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HAES - Health At Every Size

Gamine

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I really tried to watch this video with an open mind but it hurt my brain too much. I'm apologizing in advance to anyone who finds my post offensive, but this video is ridiculous and misses the point about acceptance and self-love with it's lame attempt at pseudo-science.

Dear Berta Lovejoy, nothing wrong with promoting love and peace, but please read a book.

This is not how the body works. A Y chromosome does not explain the passion men have for assaulting women. Not all men are assaulters (Does this even need to be stated?) Your body's ability to digest the food you eat to obtain nutrients has no connection whatsoever to the claim that added weight has no negative health effects.

Let's be more accepting of all different shapes and sizes. Let's be kinder to people who don't fit our cookie-cuttter expectations of attractiveness. Let's stop believing that we need to starve ourselves to be good enough. Let's be a little less obsessed with reaching a goal weight as opposed to other goals that are better indicators of health: blood pressure, cholesterol, body fat percentage, physical ability and cardiovascular stamina.

I work with a lady who competes in triathlons and marathons regularly. She does not look like the magazine covers for fitness and it's easy to see the shock register on the faces of people who ask her how her weekend was and she talks about her most recent marathon. Let's just be supportive over what she's accomplishing, and all the ways she shows herself love. She's a badass, and should be recognized for it.

But let's not be willfully ignorant about the effect that carrying too much weight has on the body. Genetically, I am probably predisposed to obesity. On both sides of my family, my relatives are morbidly obese. Heart attacks in their late 30s, knee and hip replacements in their 40s and 50s because their bodies could not handle the extra weight from a minor fall, heart disease and type two diabetes. You name a health risk associated with obesity, my family probably has it. My parents grew up in homes where their parents couldn't play with them, couldn't run around with them, couldn't carry them when they were small. My parents chose a different way to live, and raised me with the knowledge that part of self love was to give myself the best chance of surviving I could by what I put into my body and how I used it. Sure, my weight has dipped in both directions as a result of my lifestyle and emotional health, but I continue to educate myself on treating my body with respect that is ruled by ability and not by a number on a scale. I've been just as miserable at a size 00 as I've been as a size 10. I want to live as long and as happily as I can. That takes balance, a lot of work and honesty.

Let's absolutely be kinder, but let's not stick our heads in the sand and choose not to be honest about all the ways that living an unhealthy lifestyle (whether too thin or too big) limits us physically, mentally and emotionally. Medical health professionals should be warning us about health risks associated with our lifestyles. We should encourage the people we love to choose behaviours so they'll stick around longer.

Rant over. This video completely missed the boat.
 
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There needs to be a middle ground between fatshaming and denying that obesity is unhealthy. Asserting that an obese body is, on balance, extremely unhealthy and that losing weight would improve health and longevity is not fatshaming. It's recognizing reality. "Obese" and "fat" are not insults, they're descriptors.

Yes, there are people who can be healthy and obese. But this is a small percentage, and there is not room in that small percentage for every obese person who would like to claim to occupy it. Obese people can be beautiful, hardworking, and vibrant. They are often unfairly thought to not be any of those things. That is not fair, but junk science from a "self-qualified biologist" is not the answer. The fat acceptance movement too often relies on trying to run away from obesity instead of demanding acceptance of it. It's too often about "see, I'm not really fat" instead of "fat is okay". Until fat people stop inadvertently reinforcing the stigma, it won't go away.

I'm obese, and it's not good for my health. And I'm also a good, hardworking person. I would be ashamed to try to deny the former rather than promote the latter.
 

HongDou

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Fatshaming is terrible and counterproductive but, like others have said, you can't just deny that obese people are unhealthy. I don't wanna side with anti-SJWs and use that fact as an excuse to defend fatshaming or thin-privilege but the point of fighting against it and other types of discrimination is to promote acceptance rather than trying to fit all types of people into one box. Getting in shape and healthy is a choice; not everyone has to be forced to do it or guilt tripped into it. But you can't say you're healthy when you're clearly not either.

BAES (Beauty At Every Size) would be a much better campaign imo.

hehe...baes.
 

kyuuei

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Fatshaming is terrible and counterproductive but, like others have said, you can't just deny that obese people are unhealthy. I don't wanna side with anti-SJWs and use that fact as an excuse to defend fatshaming or thin-privilege but the point of fighting against it and other types of discrimination is to promote acceptance rather than trying to fit all types of people into one box. Getting in shape and healthy is a choice; not everyone has to be forced to do it or guilt tripped into it. But you can't say you're healthy when you're clearly not either.

BAES (Beauty At Every Size) would be a much better campaign imo.

hehe...baes.

There's a huge difference between fatshaming (you're not good enough for love, compassion, adoration, equal standards, health care access, or promotions because you're not as physically attractive to me and/or look different from others) and being very real and honest with fat people (you're in serious danger of diabetes, heart attacks, lower quality of life, burdens on your family are a real possibiltiy, etc.) that their condition is not a healthy one to be in.

My mother's overweight, and will be most of her life I suspect. Her medical condition makes her take medication that makes her gain weight. No way around that. She has lost weight, and has worked hard to get to the weight she's at now, because you shouldn't just give up when that happens you should actually try harder to bring balance to your body, but there is an area of acceptance there where she just has to be okay with the size she is because she'd go bananas if she thought she wasn't healthy unless she was 135 again. She's healthier now than she has been in years and years even with all of that mess happening. That doesn't mean she's ideal for doctor standards or anything but still.


I'm not actually going to discuss the video because I haven't heard so much garbage and pseudo science being spilled out since I listened to that cult audio CD we picked up from a cult-y church up the road at 2am.

- - - Updated - - -

:shock: Diet and exercise have nothing to do with health? What? Oy. There are far too many ridiculous statements to even begin to address them. Nothing about this is scientific or empirical. They say that research indicating being obese negatively effects your health is wrong and done incorrectly. I'm pretty sure nearly ALL research indicates that obesity puts you at increased risk for heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, cancer, immobility, wearing out your joints, the list goes on.

I have a huge problem with women being told that they need to be thin to be beautiful. But trying to justify obesity as a healthy alternative is just ludicrous.

Also, I really don't understand all the videos of obese women falling off of things. Do they serve a purpose??

Edit: Looked up her Google+. I think she is just legitimately delusional. She thinks that people who are obese are of superior health and the next generation of humans. :huh:

Yeeah she's pretty much amazing and in her own world. There's an escapist attitude there.. The truth is difficult to swallow, so make your own truth I guess.
 

HongDou

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There's a huge difference between fatshaming (you're not good enough for love, compassion, adoration, equal standards, health care access, or promotions because you're not as physically attractive to me and/or look different from others) and being very real and honest with fat people (you're in serious danger of diabetes, heart attacks, lower quality of life, burdens on your family are a real possibiltiy, etc.) that their condition is not a healthy one to be in.

My experience has been that people who are overweight are almost always well-aware of this and prefer to not be reminded because it already causes them enough grief. :shrug: I think you're right about the examples you said for being honest with them, which kind of adds onto what I was saying about thin-privilege - not to mention the social treatment and expectations. You can be honest when the situation calls for it like a serious discussion about someone's weight, but I think things like making fat jokes towards someone or asking unsolicited questions about someone's weight aren't really going to help someone's self-esteem or desire to get in shape. To get in shape you have to psych yourself and build up your confidence rather than have it taken down. Not to mention that for someone to live a happy life their happiness has to depend on their ability to accept themselves rather than their body image.
 

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This must be a troll :DD
 

kyuuei

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My experience has been that people who are overweight are almost always well-aware of this and prefer to not be reminded because it already causes them enough grief. :shrug:

I mean, sure, but also being reminded of them is important too. Letting people know you want to see them do better for themselves is important. My father hates being reminded that he needs to quit smoking, but if I never mention it to him at all it really doesn't get anything done either. Some people can't just passively sit by and watch others degenerate.. Especially when overeating and obesity are usually symptoms of something deeper. If it was purely medical, I wouldn't harp on it, but usually it isn't just medical.. usually it's lack of information, depression, tragedy/trauma, lack of support, feelings of defeat or hopelessness or 'this is how it will always be', etc.

If I'm just friendly with someone I might never mention it.. but if I'm really their friend, I'm at least going to dig in and find out why they're overweight.

"asking unsolicited questions about someone's weight aren't really going to help someone's self-esteem or desire to get in shape. "

Asking why is exactly how people find the self-esteem and motivation to get in shape. You know what doesn't happen is follow up. People ask why, and basically with their actions go, "Oh. That sucks, sorry." and the conversation and actions stop there. I wouldn't ask someone on a light hearted note at all, but if they brought it up or I started seeing massive weight gain (or loss for that matter) or even if I was just concerned and had gotten to know them better after a time, I'm definitely going to ask whether they want me to inquire or not.

But my actions wouldn't stop there. I'd motivate them, tell them what worked for friends or mine or myself, give them free resources, etc. If they wanted to work out with me, I'd make time out of my day for them too. If they sucked at cooking, I'd go teach them to cook some simple meals. Etc. People ask out of curiosity.. not out of concern and will to change. And yeah, that part is annoying and sucks. It's passive and a little haughty.

To get in shape you have to psych yourself and build up your confidence rather than have it taken down. Not to mention that for someone to live a happy life their happiness has to depend on their ability to accept themselves rather than their body image.

Yeah, frequently is the case that gastric bypass fixes a symptom of a different problem, and the skinny people after the surgery are still fat in their heads because whatever caused them to overeat and not take time for themselves is still there.
 

prplchknz

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obese is unhealthy so i underweight but that being saying fat shaming is like getting made at some one wearing a shirt you don't like. so what you don't like a shirt, pffft go suck a cow.
 

five sounds

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obese is unhealthy so i underweight but that being saying fat shaming is like getting made at some one wearing a shirt you don't like. so what you don't like a shirt, pffft go suck a cow.

+1
 

Hive

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The person who made the video is a famous Reddit troll.
 

kyuuei

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The person who made the video is a famous Reddit troll.

I figured as much, when I bothered to watch it past like 15 seconds.. Constantly showing fat people falling while saying they're healthier/superior.
 

HongDou

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obese is unhealthy so i underweight but that being saying fat shaming is like getting made at some one wearing a shirt you don't like. so what you don't like a shirt, pffft go suck a cow.

Wait, I'm not sure what you're getting at here. Are you saying the solution to fatshaming is just for fat people to ignore all the bullying they get?
 

prplchknz

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Oh okay. Yes for sure. :yes:

I believe majority of studies where the subjects were bullied or abused into changing were less likely to, then subjects who were treated I guess nicely. especially if the person wanted to change. I know if I have an issue and i get told i'm a fuck up and i'm trying to make it better negative feedback in the form of bullying or shaming makes me kind of give up and not try as hard.
 
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My experience has been that people who are overweight are almost always well-aware of this and prefer to not be reminded because it already causes them enough grief.

SO MUCH THIS. I'm sure* most of the time people are well-meaning, but let's be real - nobody is going to suddenly realize they're obese and work to change it because some busybody has told them so. They're either:

1) WELL aware of it and thinking about it all the time.
OR
2) Convinced that the OP's video is right and that the laws of science are fatshaming them.

Neither is likely to respond well.


*not so sure
 

Kullervo

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I think the main reason people are reluctant to show sympathy towards the obese is because in most cases, it is possible to change your body shape if you're prepared to make adjustments to your lifestyle and have the drive to continue. There is also a fundamental reality that as overweight body shapes are a sign of bodily disorder (i.e. bad health), they won't turn many people on. Remember, we all want the best genes for our babies.

I am really averse to the tendency in our society to normalise unhealthy states of living. "Being yourself" doesn't mean you shouldn't try and improve yourself. That thinking has fostered a dysgenic culture of laziness and self-indulgence.
 
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