Comments on: Why I Believe in Fat Acceptance

By: Gin Merritt

Gin Merritt — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 20:55:48 +0000

As a grad student in communication studies starting my thesis on The Fat Acceptance Movement, this is interesting. I've done most of my research on obesity and communication competence, Objectification Theory applied to The Biggest Loser (a REALLY not healthy way to lose weight...), Positive food conversations/communication, and etc.

And as someone who is active, a lover of food, and trying to change our communication on food, eating, and body... I am more worried with the messages of pro-eating disorders than FAM. All FAM wants is to create acceptance for those who are obese. I have many friends who are over 200 pounds who work out, eat very healthy, and know they will never be super model thin. And why SHOULD they have to lose a ton of weight to make OTHERS feel better on the situation.

Regardless of size, shape, we ALL have issues with our bodies that SOCIETY has put on us! Pick up Unbearable Weight, a great text on the subject.

By: fxgfxd

fxgfxd — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 13:07:59 +0000

wow people

By: Christina

Christina — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 01:02:55 +0000

Thank you, Regina. The degree of self-righteousness and woeful misunderstanding (of genetics, of socioeconomic situations, of medical conditions, of so many things) in most of these comments is sad and disheartening. I appreciate your bringing in some facts.

Saying body size is simply a matter of calories in versus calories out is like saying Hamlet is a play about a guy whose father dies.

By: Regina

Regina — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 18:39:33 +0000

Here are the statistics — reported in in long terms studies (www. pubmed.org) funded by NIH dollars. 5 years post weight loss ( which is really what counts right, weight maintainence, because most people can lose weight, its maintaining the loss that is so tricky for a variety of physiological reasons which I wont get into here) only 2% of people here able to maintain the loss. That means 98% of those who lost weight regained ALL of the weight lossed after 5 years. To those who congratulate themselves on their remarkable self-control, I challenge you to wonder, were you to be in the unfortunate circumstance, whether by genetic predisposition or multiple childbirths or having gained weight as a side effect of steroid medications or anticonvulsants, as many of my patients have, would you be part of the 98% majority of part of the 2% minority? How unfortunate for overweight folks that their personal struggles are manifested so publically. To say that one chooses to be obese is like saying that someone would choose to have a leg cut off without anesthesia — it is a painful painful thing to be fat in this unforgiving culture.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 13:41:38 +0000

I don’t hate fat people… I’m 70 Lb over my supposedly healthy number… So I don’t hate them… I hate their behavior… like getting a Handicap Placard and walking the shortest distance possible. It’s all about behavior. Excuse me… portly challenged wants to be in the express line… first in…first out…. (sigh)

By: Laura Moncur

Laura Moncur — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 01:32:34 +0000

Thanks, tuolumne!

I've corrected it.

By: tuolumne

tuolumne — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 00:11:01 +0000

"When you eat a healthy diet and consume less calories than you burn, you lose weight. It’s physics."

Actually, it's physiology.

Physics, physiology... sound similar, but they're pretty different. :p

By: K. Raley

K. Raley — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 16:05:28 +0000

OH, MY!
Did I write this and forget about it? Your story is almost exactly like mine!
Now that I’ve lost about 75lbs on Weight Watchers, not only do the thinner people accept me more, but the overweight/obese ‘community’ refuses to accept me. It’s like they assume that because I am not currently overweight that I am going to be prejudiced against them. They have no idea what I’ve been through until I tell them. But even after I do, they still aren’t as friendly to me – like I’m some kind of traitor or something. ??

–K

By: Carol

Carol — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 23:40:48 +0000

What an article! I agree with most of what you have to say. I think that people (especially women) need to learn to love themselves for who they are. Strive to be healthy, not skinny. I think it is hard for skinny people to understand to struggle to be big. I, personally, know that when I was 100 pounds I swore I would never let myself get like that. I believed most fat people allowed themselves to be overweight. Well, two children and one thyroid problem later I am now a healthy 145 at 5′ 4″. No, I am not skinny, but I am a lot healthier than most skinny people I know. I do not eat fast food, processed food, or refined sugars. I eat a mostly vegan diet, and excercise 4 days a week, but I just can not get under 145. I KNOW that I am healthier than my 100 pound fast food junkie friend. I think people need to realize that just because you are skinny doesn’t mean you are healthy. Just as fat doesn’t equal unhealthy. I have curves, and I am proud!!!

By: Adrian

Adrian — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 17:41:02 +0000

I hate making fun of other people (especially to their faces!) so I am all for "fat acceptance". I accept that many people in the USA are fat, and I don't treat them any differently for being that way.

But I don't accept that it's not their fault. It is their fault that they are fat, but they may not be aware of it. (I also realize that there are a tiny number of medical conditions which make losing weight very difficult no matter what the weightloss regimen)

As someone has previously written, the physics is very simple: If you consume more calories of energy (protein, fat, and carbohydrates) than you burn (exercise, activity) then you will gain weight. If these two figures are in equilibrium then you will maintain your current weight.

Therefore losing weight is as simple as ensuring that you burn more calories than you consume. That's not to say that the EFFORT required to lose weight is "simple". It's not! It's tough being hungry all the time. Exercise (especially for obese folks) is very difficult.

But "fat acceptance" in the sense of "accepting that becoming fat is OK" is dangerous because it gives the impression that for some people achieving a slimmer body is impossible, just as it's impossible for me, as a Caucasian, to become an Asian or an African.

I accept fat people for who they are, but I don't accept that being fat is something that must be embraced as if it was some immutable characteristic like eye color.