Fat Acceptance...

[GoofyWaterCoaster]

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[Addicted.to.Speed]

Just a thought about the people being overweight hurthing others point.

Say that there is a mother who has teenage kids. And the mother takes all her stress about being a single mother on eating. She than becomes overweight and dies. All this happens within a year and the teenage kids have to live through/watch their mother eating so much that she ends up dieing. The teenagers than become depressed.

Is that not affecting the teenagers health or...??????

again this is just a thought no flames please

 

[Carys]

...you can't stop eating.

This is the single thing that has made it so hard for anyone I've known to lose weight.

In some cases, it's like telling an alcoholic to quit - but by the way they have to drink half a can of low alcohol beer three times a day for the rest of their life. No more mind you, but no less.

With other addictive substances, once the physical addiction's gone, you're left just dealing with the mental addiction. With food, you're still getting enough of those endorphins and increased blood sugars to remind you of what you Could be eating, every day for the rest of your life, let alone the psychological reasons people have for overeating.

We wouldn't expect alcoholics to have that self control so why do we expect those who have a serious eating disorder to suddenly man up and be able to handle it, just because we ourselves have done it, or because we never had a problem ignoring the rest of the cake in the first place, and then we ridicule them when they find it extremely hard?

I never understood the theory that making fun of someone would embarass them into eating less. People often overeat to give themselves comfort, embarassing them is only contributing to their problem. You might as well buy the cheesecake for them.

I have no problem with people who don't think "fat acceptance" is ok, given it's a medical problem, and people should be free to have their own opinions, particularly where they feel their life is being substantively impacted.

I do have a problem with people who translate that to mean it's ok drop the veneer of the polite society and call it hunting season on overweight people. I'm not referring to anyone in particular on this thread, but to the world at large (and it can be a cruel world).

I feel the same way about smoking too - I prefer to be seated away from it so that it doesn't affect me, and have an opinion about it, but I'm not going to be rude or mock smokers because (I hope) we still live in a civilised society, and they are just as much a member of that society as we are.

 

[Carys]

Just a thought about the people being overweight hurthing others point.

Say that there is a mother who has teenage kids. And the mother takes all her stress about being a single mother on eating. She than becomes overweight and dies. All this happens within a year and the teenage kids have to live through/watch their mother eating so much that she ends up dieing. The teenagers than become depressed.

Is that not affecting the teenagers health or...??????

again this is just a thought no flames please

Just to explore how complex this sort of situation is...you said that the reason for overeating is the stress, and the reason for the stress is being single. So, do we treat the obesity and leave the causes alone? Do we treat the causes and hope the obesity will follow? Do we treat all of them? And how would we treat those causes? Give her more government money, find her a husband, take her kids away into step homes, step in and offer to babysit for free, etc?

To focus on the obesity in this situation might be looking at what we think is the easiest thing to fix. Easiest for us, hardest for her. Fixing the underlying causes could be the easiest for her, but hardest for us with the society we live in. Why did society let her get to the point of stress where she was harming herself? Did her family ever step in to help out? Social support services? Religious community?

If you follow your situation back to the root, the real problem is that she didn't get the help she needed when life got very hard for her. In a way, you could say society was to blame for her eating problem. We live in an individual society though and it's far easier for us to say she didn't take enough personal responsiblity for her problems and should have figured out how to lose weight, reduce stress, and be the wonderful single mother that the rest of us all could be in her shoes.

Or would you really just look at that person and say "well obviously she needed to lose weight, let that be a warning to all the rest of you overweight people out there"?

What was your opinion when you wrote that scenario?

 

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

Good for you. Some people don't have that choice. And it has NOTHING to do with donuts.

Everyone has a choice. I just think the hard work is overwhelming to some people.

 

[MushyMushy]

Speaking of rude, sarcastic people

Oh for pete's sake (sorry pete).

It's called comic relief. Can't you see the humor in it?

 

[Addicted.to.Speed]

Just to explore how complex this sort of situation is...you said that the reason for overeating is the stress, and the reason for the stress is being single. So, do we treat the obesity and leave the causes alone? Do we treat the causes and hope the obesity will follow? Do we treat all of them? And how would we treat those causes? Give her more government money, find her a husband, take her kids away into step homes, step in and offer to babysit for free, etc?

To focus on the obesity in this situation might be looking at what we think is the easiest thing to fix. Easiest for us, hardest for her. Fixing the underlying causes could be the easiest for her, but hardest for us with the society we live in. Why did society let her get to the point of stress where she was harming herself? Did her family ever step in to help out? Social support services? Religious community?

If you follow your situation back to the root, the real problem is that she didn't get the help she needed when life got very hard for her. In a way, you could say society was to blame for her eating problem. We live in an individual society though and it's far easier for us to say she didn't take enough personal responsiblity for her problems and should have figured out how to lose weight, reduce stress, and be the wonderful single mother that the rest of us all could be in her shoes.

Or would you really just look at that person and say "well obviously she needed to lose weight, let that be a warning to all the rest of you overweight people out there"?

What was your opinion when you wrote that scenario?

Your trying to prove my points wrong that i didnt even make. Your whole post is defensive and you didnt even answer my question. Please re-read the first sentance of my post...or better yet...here is it

"Just a thought about the people being overweight hurthing others point."

I'm talking about the point where posters were saying that being fat doesnt harm anyone else's health.

and my opinion when i wrote this scenario is that, i think people being fat can harm other peoples lives.

 

[MushyMushy]

Just a thought about the people being overweight hurthing others point.

Say that there is a mother who has teenage kids. And the mother takes all her stress about being a single mother on eating. She than becomes overweight and dies. All this happens within a year and the teenage kids have to live through/watch their mother eating so much that she ends up dieing. The teenagers than become depressed.

Is that not affecting the teenagers health or...??????

again this is just a thought no flames please

There are so many things people do that are harmful to the health. Even crossing the street or driving to the store could potentially kill you. Should we stop living just because it's dangerous?

I see what you're saying, but don't agree with the argument at all.

 

[GoofyWaterCoaster]

Everyone has a choice. I just think the hard work is overwhelming to some people.

Oh for pete's sake (sorry pete).

It's called comic relief. Can't you see the humor in it?

I am not seeing any humor in singling out a single person and using a quote as something for humor. THAT is definitely bashing

And you few people that think they are superior to everyone posting definitions because we are "ignorant to the correct meaning", even though it's a common word and you would have to be stupid to not know what it means, here is a taste of your own medicine

bash Audio Help (bāsh) Pronunciation Key
v. bashed, bash·ing, bash·es

v. tr.

1. To strike with a heavy, crushing blow: The thug bashed the hood of the car with a sledgehammer.
2. To beat or assault severely: The police arrested the men who bashed an immigrant in the park.
3. Informal To criticize (another) harshly, accusatorially, and threateningly: "He bashed the . . . government unmercifully over the . . . spy affair" (Lally Weymouth).

 

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

There are so many things people do that are harmful to the health. Even crossing the street or driving to the store could potentially kill you. Should we stop living just because it's dangerous?

I see what you're saying, but don't agree with the argument at all.

IMHO that is comparing apples & oranges.

If anyone is hit by a car that is an accident and we all have the same risks at the moment of the impact.
After the impact an obese person can have many more complications if surgery is required, has a higher incident of high blood pressure (possibly causing stroke, etc.), more difficulty with bleeding & breathing issues post trauma.

Of course nobody should stop living but choosing to put yourself in a much higher risk group for all disease is self destructive as well as selfish to those who love you.
Again my opinion.

 

[smidgy]

As for the comments about the obese needing to pay for two seats. I do think there are some valid points. As always there are PC and nice ways to discuss it and it is often very situational. As tangent to that, since I'm roughly the size of a 10-12 year old (in weight and waist at least) should I be able to pay child's prices? .

this is a ridiculous analogy because you taking up LESS space doesn't infringe on anyone else.

:.As for taking up two seats, I travel a lot and have never had anyone sit next to me that infringed on my area, but I really doubt it would ruin my day.

well, maybe if you ever DID have someone next to you take up half of your seat, you would know what I'm talking about. no, it didn't ruin my DAY, just my evening, and the concert I had been looking forward to and the $60 the ticket cost.

 

[Addicted.to.Speed]

There are so many things people do that are harmful to the health. Even crossing the street or driving to the store could potentially kill you. Should we stop living just because it's dangerous?

I see what you're saying, but don't agree with the argument at all.

Im just mearly putting a situation out there about how an overweight individual can harm another individual. There were a few arguements between posters on this topic and i just wanted to give a situation.

I dont see how i ever started talking about crossing streets and driving to the store. I was just giving a direct cause and efect between and overweight individual harming another individual.

 

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

I think the airplane situation could be very simple.
If you need a seatbelt extension you MUST pay for 2 seats. That would be a clear precise way to start a restriction.

Hey, if I have to pay for an extra suitcase (that I choose to bring) then others should have to pay for extra room they require.

 

[GoofyWaterCoaster]

I think the airplane situation could be very simple.
If you need a seatbelt extension you MUST pay for 2 seats. That would be a clear precise way to start a restriction.

Hey, if I have to pay for an extra suitcase (that I choose to bring) then others should have to pay for extra room they require.

 

[mpls_mm]

this is a ridiculous analogy because you taking up LESS space doesn't infringe on anyone else.




well, maybe if you ever DID have someone next to you take up half of your seat, you would know what I'm talking about. no, it didn't ruin my DAY, just my evening, and the concert I had been looking forward to and the $60 the ticket cost.

Sorry, didn't mean to make light of it. I could see how that would have been upsetting. What I said is that it probably wouldn't ruin my day, I don't really have space issues, but I know some people do. Another poster had a suggestion about actually mentioning that they were invading your space and asking them politely if they could shift a little. I might go to a manager if it was really bad and make them make it right. i get things done. Now, I have issues with smells, I can't sit near people with certain odors and there is nothing you can do about that, so in my case, I would rather have someone on my lap than patchouli or body odor in my nose. But such is life. I mean no offense

 

[Lovin' Lorne]

I am not seeing any humor in singling out a single person and using a quote as something for humor. THAT is definitely bashing

And you few people that think they are superior to everyone posting definitions because we are "ignorant to the correct meaning", even though it's a common word and you would have to be stupid to not know what it means, here is a taste of your own medicine


Quote:
bash Audio Help (bāsh) Pronunciation Key
v. bashed, bash·ing, bash·es

v. tr.

1. To strike with a heavy, crushing blow: The thug bashed the hood of the car with a sledgehammer.
2. To beat or assault severely: The police arrested the men who bashed an immigrant in the park.
3. Informal To criticize (another) harshly, accusatorially, and threateningly: "He bashed the . . . government unmercifully over the . . . spy affair" (Lally Weymouth).

Oh, for craps sake. You said something silly and we all had a good laugh.

Lighten up.

 

[MushyMushy]

I think the airplane situation could be very simple.
If you need a seatbelt extension you MUST pay for 2 seats. That would be a clear precise way to start a restriction.

Hey, if I have to pay for an extra suitcase (that I choose to bring) then others should have to pay for extra room they require.

It's not that simple, though. SWA is the airline with the strictest customer of size policy and even they see that they can't put a one-size-fits-all rule on its large customers. Someone spilling into the next seat might not need an extension because all of their weight is in their bottom. Or the person who needs one JUST has a big belly and doesn't impinge on the next person at all. And what's worse, you might have a 350 pound linebacker who's all shoulders totally impinging on your space, but he doesn't count because he fits well within the armrests.

I think they have a good policy, but the customers don't follow it. Personally, I'm all for the policy. Even though I'm not uber obese and don't need two seats, I'd still get them for comfort's sake. But not everybody thinks like me.

I still don't know what the answer is.

 

[MushyMushy]

I am not seeing any humor in singling out a single person and using a quote as something for humor. THAT is definitely bashing

And you few people that think they are superior to everyone posting definitions because we are "ignorant to the correct meaning", even though it's a common word and you would have to be stupid to not know what it means, here is a taste of your own medicine

Okay, I take back that hug I gave you because you're just being silly.

 

[chicagodisneyfan]

ITA

I get offended when people comment about my weight because I live in a town of sticks. I am not overweight, I am merely one who eats more than one grain of rice a day

This is like me saying to a fat person - you must eat two gallons of ice cream a day. That would be just as rude as your grain of rice comment.

Fat PEOPLE are not disgusting and I would never make a comment about anyones weight - it is none of my business.

But fat in our society is not attractive.

 

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

It's not that simple, though. SWA is the airline with the strictest customer of size policy and even they see that they can't put a one-size-fits-all rule on its large customers. Someone spilling into the next seat might not need an extension because all of their weight is in their bottom. Or the person who needs one JUST has a big belly and doesn't impinge on the next person at all. And what's worse, you might have a 350 pound linebacker who's all shoulders totally impinging on your space, but he doesn't count because he fits well within the armrests.

I think they have a good policy, but the customers don't follow it. Personally, I'm all for the policy. Even though I'm not uber obese and don't need two seats, I'd still get them for comfort's sake. But not everybody thinks like me.

I still don't know what the answer is.

SWA is at least taking a step in the right direction which is more than I can say for the other carriers.