Are We Heading For A Size War?

betty123
wrote on July 23 2009 @ 08:29 am: [report]

I disagree with those that are criticizing Regina Benjamin. I mean you don’t have to be a crazy person to be a psychiatrist so why would you have to necessarily be the perfect image of health to be an expert on health. In fact, it would give one perspective on that issue.

However, I disagree with your acertion that we shouldn’t care about obesity in others and it is not our business. In the case of the 555 pound kid, I don’t know if the child should or shouldn’t have been removed from the home, but clearly some kind of intervention was necessary, even through education for both child and mother. That child does not have the ability at such a young age to understand on his own how to take care of such a problem.

And there are societal implecations of the evergrowing obesity epidemic. For example, a lot of people criticize universal health care plans because basically the healthy people are paying for the unhealthy habits of others (among other habits like smoking). Granted, that is a more complicated issue but one that makes your lifestyle choices my business because it is affecting my bank account. Not that that is necessarily how I feel but that is how some people think.

I definitely am not condoning discrimination or animosity toward people that are obese, especially in the manner of the gym owner above. I don’t think that it should be a “war” and a lot of people can be really immature about the topic (see same gym owner) but I do think that it needs to be up for discussion until this epidemic is under control. It might hurt someone’s feelings or make them uncomfortable that is unfortunate, but if it saves lives, then it is worth it.

cadyms
wrote on July 23 2009 @ 08:45 am: [report]

I knew I was overweight when I was six.  I clearly remember looking down at my shoes and thinking I was fatter than the other girls in my class.

I cried before gym class.  I would be picked last.  I would humiliate myself. 

In high school, a kind gym teacher would walk with me during class, and eventually we began jogging together, and one day I jogged a whole mile.  And after that, she let me leave class each day to just jog on the track.  I lost 50 pounds.

I got married, gained the weight back and then some.  Got divorced, lost a lot of weight, still have a lot to lose.

I’ve been seeing a personal trainer for the last 5 weeks, two hour long sessions a week.  It’s the first time I’ve ever really had the money/time to do something like this.  She’s helping me with my food issues. 

Do not tell me I need to lose weight, that my health is a burden on you as a taxpayer.  No one needs to be informed that their weight is a problem.  If you’re overweight, you know it. 

I have suffered more for my weight than you ever will because of it.  I have run so far and so hard that my hips ground against my sockets and my right arm would burn from shoulder to fingertips because I tensed it when I ran.  I have tried every new food plan, counted calories, joined and gym and used it regularly, and failed.  I would get exhausted, emotionally burnt out, and eat to help me cope.  Therapists have suggestions, I work on them, things get better, they get worse, they get better again.

Fat people are the last people we can criticize, and even be PC while we’re doing it.  Please, find another way to make yourself feel good.  Because fat people are most likely already plenty full of self criticism as is.  We don’t need your help, but thanks.  If you need a cause, try fixing the environment.  That’s going to impact a lot more people than helping me lose weight.

sadie
wrote on July 23 2009 @ 09:01 am: [report]

I am not saying I don’t have empathy for people battling weight issues but if you want to drag the environment into the issue http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/20/thin.global.warming/index.html

betty123
wrote on July 23 2009 @ 09:27 am: [report]

I don’t think that you can deny the societal implecations of the obesity epidemic. And if that hurts anyones feelings than I am sorry but it is reality. To ignore it would be as irresponsible as ignoring the H1N1 virus. And maybe in some cases it is genetic and unavoidable but I am betting in most cases it is not and can be solved.

For the record, I have struggled with my weight my entire life. Only recently did I finally get it under control by losing about 65 pounds(and by get it under control I mean I have to think about with every decision I make). So trust me I know how it feels to be fat.

_jsw_
wrote on July 23 2009 @ 09:32 am: [report]

I realize that there are, and have always been, people who can gain weight while looking at a picture of a glass of water, and there are, and have always been, people who can eat a cow and yet lose weight. We all have our genetic predispositions, and some of us need to fight much harder to stay healthy.

I do not in any way condone the mocking of overweight individuals. The mother of my girls has always had to fight to not gain weight and has rarely been even of average size. I myself should lose about 20% of my weight. No one should be made to feel ashamed of themselves because of their weight.

However, I do think we need to continue to see obesity as a national health problem, and not as something that is increasingly acceptable. We are, on average, slowly getting fatter and fatter, and what we consider to be healthy is becoming less and less so. There is a huge difference between saying someone should be mocked for their weight and saying someone should be encouraged and assisted to become healthier.

This all struck home especially hard to me when I revisited my college campus after an absence of maybe 15 years or so. It was during the late spring, and one of my absolute favorite things as a student during that time of year was to go to the Quad and see all the women sunbathing. I’m not proud of it, but, hey, it makes me like virtually any other straight male of that (or, um, pretty much any) age. Anyway, when I went back, I happened to walk through the Quad. I wasn’t there to ogle women, but as before, the area was packed with students out sunbathing and enjoying themselves. And they were all much <i>much> fatter than they had been when I was in school. Same age group, same area of the country, same time of year… and an obvious and substantial change in weight. I’m not saying they were all obese, but the number of fit individuals, in an age group where you’d hope there’d be a good percentage of fit people, was very low.

It’s pretty clear that we, on average, eat more - and especially eat more foods that encourage weight gain - and exercise less. At my college, kids now get free bus passes, whereas before the average kid had to walk about half a mile to and from the average class. The food is now more processed, and more of the kids spend more time in front of computers and televisions. So… it’s not genetics that’s causing the problem. It’s a shift in food intake and composition and a decrease in exercise. Period.

So, no, I do not think it is ever acceptable to mock someone because they’re outside the norm of physical beauty. But I do think it’s imperative that we stop accepting obesity as being OK. It isn’t. It’s killing us. I’m finally trying to get back into shape, and I’ve found that a few walks and a bit of attention paid to what I eat works wonders.

Some of us have a much more difficult time. But many of us just need to eat better and exercise more to become substantially healthier. And we should be encouraged to do so.

GreenAura
wrote on July 23 2009 @ 09:37 am: [report]

Here’s the thing: Americans know NOTHING (nada, zip, zilch) about balance and moderation. We are a society based on excess.  Some people excessively eat, some obsess over calories and exercise. Americans are born and bred to overindulge in whatever we do. And our restaurant portions are so disgustingly large that it only encourages further gluttony in people who may already be predisposed to unhealthy lifestyles. 

Okay, so maybe you are medically considered obese.  Lets be honest here, you certainly didn’t get that way by eating salad and working out on a regular basis.  It IS unhealthy to be that overweight.  It DOES lead to serious health problems that burden the taxpayers because of rising health care costs. And it sets a bad example if you have children. 

Maybe you are obsessed over staying slim.  You are no better!  It isn’t healthy to work out constantly and to count calories neurotically.  You are probably bordering on OCD and possible narcissism.  You are not setting good examples for your children either.

Life should be about balance.  Go ahead and eat that cheeseburger, but maybe you should have a light dinner or go for a jog afterwards.  And if you obsess over your weight, it might be a good idea to give into your sweet tooth every now and again.  BALANCE PEOPLE!!

I’m not trying to be all preachy, but I’m just so sick of the duality of our society.  So sick of Fat Acceptance and Orthorexia.  So sick of huge portions. So sick of the “I’m better than you” mentality. And the worst part is that it seems to be a strictly American thing.  What the hell happened to this country???

cadyms
wrote on July 23 2009 @ 10:04 am: [report]

I clearly failed to adequately express myself.

People who are overweight know it.  They don’t like it. You telling them to eat less and exercise more - um, do you think they haven’t heard that before?  Tried that before? 

Medical researchers have found even intensive interventions to promote weight loss unsuccessful over time. (Source - Rethinking Thin: The New Science of Weight Loss—-and the Myths and Realities of Dieting)

I work out (hard!) with a personal trainer, I struggle with my eating plans, it’s a constant battle.  I’ve fought this battle since I was six years old.  Please don’t take it upon yourself to inform me of how I can be a better person if only I would follow your weight loss suggestions.

I know that I am fat.  I hate that I am fat.  It crushes my self-esteem on a daily basis.  Could you please back off a little and let me battle this without your input?  That only makes it worse. 

Btw, I have super low cholesterol, a resting heart rate of 52, fasting blood glucose levels well within normal ranges - so, at least so far, my weight isn’t ruining your tax payer budget. 

People have no idea how much it sucks to be on the receiving end of this type of bitterness. 

Fat people hate being fat even more than you hate them for being fat, isn’t that sufficient punishment?

brandyalexander
wrote on July 23 2009 @ 10:21 am: [report]

I know it hurts to be judged for your body, fat or thin.  But I do agree that the mother of a 550 pound child should be taken for task for letting that childe become morbidly obese.  Yes, morbidly.  Being a little overweight is one thing, being 500 lbs. is another.  If you are an adult and choose to ruin your health that way, then, that’s one thing, but adults are supposed to look after children, not risk their very lives. 
Yes, we should support and encourage people who are overweight, HOWEVER, we should not let this swing into an extreme where we ignore very real and very terrible threats to our lives.

GreenAura
wrote on July 23 2009 @ 11:55 am: [report]

@ cadyms: If your second post was in response to any of the comments here, then I think you are off base.  I don’t think anyone on this thread was judging you or insulting you in anyway. I personally was talking about how our society is one of excess and obsession.  I would never put someone down for their appearance.  I just think that extreme behaviors leading to weight issues (whether obese or being too thin) are to be examined and possibly corrected. Most Americans not living a life in balance and are ultimately dealing with the consequences of doing so. It sounds to me like you are trying to balance out your life by going to the gym and trying to drop excess weight.  How could anyone possibly put you down for that??  I myself lost 30 pounds last year through a lifestyle change.  I exercise daily, eat relatively well on most days, but I allow myself treats every now and again so that I keep a balance.  I sound self righteous right now, I know that, but I can’t help but speak up when we are discussing a possible “Size War” with the heavier people pitted against the health freaks.

Coral
wrote on July 23 2009 @ 12:32 pm: [report]

I am a size zero and I am only 18 and about 5’4”, but I have been judge by people my whole life because of my weight. I have always had a small frame-I eat multiple times throughout the day not only because of my fast metabolism, but also because I’m hypoglycemic and I need to make sure I get enough sugar (and I don’t mean candy when I say that). And I also exercise a lot. But not to be judgmental, I do feel that people who are a size bigger than me judge me for my weight and my size..and unfortunately I do feel a sense a jealousy and tension between others.

It is true that America has a problem with being in excess of a lot of things. Other countries struggle with obesity, but their struggles seem to be more contained. I feel that a problem is that people are not educated enough about weight (in both obesity and eating disorders) and about the emotional distresses that overeating and undereating are often caused from.

In a sense, it may be a good thing that there is this ‘size war’ because it may stimulate change. But at the same time, there needs to be more acceptance for people because people should not have to look the same..many shapes and sizes should be acceptable in our society..but I do think health comes first. I think that everyone wants to be as healthy as they can be. But I really think this all boils down to education. And in no way am I saying that people who struggle with weight are uneducated. I think young children need to learn about healthy eating, overall health, exercise, and acceptance of all types of people from a very young age. Because just like racism, kids are not born with these judgmental views of others. These are learned views that come from society and parents.

voxpulchrax
wrote on July 23 2009 @ 02:21 pm: [report]

“...some evidence says that tall people tend to live longer lives and to be a few IQ points smarter than short people.”
CITATION NEEDED.

fallonthecity
wrote on July 23 2009 @ 04:24 pm: [report]

That guy is a moron.  And how awful of him to wear that shirt.  He never got around to saying where he got this evidence that Dr. Benjamin is such a lazy, unhealthy person.

My best friend is a size 2.  She can pack away twice the grub I can most sittings, and though she’s not exactly sedentary, she doesn’t have a regular exercise habit, either.  I put an emphasis on healthy eating (it’s easy for me in the summer time with so much fresh, local produce to be had), walk two miles every day, and I’m still a size 14.  I have a hunch the weight has something to do with my birth control, but no way am I giving that up in favor of going back to having two periods a month, just to lose a little weight.  So, you know, don’t talk to me about health.  I’m very healthy.  And I don’t have any reason to assume that Dr. Benjamin is unhealthy, either.

Todd_P
wrote on July 27 2009 @ 12:24 am: [report]

American families are being battered by the skyrocketing medical costs. People are up in arms over HR 3200, and maybe they should be.  HR 3200 is a health care bill, and what it does is that it will provide affordable health care for all, and curtail medical costs.  It also makes it mandatory for all Americans to have health insurance, but creates a government run (taxpayer funded) alternative to private insurance, prohibits exclusion on basis of pre-existing condition, and then (here’s the kicker) places a surtax on all households that earn more than $350,000 to pay for it. (To be fair, they don’t need sympathy.)  The bill HR 3200 is likely to be wildly unpopular, even if it might mean fewer people needing emergency cash loans to see a doctor.