fat rant

[__penguin__]

This has been in the featured videos on youtube for a few days. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUTJQIBI1oA

I mean, I agree with lots of what she said, fat people deserve respect too, stop using fat-ness as an excuse for things, etc.

But she makes it seem like being fat isn't even a health issue! I'm all for self confidence no matter what you look like, but being fat is a problem and she's practically telling people not to bother even trying to lose weight. What are your thoughts on the video?  

[dangerousfish]

I was mostly with her until she declared the only way to be thin is to have thin genes. Hahah. No. Your body type is a part of family history but not the fat that goes on it. Sure some people can be preprogrammed to make fat gain easier or low body fat but it is NOT everything. Saying, "Oh well, my parents are fat so I will be, too." is such a load of crap. Maybe you learned poor eating and exercise habits from fat parents, not their genes.

I agree you should buy clothes that fit and don't hide from life behind your fat but she basically said, "don't try because you'll just gain those 70 pounds back." All weight loss is is "trying" when you reach your goal weight you are still trying to maintain. After you stop trying is when you gain back the fat. So she worksout, excellent but it obviously isn't very challenging to her or her body would shed excess fat. Because no doubt some of her fat is "excess". I think she is a tall girl and maybe she is wide but excess is excess. I think she looked pretty good but fat IS a health concern, just like you said. Being a size 16 doesn't make you too fat, a number on the scale doesn't make you too fat. I'll tell her to start broadcasting her body fat percentage if she wants to be proud of fat and not just size.

There is this culture among some of the morbidly obese that "fat is beautiful" and while I don't think you have to have a flat stomach or a tight butt to be beautiful there comes a point when you don't just have some pudge - you're obese and it is a major health problem. I don't like seeing someone on TV with fat hanging to their knees tell me there is nothing wrong with them. The comedian Monique had a show about fat women and the plot was how wonderful they are. No one is saying they are bad people or that they're lazy but they do have a serious problem.

Plus-sized is beautiful, once upon a time it wasn't a polite word for "fat" but meant someone of a wider structure with a lot of curves. There is a difference between being "big" and being "fat". Overly fat.

rantrantrant

Anyway, totally agree on the "trying" thing. Argh.  

[Emarii]

I totally agree with dangerousfish about the genes;

My family is on the chubbier side (with myself being the highest 'healthy' BMI you can get) not because of genes specifically, but the way we were raised. We are comfortable with not being perfect, as many North American Nazi Soccer Moms aren't. We DO treat ourselves to McDonalds or ice cream once or twice a month. Many families were for generations back, instilled with the no-sugar rule. Other families pressure their kids into 3 or 4 sports to keep them perfect, out of trouble. Well, I've never done drugs, I'm not "fat", and I only do what I myself decide to do for fitness; running and weights. Weight is about 90% dependant on your home environment, in my opinion.

I agreed with that woman, especially on clothing sizes. The 'fat people are loser' perception is fueled by the fact that they can't find nice clothes like the size 2's can in stores, so instead, they're shafted to a middle aged woman's plus size store because that's the only place there IS a size 18 pair of capri's.