I'm new to the whole 'Fat Shaming' thing

[Timmy_Jones]

This article came up on cnn: http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/08/living...eat/index.html

So basically, a skinny mother/daughter, laugh at plus sized clothes, plus size woman over heard them, starts crying, leaves store, comes back in store, buys plus size clothes and takes a picture wearing clothes, internet goes wild with cheers and support.

Why is it okay to be overweight in America? I am sensitive to others and their feelings (within reason), but why is this overweight woman being praised?? Why can't she take the negative from the people making fun of clothes and turn it into motivation? I would support her, if the story ended with, 'I bought healthy food and a gym membership'.

What if someone made fun of an alcoholic, or even worse...a smoker (queue evil music). And they posted how much they liked their destructive behavior? They wouldn't have supporters and tons of people congratulating them.

This behavior is destructive and I don't understand the support groups for it. I guess its more of a rant than anything, but am I missing something?

[Special_K]

I hate weighing in on threads that have the possibility of becoming a shit-show, so I'm going to defer to one of my personal heroes, Ron Swanson.

[swarb]

It's ok because nearly half our country is obese.
I'm "skinny" in America. Average everywhere else.

Healthy is a lifestyle, not one meal you post on social media.
If you aren't comfortable in your own skin, maybe you should do something about it. Like not care or exercise/eat better.
Exercise is not walking around the block at a snails pace after you have eaten at a buffet.

[Tcoat]

What you are missing is that people come in all shapes and sizes and can still be happy with themselves. They do not need to feel ridiculed for what they are. Just because they are larger does not mean have "destructive behaivour"
Not everybody feels the need to go to the gym, drink protein shakes and do gimmicky diets (i.e. soylent) to be the "ideal" size and body tone. In fact some of these sorts of behaivour can be just as "destructive" as being overweight.

Live and let live dude and don't expect everybody to want to live up to your personal standard.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Special_K

I hate weighing in on threads that have the possibility of becoming a shit-show, so I'm going to defer to one of my personal heroes, Ron Swanson.

Like the rest of the "I hate fat people and everybody should be like me" threads that pop up every once in a while this one will probably get deleted before it reaches to high a shit show level.

[Timmy_Jones]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Live and let live dude and don't expect everybody to want to live up to your personal standard.

I don't have a care in the world about her being fat, I'm alarmed at people supporting her...its an unhealthy behavior.

[Timmy_Jones]

Originally Posted by Special_K

I hate weighing in on threads that have the possibility of becoming a shit-show, so I'm going to defer to one of my personal heroes, Ron Swanson.

I agree, and love the quote. I have trouble when people support her for being brave and noble and defiant....no, she is unhealthy

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Timmy_Jones

I don't have a care in the world about her being fat, I'm alarmed at people supporting her...its an unhealthy behavior.

Well in fairness the pics didn't come up on my computer so I really don't know how "fat" she is. There is a big difference between being overweight and grossly obese.

[rlpaul]

There are legitimate reasons why some people can't lose weight too, such as a thyroid condition. Not 50% of the country legitimate, I grant you...

I think a lot of it also has to do with our infrastructure. In North America, you drive EVERYWHERE. In other countries, public transit is a lot more commonplace. Which translates into a lot more walking. Which in turn translates to a higher caloric burn.

There's also a big difference between being gluttonous and not. That, in my opinion is destructive by nature. Other people may be larger simply from lack of exercise, which I wouldn't categorize as destructive.

Personally, I believe everybody should exercise weekly, regardless of body shape. I exercise regularly, but nobody in their right mind would call me skinny :P Even when I was running 20 miles a week, I was never skinny.

I can't tell you how many unhealthy skinny people I know. In other words, overweight != unhealthy, and skinny != healthy.

[Special_K]

One last interjection from me... Please, don't use CNN as your news source.

[NWFRS]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

What you are missing is that people come in all shapes and sizes and can still be happy with themselves. They do not need to feel ridiculed for what they are. Just because they are larger does not mean have "destructive behaivour"
Not everybody feels the need to go to the gym, drink protein shakes and do gimmicky diets (i.e. soylent) to be the "ideal" size and body tone. In fact some of these sorts of behaivour can be just as "destructive" as being overweight.

Live and let live dude and don't expect everybody to want to live up to your personal standard.

It all depends on your definition of "destructive behavior".

My wifey works in Neuclear Medicine. She does scans on people on a daily basis that need to be lifted onto the table with a CRANE. Most of these people have health complications that can be directly tied to their weight, which is a result of their lifestyle. As a result of their poor health they are unable to work which qualifies them for Medicare. Which means that you and I and every other taxpayer in the US is paying for their scans, medicine, surgeries, etc, and will continue to pay untill they put themselves in an early grave. And I'm not talking about preexisting conditions, that's a different story altogether.

Not holding myself up as a model of healthy living by any means. I'm just saying there IS a cost to poor personal maintenance, it's a cost to all of us, and it's expensive.

/rant.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by NWFRS

It all depends on your definition of "destructive behavior".

My wifey works in Neuclear Medicine. She does scans on people on a daily basis that need to be lifted onto the table with a CRANE. Most of these people have health complications that can be directly tied to their weight, which is a result of their lifestyle. As a result of their poor health they are unable to work which qualifies them for Medicare. Which means that you and I and every other taxpayer in the US is paying for their scans, medicine, surgeries, etc, and will continue to pay untill they put themselves in an early grave. And I'm not talking about preexisting conditions, that's a different story altogether.

Not holding myself up as a model of healthy living by any means. I'm just saying there IS a cost to poor personal maintenance, it's a cost to all of us, and it's expensive.

/rant.

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Well in fairness the pics didn't come up on my computer so I really don't know how "fat" she is. There is a big difference between being overweight and grossly obese.

No argument here!

[NWFRS]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

No argument here!

Oh! I wasn't taking issue-more just adding to it. No one is born fat, but obesity is a slippery slope...

...now where did I leave my cookies...

[rlpaul]

Originally Posted by NWFRS

Oh! I wasn't taking issue-more just adding to it. No one is born fat, but obesity is a slippery slope...

...now where did I leave my cookies...

*crunch crunch* What cookies?