Widespread anti-fat prejudice typically stems from misconceptions about health, weight, and body positivity, and negatively affects millions of people every day.
At the bottom of nearly every article celebrating body diversity, you will likely find some version of the following comments:
“Aren’t you promoting an unhealthy lifestyle?”
“I’m all about confidence, but this is just unhealthy.”
“I just don’t find fat people attractive, that doesn’t make me a bad person.”
“I have no sympathy for these people, they bring it on themselves.”
“Think of the children!”
This is called concern trolling, and it needs to stop. The intersectional issues of size, health, and weight loss are far more complicated than we’ve been led to believe, and this lack of understanding has led to weight-based discrimination becoming a serious problem across the world. Widespread anti-fat prejudice typically stems from misconceptions about health, weight, and body positivity, and negatively affects millions of people every day.
People are allowed to make their own decisions regarding their own bodies, but we need to start treating people of all sizes with respect. We can start by providing some actual information about being fat.
1. BMI is BS.
Top Comments
I'm currently 50kg overweight. Until my early twenties i was at the low end of my healthy weight range. As an adult I've got down to my healthy weight range several times and then put it on. At the moment, despite the hints from friends and family, I'm not trying to lose weight. I'm so depressed about being unemployed that I'm glad I haven't suicided: I think my friends and family should feel the same. I don't want or need something else to feel guilty and ashamed about. Food is the one on only thing that makes me feel happy, no matter how briefly. The last time I was a healthy weight with healthy eating and exercise habits, but I got depressed and after struggling for 6 months I succumbed and piled on 40kgs in a year. Nearly 10 years later I haven't lost them and the depression is worse.
So, for all those fat shamers depression is linked to obesity but they interact: depression causes obesity which causes depression which causes obesity etc.
Other factors like insomnia and high cortisol levels are also linked to depression AND obesity.
Now that I'm borderline diabetic I have hypos when stress, exercise and the wrong combination of food occurs (usually not enough carbs). I recognise the symptoms of a hypo from my teen years. It is the reason I hate cardio workouts. So perhaps blood sugar should be considered too.
I'm so sorry you've been going through such an ordeal with depression, health and work issues and family pressure. I hope 2015 is a much better year for you. Be kind to yourself, first and foremost. Hang in there. (((Hugs)))
The BMI is used by insurance and pharmaceutical companies for their own agenda. You can see if someone is overweight. I have always tipped the BMI and that was even when I had less than 10% body fat and was very thin. People would laugh hysterically and make jokes when I pointed out the BMI suggested I needed to lose weight. I had none to lose.
My children are the same. I was told to watch the weight of my then 2 year old child who was considered "obese" by the BMI. Even the CMHN thought it was pathetic. My child was no where near on the overweight side at all.
The way in which obesity is treated is changing.
People watching their weight are encouraged to eat low fat whereas that stuff is loaded with sugar which is worse.
If people are really concerned about the weight of others to the point they think they have the right to point it out to people then why not get on the bandwagon to stop food manufacturers from promoting healthy products of which really aren't.
Yoyo dieting is worse for a person. You will end up with more fat than muscle density and larger than before.
An hour on the treadmill to lose 200 calories will be put straight back into your body if you drink a promoted "sports" drink.
Lastly, fat does not mean unattractive and skinny doesn't mean attractive. We should all aim for good health choices but to those who think fat shaming is ok, using health care costs as justification, I hope you don't ever fall off a ladder, get hit jay walking, hurt yourself participating in sport because I don't want to pay for your stupidity either!