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Why is obesity tolerated?

EcK

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Also its important to have slower moving targets in case of a zombie apocalypse.
In case of famine they d need smaller rations. That's handy too.

Because african kids wouldnt really have eaten those burgers anyway.

What does the thread means by tolerated. I dont feel like checking, was this written by an Fi user ? (shakes head)
 

kyuuei

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I thought s/he was saying more at a food industry level sort of thing...

I think she was more referring to the fact that obesity is a real medical issue that causes countless other medical issues, so she doesn't understand why people are so sensitive about it vs being not-so-sensitive to tiny people.

I struggle a lot with people calling me skinny, so I feel the OP. But the obesity part has many complex issues.. It isn't near the same as thin people's feed back because of the amount of peer, economic, and social pressure on one vs the other.
 

cafe

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This is the key difference :)

People who override their fullness feeling do so for a reason - though many won't even register that fullness feeling anymore after years of abuse. Eating triggers your parasympathic system. Eating heavy foods and overeating even more so. It makes you sluggish, numb and forces your body into a rest-and-digest state. For someone who is under constant stress, who is constantly in flight or fight mode due to internal conflict, the fullness pain is a small price to pay for just an hour of rest from that chronic stress they feel. It's a pain they have control over, depending on how much food they stuff down their throat, compared to the non-stop state of vigilance that rules them, out of their control, normally.

In essence, it's self-medicating, in order to cope. Add to that an unawareness that this aint normal - as they usually learned this coping mechanism in childhood, a loss of meaning for the sensation of fullness to the point of not even being able to identify it anymore, as well as having no real parameters on what a normal serving for their body would even look like, and you get obesity as a result.

And it is what needs addressing. Old belief systems that are causing their stress need to be removed, self-esteem needs to be rebuilt, education on which foods will make you feel fuller and why, and re-exploration and experimentation with that feeling of fullness -as well as learning how to cope with the panic you experience once you rediscover what how urgent hunger can feel - are key to rediscovering what your body actually needs...and losing the weight.

And yes, you don't have to decide to go healthy foods, though it would help. Just like you, they can use their favourite 'bad' foods to still lose weight - they just have to learn what you already instinctively know - being overly full is unpleasant and unnecessary in life. So if you eat heavy foods, you only need so much, while lighter foods allow you to graze more as you need more of em to feel full.
When I get stressed, my stomach ties itself in knots and I can't eat until I calm down. I didn't have a low-stress childhood. My mom shot herself in the chest a few years before I was born. She wasn't what you'd call super stable.
 

Amargith

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When I get stressed, my stomach ties itself in knots and I can't eat until I calm down. I didn't have a low-stress childhood. My mom shot herself in the chest a few years before I was born. She wasn't what you'd call super stable.

I didn't mean to imply that you did - and that mustve been horrible. I just meant to illustrate the difference between someone who uses food as a coping mechanism and someone who doesn't.
 

Ivy

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I should have been more clear- I don't think it's okay to say shit to anybody about their body unless they are your significant other (and then, only very, very carefully and compassionately) or your patient. Not just fatties. My daughter is thin and people are always talking about her "thigh gap" and saying she needs a sandwich, and I hate that too.
 

prplchknz

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just a side note i've misread the title of this thread as "why isn't obesity testicles" so many times. so now i'm thinking of encephalitis of the testicles. I have nothing more to contribute. not that that was a contribution.
 

cafe

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I didn't mean to imply that you did - and that mustve been horrible. I just meant to illustrate the difference between someone who uses food as a coping mechanism and someone who doesn't.
No worries. It's no big. It's just that I didn't have a superior family life/childhood and I never chose for food not to be a coping mechanism. It just doesn't work for me. I think, perhaps, the mechanism that causes people to overeat or not overeat is not well understood.

Being kind of socialist, I think it would be a very good idea to do all the cool urbanist stuff [MENTION=3567]Blackmail![/MENTION] advocates, subsidize healthy foods instead of corn syrup, guarantee a minimum income, provide universal healthcare, and invest in amazing early childhood education. That would help people who are stress eaters and it certainly wouldn't do any harm to people like me. I don't know that it would unbreak the "full sensors" of all the people, though.

I used to want to think the reason people were overweight was because their parents had broken their full sensor. That would mean that not forcing my kids to clean their plates would more or less guarantee they'd never be overweight, but I have come to believe that it might be inborn to some degree. Maybe genetic, maybe otherwise determined in utero.
 

prplchknz

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When I'm stable I eat because of the meds I'm prescribed. when I'm not stable either manic or depressed I barely eat, so no meds=super model skinny but fucking insane and meds=not skinny but some what sane.
 

Amargith

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No worries. It's no big. It's just that I didn't have a superior family life/childhood and I never chose for food not to be a coping mechanism. It just doesn't work for me. I think, perhaps, the mechanism that causes people to overeat or not overeat is not well understood.

Being kind of socialist, I think it would be a very good idea to do all the cool urbanist stuff [MENTION=3567]Blackmail![/MENTION] advocates, subsidize healthy foods instead of corn syrup, guarantee a minimum income, provide universal healthcare, and invest in amazing early childhood education. That would help people who are stress eaters and it certainly wouldn't do any harm to people like me. I don't know that it would unbreak the "full sensors" of all the people, though.

I used to want to think the reason people were overweight was because their parents had broken their full sensor. That would mean that not forcing my kids to clean their plates would more or less guarantee they'd never be overweight, but I have come to believe that it might be inborn to some degree. Maybe genetic, maybe otherwise determined in utero.

It is not clear why we choose the coping mechanism we do - eating, drinking, smoking, meds, drugs - but the causes are usually similar: something is chronically stressing us that we aint equipped to deal with.

And im sure there is also an element of availability and culture to it. While you cannot control availability, you can do your best to teach your kids a healthy outlook on life AND themselves and their own capabilities as well as several healthy coping mechanisms to address life's obstacles and your own fear. The rest is up to them.
 

Amargith

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I should have been more clear- I don't think it's okay to say shit to anybody about their body unless they are your significant other (and then, only very, very carefully and compassionately) or your patient. Not just fatties. My daughter is thin and people are always talking about her "thigh gap" and saying she needs a sandwich, and I hate that too.

Agreed. When did weight become the exception to the rule 'Mind you own ***** business', anyway???
 

The Ü™

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Because it is a lot more complex than it looks. Often, obesity is caused by more than poor diet. And I'd hardly call it 'tolerated'. Obese people literally carry their problems on their body, for everyone to see. And other seem to think it is perfectly ok to use them as a scapegoat for just that reason. Moreso than say, smokers, heavy drinkers, or any of the other 'escape mechanisms' that are socially tolerated.

Smoking and alcohol are more socially tolerated than fat people? Please tell me where you've seen public signs that say "No Fat People."
 

Amargith

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Smoking and alcohol are more socially tolerated than fat people? Please tell me where you've seen public signs that say "No Fat People."

There's no need. It's written on peoples faces.

Also, obesity isn't harmful to others. Smoking is - and that is the only reason that those signs are there. And why designated smoking areas exist.
 

tinker683

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As a skinny person (6'0", 145 lbs) I get a lot of "Oh my, are you sure you're eating enough?" and all that stuff. It's annoying as hell because my doctors have been singing praises about my health for years so I know there isn't anything wrong with me. I know I'm eating fine, I just have a very fast metabolism.

My brother, on the other hand, is 6'4" and he weights 425 lbs. He's actually starting to suffer health problems (his neck and back primarily) and my family DOES have a history with diabetes so I'm waiting on all of that. He's recently started working out with me and he's cleaning up his diet...but only marginally. For the longest time he subsisted on a diet of pizza, chicken wings, and fast food joints and he has a mostly sedentary life style. I have no doubt that for a great many people, genetics is a big reason for why they've got some extra weight but in my brothers case...I feel that this is mostly self-inflicted. My dad has always been a big guy so I know that certainly plays a role but his life style isn't helping matters at all.

Then you have cases like my ENFJ-ex, who DOES everything she's supposed to do. She goes to the gym 3-5 times a week, has greatly cleaned up her diet, keeps her insulin levels regular (she's type 1 diabetes)...and she's made a *lot* progress in her weight loss, but MAN is it a battle for her! She was like 250 pounds and now she's like 180 now or something like that. But her weight loss where she is now is soooooo blooooodddyyyyyyy slooooooooooooooow she gets really discouraged easily because she IS working hard but the results so small that it hurts.

So..yeah, I try not to judge except in cases like my brother where I feel that's just self-inflicted. But in other cases...there are just so many variables so I feel like holding that against them is just unfair.
 

mrcockburn

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Because making fun of them isn't going to make them any thinner. I see where you're coming from though. I have friends who are obese *because* they don't take care for themselves, and it can be concerning.

But tolerance and concern aren't mutually exclusive. Their weight is honestly none of my business, but if I do feel like taking a stroll around the lake, I take that opportunity to invite those particular friends to join me. And then we grab lunch from the raw vegan place nearby. Without fail, they rave about how good it felt to get some fresh air, exercise and tasty nutritious food.

Other than that, their bodies, their business.
 

mrcockburn

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The skinny shaming has got to stop too though. Being 5'11 and 115 lbs I have strangers all up my size 2 ass about how I look anorexic.

To the morons who do that ~ My lack of body mass does not come from the lack of knuckles on my fist, so get the f back.
 

Typh0n

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This is a thing that is going through my mind for a quite time. Obesity is NOT a comsetic problem, or a beauty problem as a lot of people seem to see it this way. Obesity is a serious health problem and it's still tolerated like nothing happens. When you have an obese kid in the class your parents usually tell you not to make a fun of him, because you could hurt his feelings. But it's totally fine to tell a skinny person, he's skinny. Or it's fine to tell someone who is underweight "you look like anorexic" , but it's not okay to tell an obese kid he's obese...What's wrong?

I never heard that it wasnt ok to tell an obese person they are "obese" its just not accepted to say something like "you fat fuck, get a treadmill or die in your own blubber"

 

Amargith

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Why would you the 500th obnoxious person to kick in an open door,

'Did you know you are obese/skinny/have small boobs/huge thighs/...?'

'No, really?! Thanks so much for feeling the need to explicitly comment on something that aint your business and Im living in evey day. I had no idea till you and the 500 other open door kickers decided to inform me about the state of MY body. Did you know btw that you were born with a huge birthmark on your cheek? Yeah, it is right there!'
 

PimpinMcBoltage

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Because most people are ugly anyways despite how fat/skinny they are?

Besides getting condescending tips, and lectures over your weight is hardly what I would consider an ideal level of tolerance. Just shut the fuck up about it man. I don't care if I live til' I'm 50 and don't get laid. I got all the porn I need to satisfy me. I won't talk to any pretty person, and I'll flat out refuse to have sex with them because fat fetishists are beneath me. I know I'm an ugly motherfucker, I have no shame in being a fat bastard. Besides food is the only thing I find to be pleasurable outside of thinking about video games.

What is intolerable is all this fat is beautiful bullshit. No it ain't it's ugliness. Ugly people need to not be harassed, but they also need to learn their FUCKING PLACE!
 
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Phantonym

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Ugly people need to not be harassed, but they also need to learn their FUCKING PLACE!

Those ugly bastards! How dare they!! They should be in shackles, obeying their masters. After all, they're here to serve. Don't even think about voting. Get back to you seat at the back of the bus!!! :rolleyes:

This is a thing that is going through my mind for a quite time. Obesity is NOT a comsetic problem, or a beauty problem as a lot of people seem to see it this way. Obesity is a serious health problem and it's still tolerated like nothing happens. When you have an obese kid in the class your parents usually tell you not to make a fun of him, because you could hurt his feelings. But it's totally fine to tell a skinny person, he's skinny. Or it's fine to tell someone who is underweight "you look like anorexic" , but it's not okay to tell an obese kid he's obese...What's wrong?

What you're describing is really just seemingly tolerance. Parents hush their kids to be so-called "politically correct". Being overweight and obese is still considered abnormal. Since being skinny and somewhat underweight is what the society idolizes, there is the perception that it is alright to criticize what is considered "normal" because criticizing the abnormal is somehow worse. Think about making fun of disabled people, etc. Obesity falls into the same category.

In fact, there have been studies that stigmatization, bias, and discrimination against overweight people is just as bad as racial discrimination. While direct verbal attacks might be somewhat suppressed, what goes on underneath is much worse. It affects employment, education, health-care, you name it. The rates of such discrimination have also increased considerably these past decades.

Here's one of the studies.

For tl;dr people, here's a policy brief on the same issue.
 
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