Why it still acceptable....

[Liberty Belle]

No. Being overweight is not necessarily trashy. But with Kevin, who was infamous for wearing wifebeater tank tops, super saggy jeans, and trucker hats while married to one of the possibly richest pop stars of the time, yes. When he dumped his pregnant girlfriend to marry Britney and impregnate her twice, only to later divorce her when she was already at a low point, yes. He was and is Trashy, and letting himself go the way that he has makes people feel that he's just confirming a feelign they've had about him all along.

If he was a classy (not trashy) guy, his gaining of the weight wouldn't even be news, because his acts of goodness to humanity or his own family would overshadow the weight he'd actively gained.

While I agree he does act trashy, his weight has nothing to do with it.

 

[Christine]

No. Being overweight is not necessarily trashy. But with Kevin, who was infamous for wearing wifebeater tank tops, super saggy jeans, and trucker hats while married to one of the possibly richest pop stars of the time, yes. When he dumped his pregnant girlfriend to marry Britney and impregnate her twice, only to later divorce her when she was already at a low point, yes. He was and is Trashy, and letting himself go the way that he has makes people feel that he's just confirming a feelign they've had about him all along.

If he was a classy (not trashy) guy, his gaining of the weight wouldn't even be news, because his acts of goodness to humanity or his own family would overshadow the weight he'd actively gained.

Hmmm...I'm not really following this logic. "Letting himself go" has nothing to do with the fact that he is a dirtbag. Lots of wonderful people "let themselves go" for whatever reason and that does not make them trashy. To me, one's weight has absolutely NOTHING to do with their personality or the amount of grace and class they have. Nothing.

Pure and simple, Kevin Federline is a paparazzi "celebrity" and whether he was a good guy or not, they would have been all over this story.

As for commenting on weight, for "regular" people I don't agree with it. For "celebrity *****s" such as Kevin Federline and most of the people out their pimping themselves to TMZ and the like, they are fair game. Even "good" celebrities go out of their way to get publicity, usually based on their behavior or appearance. Whether it be a jaw-dropping designer gown, newly achieved and toned biceps from their latest personal trainer, or some new hairstyle, these people go out of their way to be noticed and publicized. If you do that, you have to take the good with the bad. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if Kevin Federline gained weight on purpose just so someone would pay attention to him.

 

[Binnie]

I agree. But (medical conditions aside) you don't just wake up obese. It takes years of effort. And it will take the same years of effort to reverse it.
But I still feel it is "healthy" to promote the healthy body.


ETA: for the alcoholic....alcohol is incredibly advertised on TV and "everywhere" too....especially here in the Keys!

I disagree. It doesn't take a lot of effort to get to be Pooh-sized. It can be the antithesis of effort, as in you pay no attention to your own well-being.

And there's a big difference between food addiction and alcoholism. The core dysfunction is the same, but you physically cannot stop eating. You can stop drinking alcohol all together.

 

[denisenh]

I guess that would be when gastric bypass or the lap band could be considered.
Not that I think every overweight person should consider these surgeries except maybe for the food addicted because as you posted, you cannot avoid food.

Just an FYI...gastric bypass (or lapband) surgery does not "cure" a food addiction.

not aimed solely at the poster i have quoted but there really does seem to be a lot of judging of the "greater than ideal weight" folk.......and nearly an equal amount of "ignorant judger's of the greater than ideal weight folk" folk. teehee

 

[autumnpalm]

I think it's terrible the way media outlets criticize celebrities' bodies. Completely unnecessary.

I'm not overweight. I am 5"8 and wear a size 2 or 4, depending on the brand. But I can look through US or People and feel completely horrible about myself by the time I'm finished. No matter what, they will find a flaw with any body. Too skinny. To large. Too much cellulite. Not enough muscle. Too tanned. Too pale. Bad skin... the list goes on. It makes me so happy that I am not a celebrity! You couldn't pay me enough to be constantly in the spotlight like that.

Although North America might be having trouble battling the "obesity crisis" or whatever they're calling it, there's no way that laying off of the slamming of celebrity bodies would suddenly cause our collective weights to rise. That argument just doesn't make any sense to me. Idolizing thinness and making anything over a size 0 seem bad is just as unhealthy as eating McDonald's for every meal!

I choose not to buy tabloids or read TMZ or Perez Hilton or any other type of celebrity news source because they are so full of negative messages. I would much rather save my money for another Disney trip!

 

[Feralpeg]

This country has some really strange ideas about weight. I received a casting notice today from a local agent. They are looking for plus size models. She wants size 10-12. That's now considered plus size. Incredible.

 

[redlight]

This country has some really strange ideas about weight. I received a casting notice today from a local agent. They are looking for plus size models. She wants size 10-12. That's now considered plus size. Incredible.

That's the strange world of modeling.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I agree. But (medical conditions aside) you don't just wake up obese. It takes years of effort. And it will take the same years of effort to reverse it.
But I still feel it is "healthy" to promote the healthy body.


ETA: for the alcoholic....alcohol is incredibly advertised on TV and "everywhere" too....especially here in the Keys!

Sure. But size 0 is probably not especially healthy, and size 20 doesn't automatically mean you're unhealthy.

 

[FireDancer]

If someone is fat pointing out so is not an issue for me. I am short, it is a fact, I have no problem with it being stated. If someone is bald, pointing it out is not an issue. Pointing it out is different than making fun of it but I hate the PC police telling me that stating my opinion is wrong. I do find Kelly Clarkson a bit pudgy, maybe not fat, but pudgy.

Generally speaking Americans are much fatter than most. I spend time in Europe last year and it was startling how thinner the population was over there. I was on a cycling trip and everyone on the trip noticed it.

I don't make fun of weight and am all for helping anyone looking to lose it but if you are unhappy about how you look the reason is in the mirror, not in society. It is not hard to get information as to what is a healthy lifestyle, it is out there and easier to access now than it ever was. If you choose to make poor food choices than don't be surprised if you are called out on it. Yes, everyone has to eat but everyone doesn't have to eat cake or fried Twinkies, eat fruit and vegetables and lean meat. Making healthy choices is easier now than ever, just get the willpower.

 

[TheDisneyGirl02]

I don't make fun of weight and am all for helping anyone looking to lose it but if you are unhappy about how you look the reason is in the mirror, not in society. It is not hard to get information as to what is a healthy lifestyle, it is out there and easier to access now than it ever was. If you choose to make poor food choices than don't be surprised if you are called out on it. Yes, everyone has to eat but everyone doesn't have to eat cake or fried Twinkies, eat fruit and vegetables and lean meat. Making healthy choices is easier now than ever, just get the willpower.

A healthy lifestyle isn't hard to follow - however it is difficult to lose weight. I follow a healthy lifestyle - I eat plenty of fresh fruits and veggies as well as lean meat, however I am having trouble losing weight. I can't tell you the last time I had a Twinkie or even a candy bar. I do eat sweets, but I do so in moderation. Moderation is the key. Just because a person is oveweight doesn't mean that they don't deserve to have a Twinkie or cake within moderation.

It has nothing to do with my will-power because I am used to eating healthy. I have an under-active thyroid which hinders my weight loss.

I didn't like what I saw in the mirror so I decided to change. The change isn't happening as fast as I would like it to, but I'm trying my best. I hate the idea of being judged by what is solely on the outside when that person doesn't even know what is on the inside. No offense, but saying that overweight people don't have the will power is making fun of them.

 

[honugirl]

Firedancer, I'm sure people don't go out of their way to point out the fact that you are short. I'm sure they don't tell you that you need to change yourself and just grow a little more. But being overweight, everyone feels it's their place to tell you what's wrong and how you should fix it.

Some of us cannot help our weight. We have underlying medical conditions that prevent us from losing weight. My body is on steroids, unfortunately, they're naturally produced, but it's like being on high dose prednisone, all day, every day. No matter what I eat, I gain weight. No matter how much I exercise, I gain weight, in fact, exercise raises cortisol, which I don't need since I already have too much!

Eating healthy isn't always an option. I try to eat as healthy as I can, but I have days where the hormones run rampant and I am held hostage by them. If I'm low in cortisol, I go into an addison's crisis and I crave salt to help balance things out, if I'm in a high period, the cortisol causes sugar cravings. It's better for me to have a cookie or two and satisfy the craving than it is for me to eat something that doesn't satisfy it and end up eating more than I should! Just ask a pregnant woman how they feel about food at times and you'll see it more from my perspective. Bananas suddenly become something you can't even walk by without the urge to vomit!

Oddly enough, I just started karate class and it's the one place that I haven't received a single comment about my weight. I kind of expected to be an outcast there because of it. They've accepted me with open arms. In fact, the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu instructor was encouraging me to come out for it! My American Kenpo instructor has welcomed me with open arms too and has encouraged me to do what I can and work as hard as I can. They all believe that even with my disease and my weight, I can achieve something there. I wish everyone was like that. Rather than lecture me, they encourage me to do my best and work up to whatever my potential is. Their can do attitude rubs off and makes me believe that I can do it too!

 

[The Orchid]

I honestly don't understand why people notice what other people look like to such a degree that they would even need to comment on it. I don't just mean weight, either, but any kind of physical characteristic. Who cares what people look like? I think a lot of people miss out on knowing great people because they judge their outer shells before getting to know what is inside. I also think there are many unfortunate souls who become so taken by a person's pretty face or well built body that they end up "in love" with people who are hurtful and manipulative. I feel sorry for both kinds of people, they miss out on so much.

 

[The Orchid]

Some of us cannot help our weight. We have underlying medical conditions that prevent us from losing weight. My body is on steroids, unfortunately, they're naturally produced, but it's like being on high dose prednisone, all day, every day. No matter what I eat, I gain weight. No matter how much I exercise, I gain weight, in fact, exercise raises cortisol, which I don't need since I already have too much!

Oh man, I feel for you. Having been on prednisone for ten years, I soooooo know your pain! Just always remember, the only people who matter are the ones you DON'T have to explain this to unless you want to. I hope you feel better. I read your story on another thread and I know you are newly diagnosed. I hope things get better. It's so hard.

 

[honugirl]

Oh man, I feel for you. Having been on prednisone for ten years, I soooooo know your pain! Just always remember, the only people who matter are the ones you DON'T have to explain this to unless you want to. I hope you feel better. I read your story on another thread and I know you are newly diagnosed. I hope things get better. It's so hard.

Thanks Orchid! I really don't mind explaining it to people because the more people understand about it, maybe the less people will judge. Like anything, education is key!

It's really easy for people to judge and say, well, why doesn't she exercise more? I would if I could. Why doesn't she eat such and such? I would if I could. People really need to get to know someone before they make judgments about them. They could be missing out on an awesome experience!

 

[FireDancer]

I'm sorry but I find the whole cravings argument to be a cop out. Of course when I go to the 4th of July party and there is a table full of cupcakes I crave them, but instead I walk over to the bowl of fruit. When I go to the grocery store I crave what is in the cookie isle, but I don't go down it and buy what is there. Who wouldn't want to eat these things? However, I rarely do. As an example, just today someone brought in a huge tin of homemade potato chips. I had one and only one to try them. I would have loved to grab a bag full but didn't. This is where you have to step up and be accountable for your choices. If you have to have sugar it doesn't have to be a cookie or piece of cake. An apple or peach is full of natural sugar, have that.

I also hear from loads of people that they do everything they can to lose weight yet when I am at their home for food they have cheesy potatoes and sour cream laden dinner choices sitting on their table. I see people who will sit and wait for the closer parking space instead of park further away and walk or people who take the elevator to the second floor of the building while they are complaining about their inability to lose weight. I am still friends with them and won't not be so because of their weight and I don't sit there and pretend to be better, but I also don't pretend not to see what is right in front of my face either. If you are happy being overweight fine, no skin off my nose. Just don't say you wish you were thinner while you are doing things that are contrary to that goal.

The vast majority of my friends fall into these categories and I don't judge them but I notice them and if I hear something like "I wish I wasn't so fat" while they are enjoying a cupcake sitting on the porch asking their kids to bring them something from the fridge I will point out their BS. Put down the cupcake, get off your butt, and do something about it, don't complain. I want to do a triathlon but I don't complain about the fact I can't, I train so that I am able to.

This isn't me sitting here watching the world and making judgments from on high. It is noticing a disconnect between behavior and intent. No one will state that losing weight is easy, it takes work. It takes living a lifestyle conducive to losing weight, not going on diets for 3 months at a time.

I am on the WISH boards all the time and there are people who are struggling with weight. It is very supportive but along with the support comes responsibility. My problem is not with people who are fat and it isn't with people who are doing all they can to get healthier. My problem is with the notion that it is someone else's fault that they are like that. It is with the notion that "I don't know why I am not able to lose wight" while they are not actually doing anything substantial to do so. The people who reward themselves for going to the gym and barely doing anything with a Whopper on the way home. Those people are delusional. Don't want to do something, go out there and do it. I admire the person who is 100 pounds over weight and makes it their goal to walk a 5K and actually goes through steps to accomplish the goal way more than the person who sits on the couch and wonders why they can't lose weight.

Maybe this is harsh but it is how I feel. There is no reason we as a society are unable to maintain an acceptable health standard in this country. More often than not it is laziness, pure and simple. On the rare occasion that the health of an individual keeps them from doing any of this I do feel sorry for them. I also wonder how many people actually do have a medical condition. Further, how many medical conditions would be cured without drugs but a healthier lifestyle. How many people on cholesterol medication or with diabetes would not be in that situation if they had better BMI numbers? While not all a significant enough amount of people. This isn't addressed at the minority with real medical issues, it is addressed at the majority with nothing other than themselves to blame.

 

[TheDisneyGirl02]

I'm sorry but I find the whole cravings argument to be a cop out. Of course when I go to the 4th of July party and there is a table full of cupcakes I crave them, but instead I walk over to the bowl of fruit. When I go to the grocery store I crave what is in the cookie isle, but I don't go down it and buy what is there. Who wouldn't want to eat these things? However, I rarely do. As an example, just today someone brought in a huge tin of homemade potato chips. I had one and only one to try them. I would have loved to grab a bag full but didn't. This is where you have to step up and be accountable for your choices. If you have to have sugar it doesn't have to be a cookie or piece of cake. An apple or peach is full of natural sugar, have that.

I can the same thing in a grocery store. As a matter of fact, I was in a grocery store today where they had wonderful looking prepared food and pastries. I went in to buy fresh cherries (they were $5.00 a pound so sadly I didn't get any) before lunch today. Like I said, I didn't buy them - as a matter of fact I didn't buy one thing. My salad and healthy sandwich were in my car so I didn't need anything. I have the will power, it just doesn't always look like that when people judge me by my exterior.

 

[honugirl]

Firedancer, you are entitled to your opinion.

You can believe the cravings is a load of junk, I'm telling you, it's not. My body tells me what it needs to survive. If I'm craving salt, you darn well better believe it's because I need it, not because I want it. Look up Addison's Disease and you will find stories of patients eating entire jars of pickles and drinking pickle juice. They never understood why until they were diagnosed. I can't find the clip now, but on Mystery Diagnosis, there was a patient that did just that. Salt has an effect on the adrenal glands which are not functioning properly.

You must also not understand how hormones mess with your tastebuds either. I have days where I literally will eat nothing because nothing tastes good. In fact, it doesn't taste like it should or the smell is off putting enough to make me run for the bathroom. Those days I eat what I can stomach so I at least get a few calories in.

This is a clip of my endocrinologist speaking about my syndrome. It was on the National Geographic show, Science of Obesity.

http://video.yahoo.com/watch/1414913/4863752

I eat approximately 1200 calories a day and I walk 4 days a week for an hour and a half and now take karate several days a week depending on how well I feel. Included in karate is a kettle bell workout. I do not lose weight, in fact, I have gained weight since starting.

I used to weigh 140 pounds and skate approximately 20 hours a week. So I understand what's necessary to be healthy and fit. I have in fact trained with the same group that trains the Vancouver Canucks.

 

[honugirl]

Cushing's and Addison's Disease



Here's a quote from the article:

Patients with Addison's disease may also experience intense salt cravings. One woman said her favorite food was "Lipton noodle soup with a jar of pickles, juice and all, dumped into the soup."

 

[S. C.]

No. Being overweight is not necessarily trashy. But with Kevin, who was infamous for wearing wifebeater tank tops, super saggy jeans, and trucker hats while married to one of the possibly richest pop stars of the time, yes. When he dumped his pregnant girlfriend to marry Britney and impregnate her twice, only to later divorce her when she was already at a low point, yes. He was and is Trashy, and letting himself go the way that he has makes people feel that he's just confirming a feelign they've had about him all along.

If he was a classy (not trashy) guy, his gaining of the weight wouldn't even be news, because his acts of goodness to humanity or his own family would overshadow the weight he'd actively gained.

She had no part in it? Bet she knew he had a girlfriend that he dumped for her too! Wouldn't that make her just as bad?

I don't keep up with hollywood very much so please correct me if I am wrong. But I thought he had taken over custody of their children when she wasn't doing right by them?

 

[SereneOne]

I'm in good shape. I watch what I eat and exercise. I don't make fun of overweight people nor do I think it's acceptable to do so.
But on the other hand.....Americans in general are becoming sooooo out of shape.
I don't think that should be "normalized" either. Just because the majority of people are overweight doesn't mean that being fit shouldn't be the goal.
....if that makes any sense.
So while I'm not for criticizing people....I'm also against the push for the plus size models in advertising. Plus size shouldn't be the goal.

And let us add to that by also saying that being a size zero should not be a goal either. Looking like a human lollipop is no more healthy than being obese.