Comments on: A Fat Rant by Joy Nash

By: Suzanne Gudakunst

Suzanne Gudakunst — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 17:09:48 +0000

I think there’s a fine line that people who’ve never struggled with weight, or watched a family member struggle, don’t always understand. Like many people said, there’s not a lot of sympathy for the person who complains about not being able to lose weight while holding a Coke in one hand and an ice cream cone in the other. However, some people really do try, but get discouraged easily and need our support to continue their efforts.

By: Anna

Anna — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 20:33:29 +0000

224 pounds? My brother, who is 6ft tall, weighs less than that – and he ain’t thin. There is no excuse for a woman to weigh that much. Let’s stop applauding her and save our praise for people who have the strength to transform their bodies.

By: Lauriejane

Lauriejane — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 20:05:03 +0000

You need a certain amount of personal strength and a good feeling of self-regard before you can understake improvement of your health and image. One problem that fat people have is that they become depressed and feel like giving up on themselves. It IS depressing to live in a world that regards a physical condition–obesity–as a personality and character flaw. For many of us, the decision to workout and eat right is a decision that comes with the willingness to fight for ourselves. We have to feel we are worth it before we can give ourselves the gift of fitness. We have to believe we can do it and that we deserve it. If you don’t begin with some self-acceptance and the belief that you are more than one aspect of your body, it will be impossible to go through the hard work of changing. One thing you have to do when you change your habits is stand up to all of those people who are constantly trying to get you to eat–that includes friends, acquaintances, co-workers, relatives, spouses, magazines, TV ads, and, most of all, all of the multi-billion dollar industries that are dependent on our being fat(food/chemical/diet/medical/drug etc.). It is hard to change habits, and hard to stand up to what I have come to call an “obesogenic” society where everything is designed to make you consume more, eat more, and schedules are not designed to include much time for exercise. You have to be strong to do that. For some of us, that means a certain amount of “fat acceptance,” the unwillingness to take crap from others because we are fat. People give me a hard time about my weight here in ultra slim So Cal where I live and I have just lost 70 lbs! (I still have about 60 lbs more to lose so, to a stranger, I am just another fat lady who doesn’t care about her weight or appearance). I say, do whatever you have to and think whatever you have to in order to be strong enough for the fat fight. For many of us, especially women, a certain reasonable amount of fat acceptance helps us be strong.

By: Neel

Neel — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 06:37:50 +0000

Look at the number of Joy Nash comments(my blog included)! I liked the spunk that came across. You got to deal with your body image perception first. Once you do that, then what anyone else says doesn’t matter one bit!

By: Sandy

Sandy — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 23:27:18 +0000

I weigh and 235 and so what. I love you girl. Keep it up.

By: kevin milner

kevin milner — Thu, 31 May 2007 23:36:17 +0000

hi joy i think you look beaut-full will you marry me

By: Chris Marsh

Chris Marsh — Thu, 31 May 2007 21:03:43 +0000

Perhaps the primary problem is emotionally eating, as though it replaces something else that should be there but is not.

If someone says, "never saw a cookie I didn't like", the cookie didn't dislike anybody, either.

Things like chocolate or sugar do create a physiological high in some people, myself included. And it is perfectly legal and generally socially tolerated.

We'd never consider a beer vending machine at work. Probably not a cigarette machine.

But snack machine? What's the problem with candy?

It's not even age-restricted!

Come on, it will make you feel good, forget stuff- for a while.

"Muriel, finish your org__m."

We've never had a case of AIDS, an accidental pregnancy, or broken heart over an ice cream shake yet.

Snack foods, beer, cigs, drugs, don't have prejudices.

Even if a person makes an effort to live without prejudice, prejudice still happens.

Recognize prejudice, recognize feelings, recognize everyone has feelings. Then maybe we can do something constructive with all that sugar, turn it into gasohol for our cars!

By: Sofia

Sofia — Tue, 01 May 2007 01:46:15 +0000

*of Oreos

By: Sofia

Sofia — Tue, 01 May 2007 01:45:35 +0000

I don’t discriminate against fat people, but I think there is a difference with a fat person living a healthy lifestyle and a fat person who’s not taking care of him/herself. I have less sympathy to those who complain about being fat but still turning down an apple for a sleeve for Oreos.

By: B.

B. — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 18:06:37 +0000

Todd,

I don't know if your criticisms apply to Laura, but they definately apply to me. I do have trouble accepting my body and yet I do think all different shapes of human beings are beautiful and acceptable.

I'm human though, which means that I want to belong- so my dominant culture's messages that a size 12 person is a PLUS size model DO affect me. It stresses me out, which affects my health and my fitness. For me, fat acceptance is critical to my fitness.

I truly see beautiful people everywhere I go, and I realistically think I am beautiful, but I still need to work on feeling confident that I'm allowed to be how I am in this culture.

I appreciate Laura's fat acceptance posts. They lift my spirits and make me feel like dancing. For me, they are intergral to a blog about fitness.