Fat vs Thin

[psdew1813]

iv never gotten the bullshit argument that being fat but still being happy with yourself is ok. ITS NOT YOU! ITS SOCIETY! its one thing to look at yourself in the mirror and say i dont need to look like a movie star to be happy with myself im down for that hell im in that boat. but to me its just an excuse to instead of being healthy to walk around wearing a XXXXXXXXL sized dress and think its the rest of society thats in the wrong and not you.

and on the BMI i read somewhere that having extra body fat can be good for you in the case of you becoming ill like from a cold to a serious infection. but thats just being 10-15 pounds overweight not full blown obese.

[deneweth]

The thing about weight and BMI are that people automatically link them to being fat and fatness. You can have a low body fat % because you are very muscular and still be "overweight" for your height. You can also be within the acceptable weight for your height and be very out of shape.

Most health risks commonly associated with being overweight actually have nothing to do with weight. They have more to do with improper diet and lack of exorcise that lead to being "fat". It is entirely possible for a heavier person with more body fat to be healthier than a lighter person if the lighter person does not exorcise and eats a lot of fast food.

People look at someone their height that weights 40+ lbs more and assume that its 40lbs of fat. The truth is that being fat is very demanding on the body and requires more muscle just to move around and live. If the fat person is athletic they will have even more muscle under the fat.

All being fat really means is that you've eaten more calories than you've burned. It is possible to eat more calories than you burn while still getting enough exorcise and getting those calories from healthy foods. Its also possible to burn more calories than you eat without getting enough exorcise or proper nutrition.

Any excess calories are turned into fat, it doesn't matter if its a big mac or whole grain bread. The difference is that the guy getting fat from eating too much whole grain bread is getting excellent nutrients and the guy eating the big mac is getting trans fats and bad cholesterol.

The reason the steryotypes about fat people exists is because they are rooted in facts. The fat guy that exorcises and just over eats but healthy foods is the exception, not the rule.

[Atrea]

Why does it have to be 'vs'? Why can't people just 'be'?

[bigsandwich732]

Being overweight sucks. Take it from someone whos been there. I went from 210 to 160 in 4 months because I finally decided to get off my ass and do something about it. Working out 5-6 days a week and counting calories. In another 4 months I'll gain a great build.

Exercising is only half of what you need to lose weight. The rest is will power to not stop and "take off for a few days" and watching what you eat. You HAVE to watch what you eat. You can work out 2 hours a day hardcore, then go eat almost a whole dominoes pizza (like I used to) , and realize that you just wasted two hours of your life putting those calories you lost back in.

Also stay away from soda (except for diet) and energy drinks. Energy drinks are horrible. You have to piss 105 gallons to cleanse your body from the sugar and chemicals in ONE monster drink. Diet ice tea is great, and I pretty much survive on it.

[Atrea]

Being overweight sucks. Take it from someone whos been there. I went from 210 to 160 in 4 months because I finally decided to get off my ass and do something about it. Working out 5-6 days a week and counting calories. In another 4 months I'll gain a great build.

Exercising is only half of what you need to lose weight. The rest is will power to not stop and "take off for a few days" and watching what you eat. You HAVE to watch what you eat. You can work out 2 hours a day hardcore, then go eat almost a whole dominoes pizza (like I used to) , and realize that you just wasted two hours of your life putting those calories you lost back in.

Also stay away from soda (except for diet) and energy drinks. Energy drinks are horrible. You have to piss 105 gallons to cleanse your body from the sugar and chemicals in ONE monster drink. Diet ice tea is great, and I pretty much survive on it.

As someone who has also gone through a relatively large weight loss, and has managed to keep it off, I have a message for you.

Stop preaching. Seriously. Nothing is more annoying than someone who has lost weight preaching to others about how to do it.
For god's sake, you're worse than someone who has quit smoking and suddenly realizes how awful it smells, and freaks out whenever anyone else around them smokes - and preaches about how they quit.

If a person is interested in losing weight, they'll find out how to do it. They don't need you ramming it down their throat.
So seriously. Stop it.

[Deleted]

The BMI is a rather bad scale tbh as it doesn't take into accountg muscle mass (which is far denser than fat). However i'm personally almost a fan of the stigma towards overwightness, it's one of the few things i've actually seen turn people around and change their lifestyle. Quite a few of my friends where rather large and managed to shift almost all of it, when i asked them why they said they didn't like the attitude they got from people. Of course it depends on the person n how they take it but it's one of the only things i've seen work to help people shift from a lifestyle that may very well see them suffering heart attacks at 30. But of course not all fat people are at blame and may have glandular issues, although i've seen alot of overwieght people use that excuse and i highly doubt so many people have glandular issues.

[bigsandwich732]

As someone who has also gone through a relatively large weight loss, and has managed to keep it off, I have a message for you.

Stop preaching. Seriously. Nothing is more annoying than someone who has lost weight preaching to others about how to do it.
For god's sake, you're worse than someone who has quit smoking and suddenly realizes how awful it smells, and freaks out whenever anyone else around them smokes - and preaches about how they quit.

If a person is interested in losing weight, they'll find out how to do it. They don't need you ramming it down their throat.
So seriously. Stop it.

I don't believe you. At all.

Anyone whos lost a large amount of weight would want other people to do the same. Why wouldnt you want to help them? Even if its a small spark to get them to go down a life changing path, why not want to try to convince them.

Again, don't believe you. Next?

[Atrea]

I don't believe you. At all.

Anyone whos lost a large amount of weight would want other people to do the same. Why wouldnt you want to help them? Even if its a small spark to get them to go down a life changing path, why not want to try to convince them.

Again, don't believe you. Next?

No, not 'anyone'. Only people who have a god complex, who feel that whatever they do is so noteworthy that they must simply share it with the world. The rest of us, who have an ounce of civility, understand that not everyone needs to be told how to run their lives.
Some people are happy with the way they are. Some people are not.

The plain and simple truth of it however, is that you aren't telling people anything they don't already know.
Why did you get as fat as you did? Because you didn't know what you were doing? So why do you think you need to tell everyone else?

But in all honesty - you didn't get fat because you were stupid, and neither did anyone else. You haven't stumbled upon some magical formula or something. People who are overweight know everything you just mentioned in your post. They have their reasons - sometimes good, sometimes not - for being the way they are.

I don't feel a compelling need to 'convince' someone to change who they are. That's something many organized religions feel is their duty, and it's annoying then, and what you're doing is annoying as well.

If I was approached and asked, I would gladly give whatever help and support I could muster. But nobody wants it shoved down their throat.

And who cares what you believe and disbelieve? Seriously. God complex much?

[Gilgemesh]

For me the problem doesn't really revolve around people being fat. I look with severe distaste on people who simply do not take care of their health or their child's health. If you could make a difference and you don't, then you brought the ridicule upon yourself and you don't get to be a special case. Your neglect is YOUR PROBLEM, you want people to like you more? EMPOWER YOURSELF by making the right decisions about your health. This will not only boost your confidence but will increase other people's opinions of you. Not that those other people's opinions should really matter if you're willing to neglect your health into an advanced state of obesity. If you have thyroid problems or one of those other medical problems(other than the fat gene, we all have that, it just happens to be you have the lazy gene too), then I cannot blame you as your body is going to turn against you. For the other 99.5% of the world, don't blame me for blaming you, stop pointing that finger and start using it for something other than stuffing your face.

Other side of the coin. People who believe being in shape, dressing in expensive clothes or the like makes them better than everyone else. News flash! If you fell off the earth today, it would keep spinning. If you look good and are proud of it, hey good for you. Don't expect special treatment because you spent more than I did on your clothes. Your abs are not a medical degree. Your butt does not cure cancer.

It goes extreme in both directions, and I simply want no part of it. I'm disappointed in Americans as a whole. We used to be a nation of movers and thinkers, proud of our accomplishments, strong and wise. We are neither strong nor wise at this point. I'm afraid there is no recovery from this pompous attitude our country as a whole has taken. We literally blame everyone else but our own selves for our problems. Most people are overweight, many are fat, nearly everyone is in debt up to their ears. Most don't raise their kids. Many are content to do nothing about anything, ever. These same people think its okay to blame others when things go wrong. They are the majority, they pick our leaders. They do it with the same set of skills they use to pick the next American idol.

The world sees us for what we are. The fat little rich kid who bullies everyone around because his daddy's money is there to save him. Well, daddy is out of money and all the other kids on the block know it. When things go bad, if the world comes to our aid, it will be because they still have some of the values we used to hold strong. I think otherwise, they're not going to save us, they're going to watch us burn, and we deserve it.

We deserve it.

[HotSauce]

So I was watching the Colbert report when they brought on Amy Farell, author of Fat Shame, a book defending obesity and attacking the American culture for having negative views on fat people. Now I understand the psychological part -- about how it shouldn't be a huge stigma to have some paunch in the stomach, but obesity isn't healthy. Unless everything I've ever read on the subject has been crazy propaganda, obesity increases risk for a ton of diseases/conditions, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attacks, other conditions. And saying "Fat people will live longer during a nuclear war!" is stupid. That's like defending anorexia because "they can fit into smaller spaces".

But I'm irritated at one thing in specific that she said. When Colbert said "So you're saying it's healthy and good to be obese??" she responded with, "Well, yes, in fact, most 'fat' people are generally healthier than those underweight". Soooooooo..... what about people who are at a healthy BMI? I mean if we are talking about a BMI of 50 vs a BMI of 10, I don't know, I haven't seen any studies, but being anorexic is awful as is being overweight. People who defend obesity always say "It's better to be overweight than underweight". Well, sure, but what about being NOT fat but also NOT deathly thin? No one said you have to go from 400lbs to 90lbs. Someone with a BMI of 20 is potentially going to be FAR healthier than someone obese OR anorexic.

Just because being overweight is not necessarily as bad as being underweight, doesn't make it good. Am I crazy? Show me the (legit) study that says being overweight is super healthy and neither risky nor potentially harmful, and I'll backpedal...

I would put this in general off-topic, but I was afraid it might get moved here, and it makes more sense being here anyways.

Well thought out, and you delivered many good statements Thanks for the good read, il be sure to bring this up sometime tomorrow when im with my buds to see what their inputs are

[helicoptermadeofdraculas]

I'm a fat motherfucker and I don't care

I don't care about shit

[Willelm]

Sounds like it was more of the psychology of things.

People accept others who are thin because it's socially acceptable to be that way. But when encountering someone obese they are usually treated badly.

The only way I could see where she comes from with this obese-is-better thing is because you are breaking the social norm and not starving yourself to be thin. However... this is like, extremely thin ground and really stupid of her. Why promote obesity over anorexia when you can encourage and influence people to be HEALTHY and reach a decent weight?

Now obese people are going to say that because this woman said it was okay to be obese they shouldn't have to change anything in their lives. It's a little sad. All you have to do is watch what you eat and go for even a short walk daily and you'll lose weight.

But you know there are obese people out there who don't care. More power to them as long as they don't mind the bad treatment from others or say they just "can't" lose weight.*

edit: most people can unless it's a thyroid problem or they've got a disease. Such things happen. Some people blame hereditary values as the cause of their obesity, but it's just them learning the bad habits of the parents. A cycle which can be broken.

[Jesamere]

Just thought I'd "weigh-in" lol

I believe we're all the size we're ment to be as long as we live healthily. You don't have to be an athlete or starve yourself, just enjoy balanced foods and get your heart rate up 3-5 times a week longer than 20 mins.

I have friends that don't do this and they're skinny bean-poles and or have a reasonable physique - again in spite of bad diet and lack of exercise. My parents don't eat anything unhealthy, don't drink or smoke and they're quite large people. Reasonably active - walk everyday and practice tai-chi tri-weekly. They just are how they are.

I eat balanced ie. most food is normal, cereal for breakfast (sometimes my home made bean and veggie soup) a sandwich for lunch and meat and veg for dinner. Once or twice a week is might be a fast food meal (2 out of 21 meals isn't unhealthy) and I have a couple of drinks a couple of times a week. I am on my feet for 40+ hours a week at work and train (weights, cardio and karate) 3-5 times a week.

I am 115kgs (240 is pounds I think) which is quite over weight for my height. I am quite muscular but I have a bit of fat on me belly which doesn't wanna budge.

On paper I'm quite healthy with my cholesterol, liver fat mass and blood pressure but I'm very over weight.

Should I give up my fast food and drinking to slim down 10-15 kgs, HELLS TO THE NO!!! and neither should anyone else. Just be healthy and happy with yourselves and you'll live a long and healthy life. You are the shape you're ment to be if you treat yourself healthily. Don't diet and exercise to lose weight, do it to feel and sleep better.

My 2 cents....

[Eisaderfrau]

Super fat isn't good. Neither is super skinny. Everyone is different, and while the "I am big boned" argument can get smirked at, there ARE people who are more likely to be heavier. Personally, I am a bit on the heavy side and I like girls that have some meat too. I have no problem with people finding very overweight people unattractive or whatever, but I DO have a problem with what seems to be considered "normal".

Example? Models shown all over tend to be from size 0-4, frequently 0-2. This leads perfectly healthy women to thinking they are "fat". The problem is many GUYS have been exposed to this for so long THEY start to think of anyone with legs larger then pencils, a waist larger then a doughnut, or a bust that actually NEEDS a bra for support as being fat (although guys still love the breasts). Thin has become "normal" and normal has become "chubby". Thanks fashion industry and TV.

On topic, a good personality, a few extra pounds, and the assets to go with them is perfect for me.

[Deleted]

I dont want to sound like an arse, but fat..no, even overweight people (especially if we are talking about young ones) in my opinion are just a bunch of lazy bastards.
You fancy junk food, but dont like exercise, thus you do know how to explainh to the whole world, that its completely normal.
No ..it is not.
From sheer biological point, if you would have been fat in the time, when you actually had to fought your way to survive and hunt/gather your own food, instead of ordering the nearest pizza or such, you would die..Period. The same goes for overly thin tho.
Of course, there are various genetic aspects and such, but Im eating junk food there and then and jog about 3-4 times per week + stretching in the mornings. Thats it. I have managed to keep my weight and BMI of 18.5 for the last 8 years.
So when i see all those flabby, naked tummies..it just makes me sad, because if you only would put some willpower in it, its not that hard at all.
(I wouldnt go out with a lazy fat person just because hes nice. >__> ) *cough* Muscular is a different story tho..but yeah, it really depends on your fat% in the body and around your organs.
What good are you, if you cant even respect your own body and take a good care of yourself?

[Bolson13]

In regards to the healthcare costs, smokers, fat people, alcoholics, junkies actually cost less so that means that all the healthy people should pay more and fat smoking people should get a huge discount. Same goes for pensions. Not to mention the taxes on cigarettes and alcohol.

Link to the researchpaper: http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/...l.pmed.0050029

[Standalone]

I would put my money down that the lady that was presenting this argument was fat herself or fat in the past. There are always people out there that try to defend things with ridiculous arguments to cover up their own shame. It's just like the crazy obese bitches on oprah and shows like that they say they enjoy being obese and purposly eat alot to be obese. I call bs. Noone wants to be fat or called fat. Plain and simple. Trying to pretend like being fat is ok or pretending to be purposely fat are both just coverups to avoid being ridiculed for being fat.

[Freezeframe]

I'm a fat motherfucker and I don't care

I don't care about shit

We could all learn from your attitude, honestly.

I wish i didn't care

[Madden]

There's a happy medium between being too fat, and being too thin.

[Nathanyel]

Why does it have to be 'vs'? Why can't people just 'be'?

This. While most of you have already mentioned it in relation to this topic, let's put it in a more general way:

The extremes are never good. The optimum is always somewhere in between.

leftwing-rightwing. conservative-green. victorian-promiscous. hedonistic-puritan. selfish-generous. rich-poor. bodybuilder-skinny. obese-anorexic. and the list goes on.

Of course it is difficult for one person to achieve the optimum even in one of those fields, but that's the great thing about society, small and even medium deviations don't matter, as they're evened out when looking at the whole.

A great article I always recommend on this type of topic is "What is the Monkeysphere?" on Cracked, a humorous yet disturbingly interesting explanation of Dunbar's number.