The dangers of fat acceptance

[veggieforever]

I completely agree with everything below. My travels abroad have made me feel a little ashamed of our poor diets. While in Greece EVERYONE shopped for fresh produce. A young woman of about 19 was in the market place and she had a shopping bag brimming with so many beautiful fruits and vegetables, I almost wish I could have had an invite to her dinner table! Such a young age to be making the correct and most wholesome choices. It is a different diet in the Med. They eat so fresh and so well and I aim to do the same and make similar choices each and every day. I also remember seeing very, very few "fat" or larger people! Everyone was their idea weight and very slim and slender (Especially those aged from 20's to 45+). There is no need for "Fat Acceptance" in these countries as "Fat" seems to be very few and far between due to the fresh and wholesome diet they all follow (What does that say about us??? lol). We do not follow such a clean and fresh diet generally and so our health, physical mobility and overall wellbeing is being scrutinised, so the up-shot of our lazy, sugary, fattening, processed and truly unhealthy diet means we wish slimmer and fitter members of society not to judge us - and for, I'm sure, very valid concerns, they will not accept us wholeheartedly and would wish us to adopt a more natural and healthful lifestyle to elongate our life span and increase our quality of life. So, flip this topic to a more controversial level and say, with all that in mind, WHY should people accept others hurting themselves through their diet??? Accepting "Fat" or "Super Morbid Obesity" is something that most would never condone and human instinct is to take people away from something harmful and guide them towards healing and good physical and mental health and wellness. The truth is being so fat you cannot walk, move, run or breathe efficiently is not as nature intended. We are designed to move and be completely physically strong and able. Western food culture and sedentry lifestyle is changing the human form into something it was never meant to be. Immobility and our next generation not out-living their parents due to our toxic food culture should be saddening, worrying and seen to be actively eradicated through better food education and not something to be embraced and "accepted" as if it is something that "should" be happening or is a "normal occurrance" in our society. It should not be controversial to suggest eating fresh, wholesome foods and cut out junk but I may come under attack for doing so. I can see no good coming from eating a type of food that will likely cause withdrawl symptoms such as mood swings, sweats, neausea, vomiting, shakes and other addictive characteristics when a person discontinues or leaves a large space of time between their next consumption of it. My point for anyone is WHY SHOULD slimmer and healthier members of our society accept their fellow human beings harming themselves? I do not condone verbal abuse from strangers (had it myself when I was larger in my past!). That is disgusting and not acceptable EVER. Food today is ADDICTIVE! (junk and fast varieties) That's frightening. Last year I decided to cut out ALL forms of junk and processed food just to see what would happen...
I am now almost a normal healthy body weight! From nothing more than not eating processed foods, fast foods and fizzy drinks (last had diet cola (or any fizzy drink) Sept '12) and the changes have been phenomenal! These food companies dont care about anyone but the almighty dollar. They dont care about "Acceptance" or what we talk about or hold dear on these forums. They just want us to keep on eating and keep on spending and not think about the consequences to our health. I am playing Devils Advocate here to ask: WHAT are we asking Society at large to "Accept" in regards to fat and also WHY should they "Accept" friends, family, neighbours and aquaintences eating themselves to immobility and premature death?

 

[GordoNegro]

Western civilization will never accept fat, it may make laws to 'tolerate' fat people in a public setting as far as harassment is concerned. There is too much $ involved whether its surgeons, diet gurus, and others when you combine the beauty, diet and medical industry (surgeons). People who are shamed, unhappy or miserable will spend more $ to feel good about themselves.
Pride, self-empowerment while ideal and necessary to get ahead in life, do not line the pockets of those industries.
It's sad as there are fat people who need mammograms and prostate exams among other things, but their fear and bad experiences with some doctors may have them hold off until the signs can no longer be ignored as opposed to prevented.
I remember NAAFA had a fat friendly doctor list that provided contact info for those doctors and practices where there were positive experiences from fat people/patients of size.

 

[Blackjack]

My point for anyone is WHY SHOULD slimmer and healthier members of our society accept their fellow human beings harming themselves?

Personally, I'm unfond of your harmful insults to others and I fail to understand how you consider these sorts of comments are appropriate or acceptable here.

 

[veggieforever]

Personally, I'm unfond of your harmful insults to others and I fail to understand how you consider these sorts of comments are appropriate or acceptable here.

There have been no harmful comments or insults posted. My post was all common sense and straight talking on healthy eating IN COMPARISON to unhealthy eating, consequences and providing an alternative view (to which I am VERY entitled) and I would also ask you quote my harmful INSULTS. There are NONE and you also quoted me out of context. Everyone should be treated with dignity and respect but my aim is to find out WHAT is to become of Society if we all just "Accept" and allow things to deepen and worsen and not deal with the emotional issues that go hand in hand with over eating and gross weight gain??? Also isnt this discussion forums on the DANGERS of "Fat Acceptance" after all??? Should I just skip the danger part???

 

[Jack Secret]

I did see a commercial the other day for a weight gain product. It was to help skinny men pack on muscle and women get "womanly curves." They even had testimonials from people who used to be skinny. It's a drop in the bucket compared to all the weight loss crap out there but at least there's enough of a market for it to advertise on TV.

I'd just take em to a steakhouse or Krispy Kreme, but that's me.

A weight gain product? Encouraging women to build womanly curves? I thought this was going to be a flash in the pan kind of thing, but one thing is for sure… Women do like to work on their womanly curves these days!I hope This is a growing trend :bow::bow::bow::bow:

 

[Blackjack]

the emotional issues that go hand in hand with over eating and gross weight gain???

You realize that you're referring to the people here when you say this, right? That their bodies are gross and that they suffer from emotional issues?

Are you really incapable of understanding how this is insulting?

 

[veggieforever]

You realize that you're referring to the people here when you say this, right? That their bodies are gross and that they suffer from emotional issues?

Are you really incapable of understanding how this is insulting?

Again, do you realise that the word "gross" is a reference to the meaning of LARGE and not disgusting???? Like Gross Pay etc Are you capable of reading my input PROPERLY and understanding what I wrote and realising that it is NOT and attack. I am creating the means of DISCUSSION for all users here and providing different aspects of "The Dangers of Fat Acceptance" for everyone to comment on so please stop reading meanings into my words that are simply NOT there. I thank you.

 

[bigmac]

Is it me or is the diet companies making serious cheddar by at agonizing fat people about their weight and to manipulate that skinny body equals happiness? [email protected]?%! If anything I know that more skinny chicks would like to be More plump! Smh. Happiness comes from accepting your true self fat or skinny!

Satisfaction is bad for business. If you're happy with your body, hair, car, house, ... whatever -- you're not going to be a good consumer. Many businesses thrive by making people people question their adequacy and the adequacy of their possessions.

 

[Lamia]

If people go around accepting themselves then profit margins go down. Businesses have a vested interest in people of all shapes and sizes and shades to hate themselves and buy their shitty products that don't work.

When I was a fat teen I remember there was another fat girl my size who was so confident, flaunted her body etc. I hated her because I felt she had no right to love herself and was obligated to hate herself just like me. As an adult I wish I had loved myself like that. It takes a strong person to love themselves when the world is screaming for you to fix yourself. I hope she still is confident and loving towards herself.

I learned that meeting anyone's standards of beauty, but my own led to unhappiness.

 

[LordQuas]

"I operate on your guts to get to your brain"

Easily my favorite part of the article

 

[bigmac]

"I operate on your guts to get to your brain"

Easily my favorite part of the article

There's actually some truth to this. WLS cuts nerves that send messages to the brain regarding hunger. Indeed it seems to me that just cutting the appropriate nerves without butchering a patients digestive system could be an effective means of promoting weight loss.

 

[EMH1701]

Again, do you realise that the word "gross" is a reference to the meaning of LARGE and not disgusting???? Like Gross Pay etc Are you capable of reading my input PROPERLY and understanding what I wrote and realising that it is NOT and attack. I am creating the means of DISCUSSION for all users here and providing different aspects of "The Dangers of Fat Acceptance" for everyone to comment on so please stop reading meanings into my words that are simply NOT there. I thank you.

The vast majority of people in America do equate fat with disgusting, so why would you assume any of us would interpret the word "gross" differently when it is used in a sentence referring to weight gain? This is a site for average people, not accountants or finance experts of some other variety. Average people interpret words in average ways unless one communicates more clearly. This is something I am learning through Toastmasters. Clear communication makes for fewer errors in interpretation. When in doubt, use the clearest words possible to avoid people misinterpreting what you are trying to tell them.

This is a site for fat acceptance, among other things. Many of us were bullied for years. Some people on this site were abused by their parents. Many people have depression in relation to the bullying and abuse. Depression has serious consequences. So yes, there need to be support groups when we live in a society where people are bullied and abused for their weight. Not everyone here is into gaining -- some just want to accept themselves for who they are and live in a HAES manner. Please don't make the mistake of assuming that everyone here is into the same things.

 

[Dr. Feelgood]

The vast majority of people in America do equate fat with disgusting, so why would you assume any of us would interpret the word "gross" differently when it is used in a sentence referring to weight gain?

Oscar Wilde once said that England and America were two nations divided by a single language, and I think you and Veggieforever have run into one of the differences between American and British usage. You're quite right that the primary meaning of 'gross' in the U.S. is "disgusting." But I believe that its primary meaning in the U.K. is "very large," and that Veggieforever, as a Scotswoman, was using it in that sense with the assumption that her American readers would interpret the word in that way.

 

[veggieforever]

Oscar Wilde once said that England and America were two nations divided by a single language, and I think you and Veggieforever have run into one of the differences between American and British usage. You're quite right that the primary meaning of 'gross' in the U.S. is "disgusting." But I believe that its primary meaning in the U.K. is "very large," and that Veggieforever, as a Scotswoman, was using it in that sense with the assumption that her American readers would interpret the word in that way.

Thank you, sweetie. That is the exact issue with the word "gross". It is to emphasise EXCESSIVE and certainly NOT disgusting. I have stated this already but something is definitely lost in translation.

 

[EMH1701]

Oscar Wilde once said that England and America were two nations divided by a single language, and I think you and Veggieforever have run into one of the differences between American and British usage. You're quite right that the primary meaning of 'gross' in the U.S. is "disgusting." But I believe that its primary meaning in the U.K. is "very large," and that Veggieforever, as a Scotswoman, was using it in that sense with the assumption that her American readers would interpret the word in that way.

That is indeed possible. However, this goes to something else I have learned in Toastmasters, and that is know your audience. If you are communicating primarily to people of another country, it is generally wise to know the different meanings of the word. Anyway, I can see where people may misinterpret something accidentally. Not everyone knows the difference between American and British English. I'm a Dr. Who fan and I don't recall this word ever coming up in a Dr. Who episode.

 

[loopytheone]

That is indeed possible. However, this goes to something else I have learned in Toastmasters, and that is know your audience. If you are communicating primarily to people of another country, it is generally wise to know the different meanings of the word. Anyway, I can see where people may misinterpret something accidentally. Not everyone knows the difference between American and British English. I'm a Dr. Who fan and I don't recall this word ever coming up in a Dr. Who episode.

...I so, so hope you are joking with this reply.

 

[LeoGibson]

That is indeed possible. However, this goes to something else I have learned in Toastmasters, and that is know your audience. If you are communicating primarily to people of another country, it is generally wise to know the different meanings of the word. Anyway, I can see where people may misinterpret something accidentally. Not everyone knows the difference between American and British English. I'm a Dr. Who fan and I don't recall this word ever coming up in a Dr. Who episode.

Seriously?

 

[EMH1701]

...I so, so hope you are joking with this reply.

Excuse me? Why would you hope I was joking?

I honestly do not recall ever seeing the word gross in reference to being big anywhere other than a finance/accounting class, and then only in reference to numbers. If this is actually a common British slang word, it does not appear in popular British fiction over here.

 

[EMH1701]

Seriously?

Yes. When communicating to a group of people, especially in a debate, people should know their audience. I am completely serious about that.

 

[LeoGibson]

Yes. When communicating to a group of people, especially in a debate, people should know their audience. I am completely serious about that.

Let me get this straight, just so I can understand. Because you and another person or two are ignorant of a word with multiple meanings usage, it is beholden to the speaker of that word to intuitively *know* this and change their word choice accordingly? I have little doubt that just as many knew exactly what she was referring to when using that word, and even those that were possibly unsure at least didn't feel the need to risk injury in their jump down from their moral high horse to put the boots to someone, metaphorically that is.:shocked:

Plus, are you also saying that, never mind centuries of English literature and theatre and over 100 years of highly regarded cinema, that you are going to base your entire knowledge of a word's full English usage by whether or not it has been used in a sub-par science fiction show that happens to have somewhat of a cult following?

Yeah, seriously?