Fat Acceptance: Helpful or Hurtful?

We shouldn't shame fat people, but we can't pretend that being fat is good or healthy, and encourage healthy eating, smaller portions and less inactivity.

 

To put it simply:

Love and support the individual, but if they are capable of remedying their physical condition, then they should. There is a certain point where, no matter how accepting you are of somebody, their health is going to jeopardize a few things.




However, that said, nobody should be forced to do anything they don't want to, with their own body. But they should know, and willingly accept, the consequences of their decisions. If they want to complain about their weight, but do nothing to change this, they're being part of the problem.

I used to be borderline obese, but I stopped that, before it became a severe problem. Sure, it's easier said than done, but it can be done. Eat smaller portions or healthier, walk a little bit more in a day, and so on and so forth. There are things one can do -- IF they want to. Some folks, though, just become a self-fulfilling prophecy, and decide to do the easier thing, which is to accept things as they are, and roll with the punches.

I'll admit, I've seen "bigger" folks who, for one reason or another, come off as attractive. And if they want to be like that, fine, so be it. But if they are merely accepting their situation, well, that's something totally different...

 

You see, that's sad. I take a live and let live approach, and I won't lecture people if I think they are making bad lifestyle choices, because at the end of the day it's their problem, not mine, but it's still sad to see someone struggling to walk or stand, and at such a young age, wasting the prime of their life. Just sad.

I hope she can do something about it before it's too late. My grandmother is obese at 75 and it almost kills her at times, and she's too old to do much about it now because she has bad arthritis and angina.

 

In an ironic twist of "love the sinner/hate the sin," we need to love the person and recognize their weight as a problem. So instead of "fat shaming" or "fat acceptance" we need to promote good health and only minimally let acceptance get in the way.

I'm not advocating we push comments like "you should go to the gym" or anything like that. In a way we already have an ideal environment-- obesity is discouraged, yet it is exceedingly impolite to comment on someone's weight, which lets overweight people handle their problem and maintain their dignity.

**It is somewhat possible to be large and healthy. If somebody is chubby by choice, more power to them. Some people do look good that way.

 

yeeesssssss :eusa_clap

SING IT

 

On this theme, I really do think theres a point when the "their body, their choice" argument fails completely.

Extreme obesity can and does affect other people. It is a leading cause of illness and so consequently leads to many people being hospitalized out of their own behaviour and life choices rather than from unavoidable illnesses. More people in hospital means a greater strain on the health service and medical staff being stretched unnecessarily. Clearly if it takes a team of nurses to clean a hospitalized super-obese person compared to a single nurse for a healthy sized person that is going to have a knock-on affect for other patients (longer waiting times or poorer care).

This is particularly the case in countries with public healthcare where the taxpayer is ultimately footing the bill. When you look at the now necessary bariatric services including expensive specialized "super-sized" ambulances (costing more than what regular ambulance would cost due to the increased size and reinforcement), hoists and other equipment (beds, stretchers, MRI machines) it is clear this does cost us all.

 

We should accept them but try and help them if they want. If they don't want help, then let them be. But with a lot of obesity acceptance things, I can't help but think that it can go a bit too far. We can't lie to ourselves that being obese is healthy.

 

People can be fat and healthy, but it's disingenuous to ignore the strong link between obesity and numerous health issues, as well as increased mortality. The same is absolutely true for people who are underweight as well.

And I do find obesity a little disgusting, truth be told. I won't go up to someone and call them disgusting, but no, I don't find it appealing, and seeing a lot of fat people knocking around usually leaves me with a bad impression of that place.

People can do what they like, but obesity to me is not only bad for you, but just looks bad in general.

 

You know what, I've had it with being quiet on these topics.

I don't give a damn if someone weighs 500 pounds, or smokes 3 packs of cigarettes per day, or wants to have crack for breakfast every morning - thereby sentencing them to an early death and a fee put to national healthcare and consequently your taxes - this is not a worthy reason to degrade that person, and if you're doing it you deserve nothing but rebuke.


Their choice, end of story. You're nothing more than a pathetic bully. And those are the kindest words I have for you.

 

There's a big difference between respecting a person and respecting their choices. Not every choice is worthy of respect, not by a long shot.

I have to take the "hate the sin/love the sinner" approach to this one. No, it's not an excuse to degrade someone, but that doesn't mean we have to respect everyone's choices. There are bad choices out there and just because it's their own decision doesn't mean we have to sit by and do nothing.

Sometimes "fat acceptance" arises from people who meet so much opposition and hostility that they just decide to "revel" in it and pretend like it's something good, even when they know it's not. It's the same as "pro-ana" websites and "pro-self-harm" websites. People with these problems encounter so much hostility that now they've decided to turn inward and convince themselves that these things are not only acceptable, but are actually great (especially in the case of pro-ana). Even though I think we know deep down they don't actually believe that.

And that right there shows why treating people with these problems like crap is a bad idea. However, it does mean that they are still problems and they shouldn't be ignored.

 

why is everyone getting so fret up about fat people being degraded? that isn't what's happening on this particular thread.

People who are slightly overweight actually have low mortality rates, and people who are underweight have higher mortality weights than people who are a little overweight, so being clinically overweight doesn't mean you're going to die or that you're unhealthy, so yes, I agree there. Being thin and bony isn't good either - I mean, I won't degrade someone because of it, but it's just an opposite extreme of the same scale.

 

There is quite a clear difference between "degrading" or shaming someone who is fat (which is bullying and is unacceptable), and tactfully intervening for their own sake and others. Its not about being cruel.

As "nice" as it may sound to say to a 500 pound person "you are beautiful how you are, you don't have to change" that is not the most ethical thing to do.

Its akin to saying to a diabetic person "you like cakes and chocolate? Well I say you only live once, go for it! Have an éclair!".

Well I personally think that would be an incredibly selfish outlook.

Should we not consider the people "sentenced to an early death" because a surgeon was too busy performing gastric band surgery, or because the health service didn't have enough tax money left in the pot to cover their cancer medication due to rapidly increasing bariatric care costs?

You have mentioned smoking, but a key difference here is smoking acts to pay for the damage it causes - cigarettes are heavily taxed (the majority of the retail price is tax here, 77%) and this works to cover some of the cost to the health-service. The same simply cannot be said for junk food/overeating/obesity (or for alcohol use or your other mentioned drug, Crack for that matter).

I'm guessing by the "you're" and "you" that is aimed at me given I was the only one raising points to that effect in the thread.

Please read this post and in future consider holding back insults before you have the bigger picture, or at least quoting the person to allow them to respond and defend themselves.

I'm sorry but I wouldn't view her as a role model for her body, although she might be a lovely person inside.

She is clearly already suffering from the negative effects of obesity (what looks to be poor lymphatic drainage and edema to the lower extremities) and given she is young this is worrying. She is at serious risk of blood infections, DVT and even gangrene/limb loss.

Ultimately she is putting herself at risk of cutting up to 15 years off her life expectancy which is heartbreaking. Given she would already have a BMI of over 80 (defined as super morbidly obese) that is a very serious possibility (healthy being 18-25 give or take for reference).

EDIT: Just to add to what imnotreallysure has posted, I don't believe becoming excessively overweight is always a voluntary choice, it can be the result of difficult underlying psychological problems that the person may not be aware of. That said I still do not believe the answer is to "celebrate" and encourage "acceptance" of this condition - I think a non-judgmental "wake up call" from a doctor, friend or relative is often a unpleasant tasting medicine, but a worthwhile one.