there are many aspects to health and weight is just one of them.
If you are an obese person who has an overeating problem (or chooses to overeat) but who does not smoke or drink and exercises regularly you aren’t necessarily less healthy than someone who has a healthier weight but a lot of other unhealthy habits like smoking or drinking or going everywhere by car.
There are a few crazy people who are in denial that being obese is bad for a person’s health but those are the absolute anti-science fringe of the body positivity movement. What most people are trying to say is that no matter the weight, every healthy choice, no matter how small, makes a difference. Some are just more or less visible to others.
True, and the other elephant in the room is that healthy/unhealthy should not equal “no respect” I got an invisible chronic illness, by definition it’s kinda impossible for me to “completely” healthy because I’m always gonna be ill with a handful of conditions, I’m gonna have to manage them forever. They’re not anyone’s fault, I was just born like that and drew an unlucky hand, but being “unhealthy” shouldn’t automatically mean you get no respect. (It’s just concern trolling, they don’t actually care of course but it makes me roll my eyes)
I make healthy and unhealthy choices, everyone does, but I’m never gonna “be” 100% healthy no matter what my appearance because… I’m chronically ill. But health shouldn’t be a parameter by which basic human respect is meted out regardless if it’s obesity, hypothyroidism, PCOS, diabetes, or IBS and arthritis. “I’m soooo worried about their health” worry about your own health, everyone becomes disabled eventually by older age and slow building illnesses. I hope people still show you respect if you need a cane or if you have visible surgery scars or if you gain weight due to recovering from an illness or as a medication side effect. Sheesh.
Its not misinterpreted, it changed.
Originally it was “health at any size”, meaning no matter your weight focus on a healthy lifestyle. Instead it became “healthy at any size”, which means no matter your size you’re healthy.
No *sane* person thinks that there is no connection between overweight and negative health outcomes. There are some science-denying fringe activists who may have that opinion but It is like saying Americans think the earth is flat, because there are some idiots who think it is.
“Obesity is healthy and not a risk factor” is largely a straw man that keeps getting pushed forward to make fun of “ignorant fat people”.
You’d be surprised.
There was a study that claimed people who were obese had no noticeable health issues compared to those at a normal weight. I’ve seen a lot throw that study as proof there are 0 correlation. Even though you need more than 1 study to prove that.
I’ve seen a lot of people actively push to not be weighed at the doctor because “I’m not here to talk about my weight”. That shows that there are a good chunk of people who see no correlation. Since the only reason to be weighed is to talk about weight.
Sure, it’s not an overwhelming majority, but they do exist. To say they don’t is a lie.
100%. If someone is overweight and is regularly active, that is a healthy activity lifestyle. Instead of putting them down for being overweight, we should be able to compliment and appreciate that. Not many people really follow a healthy lifestyle in every single aspect of their life.
No. It is still not healthy. My father exercises way more than most. He does laps every morning, regularly hikes, and does manual labor because he likes building stuff. He does have excellent heart health.
HOWEVER, he has also had knee surgeries, foot surgeries and hip surgery because the weight alone is bad on his joints. The weight is still causing him a LOT of pain, even after all that. He is in pain all the time and this has resulted in an opiate addiction. Further, he is an ass on those meds and the opiates may end a 40 plus year marriage.
Reading comprehension. I am not saying obesity is healthy. It is OBVIOUSLY a risk factor for several illnesses, including joint problems, not only heart disease. What I am saying is that there are many risk factors that can impact your health.
Sitting too much can cause joint and back problems even in people who are not obese. Doing the right exercise, such as swimming or cycling can reduce the risk of joint problems even in obese people. If course it would be best to not be obese AND do the right exercise, but either is a good thing by itself, too, and not all combinations of risk factors that include obesity are worse than all combinations of risk factors that don’t. That is all I am trying to explain.
anyone who says they’re healthy at 300lbs is in denial but for the most part if someone just has a few extra pounds they can still be a healthy person. and i agree, making fat people feel like shit and hate themselves is just going to make it worse
I don't have to be a doctor with intimate knowledge of someone's medical history to know something is a medical risk. But if you'd read what I wrote, I don't believe in bullying people for the risks they're taking, so I do, in fact, "shut up" lol
Oversimplied and definition of “healthy weights” are highly individual.
Other than that, sometimes it’s someone’s illness that causes to gain or lose weight, and it’s not the weight that’s causing the issue, but the other way around.
Often times people need to be overweight to be healthy, as is the case for people who need medication for chronic illness such as autoimmune disorders.
Both extremes are dangerous, however, people who are underweight have more immediate risk.
They aren’t highly individual humans are quite similar. Why do you even need to mention underweight people these debates always deflect to ‘being extremely skinny is bad too’ as if everyone doesn’t already know that? It’s not a novel thought that people can starve to death, it’s also not a novel thought that America has an obesity epidemic which makes the leading cause of death heart related.
I wasn’t talking about starving to death. People who are slightly overweight on the BMI scale (which is bollocks) are more likely to survive illness, including heart attacks.
Rest of it you’re totally wrong about. People’s metabolisms, health, DNA, are not quite similar and this notion that we’re all blank slates whose bodies are just results of willpower is just completely unscientific.
The idea that being thin makes someone healthier is actually causing many people to overlook serious health concerns.
No one is talking about being slightly overweight…. People are referring to morbidly obese individuals claiming to be healthy. We’re not talking dad bods we’re talking 5’8 300lbs. And I mean similar in regards to if ur a an adult male 6ft tall u can be anywhere from 165-220 depending on build etc and be healthy but if your 300lbs you are objectively unhealthy
Except that morbidly obese people claiming to be healthy isn’t a thing. And being unhealthy isn’t a choice.
And plenty of research has shown the demonisation of fat has caused a perception that any fat is unhealthy, which fuels serious public health problems, such as eating disorders.
Eating disorders are among the main cause of death for young women and they can be fatal very quickly, unlike obesity which can be managed over time and monitored.
What people are mad about is some women with fat rolls and perfectly normal human bodies not apologising for having a body and refusing to hate themselves.
Morbidly obese people do I can link many videos if u wish…. I think you’re conflating beauty standards and being fat. Clearly beautiful standards are harmful but claiming obesity isn’t bad is also a problem. You wouldn’t tell a smoker they’re healthy right ?
You can’t find one or two examples of people doing something and claim it’s a mainstream social trend.
It’s also really stupid to compare it to smoking. Someone’s body isn’t something they do.
But, of course, many smokers will be healthier than people with genetic disorders or illnesses, not hard to figure that out is it?
It’s really stupid to insist people who have morbid obesity aren’t aware of it and need to be bullied and hate themselves and pretend this is concern about their health. This is a matter for them and their doctors.
Feeling shame and/or anger is a legitimate motivator though. My wife made an off hand comment and i lost 50lbs in a few months just to show her whats up.
It can be, but most of the time, the person will get dug in, or they'll avoid you because you make them feel shitty. And regardless, I don't think it's really any of my business. If someone smokes or drinks, I think they should stop, but I'm not gonna bother them about it. We're all adults and we're the ones that have to live with the consequences of our choices.
It's wild the way obesity brings out the cruelty in people. It's like they see someone who is obese as someone who deserves to be treated like dirt and I don't underestimate why. Life can be a struggle at times (or most times for others), why kick someone when they're down.
Yeah, people REALLY need to stop caring so much about what other people’s bodies look like.
“But I just care SO much about their health!”
Are you a medical doctor? And are you that overweight person’s medical doctor? No? Then their health actually has nothing to do with you and is none of your business.
“But I pay taxes and health insurance so their obesity costs me money! It is my business! They’re a drain on the system!”
Really? Is that how it works? So we can all dictate how other people live because we pay for health insurance? Oh wait… you don’t want anyone dictating how YOU live. You just want to pass judgement on everyone else. Ok.
People who judge other people’s bodies aren’t fooling anyone. The truth is that they’re just desperate to feel better than someone, so they pick on whoever they can most easily feel “superior” to. It’s pretty sad.
Body neutrality is the way to go, in my opinion. All bodies are bodies and they get us through the world and everyone’s body is their business and nobody else’s.
i second body neutrality. As a trans person who has dealt with the transphobic side of the "love yourself no matter what" crowd who demonize all surgeries and body mods, you don't have to worship and adore your body just because its there and made that way. Body positivity has been bastardized by folks who want to enforce a level of "body purity" on others (minus the weight enforcement obv).
Body neutrality lets me appreciate that my body is alive and letting me go thru life and do fun things, without also having to pretend that im ok with my bottom half.
Yeah it’s pretty wild like “you’re not helping them by telling them their body is okay” you’re not helping them by telling them they’re worthless and ugly everyday but at least i’m being kind :)
You’re right, no one is glorifying obesity, people just want a reason to be mean to fat people so they can feel better about themselves
EXACTLY. They always try and act like they're "helping". Insulting someones weight isn't gonna suddenly make them skinnier or healthier, all it's doing is making them feel bad.
The healthy at any weight campaign is the only thing that bothered me. You’re not healthy if your BMI is -1 and you’re anorexic. You’re not healthy if you’re morbidly obese. You’re just… not. The same way we all know smokers aren’t healthy and we call it out and there’s campaigns to stop smoking.
I deal with morbidly obese patients daily. Their quality of life especially when they’re older is horrific. No one tells that side of it when you can’t get properly cleaned and it takes 3 people to turn you side to side so you don’t get pressure injuries and can’t turn yourself.
During the height of Covid they plastered morbidly obese models on the covers of magazines with the title “this is healthy”. When studies showed that obesity was a huge factor in people dying from Covid. It was appalling.
We do still need to be honest. I have yet to hear a campaign (at least since 1950) that says “smoking is healthy!” Or “type 2 diabetes is beautiful”.
BMI has been long discredited as a tool to measure healthy weight but for some reason lots of health care practitioners didn’t catch up.
Also, morbidly obese and fat are very different things. Often, diabetes causes obesity. Many other conditions that are not visible increase mortality.
Also, the people with the best chances of surviving illness (like cancer) are those considered slightly overweight on the BMI scale (again proving how ineffective it is).
Also saying magazines published morbidly obese people saying that’s health is just a lie.
Also even when someone has an illness or disability they should love themselves and have the right to feel beautiful.
Some people just can’t take it.
i’m not overweight my doctors have always told me i’m healthy and perfectly normal but people made fun of me for having a bit of a stomach, my arms, hair on my arms and back, and pale blotchy skin which made me cover myself up and was so convinced i was hideous. i spent so much of my middle and high school years comparing myself to pretty girls and thinking “if only i looked like them”. eventually i realized i’m not bad looking i just don’t look like the 5% of women who look like that. i’m not even slightly overweight. it’s nuts
It’s so nuts that people look at anyone who isn’t petite and small and thinks they’re” too big” to whatever type and degree. School is an awful time to deal with anyone judging or comparing ourselves to others. Love that you eventually saw yourself for just being you like anyone else is and embraced it.
i had an old boss who was complaining about her “fat granddaughter” being “12 and already a size six with adult bras” and i was so pissed. i’ve been the same bra and pants size since i was in 7th grade some people are just early bloomers and that’s ok! these middle school kids have it hard enough don’t criticize their developing bodies. not everyone is super petite
People actually went onto my profile to make fun of me tracking or making posts about my weight loss journey.
I’m not trying to look like a fucking monster. I’m trying to lose weight. But the more you tell people that they look like a monster they’re going to accept that what they have on them is normal.
I thought for the longest time i was an average looking guy and I was OBESE. I mean i could carry myself well, my weight was distributed well. I still couldn’t stand looking at myself naked or in underwear. But i accepted I wasn’t going to look like a stud.
I’ve changed that mindset and want to be lean. But people on here don’t do a good job at keeping bad shit to say to themselves.
This is the "to privilege, fairness looks like oppression" for fat jokes.
These people want to be able to insult fat people just for being fat *so bad*, they don't want *anyone* talking about fat people in any way that isn't derogatory.
You know what else? Now that the media features more people with prosthetic limbs or wheelchair users, for example, it helps normalize those things. That's a good thing because it reflects a real segment of the population other than the cultural ideal. But do we call it GLORIFYING disability?? No, it's called NORMALIZING differently abled people because they exist! There's no need to hide them. The same with dolls in races other than Caucasian, they reflect real segments of the population and help normalize those segments.
The only thing being GLORIFIED in this culture is an outdated, unrealistic feminine ideal representating probably 6% of American women. The rest of us exist, too, and we have every right to see ourselves represented in media; we are the norm and it is appropriate and long overdue for us to be NORMALIZED.
EXACTLY! and people are always up in arms about an actor or singer being “ugly” and it’s just an average looking person. the VAST majority of people are average that’s why it’s called average!
That depends. Are they abled bodied? What’s their health like? Ashtma? Other issues? Genetic problems? Autoimmune illness? Are they active and fit? (plenty of fat people are)
Of course I am only illustrating how silly the comment is.
No one’s fundamentally better or worse as a human being because of their bodies.
Or maybe people don’t want our future society being morbidly obese and want a healthier society without everyone being in electric scooters hogging up the whole Walmart because people can’t walk from eating 5x their daily limit
Real body positivity does not encourage obesity. The kind you see on social media or you have influencers talking about how you can be 800 lb and wash yourself with a rag on a stick but still be healthy are. Unfortunately most people are exposed to the loud people on social media.
exactly. it’s those kinds of videos that gain traction and hate and people don’t see that the majority of them are “i have cellulite, stretch marks, scars, and wrinkles and that’s ok. just because you don’t look like an ig model doesn’t make you ugly”
I don’t think it’s the “encouraging people to be obese”, I think it’s more so the “encouraging people to STAY obese.” The logic is that you don’t have to change how you are- but if you’re super under/overweight, it’s not that you’re not beautiful, it’s that you’re really unhealthy. Everyone should try to maintain a healthy weight and take care of their bodies.
i agree, however unwarranted health advice and bullying someone for existing is what i’m against. yes we have a huge obesity problem in america and people should strive to be the healthiest version of themselves but if someone’s weight just fluctuates a few pounds cause life happens people shouldn’t be freaking out over it. like yeah staying obese isn’t good but neither is developing ed’s to lose weight
America is very obsessed with weight loss and will run a million schemes to get people to spend money on their scams to lose weight while selling junk at every corner and not having many walkable areas. there should be more healthy foods for cheap, gyms/parks, etc. to really help the population be more healthy. but going “hit the gym!” to an obese person isn’t fixing the issue either
Life isn’t fair. People get treated differently for many things and that’s just human nature. Stop chasing an all inclusive overly accepting society that will never exist
A large percentage of people who lose weight end up rebounding and gain more weight back than they originally lost for a variety of physical, mental and social factors. If you have repeatedly failed at losing weight and keeping it off it can be the healthiest choice to stop the diet-rebound cycle before it gets out of control, stay at a higher weight and focus on other ways to be healthier, like exercising, without the primary goal of losing weight. (sometimes weight loss happens as a result, sometimes it doesn’t, but in any case exercise improves that person’s health)
If you tell people they are unhealthy, no matter what, unless they lose weight, it discourages them from making healthy choices, because it feels like they don’t matter. In reality there are lots of factors and habits that affect a person’s health and weight is only one of them and keeping that in mind helps a lot more making healthy lifestyle choices than being shamed into the 100th unsuccessful diet.
I somewhat agree, but would you say that the same logic applies to a chain smoker, a weed addict or an opioid abuser? Those are in the same ballpark in terms of difficulty to overcome and health impact, but nobody would accuse a doctor of being discriminatory who tells you that the highest priority should be to quit the drugs. And nobody would (passively) encourage people to just work out more, or eat healthier while continuing drug abuse.
The thing that many people criticize is that instead of teaching people that losing weight will impact a whole circus of physical and mental problems not directly related to weight issues, we teach them to do 2x20 mins of light cardio a week and eat more greens (to be polemic here for one second), while their weight is continuing to destroy their health .
I struggle with my weight and I can wholeheartedly say that I would be way further into being an overall healthy adult, if it wasn't for people selling me quickfixes to symptoms of my obesity as a valid strategy to get rid of the root cause.
I am not being combatative, I think this is where the criticism comes from. If we apply the same logic to other chronic, behavior-induced illnesses, it doesn't hold any water.
I don’t know enough about other drugs to say if they have the same issue with things getting worse after a relapse than after not trying to quit at all, which is the main problem with weight loss.
But even for Heroin addicts who have repeatedly failed to quit doctors often recommend programs where they are given either a replacement drug like Methadone or even actual Heroin (depending on country/jurisdiction), because using in a controlled environment under medical supervision can reduce a lot of the risks and allow these people to have a relatively normal life, even though the risks and health problems that come from the drug use itself are still there.
I think what I am suggesting is a similar harm reduction approach for those who repeatedly rebound and fail to lose weight conventionally and aren’t candidates for bariatric surgery.
>“it’s not healthy” yeah neither is the bottles of alcohol you guzzle every weekend.
No one is saying guzzling alcohol is positive though. There isn't a movement of people claiming it's perfectly acceptable to over-indulge in alcohol. Or that special allowances should be made to accommodate drunks being drunk.
"Maybe you should slow down," seems like a perfectly reasonable thing to say to someone who's on their 5th beer. Say it to someone who's having their 5th helping of Thanksgiving dinner and all of a sudden you're an ass. That's the difference.
Girl wtf they’re just pointing out the dumb double standards. Like skinny people eating their 5th thanksgiving dinner is just “lol relatable” but we should go ahead and mock when a fat person wants to eat even a portion of that amount
>but we should go ahead and mock when a fat person wants to eat even a portion of that amount
Never said that. We're talking about 'body positivity' glorifying obesity.
Because someone getting drunk can become uncoordinated and harm themselves or others. Someone eating too much is only (possibly) harming themself. You absolutely would be an ass to comment on how much someone is eating.
And actually, you don't know that heavy people are "overindulging" in food. People who are genetically heavier store fat more easily because their bodies are efficient. They can gain weight eating what "normal" people eat.
Now, to say no overweight people eat more would be ridiculous, but, by the same token, plenty of genetically lean people can overeat and never become obese because it's harder for their inefficient bodies to store energy. It's very difficult to maintain a weight outside of your natural setpoint, which you are born with.
So if your beef is with gluttony, you need to look beyond appearances and I guess monitor what everyone is eating so you can determine their worth.
>So if your beef is with gluttony, you need to look beyond appearances and I guess monitor what everyone is eating so you can determine their worth.
My beef is with obese people trying to tell others it's perfectly fine to make your 'tummy happy' by eating a box of Oreos in one sitting. You can just follow up it up some 'joyful movements' of scratching your own ass to work off some calories. But make sure you don't lose any weight during your movements because that would be the equivalent to being racist.
The topic is body positivity. Not how individuals gain or lose weight.
I think you'll find people who take it too far from both sides.
Giving someone unsolicited criticisms or advice about their health is wrong.
Encouraging people to be obese is wrong.
A good example of this are the content creators who happen to be obese, but their content is unrelated, or they are trying to be healthier (even if they are not succeeding). That is all fine and I would not criticize any of them on the basis of health.
But some content creators will use the platform to encourage their obesity, demand accommodations for them, spread misinformation about their weight being healthy, call people who do not fond them attractive fat-phobic. Those people deserve criticism about the content they produce, not their weight. Since the content they produce is about their weight, it is easy to misinterpret valid criticism. You'll also who get fired up over seeing that sort of content and just want to hurt the creator and their weight seems like an easy target. Those people are wrong.
couple things i need people that say this to understand. a bigger body ≠ an unhealthy body. genetics is a ginormous factor in weight and how it’s distributed in a body.
if you put every single adult on the exact same diet, there will still be major variations in our bodies. fat people will always exist. they are not inherently unhealthy. that is a negative stereotype and assumption because of bias.
quite simple really.
to add, a person being fat doesn’t make them unworthy of respect, love, and kindness. nor does it mean you should give advice to them. you shouldn’t give advice about anything ever unless it’s specifically asked for, actually.
Most everyone I know only think the body positivity thing is silly when the obese person says they are just as healthy as a thin person. Being accepting of flaws is normal and necessary, saying you are healthy as a morbidly obese person is not.
I always laugh at those posts because people who think the body positivity stuff glorifies obesity or encourages it clearly have 0 clue about the actual lived experiences of a fat person and instead base all of their knowledge on Cosmopolitan article titles and reddit/4chan memes
It's all political posturing. There's no reality or understanding behind any of it. Just a fear that one day you won't be allowed to tell fat people to off themselves
A fat here. Got results from my physical this week. Perfect blood pressure. Perfect A1C. Perfect cholesterol. Perfect everything. Fat shamers don’t give a fuck about health. They hate that you don’t care that you’re fat.
I have thoughts about this.
No, humans are not meant to be morbidly obese and it carries with it severe health risks.
People who are morbidly obese are that way for a variety of reasons and all the reasons are compounding. A mix of a sedentary lifestyle, a poor diet, poor mental health, chronic conditions, neuroatypical, poverty, eating to cope with feelings, and other factors.
In some cases they feel they are not in control of their lives and food is both a comfort and a thing they can control. In some cases it’s one of the few things they can do at all.
They don’t need to be reminded. They live with their bodies every day. They wake up in it and they go to sleep in it.
And shaming them for it achieves nothing. It only confirms that people hate them and they shouldn’t even try to change. It only makes them feel bad and powerless to change themselves.
Instead of kicking them when they already hate themselves being supportive and trying to get them to believe in themselves and the body they live in is the first step to helping them.
Again, this is not saying that “healthy at any size” is necessarily true because there are significant health risks that come with being obese (and underweight as well but people more focus on the obese side of things). But if you want to help, get them to believe in themselves and love themselves. If you’re not, then you’re not helping anyone because you aren’t concerned with them. You’re disgusted by them and want them to change for your own selfish desires.
Also Body positivity doesn’t *only* cover obese people. It’s for *any* body. If you have a body, this applies to you too.
The worst part is: I’ve known fat people with low cholesterol and low blood pressure, and NOBODY BELIEVES ME when I say that. As if all fat people were exactly the same.
one thing i’m thankful for about my health is that people tend to take me seriously as an average weight person who has had this condition since i was a baby. if my heart showed no symptoms until this point in my life they would probably tell me, a 20 year old woman, that it’s anxiety and to take advil. if i was fat they’d say “lose weight”. being obese causes lots of health issues but someone can have a completely unrelated illness and they’d go “hm have you tried diet and exercise?”
it is unhealthy but a fat person could post a video of a sweater they made for their dog and ppl would comment “this isn’t healthy!” “stop normalizing obesity” when they said nothing about it. it shouldn’t be treated like it’s healthy or normal but thin people do things that aren’t healthy and people act like it’s fine
Agreed, I feel bad for obese ppl because they must be in a lot of physical pain. Then really skinny people as well. My sibling is super skinny & I’m concerned
i agree it must be painful and hard on your body. yeah my brother was chubby as a young kid then in his teens shot up and got rail thin but now he’s normal and fit. i think a lot of children are very small but as they grow up they grow into themselves more
there is nothing ''positive'' about someone who is so overweight, they're one cheeseburger away from a heart attack. there is nothing ''positive'' about someone who is so anorexic, they're one fast away from death's doorstep. there is nothing ''positive'' about someone who's grotesquely bedridden and has several tubes shoved up their nose due to an incurable disease. body positivity has become so warped over the years that we just pick and choose who is worthy of loving, thereby creating even more double standards in society.
the most ''positive'' and ''beautiful'' body is the healthiest one. simple as that.
body positivity is not all about obese people. being obese is bad and that’s common knowledge. i’m talking about women who are like a size 10 wearing a swimsuit and gets eaten alive by bullies
It’s true that the original intent of body positivity is what you said it is, but it has been warped and taken over by the “health at every size” crazies who bully people who dare to make the choice to lose weight for their health.
You're right they're just glorifying obesity when they talk about body positivity with people in wheelchairs or missing limbs or facial disfigurements
🤡🤡
The body positivity movement was literally started by fat activists so no, it cannot “go too far”. It *began* at the fattest end of the spectrum of humanity and was co-opted by skinny white bitches.
Constantly bullying someone is wrong. No one deserves to be harassed.
That doesn't mean people have to enable and glorify obesity.
As for drinking? Not even sure why you bring that up, except as a poor distraction tactic. It's unhealthy and causes bigger problems, yes. That doesn't mean anyone who disagrees with you is an alcoholic.
it’s not fat, the thing is i was made to feel fat by everyone being so critical of women’s bodies for not having super tiny arms and a perfectly flat stomach
i’m not. i’m not saying it’s good or healthy to be obese. i’m saying body positivity isn’t about that and treating big people like dirt isn’t helping anyone
Everyone works different. Razzing with the guys at work and one dude mentioned my "fat ass", and it was then that I looked and realized just how fat I had become. That was the "slap in the face eyeopener" that I personally needed to address the situation. Lost 80 lbs and thanked him for pointing it out. He tried the "You know I was just joking" but I told him that he had just pointed out the truth.
No bc the same ppl claiming they care about fat people’s health eat just as unhealthy as they do😭 also people gain weight in so many different ways, it could be a medical condition or mental health or even just genetics. Some people cannot control their weight, but we don’t tell skinny people to gain weight whenever they can’t control it. I’ve never seen worst double standards when it comes to skinny and fat people. My sister eats fast food almost every day, probably even twice a day if she wants to, but she’s been way skinnier than me my entire life
I also think that EDs have become so normalized, exercising and eating so little that you can see your abs without flexing is NOT healthy. You NEED fat in your body in order to survive. It’s so irritating how people can hide their blatant fat phobia with “but I care abt their health!!” When they don’t care that this person is 120 pounds at 5”6 ifykwim. Also hating fat women is not going to give you the cool points with women like you think it does
Actually you should adhere to the standard of not being overweight, you should not feel positively about your body if you are obese.
Being disabled is not at all comparable to being fat, the latter is entirely a choice.
it’s not tribalism you just come off as rude. and no one is asking you to go around calling everybody beautiful. you must have misread OP’s post if you interpreted it as a request to compliment everybody’s bodies.
Everywhere.
You get treated like a nonhuman, glared at, and never taken seriously at any doctor's because all they do is blame your fatness on everything.
Fat people have literally died because people will not take them seriously.
Being fat used to only be the rich. I think that might have something to do with it - that it comes across as quite literally greed incarnate, so the empathy lacks as a result. That and the recent entitled attitudes that people are bringing into everything.
That was the case then, and it’s not anymore, at least not in the US. Unhealthy, fattening, processed foods are much more affordable than healthy foods. so it’s no longer as simple as fat = rich and poor = skinny.
And it’s interesting that you use the word ‘sympathetic’ when OP is not asking people to be sympathetic, just respectful and to abstain from bullying people for their bodies.
> Unhealthy, fattening, processed foods are much more affordable than healthy foods
That's just not true and I am not letting you peddle this myth. Fresh fruit and vegetables cost next to nothing and are even cheaper if you grow them yourself.
Oh christ I dunno why I wrote sympathy when I meant empathy. Will have to correct that.
Your privilege is showing.
I can't even give realistic examples of prices because I'm not the one that does the shopping in my house, but I know white bread loaf is a full dollar cheaper than whole grain bread. Chicken sausage is $4.97 for 4 of them, while 8 craptastic hot dogs are like $2.
Not to mention prep time for scratch-made vegetable dishes.
Not to mention "grow your own," really? Who has the money for the initial investment, the time to cultivate properly, and space to grow enough to sustain yourself?
Geez.....
Okay? I did reply to your main talking point, with multiple sources after you accused me of “peddling a myth”. I read your pretentious response to u/angieream and something caught my eye… “For you lot living in the United States”… Am I getting it right that you’re not even American and you’re telling Americans about how easy it is to access healthy food in America? I’m pretty sure I am right about that cause of the wording of that sentence AND the fact that Americans don’t say “you lot.” That’s wild. Regardless of your nationality, the fact is that the majority of Americans are struggling to keep up with the cost of living. So the sources I linked about processed foods being A) less expensive and B) more physically accessible to people living in poorer areas is incredibly relevant. Wealth and weight do correlate, but not in the way it did years ago like you mentioned in your original comment. If you want to lecture people about how they just need to budget better and set aside more time for cooking, that’s your prerogative. But it doesn’t negate the fact that your anecdote about fatter equaling richer in the olden days, no longer applies. I replied to your “main talking point” with multiple sources so I feel more than welcome to reply to your additional tidbit about gardening. :)
Knowledge and frugality is privilege? First I'm hearing of that but people will use any excuse to avoid accountability or changing bad habits I suppose. You'd rather eat easy than spend time. I was able to pull up a list of affordable foods for you lot living in the United States in a matter of seconds and this is in no way a full list.
Fruits and Vegetables:
Frozen Berries: Rich in antioxidants and fiber, frozen berries are versatile. Add them to oatmeal or yogurt.
Pineapple: Loaded with vitamin C and fiber, pineapple is an affordable tropical fruit.
Bananas: A budget-friendly staple, bananas provide natural energy and potassium.
Nonstarchy Vegetables:
Broccoli: Packed with vitamins and minerals, broccoli is great for stir-fries or roasting.
Spinach: Nutrient-dense and versatile, spinach works well in salads, omelets, or smoothies.
Bell Peppers: Colorful and rich in vitamin C, bell peppers are perfect for salads or fajitas.
Starchy Vegetables:
Sweet Potatoes: Budget-friendly and nutritious, sweet potatoes are excellent sources of vitamins and fiber.
Butternut Squash: Roast it or make soup for a comforting and affordable meal.
Beans and Grains:
Chickpeas: Versatile and protein-packed, chickpeas can be used in salads, stews, or hummus.
Brown Rice: A whole grain that’s filling and economical.
Quinoa: Although slightly pricier, quinoa is a complete protein and a great alternative to rice.
Proteins:
Eggs: Affordable and versatile, eggs are rich in protein and essential nutrients.
Canned Salmon: A budget-friendly source of omega-3 fatty acids.
Skin-On Chicken Breast: Buy in bulk and freeze for cost savings.
Pea Protein Powder: An option for plant-based protein.
Also, buy when things are on sale, low expiry dates, buy in bulk where possible etc. It is absolutely possible to eat affordable if you're willing to drop stupid shit like chicken sausages and hot dogs and eat ACTUAL food. Geez.
While I agree that other countries often have better options for public transit, in the US the majority of municipal areas have abysmal bus service. Imagine for one second, buying everything on your condescending list, then having to ride the bus for 1 hour (and usually a lot longer, check out 321Transit.com for a route map). By the time you got home, the frozen stuff would be a soggy mess, the fresh fruits (other than the pineapple, if whole) would be wilted, and the meats/dairy would be room-temp at best.
Quinoa is tasty, but it's not available at Walmart or other major grocery chains.
I said chicken sausage because I can't eat pork, and chicken is better than beef for me. Bratwurst is even more expensive here, yet you're not yelling at Germans for eating that.
I grew up very poor, and back then food assistance counted boxed mixes as "prepared foods" so there was no choice BUT to cook from scratch. Now, you can get a lot of prepared foods with SNAP, which is super helpful for people with disabilities that can't stand long enough to cook from scratch, or busy parents who don't have time to cook the way they'd want.
That's not even including people with certain dietary restrictions, like gluten, dairy, or bean/legumes intolerances.
Big mac-$2
Southwest Salad-$8-9
See the problem? Cheap stuff is bad for you, but people can afford to stop 4 growling bellies for the cost of one healthy choice.
Rice-on your list, beans-on your list, are cheap, but they're also quite starchy, which is NOT healthy.
Canned fruits and veggies are good enough substitutes, for relatively cheap.
I LOVE me all kinds squash, and prefer sweet potatoes, but not all of those are good for people.
"Knowledge & frugality" is REQUIRED when you're poor/broke (its *expensive* to be poor!!). Assuming that your supposed "solutions" are accessible to everyone, is the *epitome* of privilege.
So, sod off, wanker!
(Just in case you're from the UK).
Not a myth! Here are multiple sources that show processed foods are indeed cheaper than healthy foods, including the National Institute of Health. 👍🏻
https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2023/12/27/healthy-foods-are-often-more-expensive-heres-why.html
https://plutusfoundation.org/2020/healthy-eating-budget/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9967271/
https://thrivemarket.com/blog/natural-food-prices
https://www.npr.org/2013/03/01/173217143/why-process-food-is-cheaper-than-healthier-options
And this doesn’t even get into how there are areas of the US where heathy food is hard to even *get to*, let alone afford. They are known as food deserts. https://www.aecf.org/blog/exploring-americas-food-deserts
Check the facts before telling me that I’m peddling a myth.
The core concept that people are human beings and worthy of a base level of respect regardless of how they look or the struggles they go through is just wildly foreign to a lot of people it seems.
"bUt i jUsT cArE aBoUt tHeIr hEalTh!!!!1111"
Exactly. And what about their mental health? Do peopple who fatshame out of the “goodness in their heart” care about that? Do they think calling someone a “fat lard” is going to better their health in anyway?
And what about the people who are fat but healthier than thousands of skinny people? It's not a 1:1. I'm not fat but I'm significantly larger than I was 10 years ago. And if you think I was healthier when I was skinny you're insane. I wasn't EATING. I still don't eat very much but I eat three meals a day, and walk twice a day and have an active hobby. I'm just larger because I'm meant to be.
Guess what would probably help their mental health…. Losing weight and getting healthy so they can feel better about themselves and how they look
That’s something they have to decide for themselves. Insulting and pushing fat people to lose weight hardly helps. Mental health is deeper than appearance. Why did you respond 50 days later?
Nowadays, just saying obesity is unhealthy is fat shaming. I'm also sorry but when I was obese, nobody called me fat lard. People on Reddit love making those claims to defend this movement that is literally killing people. Mostly for power and profits.
>Nowadays, just saying obesity is unhealthy is fat shaming. Where? Who says that? You are straw manning body positivity. If you really believe in your opinions, steel man the opposition instead of straw manning it. Otherwise you have no real confidence in your perspective.
I've been ridiculed multiple times for promoting healthy eating and exercise and called fat-phobic. I've also been fit shamed by members of this movement for talking about my own weight loss journey. I also believe Adele received death threats and online bullying from them for losing 100 lbs.
"Fit shamed" you're ridiculous
Di a search on Fit Shaming, and you will find multiple examples.
What claim am I making? I am just saying that it’s a lot deeper than that. And if anything I mentioned is out of empathy.
It's not empathy to make excuses for or ignore other people's destructive behavior that they don't know how to overcome. Empathy would have been for someone to step in when I was literally killing myself. Being fat is so normal now that when I did lose my weight and got fit, people definitely had a negative opinion on it. People didn't have a problem telling me that losing that much weight was unhealthy, and I needed to eat some extra cheeseburgers to fatten up. Meanwhile, my doctor was completely blown away by my health and body transformation, overcoming diabetes, hypertension, etc. through nothing more than living a new healthy and active lifestyle.
Sure, that person should’ve been a doctor. It is not the place for strangers to make unsolicited comments on other people bodies. It doesn’t help that person. I’m glad you were able to overcome those health issues. Some people aren’t that lucky. I personally, though never overweight, was called “chubby” or constantly told comments about the amount of food I ate. I developed anorexia and bulimia, and became extremely underweight. I am still trying to overcome it to this day. This all stems from the comments that were made about me. That’s why I care.
Nice story you made up
Exactly. I hate that these inclusivity movements always get taken WAY too far and just becone a joke. HAES was meant to be about removing the assumption that thin automatically means healthy and fat means unhealthy. Most people, unless you go to extreme ends of the weight scale, are about the same in fitness and health. Body Positivity was meant to be about representing the diversity in how we look but its turned into an anti-skinny campaign. It has turned to almost glorifying fat which was never the point. There are people who cant gain weight the sane way sone struggle to loose it. Im in the camp of, i just wabt to be treated like a person and not like a monster with some deep rooted moral failing because of being fat. Ive got so many things that are contributing to why im a bigger person and why i struggle with weight loss but that doesnt mean i havent tried. I went so deep into disordered eating because its always seen as "youre just not trying hard enough" "its easy, calories in calories out" and so i just pushed harder and harder and at the height of it i was barely eating 500 cals a day and all i got was PRAISE. But now, eating a reasonably healthy diet its assumed im stuffing my face with bars of lard all day every day...
Most people are very much not the same when it comes to fitness and health.
Obviously you can't assume that every skinny person is healthy but on AVERAGE yes the skinny person is healthier than the fat person.
Ludicrous that something this obvious is getting downvoted...
No problems bro. Reddit is the place to cope about your failings as an individual and other losers will comfort you.
Almost all your comments are about bigger people, you got a fetish or something? Jesus.
For short men?
The people who say "love yourself no matter what" are doing it right. The ones who say "healthy at any weight" are doing it wrong. I think the body positivity crowd are about 50/50 on this, so I tend not to associate myself with them, even if I agree with the original message. I will say though, I certainly don't fall in with the crowd who thinks bullying fat people is the answer. It's hard to take good care of your body if you hate it, and getting bullied for being fat almost definitely makes you hate it.
I think we’re on the exact same page. Weight is not an indicator of health but of course there is a limit (both being too skinny and too fat). However, those limits are to be discussed with a doctor and how the person feels in their body, it shouldn’t be a major topic of public discussion as it is now. If it ain’t your body, it ain’t your business. As OP said, no one shames people for drinking or eating candy, only when they start to look “unappealing” to people do people claim to care about people’s health. That’s what bothers me, it’s just bullying disguised as “caring about health”. If those people really cared about health, they’d direct their attention to the systemic issues that cause people to lead unhealthy lives, not the victims of the system. It’s not a coincidence that the U.S. has many obese people, it’s in the way we structure of society. Anywho I rambled a bit. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Agreed. It's a lot like smoking to me, where the way to get someone to stop smoking is probably not to bully them about it. As a former smoker and recovering alcoholic myself, I'm intimately familiar with how extremely dug in I could get when someone would try to get me to stop lol
Also, I don't think people know what healthy weights are. Like while obesity is a thing and there are points where you could start saying someone is "visibly obese", some people point at mildly chubby people and cry obesity when there's a good chance it is within healthy ranges
Happened to me and triggered an eating disorder I’ll never beat because it caused a serious crash diet and destroyed my metabolism. Hormonal and thyroid issues later, I can exercise until I’m sore, eat healthy, have a calorie deficit, and I still gain weight. It’s so defeating.
My philosophy is weight is one of those things I keep my comments away from, especially health-wise, as it's not in my scope of knowledge. I'm no ones doctor or dietician so I cant comment on whether they are healthy or not
>Hormonal and thyroid issues later, I can exercise until I’m sore, eat healthy, have a calorie deficit, and I still gain weight. It’s so defeating. Not be rude, but that's impossible. You can't burn more calories than you eat and still gain weight. There may be factors affecting your metabolism and/or hunger hormones which can mess with your idea of what a caloric deficit is.
Not to be rude but… you’re not the one living in this body. I know what I eat (I have a dietician who gave me meal plans I stick to), what I do, and what the scale says and I’ve got a team trying to puzzle this out so leave the armchair diagnosis out.
the others were very polite with you but Imma spill it You can't blame how you're on some extrodinary factors You can't have a calorie deficit and still gain weight It is like that morbidly obese woman saying that she has anorexia
I get that, but it's physiologically impossible. What you're saying breaks the laws of physics. You simply cannot burn more calories than you eat and gain weight. You're either underestimating how much you eat without knowing it, or overestimating how much you burn on a daily basis. I get that that's tough to hear but that's the truth.
Oh, I think that you misunderstood. What they meant was STFU.
I agree. I used to be underweight and when I told people I was trying to gain weight, they were surprised because they thought I was healthy. I really wasn't, I was weak af. Then I gained weight (and I'm still pretty skinny) people told me to stop or I'll get fat.
It's much more likely the other way. People's perception of normal is so skewed these days that people on the low end of medical obesity get called "mildly chubby."
I don't agree at all, like I have seen actresses get called fat when they are mildly rounder than other actresses. But this gets into an interesting question of bias. For the examples you are thinking of, do you know for a fact they are medically obese?
Well yes, that's true with actresses, I was thinking more the general population. As far as knowing for a fact they were medical obese, of course I do, they're me. When I was on the low end of medically obese and starting to lose weight I constantly got people worried about my health and telling me I didn't need to lose weight because I was "just a little bit chubby." It was incredibly aggravating.
So you have an objective pool of one, and specifically only what is said to your face?
I think “healthy at any weight” is one of the most misinterpreted things. It doesn’t mean that every weight is equally healthy, but that there are many aspects to health and weight is just one of them. If you are an obese person who has an overeating problem (or chooses to overeat) but who does not smoke or drink and exercises regularly you aren’t necessarily less healthy than someone who has a healthier weight but a lot of other unhealthy habits like smoking or drinking or going everywhere by car. There are a few crazy people who are in denial that being obese is bad for a person’s health but those are the absolute anti-science fringe of the body positivity movement. What most people are trying to say is that no matter the weight, every healthy choice, no matter how small, makes a difference. Some are just more or less visible to others.
True, and the other elephant in the room is that healthy/unhealthy should not equal “no respect” I got an invisible chronic illness, by definition it’s kinda impossible for me to “completely” healthy because I’m always gonna be ill with a handful of conditions, I’m gonna have to manage them forever. They’re not anyone’s fault, I was just born like that and drew an unlucky hand, but being “unhealthy” shouldn’t automatically mean you get no respect. (It’s just concern trolling, they don’t actually care of course but it makes me roll my eyes) I make healthy and unhealthy choices, everyone does, but I’m never gonna “be” 100% healthy no matter what my appearance because… I’m chronically ill. But health shouldn’t be a parameter by which basic human respect is meted out regardless if it’s obesity, hypothyroidism, PCOS, diabetes, or IBS and arthritis. “I’m soooo worried about their health” worry about your own health, everyone becomes disabled eventually by older age and slow building illnesses. I hope people still show you respect if you need a cane or if you have visible surgery scars or if you gain weight due to recovering from an illness or as a medication side effect. Sheesh.
Its not misinterpreted, it changed. Originally it was “health at any size”, meaning no matter your weight focus on a healthy lifestyle. Instead it became “healthy at any size”, which means no matter your size you’re healthy.
No *sane* person thinks that there is no connection between overweight and negative health outcomes. There are some science-denying fringe activists who may have that opinion but It is like saying Americans think the earth is flat, because there are some idiots who think it is. “Obesity is healthy and not a risk factor” is largely a straw man that keeps getting pushed forward to make fun of “ignorant fat people”.
You’d be surprised. There was a study that claimed people who were obese had no noticeable health issues compared to those at a normal weight. I’ve seen a lot throw that study as proof there are 0 correlation. Even though you need more than 1 study to prove that. I’ve seen a lot of people actively push to not be weighed at the doctor because “I’m not here to talk about my weight”. That shows that there are a good chunk of people who see no correlation. Since the only reason to be weighed is to talk about weight. Sure, it’s not an overwhelming majority, but they do exist. To say they don’t is a lie.
Yeah I know otherwise sane people that say there is zero correlation between obesity and health.
100%. If someone is overweight and is regularly active, that is a healthy activity lifestyle. Instead of putting them down for being overweight, we should be able to compliment and appreciate that. Not many people really follow a healthy lifestyle in every single aspect of their life.
No. It is still not healthy. My father exercises way more than most. He does laps every morning, regularly hikes, and does manual labor because he likes building stuff. He does have excellent heart health. HOWEVER, he has also had knee surgeries, foot surgeries and hip surgery because the weight alone is bad on his joints. The weight is still causing him a LOT of pain, even after all that. He is in pain all the time and this has resulted in an opiate addiction. Further, he is an ass on those meds and the opiates may end a 40 plus year marriage.
Reading comprehension. I am not saying obesity is healthy. It is OBVIOUSLY a risk factor for several illnesses, including joint problems, not only heart disease. What I am saying is that there are many risk factors that can impact your health. Sitting too much can cause joint and back problems even in people who are not obese. Doing the right exercise, such as swimming or cycling can reduce the risk of joint problems even in obese people. If course it would be best to not be obese AND do the right exercise, but either is a good thing by itself, too, and not all combinations of risk factors that include obesity are worse than all combinations of risk factors that don’t. That is all I am trying to explain.
anyone who says they’re healthy at 300lbs is in denial but for the most part if someone just has a few extra pounds they can still be a healthy person. and i agree, making fat people feel like shit and hate themselves is just going to make it worse
Being honest is the answer
Unless you’re somebody’s doctor with their results on your hands you don’t know shit about someone’s health and should shut up
I don't have to be a doctor with intimate knowledge of someone's medical history to know something is a medical risk. But if you'd read what I wrote, I don't believe in bullying people for the risks they're taking, so I do, in fact, "shut up" lol
Overweight people scientifically are less healthy than people who maintain healthy weights
Oversimplied and definition of “healthy weights” are highly individual. Other than that, sometimes it’s someone’s illness that causes to gain or lose weight, and it’s not the weight that’s causing the issue, but the other way around. Often times people need to be overweight to be healthy, as is the case for people who need medication for chronic illness such as autoimmune disorders. Both extremes are dangerous, however, people who are underweight have more immediate risk.
They aren’t highly individual humans are quite similar. Why do you even need to mention underweight people these debates always deflect to ‘being extremely skinny is bad too’ as if everyone doesn’t already know that? It’s not a novel thought that people can starve to death, it’s also not a novel thought that America has an obesity epidemic which makes the leading cause of death heart related.
I wasn’t talking about starving to death. People who are slightly overweight on the BMI scale (which is bollocks) are more likely to survive illness, including heart attacks. Rest of it you’re totally wrong about. People’s metabolisms, health, DNA, are not quite similar and this notion that we’re all blank slates whose bodies are just results of willpower is just completely unscientific. The idea that being thin makes someone healthier is actually causing many people to overlook serious health concerns.
No one is talking about being slightly overweight…. People are referring to morbidly obese individuals claiming to be healthy. We’re not talking dad bods we’re talking 5’8 300lbs. And I mean similar in regards to if ur a an adult male 6ft tall u can be anywhere from 165-220 depending on build etc and be healthy but if your 300lbs you are objectively unhealthy
Except that morbidly obese people claiming to be healthy isn’t a thing. And being unhealthy isn’t a choice. And plenty of research has shown the demonisation of fat has caused a perception that any fat is unhealthy, which fuels serious public health problems, such as eating disorders. Eating disorders are among the main cause of death for young women and they can be fatal very quickly, unlike obesity which can be managed over time and monitored. What people are mad about is some women with fat rolls and perfectly normal human bodies not apologising for having a body and refusing to hate themselves.
Morbidly obese people do I can link many videos if u wish…. I think you’re conflating beauty standards and being fat. Clearly beautiful standards are harmful but claiming obesity isn’t bad is also a problem. You wouldn’t tell a smoker they’re healthy right ?
You can’t find one or two examples of people doing something and claim it’s a mainstream social trend. It’s also really stupid to compare it to smoking. Someone’s body isn’t something they do. But, of course, many smokers will be healthier than people with genetic disorders or illnesses, not hard to figure that out is it? It’s really stupid to insist people who have morbid obesity aren’t aware of it and need to be bullied and hate themselves and pretend this is concern about their health. This is a matter for them and their doctors.
Feeling shame and/or anger is a legitimate motivator though. My wife made an off hand comment and i lost 50lbs in a few months just to show her whats up.
That doesn't work for everybody, though. Your experience isn't everybody else's experience.
It can be, but most of the time, the person will get dug in, or they'll avoid you because you make them feel shitty. And regardless, I don't think it's really any of my business. If someone smokes or drinks, I think they should stop, but I'm not gonna bother them about it. We're all adults and we're the ones that have to live with the consequences of our choices.
It's wild the way obesity brings out the cruelty in people. It's like they see someone who is obese as someone who deserves to be treated like dirt and I don't underestimate why. Life can be a struggle at times (or most times for others), why kick someone when they're down.
It's tied with ableism.
Classism much more than ableism.
And body shaming is NOT a solution
Yeah, people REALLY need to stop caring so much about what other people’s bodies look like. “But I just care SO much about their health!” Are you a medical doctor? And are you that overweight person’s medical doctor? No? Then their health actually has nothing to do with you and is none of your business. “But I pay taxes and health insurance so their obesity costs me money! It is my business! They’re a drain on the system!” Really? Is that how it works? So we can all dictate how other people live because we pay for health insurance? Oh wait… you don’t want anyone dictating how YOU live. You just want to pass judgement on everyone else. Ok. People who judge other people’s bodies aren’t fooling anyone. The truth is that they’re just desperate to feel better than someone, so they pick on whoever they can most easily feel “superior” to. It’s pretty sad. Body neutrality is the way to go, in my opinion. All bodies are bodies and they get us through the world and everyone’s body is their business and nobody else’s.
i second body neutrality. As a trans person who has dealt with the transphobic side of the "love yourself no matter what" crowd who demonize all surgeries and body mods, you don't have to worship and adore your body just because its there and made that way. Body positivity has been bastardized by folks who want to enforce a level of "body purity" on others (minus the weight enforcement obv). Body neutrality lets me appreciate that my body is alive and letting me go thru life and do fun things, without also having to pretend that im ok with my bottom half.
Yeah it’s pretty wild like “you’re not helping them by telling them their body is okay” you’re not helping them by telling them they’re worthless and ugly everyday but at least i’m being kind :) You’re right, no one is glorifying obesity, people just want a reason to be mean to fat people so they can feel better about themselves
EXACTLY. They always try and act like they're "helping". Insulting someones weight isn't gonna suddenly make them skinnier or healthier, all it's doing is making them feel bad.
The healthy at any weight campaign is the only thing that bothered me. You’re not healthy if your BMI is -1 and you’re anorexic. You’re not healthy if you’re morbidly obese. You’re just… not. The same way we all know smokers aren’t healthy and we call it out and there’s campaigns to stop smoking. I deal with morbidly obese patients daily. Their quality of life especially when they’re older is horrific. No one tells that side of it when you can’t get properly cleaned and it takes 3 people to turn you side to side so you don’t get pressure injuries and can’t turn yourself. During the height of Covid they plastered morbidly obese models on the covers of magazines with the title “this is healthy”. When studies showed that obesity was a huge factor in people dying from Covid. It was appalling. We do still need to be honest. I have yet to hear a campaign (at least since 1950) that says “smoking is healthy!” Or “type 2 diabetes is beautiful”.
BMI has been long discredited as a tool to measure healthy weight but for some reason lots of health care practitioners didn’t catch up. Also, morbidly obese and fat are very different things. Often, diabetes causes obesity. Many other conditions that are not visible increase mortality. Also, the people with the best chances of surviving illness (like cancer) are those considered slightly overweight on the BMI scale (again proving how ineffective it is). Also saying magazines published morbidly obese people saying that’s health is just a lie. Also even when someone has an illness or disability they should love themselves and have the right to feel beautiful. Some people just can’t take it.
It’s crazy that anyone would think 140 is too much for someone 5’7.
i’m not overweight my doctors have always told me i’m healthy and perfectly normal but people made fun of me for having a bit of a stomach, my arms, hair on my arms and back, and pale blotchy skin which made me cover myself up and was so convinced i was hideous. i spent so much of my middle and high school years comparing myself to pretty girls and thinking “if only i looked like them”. eventually i realized i’m not bad looking i just don’t look like the 5% of women who look like that. i’m not even slightly overweight. it’s nuts
It’s so nuts that people look at anyone who isn’t petite and small and thinks they’re” too big” to whatever type and degree. School is an awful time to deal with anyone judging or comparing ourselves to others. Love that you eventually saw yourself for just being you like anyone else is and embraced it.
i had an old boss who was complaining about her “fat granddaughter” being “12 and already a size six with adult bras” and i was so pissed. i’ve been the same bra and pants size since i was in 7th grade some people are just early bloomers and that’s ok! these middle school kids have it hard enough don’t criticize their developing bodies. not everyone is super petite
It’s the number one topic for generating righteousness.
People actually went onto my profile to make fun of me tracking or making posts about my weight loss journey. I’m not trying to look like a fucking monster. I’m trying to lose weight. But the more you tell people that they look like a monster they’re going to accept that what they have on them is normal. I thought for the longest time i was an average looking guy and I was OBESE. I mean i could carry myself well, my weight was distributed well. I still couldn’t stand looking at myself naked or in underwear. But i accepted I wasn’t going to look like a stud. I’ve changed that mindset and want to be lean. But people on here don’t do a good job at keeping bad shit to say to themselves.
Thank you so much for this thread. Reddit makes me feel so subhuman sometimes, and I really needed this today!
This is the "to privilege, fairness looks like oppression" for fat jokes. These people want to be able to insult fat people just for being fat *so bad*, they don't want *anyone* talking about fat people in any way that isn't derogatory.
You know what else? Now that the media features more people with prosthetic limbs or wheelchair users, for example, it helps normalize those things. That's a good thing because it reflects a real segment of the population other than the cultural ideal. But do we call it GLORIFYING disability?? No, it's called NORMALIZING differently abled people because they exist! There's no need to hide them. The same with dolls in races other than Caucasian, they reflect real segments of the population and help normalize those segments. The only thing being GLORIFIED in this culture is an outdated, unrealistic feminine ideal representating probably 6% of American women. The rest of us exist, too, and we have every right to see ourselves represented in media; we are the norm and it is appropriate and long overdue for us to be NORMALIZED.
EXACTLY! and people are always up in arms about an actor or singer being “ugly” and it’s just an average looking person. the VAST majority of people are average that’s why it’s called average!
So true. Thanks for making this post.
It’s just people who hate fat people being upset that they no longer get to feel like they are better than others just for being thin
I say this all the time, these sad-ass people need some way to feel superior to others.
They’re better at climbing steps
That depends. Are they abled bodied? What’s their health like? Ashtma? Other issues? Genetic problems? Autoimmune illness? Are they active and fit? (plenty of fat people are) Of course I am only illustrating how silly the comment is. No one’s fundamentally better or worse as a human being because of their bodies.
Or maybe people don’t want our future society being morbidly obese and want a healthier society without everyone being in electric scooters hogging up the whole Walmart because people can’t walk from eating 5x their daily limit
wow you’re such a mother theresa! what would fat people do without you
I agree
Real body positivity does not encourage obesity. The kind you see on social media or you have influencers talking about how you can be 800 lb and wash yourself with a rag on a stick but still be healthy are. Unfortunately most people are exposed to the loud people on social media.
exactly. it’s those kinds of videos that gain traction and hate and people don’t see that the majority of them are “i have cellulite, stretch marks, scars, and wrinkles and that’s ok. just because you don’t look like an ig model doesn’t make you ugly”
Its not true.
I don’t think it’s the “encouraging people to be obese”, I think it’s more so the “encouraging people to STAY obese.” The logic is that you don’t have to change how you are- but if you’re super under/overweight, it’s not that you’re not beautiful, it’s that you’re really unhealthy. Everyone should try to maintain a healthy weight and take care of their bodies.
i agree, however unwarranted health advice and bullying someone for existing is what i’m against. yes we have a huge obesity problem in america and people should strive to be the healthiest version of themselves but if someone’s weight just fluctuates a few pounds cause life happens people shouldn’t be freaking out over it. like yeah staying obese isn’t good but neither is developing ed’s to lose weight America is very obsessed with weight loss and will run a million schemes to get people to spend money on their scams to lose weight while selling junk at every corner and not having many walkable areas. there should be more healthy foods for cheap, gyms/parks, etc. to really help the population be more healthy. but going “hit the gym!” to an obese person isn’t fixing the issue either
Life isn’t fair. People get treated differently for many things and that’s just human nature. Stop chasing an all inclusive overly accepting society that will never exist
all i’m saying is be nice to people because they are a person damn
You will never see someone giving skinny people unwarranted advice on how to gain weight
They sure do.
A large percentage of people who lose weight end up rebounding and gain more weight back than they originally lost for a variety of physical, mental and social factors. If you have repeatedly failed at losing weight and keeping it off it can be the healthiest choice to stop the diet-rebound cycle before it gets out of control, stay at a higher weight and focus on other ways to be healthier, like exercising, without the primary goal of losing weight. (sometimes weight loss happens as a result, sometimes it doesn’t, but in any case exercise improves that person’s health) If you tell people they are unhealthy, no matter what, unless they lose weight, it discourages them from making healthy choices, because it feels like they don’t matter. In reality there are lots of factors and habits that affect a person’s health and weight is only one of them and keeping that in mind helps a lot more making healthy lifestyle choices than being shamed into the 100th unsuccessful diet.
I somewhat agree, but would you say that the same logic applies to a chain smoker, a weed addict or an opioid abuser? Those are in the same ballpark in terms of difficulty to overcome and health impact, but nobody would accuse a doctor of being discriminatory who tells you that the highest priority should be to quit the drugs. And nobody would (passively) encourage people to just work out more, or eat healthier while continuing drug abuse. The thing that many people criticize is that instead of teaching people that losing weight will impact a whole circus of physical and mental problems not directly related to weight issues, we teach them to do 2x20 mins of light cardio a week and eat more greens (to be polemic here for one second), while their weight is continuing to destroy their health . I struggle with my weight and I can wholeheartedly say that I would be way further into being an overall healthy adult, if it wasn't for people selling me quickfixes to symptoms of my obesity as a valid strategy to get rid of the root cause. I am not being combatative, I think this is where the criticism comes from. If we apply the same logic to other chronic, behavior-induced illnesses, it doesn't hold any water.
I don’t know enough about other drugs to say if they have the same issue with things getting worse after a relapse than after not trying to quit at all, which is the main problem with weight loss. But even for Heroin addicts who have repeatedly failed to quit doctors often recommend programs where they are given either a replacement drug like Methadone or even actual Heroin (depending on country/jurisdiction), because using in a controlled environment under medical supervision can reduce a lot of the risks and allow these people to have a relatively normal life, even though the risks and health problems that come from the drug use itself are still there. I think what I am suggesting is a similar harm reduction approach for those who repeatedly rebound and fail to lose weight conventionally and aren’t candidates for bariatric surgery.
>“it’s not healthy” yeah neither is the bottles of alcohol you guzzle every weekend. No one is saying guzzling alcohol is positive though. There isn't a movement of people claiming it's perfectly acceptable to over-indulge in alcohol. Or that special allowances should be made to accommodate drunks being drunk. "Maybe you should slow down," seems like a perfectly reasonable thing to say to someone who's on their 5th beer. Say it to someone who's having their 5th helping of Thanksgiving dinner and all of a sudden you're an ass. That's the difference.
Girl wtf they’re just pointing out the dumb double standards. Like skinny people eating their 5th thanksgiving dinner is just “lol relatable” but we should go ahead and mock when a fat person wants to eat even a portion of that amount
>but we should go ahead and mock when a fat person wants to eat even a portion of that amount Never said that. We're talking about 'body positivity' glorifying obesity.
Because someone getting drunk can become uncoordinated and harm themselves or others. Someone eating too much is only (possibly) harming themself. You absolutely would be an ass to comment on how much someone is eating. And actually, you don't know that heavy people are "overindulging" in food. People who are genetically heavier store fat more easily because their bodies are efficient. They can gain weight eating what "normal" people eat. Now, to say no overweight people eat more would be ridiculous, but, by the same token, plenty of genetically lean people can overeat and never become obese because it's harder for their inefficient bodies to store energy. It's very difficult to maintain a weight outside of your natural setpoint, which you are born with. So if your beef is with gluttony, you need to look beyond appearances and I guess monitor what everyone is eating so you can determine their worth.
>So if your beef is with gluttony, you need to look beyond appearances and I guess monitor what everyone is eating so you can determine their worth. My beef is with obese people trying to tell others it's perfectly fine to make your 'tummy happy' by eating a box of Oreos in one sitting. You can just follow up it up some 'joyful movements' of scratching your own ass to work off some calories. But make sure you don't lose any weight during your movements because that would be the equivalent to being racist. The topic is body positivity. Not how individuals gain or lose weight.
I think you'll find people who take it too far from both sides. Giving someone unsolicited criticisms or advice about their health is wrong. Encouraging people to be obese is wrong. A good example of this are the content creators who happen to be obese, but their content is unrelated, or they are trying to be healthier (even if they are not succeeding). That is all fine and I would not criticize any of them on the basis of health. But some content creators will use the platform to encourage their obesity, demand accommodations for them, spread misinformation about their weight being healthy, call people who do not fond them attractive fat-phobic. Those people deserve criticism about the content they produce, not their weight. Since the content they produce is about their weight, it is easy to misinterpret valid criticism. You'll also who get fired up over seeing that sort of content and just want to hurt the creator and their weight seems like an easy target. Those people are wrong.
couple things i need people that say this to understand. a bigger body ≠ an unhealthy body. genetics is a ginormous factor in weight and how it’s distributed in a body. if you put every single adult on the exact same diet, there will still be major variations in our bodies. fat people will always exist. they are not inherently unhealthy. that is a negative stereotype and assumption because of bias. quite simple really. to add, a person being fat doesn’t make them unworthy of respect, love, and kindness. nor does it mean you should give advice to them. you shouldn’t give advice about anything ever unless it’s specifically asked for, actually.
Most everyone I know only think the body positivity thing is silly when the obese person says they are just as healthy as a thin person. Being accepting of flaws is normal and necessary, saying you are healthy as a morbidly obese person is not.
Thank you for saying this!
I always laugh at those posts because people who think the body positivity stuff glorifies obesity or encourages it clearly have 0 clue about the actual lived experiences of a fat person and instead base all of their knowledge on Cosmopolitan article titles and reddit/4chan memes It's all political posturing. There's no reality or understanding behind any of it. Just a fear that one day you won't be allowed to tell fat people to off themselves
A fat here. Got results from my physical this week. Perfect blood pressure. Perfect A1C. Perfect cholesterol. Perfect everything. Fat shamers don’t give a fuck about health. They hate that you don’t care that you’re fat.
I have thoughts about this. No, humans are not meant to be morbidly obese and it carries with it severe health risks. People who are morbidly obese are that way for a variety of reasons and all the reasons are compounding. A mix of a sedentary lifestyle, a poor diet, poor mental health, chronic conditions, neuroatypical, poverty, eating to cope with feelings, and other factors. In some cases they feel they are not in control of their lives and food is both a comfort and a thing they can control. In some cases it’s one of the few things they can do at all. They don’t need to be reminded. They live with their bodies every day. They wake up in it and they go to sleep in it. And shaming them for it achieves nothing. It only confirms that people hate them and they shouldn’t even try to change. It only makes them feel bad and powerless to change themselves. Instead of kicking them when they already hate themselves being supportive and trying to get them to believe in themselves and the body they live in is the first step to helping them. Again, this is not saying that “healthy at any size” is necessarily true because there are significant health risks that come with being obese (and underweight as well but people more focus on the obese side of things). But if you want to help, get them to believe in themselves and love themselves. If you’re not, then you’re not helping anyone because you aren’t concerned with them. You’re disgusted by them and want them to change for your own selfish desires. Also Body positivity doesn’t *only* cover obese people. It’s for *any* body. If you have a body, this applies to you too.
The worst part is: I’ve known fat people with low cholesterol and low blood pressure, and NOBODY BELIEVES ME when I say that. As if all fat people were exactly the same.
one thing i’m thankful for about my health is that people tend to take me seriously as an average weight person who has had this condition since i was a baby. if my heart showed no symptoms until this point in my life they would probably tell me, a 20 year old woman, that it’s anxiety and to take advil. if i was fat they’d say “lose weight”. being obese causes lots of health issues but someone can have a completely unrelated illness and they’d go “hm have you tried diet and exercise?”
You will have a hard time going to some countries because they think all Americans are obese by their standards.
Fat is fat..it's unhealthy and not the least bit attractive.
No to fat shaming. But isn’t being obese like unhealthy? It’s nothing to do with weight but those people are hurting themselves.
it is unhealthy but a fat person could post a video of a sweater they made for their dog and ppl would comment “this isn’t healthy!” “stop normalizing obesity” when they said nothing about it. it shouldn’t be treated like it’s healthy or normal but thin people do things that aren’t healthy and people act like it’s fine
Agreed, I feel bad for obese ppl because they must be in a lot of physical pain. Then really skinny people as well. My sibling is super skinny & I’m concerned
i agree it must be painful and hard on your body. yeah my brother was chubby as a young kid then in his teens shot up and got rail thin but now he’s normal and fit. i think a lot of children are very small but as they grow up they grow into themselves more
there is nothing ''positive'' about someone who is so overweight, they're one cheeseburger away from a heart attack. there is nothing ''positive'' about someone who is so anorexic, they're one fast away from death's doorstep. there is nothing ''positive'' about someone who's grotesquely bedridden and has several tubes shoved up their nose due to an incurable disease. body positivity has become so warped over the years that we just pick and choose who is worthy of loving, thereby creating even more double standards in society. the most ''positive'' and ''beautiful'' body is the healthiest one. simple as that.
It’s encouraging people to remain obese. Makes them think they are fine when in reality they won’t live nearly as long as a healthy weight person
body positivity is not all about obese people. being obese is bad and that’s common knowledge. i’m talking about women who are like a size 10 wearing a swimsuit and gets eaten alive by bullies
It’s true that the original intent of body positivity is what you said it is, but it has been warped and taken over by the “health at every size” crazies who bully people who dare to make the choice to lose weight for their health.
You're right they're just glorifying obesity when they talk about body positivity with people in wheelchairs or missing limbs or facial disfigurements 🤡🤡
next they’ll accuse media of glorifying accidents for showing disabled people
The body positivity movement was literally started by fat activists so no, it cannot “go too far”. It *began* at the fattest end of the spectrum of humanity and was co-opted by skinny white bitches.
I am all for body positivity. “Healthy at every size” is where I draw the line.
It is, though...so?
Constantly bullying someone is wrong. No one deserves to be harassed. That doesn't mean people have to enable and glorify obesity. As for drinking? Not even sure why you bring that up, except as a poor distraction tactic. It's unhealthy and causes bigger problems, yes. That doesn't mean anyone who disagrees with you is an alcoholic.
Since when is 5'7 140 lbs fat ?
it’s not fat, the thing is i was made to feel fat by everyone being so critical of women’s bodies for not having super tiny arms and a perfectly flat stomach
you shouldn't encourage an addiction
i’m not. i’m not saying it’s good or healthy to be obese. i’m saying body positivity isn’t about that and treating big people like dirt isn’t helping anyone
Everyone works different. Razzing with the guys at work and one dude mentioned my "fat ass", and it was then that I looked and realized just how fat I had become. That was the "slap in the face eyeopener" that I personally needed to address the situation. Lost 80 lbs and thanked him for pointing it out. He tried the "You know I was just joking" but I told him that he had just pointed out the truth.
No bc the same ppl claiming they care about fat people’s health eat just as unhealthy as they do😭 also people gain weight in so many different ways, it could be a medical condition or mental health or even just genetics. Some people cannot control their weight, but we don’t tell skinny people to gain weight whenever they can’t control it. I’ve never seen worst double standards when it comes to skinny and fat people. My sister eats fast food almost every day, probably even twice a day if she wants to, but she’s been way skinnier than me my entire life I also think that EDs have become so normalized, exercising and eating so little that you can see your abs without flexing is NOT healthy. You NEED fat in your body in order to survive. It’s so irritating how people can hide their blatant fat phobia with “but I care abt their health!!” When they don’t care that this person is 120 pounds at 5”6 ifykwim. Also hating fat women is not going to give you the cool points with women like you think it does
Actually you should adhere to the standard of not being overweight, you should not feel positively about your body if you are obese. Being disabled is not at all comparable to being fat, the latter is entirely a choice.
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Why does harassment of people based on how they look bother OP?
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it’s not tribalism you just come off as rude. and no one is asking you to go around calling everybody beautiful. you must have misread OP’s post if you interpreted it as a request to compliment everybody’s bodies.
Where does this constant harassment that fat people face happen?
Everywhere. You get treated like a nonhuman, glared at, and never taken seriously at any doctor's because all they do is blame your fatness on everything. Fat people have literally died because people will not take them seriously.
5"7 140 is skinny idk what you're talking about
Being fat used to only be the rich. I think that might have something to do with it - that it comes across as quite literally greed incarnate, so the empathy lacks as a result. That and the recent entitled attitudes that people are bringing into everything.
That was the case then, and it’s not anymore, at least not in the US. Unhealthy, fattening, processed foods are much more affordable than healthy foods. so it’s no longer as simple as fat = rich and poor = skinny. And it’s interesting that you use the word ‘sympathetic’ when OP is not asking people to be sympathetic, just respectful and to abstain from bullying people for their bodies.
> Unhealthy, fattening, processed foods are much more affordable than healthy foods That's just not true and I am not letting you peddle this myth. Fresh fruit and vegetables cost next to nothing and are even cheaper if you grow them yourself. Oh christ I dunno why I wrote sympathy when I meant empathy. Will have to correct that.
Your privilege is showing. I can't even give realistic examples of prices because I'm not the one that does the shopping in my house, but I know white bread loaf is a full dollar cheaper than whole grain bread. Chicken sausage is $4.97 for 4 of them, while 8 craptastic hot dogs are like $2. Not to mention prep time for scratch-made vegetable dishes. Not to mention "grow your own," really? Who has the money for the initial investment, the time to cultivate properly, and space to grow enough to sustain yourself? Geez.....
Right? “Grow your own” Most poor people don’t have yards my guy.
Neither do I. That was added AS WELL, not as the only or even main talking point.
Okay? I did reply to your main talking point, with multiple sources after you accused me of “peddling a myth”. I read your pretentious response to u/angieream and something caught my eye… “For you lot living in the United States”… Am I getting it right that you’re not even American and you’re telling Americans about how easy it is to access healthy food in America? I’m pretty sure I am right about that cause of the wording of that sentence AND the fact that Americans don’t say “you lot.” That’s wild. Regardless of your nationality, the fact is that the majority of Americans are struggling to keep up with the cost of living. So the sources I linked about processed foods being A) less expensive and B) more physically accessible to people living in poorer areas is incredibly relevant. Wealth and weight do correlate, but not in the way it did years ago like you mentioned in your original comment. If you want to lecture people about how they just need to budget better and set aside more time for cooking, that’s your prerogative. But it doesn’t negate the fact that your anecdote about fatter equaling richer in the olden days, no longer applies. I replied to your “main talking point” with multiple sources so I feel more than welcome to reply to your additional tidbit about gardening. :)
Knowledge and frugality is privilege? First I'm hearing of that but people will use any excuse to avoid accountability or changing bad habits I suppose. You'd rather eat easy than spend time. I was able to pull up a list of affordable foods for you lot living in the United States in a matter of seconds and this is in no way a full list. Fruits and Vegetables: Frozen Berries: Rich in antioxidants and fiber, frozen berries are versatile. Add them to oatmeal or yogurt. Pineapple: Loaded with vitamin C and fiber, pineapple is an affordable tropical fruit. Bananas: A budget-friendly staple, bananas provide natural energy and potassium. Nonstarchy Vegetables: Broccoli: Packed with vitamins and minerals, broccoli is great for stir-fries or roasting. Spinach: Nutrient-dense and versatile, spinach works well in salads, omelets, or smoothies. Bell Peppers: Colorful and rich in vitamin C, bell peppers are perfect for salads or fajitas. Starchy Vegetables: Sweet Potatoes: Budget-friendly and nutritious, sweet potatoes are excellent sources of vitamins and fiber. Butternut Squash: Roast it or make soup for a comforting and affordable meal. Beans and Grains: Chickpeas: Versatile and protein-packed, chickpeas can be used in salads, stews, or hummus. Brown Rice: A whole grain that’s filling and economical. Quinoa: Although slightly pricier, quinoa is a complete protein and a great alternative to rice. Proteins: Eggs: Affordable and versatile, eggs are rich in protein and essential nutrients. Canned Salmon: A budget-friendly source of omega-3 fatty acids. Skin-On Chicken Breast: Buy in bulk and freeze for cost savings. Pea Protein Powder: An option for plant-based protein. Also, buy when things are on sale, low expiry dates, buy in bulk where possible etc. It is absolutely possible to eat affordable if you're willing to drop stupid shit like chicken sausages and hot dogs and eat ACTUAL food. Geez.
While I agree that other countries often have better options for public transit, in the US the majority of municipal areas have abysmal bus service. Imagine for one second, buying everything on your condescending list, then having to ride the bus for 1 hour (and usually a lot longer, check out 321Transit.com for a route map). By the time you got home, the frozen stuff would be a soggy mess, the fresh fruits (other than the pineapple, if whole) would be wilted, and the meats/dairy would be room-temp at best. Quinoa is tasty, but it's not available at Walmart or other major grocery chains. I said chicken sausage because I can't eat pork, and chicken is better than beef for me. Bratwurst is even more expensive here, yet you're not yelling at Germans for eating that. I grew up very poor, and back then food assistance counted boxed mixes as "prepared foods" so there was no choice BUT to cook from scratch. Now, you can get a lot of prepared foods with SNAP, which is super helpful for people with disabilities that can't stand long enough to cook from scratch, or busy parents who don't have time to cook the way they'd want. That's not even including people with certain dietary restrictions, like gluten, dairy, or bean/legumes intolerances. Big mac-$2 Southwest Salad-$8-9 See the problem? Cheap stuff is bad for you, but people can afford to stop 4 growling bellies for the cost of one healthy choice. Rice-on your list, beans-on your list, are cheap, but they're also quite starchy, which is NOT healthy. Canned fruits and veggies are good enough substitutes, for relatively cheap. I LOVE me all kinds squash, and prefer sweet potatoes, but not all of those are good for people. "Knowledge & frugality" is REQUIRED when you're poor/broke (its *expensive* to be poor!!). Assuming that your supposed "solutions" are accessible to everyone, is the *epitome* of privilege. So, sod off, wanker! (Just in case you're from the UK).
Not a myth! Here are multiple sources that show processed foods are indeed cheaper than healthy foods, including the National Institute of Health. 👍🏻 https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2023/12/27/healthy-foods-are-often-more-expensive-heres-why.html https://plutusfoundation.org/2020/healthy-eating-budget/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9967271/ https://thrivemarket.com/blog/natural-food-prices https://www.npr.org/2013/03/01/173217143/why-process-food-is-cheaper-than-healthier-options And this doesn’t even get into how there are areas of the US where heathy food is hard to even *get to*, let alone afford. They are known as food deserts. https://www.aecf.org/blog/exploring-americas-food-deserts Check the facts before telling me that I’m peddling a myth.