What about fighting the issues that lead to obesity, and to all the health issues associated to obesity, rather than focusing on prejudice agains overweight people?
Not saying that prejudice should be dismissed, or that it's not wrong, but it seems to me that many are missing the point. US has an issue with weight and it's a public health issue.
8
This is not rocket science, its simple. Want to lose weight? Keep your mouth closed.
6
But the psychology behind that decisuon making process is what makes it difficult for some people.
Tha is not the whole truth. Some is what we eat, a lot is how our body processes the food. Genetics, microbiome, etc.
3
I think the metabolically blessed just don't get it. I didn't, when I was effortlessly slim no matter what I ate. That changed radically as I got into my 40's. I now eat less, and weigh much, much more than I did in my youth. My kids have actually asked me how it's possible. "We see what you have at meals, mom--you eat the least, why are you the overweight one?"
12
There is not one thing that there is to be "fat." Here are three different things that might mean. First, some people's genetic disposition is to be heavy. That is just the way it is. Of course, one can be aware of this and try to be as healthy as one can within such bounds, but that is all that can be done. People have to accept that.
2. One can be overweight because of decisions one makes about what one eats. Such decisions may be contained socio-economically, but there are ways to carry a healthy weight within one's genetic predispositions (see 1 above) that exist at any socio-economic station. It is a mistake to pass off twenty lust to class.
3. One's weight is age-sensitive. Much of the bullying has to do with late bloomer,s who integrate weight later than their early-blooming peers. As such, the bullying is not (usually) just about weight. It is combined with other peer group cruelties, most off which hinge on sexual dominance within peer group (for both boys and girls). Here's a story: my son was a late bloomer. He was also a soccer wiz. Hiss skills were much better than his male peers at his age, but given the way American soccer is played which is not skills-based but speed based, he fell a bit behind and was subject to negative stereotyping. Guess what happened? He caught up and he was the one who is a college atheletic recruit.
2
Parents have to teach children about self esteem and respecting differences. Until that happens, fat bias and discrimination will continue.
6
When my daughter was in her preteen years, she cried because she was overweight. It broke my heart. This was an outgoing, engaging child with a smile that lit up a room. She was learning to hate herself in school. She is now a very curvy young woman with a knock out figure that would have been unfashionable just a few years ago. Now, she knows how to eat well and exercise to remain healthy. She knows her own body. I am so proud that she overcame the shaming she was subjected to.
4
Something very apparent to me in the comments (and in the wild) is a need to justify this bias. "Well, fat people eat too much, and they're not active enough, and..."
Okay. So? There are plenty of thin people who indulge in junk food and aren't very active either; we just don't see that reflected in their person.
It's the conditions people seem to be putting on others in order to treat them kindly that bothers me. I'm not fat (I used to be what you'd call chubby) but whether the person overeats, or eats the "wrong" things or doesn't work out doesn't mean that they're not a decent person or a good friend or a competent employee. The judgment is what I find disturbing.
16
Its not about conditions, its about self control and the very apparent lack of it.
3
This is an interesting topic. My mother, a single parent of three children for most of my childhood, is a hardworking woman. She cleaned houses to help make ends meet and when I was older I joined her. Still at home and in family settings she suffered from debilitating mental illness (then speculated, but undiagnosed). My mother is also overweight. As a child I began to form strongly held beliefs of the laziness of obese people. These ideas permeated throughout high school. By the time I was in college I began to confront some of these biases, but the foundation was set. Even to this day I have to actively question assumptions I make of strangers.
However, just as many stereotypes are pernicious toward groups but easily dismissed in one-on-one personal encounters and counter-examples, so too did I find myself understanding "So-and-so is active, they struggle with weight for other reasons than life choices and exerted effort." I think there's a lesson here for us all in how we address how we view others in the world. We know that health and physical challenges transcend race, gender and other traditionally drawn lines of discrimination but here it lies in front of us to confront and I think we're a little more open about our thinking in this regard. Wouldn't it be great if we could expand our worldview just enough to include assumptions about other groups - even for those of us who are 'allies' of those groups? Sometimes we need a little perspective too.
2
Interesting... I was obese as a child, and received a lot of torment. I discovered running as a convenient form of returning from one-way paper route, and I just learned a whole new way of living on my own, with no help from anyone. I had the unique pleasure of later tormenting my tormentors time and again in various physical pursuits. They weren't really fit, just "normal weight", and it proved easy to run circles around them in just about everything. It was petty and silly in retrospect, but a lot of sweet fun and revenge that I still enjoy 40 years later.
In the process, I got used to the crazy rigor it takes to be normal weight if you're not naturally calibrated to be so. I've been a lifelong competitor in all kinds of endurance pursuits - things I enjoy to this day, and I find as fantastic ways to relate intimately to new places and situations.
But, I totally get how it's not for everyone. And, I will also say that our advice to the obese is dishonest. A few days of 30 minute gym classes or whatever is not going to cut any serious weight for you. I train very hard for 10-12 hours a week, structured around distance, speed, and power workouts. Same goes for diet - the prescriptions are far too gentle to produce results. Alcohol is completely off the table if slenderness is what you seek. That's a deal-killer for a lot of people right there.
3
I agree with you 100% about the prescriptions offered. I'm about 15 above my ideal weight. It's not a lot but being short it makes more of difference to the size of my clothes than it would were I taller. When I was at ideal weight, what my doctor and most people would agree was athletically slender and toned, I had to work out for about 2 - 3 hour mostly days - running and weight training mostly. Fairly easy to devote that time when I was single and injury free but much harder now that I'm married and must take into account the needs of another person. Now, I do about enough to be considered average sized/not fat, and much of that includes lifestyle choices like walking and biking to where I need to go, limiting alcohol, and observing portion sizes. The healthy lifestyle absolutely requires that I socialize with others with those same values so it is no surprise that most of my friends and my husband are in the average to thin category. I've tried to have friendships with overweight but otherwise nice, interesting people but most of them have physical limitations (mostly knee and hip problems) that preclude my favorite activities. And don't get me started on over consumption of alcohol.
"...weight stigmatization was linked to greater caloric intake, less exercise and energy expenditure, less weight loss..."
In other words, whatever psycho-babble you want to apply, calorie consumption and calorie expenditure still determine the outcome. Yes, people differ genetically, but unless only fat people reproduced after 1800 (which is obviously absurd) the gene pool today is the same as it was 200 years ago. Yet there was almost no obesity then. Something else changed, and that is our behavior.
Fat shaming and stigmatization may be unfair and cruel, but there is a whole industry now dedicated to relieving people of any responsibility for their condition. Unsurprisingly, this fat-justification industry is supported by the companies that push toxic, fattening food on us. The "fat acceptance" lobby even tries to claim that medical evidence of obesity's terrible health consequences is just another form of "fat-shaming". This is true cruelty, masquerading as sympathy.
The truth is that a combination of socio-industrial factors and personal behavior are responsible for the obesity crisis. Ignoring or marginalizing either explanation makes solving the problem impossible. As a child of obese parents, and who has avoided obesity through a lifetime of exercise and reasonable eating, I know whereof I speak.
6
@charles:
"Calorie in, calories out" logic is like saying "planes crash because of gravity" or "the winning team scores more points." It's true in an obvious way, but useless to explain _why_ the process is happening.
You've correctly ruled out genetics, but you missed a huge variable: the food changed. Different types and qualities of foods have different effects on hunger/satiety, metabolic rate, fat storage, insulin response, etc, etc, all independent of calories and behavior.
2
In the US, obesity is to some extent a class issue, and one that has to do with the family-imbued capacity for delayed gratification. How many fat rich people do you know? If you eat high quality food in reasonable proportion you should be OK.
Social acceptance of obesity is - I will suggest - one of the key factors that facilitates its spread across the country. Only a few people - such as the Pima Indians, or the Tongans/Samoans - have the genetics excuse. Depression, my friends, is NOT an excuse to eat like there is no tomorrow.
7
I do agree that weight, as with smoking, is tied to class and education in many (not all) cases. I personally do not know anyone in my professional or social circles who smokes or who is fat, let alone obese. Weight is a matter of choice in most cases, or more accurately, a series of choices. What, how much, and how often to eat or to exercise.
2
When I was in college I had a friend who was so painfully thin that her doctor had her hospitalized for a medical work-up. They found nothing wrong, but some time later she told me she had solved the problem. When I asked how, she said she found a skinny doctor.
So, two things learned. People come in different sizes (she's still thin) and other people's perceptions about what is 'normal' can depend on what they themselves look like.
3
I think weight bias will gradually diminish and then be extinguished forever, as there are very few people of normal weight left in the United States even right now.
3
Don’t forget the many prescription drugs that cause fast weight gain. Wonder how many overweight people you see in public gained 30 pounds from antidepressants or other drugs. Some of which also shift metabolism drastically so that it can take three years to lose the weight after stopping. Americans take a lot of these types of drugs.
8
What amazed me, as a kid, was that my (fat) father criticized me CONSTANTLY for what I ate, saying I would get fat. The worst possible thing, in his view, was that I would be a fat kid -- and I the biggest of us three kids, even though I was the middle child. The irony, of course, is that I look just like my dad. My siblings, who were very slight/skinny, looked just like my mom. I grew up to be OK - not big, not little, but I cannot stand to be around my dad to eat... still.
3
When I was a teenager and a young adult, many years ago, a McDonalds cheeseburger had 300 calories and 12 grams of fat. Right now a quarter-pounder with cheese has 530 calories and 27 grams of fat. The norms of what a meal is have changed, and the food industry has had a lot to do with this. You can still drive through McDonalds and order a "mouthwatering, original hamburger," 250 calories and 8 grams fat, but how many of us would still be content with that tiny hamburger? But that is what we ordered in the 50s and the 60s before we knew any better. And before the invention of the "pico guacamole with 100% pure beef 1/4 lb patty" 580 calories and 33 grams fat." The times have changed and we have also changed.
6
I was thinking about this the other day when I remember that two thin strips of bacon and an egg with one piece of toast was my big breakfast in the 80s. I think that most would riot if served that out.
Posting under my BFs screen name. Im the gorgeous size 14.(yeah, I am gorgeous!) I come from a big family, but none of us are obese, or fat. We're just big people. As a child I was always active, played all sorts of sports, ice hockey with my brothers, track and field in HS, volleyball scholarship in College. And as an adult continue to be active. I eat appropriately, for nutrition and occasional pure pleasure. But in normal, not super sized amounts.
BF and I prep our daily meals, and do not rely on the uncertainty of the work day, or the influencing of hunger pangs to steer our food choices.
Some dolts may call me fatty, many did growing up, but I know the truth, and so does my health checkups. (BTW, the BMI is a grossly overinflated indicator, look it up!) And so does the mirror. Flat where it should be, curved where it needs to be. Im fitter them most people men and women my age, inside and out.
Severely overweight, medically obese people are not just "big people," they are a whole health issue and set of circumstances unto themselves. And the public, but especially this author, and other reporting on this topic, should learn the difference.
No one can shame me. They might insult me, but they cant shame me, as I could likely best them in any number of ways. I was born this way, I wasn't turned into a big person due to my parents dietary abuses, or seeking food as comfort.
Size 14 and crushing it !
8
I don't think size 14 is - big! It's not a "plus size..."
2
I'm not criticizing her, but size 14 is also not trim or svelte, it is on the large size and unless she is very tall, it is heavy. And despite her claims, recent studies show that you cannot be fit and large at the same time. Common sense would tell us that to be really healthy, neither extreme - model thin or heavy is good no matter how we try to justify them.
She probably is very tall if she got a volleyball scholarship in college.
My thin father fat-shamed me his entire life. My mother was also fat, but the disapproval and caustic comments were reserved only for me. After he died, I achieved a normal weight.
21
How many articles have I read, in this very paper and elsewhere, saying that long term weight loss is neigh impossible for the obese who lose weight? That a high percent regain most or more. All due to their bodies being "engineered" (due to the abrupt losses, their brains, lack of behavior changes, genetics) to be obese.
Which is it?
I admit, I'm biased, but only to certain types of obesity. 1. The grossly, way out of control type. Where getting around demands a scooter. Where there is no discernible hominid shape left. Where health issues are many, where they could smother themselves sleeping. Where the body is now a bulbous mass of fat cells ready burst. I'm sickened by them, and also by their enablers. Its not simply one person who is obese, but its a family, a group circling around and enabling the sickness. Those people are complicit in abuse.
2. Over weight people who refuse to admit they DO EAT more then a few bites every day. Who are constantly talking about dieting, starting an exercise regimen - but its always tomorrow, next week, after X, or Y. Who sit around yentering about diet, nutrition, exercise like they know what they're talking about.
But as for some bigger people, nope no bias. If they are regular in their intake, move because they like to move, maintain a positive attitude, do not abuse their bodies, but are simply bigger - no issues. I date a size 14, and she's gorgeous, model gorgeous, toned. Professionally employed. A stellar individual.
3
So do you decide which fat people fall in to your categories for justifiable disdain? How long does it take for you too make this judgement? Is there a questionnaire? The idea that you can decide why people are fat and therefore deserving of your bias and disdain is ludicrous and a clear sign of a total across the board fat bias.
Further you date a person, not a "size 14" which is not even a plus size, seeing as average for women is 12, so your girlfriend is kind of irrelevant here
11
I was obese for a short period of time due to an eating disorder. I cannot tell you the loathing I received from others. Men especially were contemptuous of me just for existing. I lost a lot of weight and am now slim. Now I never experience the kind of unprovoked nastiness that I did when I was fat. That is not fair. Nobody should be treated badly just for having a big body. I will never shame anyone for being fat.
29
Everyone has deep-seated, psychological issues. As I have said to people who criticized my weight or the weight of others, we are just 'wearing' ours.
8
Reading through the comments there are a lot of folks who don't understand the difficulty of weight loss. I tracked my calories for a period of three years straight. When I've lost down to my goal weight I burn around 1200 calories per day, even with intense daily exercise. When I have too much stress in my life to find foods that will work within that limit I gain (think about work lunches, kids' parties, and other times you can't pick your food). It's not something you can change and is well documented in weight loss research. This is why only 5% of dieters are successful and keeping the weight off is nearly impossible for most. My only way to fight back to help my children never gain the weight in childhood and to somehow fight the fat shaming language being taught to them by everyone - including their grandparents. I realize that every time I lapse in my attention to my diet I will gain and that probably will not change for me as long as I live. It is demanding and intrusive to never be able to relax around food and just eat till you are full because your body cues do not work correctly. Normally when I am killing it at work and doing my best with great results, my weight grows because I've focused on my research instead of spending hours planning meals, going to expensive exercise classes that do not further my work, and charting calories. It's very frustrating and rude attitudes do not help.
21
None of this worked for me until I discovered low-carb/ketogenic eating.
I just...don't eat sugar or starches, really. I haven't counted a calorie for years.
A child who weighs 350 pounds at age 13 is doomed. In the short term he will be regarded as a freak by his teachers, and some of his peers. There may very well be no long term because coronary artery disease is probably already established, perhaps advanced. Darwin or DNA? We cannot decide.
3
We tell ourselves what we want to believe.
2
You can change your BMI. You can't change your skin color.
11
Aaah, but there are many who cannot change their BMI, and that is exactly the problem with those who would discriminate against the obese/overweight, assuming that weight it easily changeable. If weight were so easily changeable, wouldn't all those who suffer from being overweight -- and believe me, they DO suffer -- opt to lose weight immediately? Of course they would!
Also, Joe, skin color is not an immutable characteristic, as you seem to believe. There are ways to change one's skin color - bleach to lighten, sun/UV to darken, even topical dyes if one does not want to suffer UV damage. SO, it is difficult to change both your BMI and your skin color, which is probably why most people have such a hard time doing either one.
2
It's so sad to see people speak out against this article. The author is just trying to help human beings...lots of them. Your words are a reflection on you.
15
FYI
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2897177/
Are there variation in metabolic rates between individuals?
If so, how much does it account for weight differences?
2
Reading the comments, I don't understand why people are so committed to making assumptions. I think back to grade school ('70's and '80's), and there were overweight kids back then, too. Many of them ate the same school lunch as everyone else, ran around on the playground, and were still overweight. If you really talk to people who have to work extremely hard to stay thin, you find that they are eating much less than is 'normal' for their age and height. Why is it so hard to entertain the possibility that their are differences in their metabolism?
18
There were fat people back then, but they were the exception. And they usually had some sort of ethnic causes. Their families ate as a form of entertainment and constant gathering of the clan. Italians, Greeks, Jewish families...where the family dynamics revolved around the dining table. And/or the food industries. Cliched, but true.
Now its boundless, and most of it has to do with the SAD, Standard American Diet...which is full of nutritionally deficient foods,and chemicals - and lots of them! Mega doses of lousy food, compounded by less activity, more sedentary lives.
People do have different metabolisms, but starting out as newborns, excluding early manifesting genetic factors, we all are pretty equal in that regards. Its then environments (and genetics) that help tweak the metabolisms as we age. If a child is mostly inactive, but consumes more food then needed, their metabolism will change over time, and be set very low as they mature. Thereby setting them up for dieting failures. Which in the US are typically always calorie restriction (starvation) diets...one after another, that do nothing but push that rate down and down.
One cure for the American population. Stop making food entertainment. Go back to making it about nutrition, fuel for the body. Entertainment is the wrong approach to marketing food.
1
People addicted to eating are no different than people with other addictions. You never get addicted to things that are neutral, you get addicted to substances that LOWER tensions and stress once you take them in.
And people only start doing so if they don't see any other way to lower stress anymore.
All other tools are based on a rather strong sense of self-esteem (to exercise, change habits, ... ), but once your stress levels are this high, you often develop pretty low self-esteem, so in general, those tools are NOT available to obese people.
In that case, the only way out is to recognize the fact THAT you take these substances in order to lower stress, and lowering stress IS an act of self-kindness and self-esteem. So the very fact that you're binge eating or drinking too much for your own long term health, proves THAT you care about yourself and do your best to manage stress on a daily basis.
Once you can FEEL how this is the GOOD part in yourself acting each time you eat or drink, you can start using this awareness in order to slowly turn to other, more efficient and less damaging ways of self-kindness, which in the end may lead to no longer needing to eat/drink/... .
And as human beings are essentially social creatures, nobody can teach us better HOW to love ourselves than the loving presence of others. For the same reason, nothing can hurt us so much as criticism from others - reinforcing our own, dictatorial inner critic, and as a consequence, stress ...
8
Ana - all fine and good. But people learn their eating habits from their primary loving "others"- their parents, their grandparents, etc. Obese parents, grandparents,etc, nurturing their children...turn out obese children. Fat shaming parents can turn out neurotic anorexics, or bulimics.
So maybe we need to intervene in families and stop the abuse...?
Excuses are nothing less than well rehearsed lies we tell ourselves to keep from doing the right thing. Reading all the excuses being offered here is disheartening.
Apologists such as this writer are fooling no one. They try to disguise the fact they are covering for themselves by altruistically defending the likeminded.
“We all need to move away from the current appearance-focused culture and recognize that other things matter more than what a person looks like,” she said.
Fat is not about appearance, Brody. Fat is about health. It’s about mobility. It’s about being able to run two blocks to save your own life, get out the car window after a crash, rescuing your kids when the house is on fire. Fat is voluntary. Fat is a negative mirror of one’s self esteem. We don’t denigrate those who embrace overindulgence in alcohol, cigarets, chaw, drugs and all the other health-destroying entertainments because of their “appearance” due to their embracing these things. We denigrate them for the damage they do to themselves and all those forced to endure their choice.
12
Well, that sums up the point of this article pretty well, concerning "fat bias" ... :-)
Here's where you're wrong: you seem to believe that people who look fat somehow behave irresponsibly, and that being so fat is "voluntary" and as a consequence their own fault.
Then you go on to believe that the solution, as a consequence, must be "fat shaming": denigrate those people, socially punish behavior that is bad for them.
You do seem to get the low self-esteem aspect though. So at least your conception of fat people is linked to one proven aspect of it. But here's the thing: denigrate and punish people with low self-esteem, and their self-esteem will sink even lower, which creates enormous emotional and physical stress, and binge eating is exactly how you can concretely lower that stress a LITTLE bit at least.
So what you have to understand is that people who eat when they're stressed, do so in order to LOWER the tension in their bodies, in other words to HELP rather to damage themselves. Eating, as an obese person, IS an act of self-esteem. It's just that it's not the most efficient one, but you first have to know HOW to increase your self-esteem in a different way before you can start using other tools.
Included in the "how" question is the fact that you have to find something "essentially good" in yourself, and then build from there on. So the more an obese person is surrounded by people actively remembering this essence, the more other options become available too.
9
Blame the inescapable inclusion of sugars, particularly the cheap high-fructose corn syrup, in just about every conceivable food eaten in America. Blame helicopter parents who won't allow kids to have a normal life of outdoor activity. And blame inactivity coupled with gluttony. It's just a Darwinian selection of culling out those people unable to curb their inordinate appetites.
3
Ana - not all overweight people suffer from low self-esteem. You are broad brushing and claiming its scientific.
The esteem may be lowered for some, once they are ridiculed and/or shamed a few dozen times, but a child is not becoming obese due to low-self esteem. They are being raised to be obese by typically obese adults. Or fat shaming parents, who are neurotic, and passing that down to their kids.
Whenever little Carl has a setback and Granma gives him food to make him feel better, she's teaching him that food is a substitute for hard work. Or standing up to bullies,etc.
You expect children to be as self-aware as an adult, to stop what they often can NOT control....their parents, etc who are feeding them lousy food as form of comfort, or entertainment.
2
As an obese male child I couldn't compete in sports with the thinner kids. As a result I would be put into right field BEHIND the right fielder (who was also not in great shape) in case the rare ball got past him. In just about any sport except golf I was the last person chosen for the team.
When I reached my mid 20's, at about 340 pounds, and after countless attempts at dieting I finally succeeded and lost more than half that weight. I thought that once I lost the weight I would have more confidence in myself and could be accepted in society. But the self image that I developed in my early life never went away (I'm 70 now): I still see myself as fat and still feel like an outsider. Lose weight because it makes a healthier body but don't be so sure it will make you feel better emotionally.
22
I am not heavy and have never been heavy. I have had remarks made about my eating habits because of this. This has caused problems with co workers and even one of my bosses. In all cases I've stayed silent.
I would never lecture anyone with weight issues on what to do because you never know what genetic or medical histories people have. That said, I can tell you that in general discussions with people with weight problems (former roommate) our habits regarding eating and exercise were very different. I am aware that these habits were taught to me and are not to a lot of people, so preaching accountability is a lesson in futility. Compassion and guidance if requested is something I've offered.
Yes, the food industry is a culprit, however, explaining in a logical fashion the detriment to your over all health is an imperative. That paired with a tailored, logical plan from a nutritionist and one's own doctor would help. That said, people do have to take the necessary steps to try to help themselves not only physically, but first and foremost emotionally.
2
Discrimination starts with teachers and parents and politicians who pound into us that being overweight is wrong, that we can control our eating, that we are lazy because we don't exercise and gluttinous because we eat. Surgeons won't perform operations unless we lose weight. Airlines want to charge us more for taking up too much space rather than increasing the cramped seats that everyone sits in. And it's nearly impossible to find stylish clothes and shoes in a Main Street stores that are larger sizes. No wonder us plus-size people feel worthless, because everyone in society makes us feel that way..
Are you aware that fifty years ago we simply did not have the tidal wave of super-fat people weighing 300-500 pounds. Didn't exist. Why?
Nor did we have the absurdly skinny women at the other end of the spectrum. Why?
7
I beg to differ. "You can never be too rich or too thin." Wallis Simpson. 1936.
7
The "cure" for fat bias is the same as it is for any other bias.
Don't be the source of the negative stereotypes.
I'm a Conservative Southern White guy. The thing I do to fight the bias I see in society against white conservatives, who society increasingly sees as racist, homophobic, hateful bigots, is to not be any of those things myself, and merely insist on sharing my own values and principles on their merits, rather than allowing those values to be assigned to me based on the attitudes and prejudices of others, in the exact same way that I am supposed to do for other people to avoid those qualities myself.
It's not right to just hate an entire group of people over anything, including obesity. But it's always perception based on evidence that forms the negative opinions that spawn prejudice in people. With things like race, those perceptions and evidence are generally very underinformed and narrow.
The only problem with obesity, is that many of the facts of the matter show obesity in a very negative light on its merits, making obesity far easier to use as a means to form prejudice than something like race.
The old saying goes, "Haters gonna hate". Shallow, insecure people will always find something about their fellow humans to justify the false sense of superiority they need to hide from their own inadequacies.
The cure has always been the same. Ignore the haters and rise above, because nobody is going to elevate you above them but yourself.
2
It is long past time for this conversation. I just hope it gets a little more into the associated behaviors besides "eating". There was not an obesity epidemic when I was young and I received all the negative attention. I developed a strategy of competition. I simply bested the others in my school at academics, most athletics, band, and any other activity that came along. But that dysfunctional reaction wasn't a cure all. I was very aware of the biases and sought to avoid any physical movement in my life that would bring negativity. I didn't go to dances. I didn't go to parties even when invited. I never went swimming in public. I became hyper-sensitive about dress, make-up, and how I physically moved when in a public sphere. I never walked to the store on my own--afraid someone would drive by and make a rude comment. I became my own control monster limiting the negative reactions. In turn this limited my mobility and my own social network. I carried this behavior into adulthood. As an adult I eat better and healthier than my relationships ("...certainly not as much!"--they exclaim). I note the distinctions between our daily micro-movements. For example, in a motel room, my partner is pacing the floor. I am sitting. He is out to get coffee. I wait his return. He moves even when talking. I don't. My behavior remains to not draw attention to myself unless there is a value to be gained. This is the ultimate consequence, in my view, of being bullied.
8
I was an overweight, or fat, child. While growing up, my parents always said, "Eat everything on your plate. People are starving in other parts of the world."The parental guidance caused me to overeat, and therefore the fat child was born. At school it was a problem. I was called "big as a barn" by some, and made to feel humiliated more often than not. I can identify with overweight kids and adults. They are shamed by the mores of our society, which seems to idolize skinny. The average size in the US for women is a 16. We must look at heavy people as people, with lives and personalities. Not everyone can be "skinny."
4
True, Nor does anyone need to weigh 300-400-500 pounds.
7
Sorry, but an "appearance-focused culture" is hard-wired into our evolutionary genesis. All of us choose mates (and make value judgments) based on appearance; and facial symmetry (good looks) and normal, proportional weight (good health) are among the primary evolutionary determinants.
Obesity in America has skyrocketed in the past 50 years. While there are numerous reasons for the spike, those reasons include a lack of self-control and societal acceptance of over-eating caused weight gain. Better to teach children not to overeat than to teach children to be accepting of obesity.
15
The goal is to teach people not to be cruel to others. That ought to happen irrespective of weight.
5
People told me constantly it was genetics and I was built like my dad when in reality I had taken on the bad habits of my father and low and behold I became built like my dad. It took me a long time to realize something so simple: there were no monster genes making me fat but rather basic science at work...calories in vs calories out. Again the calories in were more a coping mechanism than simple nutrition which was a learned behavior from my father, but what compounded the problem was people's reaction to it, well your dad is obese so it makes sense you would be. I was defeated before I even started. People need to face their problem rather than feeling like some victim of the genetic lottery or a disease.
11
Or of social norms (not that we are allowed to have these any more, thanks to the PC Police). In the good old days (before the agricultural lobby got the government to subsidize corn syrup), social norms would have ridiculed the grossly obese as well as the concentration-camp-skinny "fit" disciples.
2
“We all need to move away from the current appearance-focused culture and recognize that other things matter more than what a person looks like,” she said.
I agree with this whole heartedly however I do have to take a stand against them using the phrase "people who have obesity". We have a tendency to treat obesity as if it were a disease similar to cancer that just spreads and therefore deflects the blame from the person who is obese. That is not a helpful stance either. It is not shaming to say what a person eats and their lack of exercise has lead to their obesity (regardless of their psychological state because I fully acknowledge obesity is a sign more often than not of underlying psychological issues), those are the facts. The fact is that person's actions have made them obese. When we treat obesity like a disease we are taking away people's ability to own how they became obese and thus change.
14
It's too bad we don't turn our "fat bias" against those corporations, government agencies and others who promote the carbohydrate, sugar and corn-syrup diets that have led us to a point where the average dress size for women in America is a size 16 (and that's vanity sizing). No one wants to be obese or even overweight. More and more studies show that large numbers of people are insulin resistant, which is caused by, among other things, an over-ingestion of carbohydrates and sugars. Metabolic issues like this also make it extremely difficult to lose weight and can cause a body to become weight-loss resistant. Also, once someone is overweight, studies show that after they lose weight, they must eat much LESS than an always-slim person to maintain the lower weight. As with any other bias, people should inform themselves before deciding that it's OK to judge and condemn fat people.
13
Unless there has been a massive mutation it is not as some folks note about genetics. It is about changes in the nature of what we eat and what is available. Too much sugar, corn syrup and processing of foods to the point they have little more than caloric value. It is easy to change and tastes good too. Cook your own food. No soda etc. Drink water or juice with no additional sugar. Try fresh fruit instead of other stuff for desert. Maybe a little honey on top. Make exercise a part of your life and mix intensity with resistance. The more lean tissue you have the higher your base metabolic rate. There is not genetic model to support changes in the past few decades and if it was possible the X-Men would be real.
5
Gee. What helpful suggestions that most overweight people would not think of. My obesity specialist told me that I was genetically programmed to gain weight quickly and lose it slowly - a great evolutionary advantage in the days of feast and famine, but not so much in our abundant society, i have lost 100 pounds but struggle everyday and must eat much less than others to maintain a weight that is merely overweight and not obese. Look up some research on the complexity of this medical issue.
4
It's reasonable to surmise we're hardwired to shun what our primitive brain senses as unhealthy.
It's civilization that makes us understand that someone with a disability is still a fully-worthy person. But there's nothing surprising in very small children disliking--or at least noticing and remarking upon--what doesn't seem "normal."
Obesity isn't healthy. It doesn't feel good to be overweight. It doesn't look good, either. We're naturally attracted to what we perceive as attractive. That's not a moral failing, though we must indeed learn to be better than our instincts.
But please don't cast the accusatory net with such wild abandon. We shun what doesn't seem to be good survival material. That's biological common sense, though it's not morally appropriate.
6
Two of my childhood friends--sisters--not only became obese via constant eating, but adopted 17 cats between them and fed the cats to obesity as well. To the point that at least one cat was put on medicine for diabetes.
When they had a specific goal, they lost weight. When they had no goal, they rewarded themselves with food.
The younger one shattered her ankle in a car accident. Her excess weight crippled her. A woman who used to love to go walking, who played tennis and learned to ice skate, has been using a cane for well over a decade. She knows her recovery was hampered by her weight. She didn't care enough to change her behavior. She preferred the big bags of chips to mobility.
5
Not for us to judge!
1
When I was a child I was skinny but then I started taking steroids . I have survived because of steroids but I am no longer skinny. I am always pulled between a wish to satisfy my appetite and knowing tht if I eat less I will weigh less.
1
"A very slender friend recently admitted to me that she 'can’t stand to be around fat people.'"
Interesting. I can't stand to be around people who are so tedious that they concern themselves with the weight or looks of other people. Mind-numbingly intolerable.
Interesting. I can't stand to be around people who are so tedious that they concern themselves with the weight or looks of other people. Mind-numbingly intolerable.
20
Easy there Amanda.....I don't like to be around anyone who has an unhealthy addiction, and well....food addiction is the most common.
4
And it is not as if there is any research that might explain an unconscious bias ingrained in virtually all of us towards "others" - oh wait - there is actually a well written article - just to the left of this comment - that describes this exact phenomenon.
1
From the article: "[P]eople currently struggling with weight problems can’t wait for a society-wide reformation that may help to absolve them of personal responsibility for their weight." Why should people who are overweight because they overeat, make poor food decisions and don't exercise be "absolve[d]" of "personal responsibility for their weight"? Not to say they should be discriminated against. Or humiliated. But, surely, they are responsible for their weight. And should be encouraged by society to eat moderately and healthfully and to exercise.
11
As an employer -- service profession, no manual labor -- I have hired quite a few obese staff and colleagues, and never once have I treated them any differently because of their weight. (I'm not talking mildly overweight; I'm talking obese as in not being able to run or easily climb a couple of flights of stairs.)
Unfortunately, it was striking that every single obese person who came to my company was a problem employee or a problem colleague. Perhaps these folks suffered from bullying or earlier discrimination, but their problems were real and serious -- everything from lying and theft to underperformance and unreliablility. Frankly, it is not an employer's job to be a therapist, or to be a charity. An employer just needs people who do their jobs.
Currently it is not illegal to discriminate against fat people, and given my experiences, I admit to doing exactly that: If two equally qualified people were to apply for a position and one were obese, I would hire the other one.
Unfortunately, it was striking that every single obese person who came to my company was a problem employee or a problem colleague. Perhaps these folks suffered from bullying or earlier discrimination, but their problems were real and serious -- everything from lying and theft to underperformance and unreliablility. Frankly, it is not an employer's job to be a therapist, or to be a charity. An employer just needs people who do their jobs.
Currently it is not illegal to discriminate against fat people, and given my experiences, I admit to doing exactly that: If two equally qualified people were to apply for a position and one were obese, I would hire the other one.
8
I am a fat, poor employee. I miss too much work due to serious depression and anxiety. Do I wish I were different? Absolutely. I have been in years of therapy, on many different meds, and nothing seems to work. I know my eating is self medicating. I am an educated person who truly wants to work. I also want/need to lose weight but even hospital plans don't work. I'd give anything to eat less and move more. I'd also give anything if my problems couldn't be seen. There are lots of things you can't see that are much worse than eating, so the next time you judge someone like me, please know that if it were as simple as a phrase there would be no fatties.
9
Liz
you CAN eat less and move more - anything is possible -
I am a cancer survivor and unfortunately a chemo victim . life saving and life changing
get it now before it gets you...I had to quit drinking to take chemo , make it your own forced regime , slow and steady
p.s. I drank a lot
you CAN eat less and move more - anything is possible -
I am a cancer survivor and unfortunately a chemo victim . life saving and life changing
get it now before it gets you...I had to quit drinking to take chemo , make it your own forced regime , slow and steady
p.s. I drank a lot
3
Liz,
Your forthright and frank comment just pierced my armor. I'm so sorry that you are suffering and that so many other people suffer. I am all too familiar with depression, anxiety and eating disorders. Ugh. At the risk of sounding annoying and presumptuous I urge you to try mindfulness based stress reduction. Give it two months.Everyone has their issues to be sure but you can change your brain and thus your life. It's cheap, chemical free and profound. I am proof.
Good luck.
1
I was overweight as a child, largely due to poor eating habits encouraged by a parent. I was ridiculed by the other parent. This didn't help and I grew up thinking that I deserved this type of abuse. Unfortunately, it carried over into other areas of my life. Parents, please don't do this. Provide guidance in a loving and supportive way.
8
I have mixed feelings about this topic. I've been teased for not measuring up to all kinds of standards, including not being afraid to express my opinion. Teasing is not the same as discrimination, however. I've always had to watch my weight; did I not I would certainly be overweight. I am no way skinny but compared to most of my middle aged peers am often referred to as slim and in good shape. This can be attributed to lifestyle choices I started making in my late teens - getting daily exercise, limiting deserts and high calorie soft drinks, and observing portion sizes. I've never engaged in extreme or fad diets because they can't be sustained. I agree that genetics plays a role but only to the extent that poor lifestyle choices (in some cases lack of healthy options or opportunities) lead to worse outcomes. In the debate over nature vs nurture, most of us seem to agree that it's about 50/50 with most things. I am convinced it begins with a lifetime commitment to moderation and movement. Visit other western countries where people typically walk and ride bikes instead of hopping in the car for a 1 - 2 mile trip. I've traveled all over Europe and while one sees all body types, but little morbid obesity. My mom made healthier diet choices and carried less overweight than her mom (who subsisted on southern fried everything). I added daily exercise, including weight training, and carry around significantly less fat and have much more strength than my mom.
2
I think what we need to sensitize people is about their well-being. There is no ideal weight. A weight should be determined by an individual and no other being has a right to give an unsought advice to another on this topic. People should be comfortable in their skin. Many a times, I have observed people with healthy frame pushing underweight people to eat more and facing refusal they declare underweight people psychologically disturbed. People need to respect the diet requirement of the people with thinner frame.
3
Discrimination based on things that cannot be changed, race, gender, orientation, and for which there is no personal responsibility, is different than discrimination based on things that can be changed, such as smoking and obesity. Cruelty based on such characteristics, or anything else, is never excusable. But I have no compunction against not dating someone who is fat, or who smokes. If that person has the incentive to change such things in order to get a job or romantic partner, so much the better. Nor can we as society continue to bear the health costs of those who lack the will power and self discipline and pride to change and improve.
4
I am a 60 year old male who only recently has had to do a bit more cardio to shed, at most, half a dozen pounds. I eat my fill of what I want, when I want it. I've never struggled with unwanted weight gain. However... We live in a world that does its utmost to cater to every profitable impulse, and exposes us to petty, constant temptation. I remind myself of this every time I catch myself entertaining smug or condescending thoughts towards those who are overweight. I am quite aware that if I had to struggle against obesity, I would likely succumb to temptation just like so many of my fellow human beings.
The solution is not personal change. Its societal, economic and political. (Just imagine how many multi-billion dollar corporations depend on unfettered consumption of fat generating products. Coke and a pizza anyone?)
The solution is not personal change. Its societal, economic and political. (Just imagine how many multi-billion dollar corporations depend on unfettered consumption of fat generating products. Coke and a pizza anyone?)
3
I'm sorry for your friend. Not liking fat people unfortunately isn't much different or less pernicious than saying I don't like gay people or black people or white people. Fat people are just people, no more or no less (ok, perhaps a bit more). Maybe they're lazier and more slothful on average that us skinny ones, and perhaps it is sloth among the 7 deadly sins that your friend abhors most. Nonetheless, I'm sympathetic to her/him; we're all human and to admit an irrational hatred requires courage when it's done without malice.
This too is biased and largely untrue:. "Maybe they're lazier and more slothful on average that us skinny ones.'. Nope.
5
Roberta is correct. I am a skinny person - always have been and always will be. Once, I went through a period where I was housebound for six months recuperating from an illness. I consumed a Domino's pizza and a pint of ice cream every single day for the entire six months. I soared from my pre-illness weight of 123 pounds to merely 145 pounds and there it stopped. No matter how much I ate, I never exceeded 145 pounds.
After I was better and active again, I continued eating that way and my weight started to plummet. Fairly quickly. Eventually I tired of the binging and went back to my normal diet -- a combo of healthy eating, indulgent eating and moderate activity -- and I easily returned to 123 pounds.
Sometimes I eat a lot, sometimes I eat moderately, sometimes I eat less. Regardless of how much I eat or the amount of activity I engage in I remain slender. This is how it's been my entire life. I have plenty of friends who could never EVER eat the way I do - they would gain weight and it would never come off without a lot of work, or possibly never at all. I know I'm lucky. I know I won the genetic lottery in this regard, and I know plenty of folks just like myself who are simply damn lucky when it comes to weight.
Yes, diet, exercise, junk food, etc, etc. all play a role in weight and fitness, but there is an undeniable genetic component that can either make weight ridiculously easy for a person or can make it a constant struggle. Who are we to pass judgment?
After I was better and active again, I continued eating that way and my weight started to plummet. Fairly quickly. Eventually I tired of the binging and went back to my normal diet -- a combo of healthy eating, indulgent eating and moderate activity -- and I easily returned to 123 pounds.
Sometimes I eat a lot, sometimes I eat moderately, sometimes I eat less. Regardless of how much I eat or the amount of activity I engage in I remain slender. This is how it's been my entire life. I have plenty of friends who could never EVER eat the way I do - they would gain weight and it would never come off without a lot of work, or possibly never at all. I know I'm lucky. I know I won the genetic lottery in this regard, and I know plenty of folks just like myself who are simply damn lucky when it comes to weight.
Yes, diet, exercise, junk food, etc, etc. all play a role in weight and fitness, but there is an undeniable genetic component that can either make weight ridiculously easy for a person or can make it a constant struggle. Who are we to pass judgment?
12
I've aged into being somewhat overweight. Somehow I do not think obsessively about losing pounds, but concentrate on keeping my weight as stable as possible. For the last 5 years, my out of bed weight has been steady within 2 pounds - even after travel. I do wonder about how we always want to "lose pounds" when perhaps the better approach would be to keep one's weight steady in young years - slowing down food intake if the number on the bathroom scale starts moving upward.
And yes, I do sometimes feel a certain discomfort with grossly overweight people. It has to do, in part, with the overbearing behavior, taking up a lot of space and sometimes even threatening furnishings with their sheer bulk. I once hosted a very large woman who could walk only by grabbing one piece of furniture after another (and not gently) and I really worried she'd break a chair before leaving. And of course, she was not the least concerned about this.
And yes, I do sometimes feel a certain discomfort with grossly overweight people. It has to do, in part, with the overbearing behavior, taking up a lot of space and sometimes even threatening furnishings with their sheer bulk. I once hosted a very large woman who could walk only by grabbing one piece of furniture after another (and not gently) and I really worried she'd break a chair before leaving. And of course, she was not the least concerned about this.
1
You do not age into being overweight. You eat into it.
3
For most people metabolism slows as you age, thus leading to some weight gain unless diet is adjusted accordingly. Some bodies take care of that automatically; some don't.
1
I'm a 48 year old female and at 5'8" 280 lbs am considered obese. I go to the gym 4-5 times a week and work out because I enjoy it. I can walk up stairs without becoming winded, take my dog for long walks, and dance with my daughter in the living room. I don't have high blood pressure, diabetes, prediabetes, or high cholestorol. I've never had anyone make rude comments to me about my weight, even physicians. I have no problem getting jobs or dates. I have 3 college degrees and a very happy, comfortable life. I really don't care what others think of me. You either like me or you don't. I'm fat. And in this world there are certainly worse things to be.
19
I personally think that even talking about this topic is kind of waste of time because no matter what we look like, we should all accept each other and be nice to each other no matter if it is sickness or obesity or any of these types, and in a case of having to talk about obesity in puplic I think that should be handled more carefully, it is a really sensitive topic to talk about. I think that is just the same with racism, I think these racism or everweighg talks are never going to end. We should all treat each other nicely no matter what, we are all humans at end.
2
Haven't read all of the comments, but those I have read seem very biased against those who are fat. Did everyone miss the NYT article about the Biggest Loser contestants' inability to maintain their hard-won weight loss, despite continuing their exercise and dieting regime? The human body doesn't always respond as expected. It's a shame that so many are so shallow that they aren't capable of seeing beyond the oversized container in which so many beautiful minds and souls are trapped.
11
It's not bias. It is an involuntary instinctive response. People, including small children who have never been taught this or observed others reacting this way, are repelled by deformity (including both gross obesity and anorexia), just as we are repelled by dead bodies (even of animals). Children can be taught that to express this reaction is rude, but no one should be criticized for the reaction; it is involuntary.
4
What a pile of malarkey! Implicit biases are LEARNED, period Please read the science.
4
There is no excuse for one human degenerating, discriminating against or bullying another because of how they look or what they believe in. That is what this country was founded on. Conversely, when are we going to get real as a society about the problem of obesity. It is the major cause of preventable death in the US. The scientific merit of this article is garbage. Obesity is caused by the overconsumption of calories and the inadequate expenditure of energy. Plain and simple. I am a physician who has treated obese and overweight patients for several decades. Several themes ring true with virtually all of them - the never take responsibility for their own actions, there is always some reason why they can't exercise or eat the right food and they are always in denial about their personal habits. Obesity costs our society hundreds of billions of dollars in healthcare dollars and lost productivity. Less than 1% of those who are morbidly obese take the necessary steps to address their problem (surgery) which has been proven to be extremely successful long term in addressing the problem. Why? Because most of these individuals refuse to change their habits and lifestyle. This is the very reason that obese people who lose weight rarely keep it off - they revert to their old atrocious habits.
It's time to stop making excuses and blaming everyone else. If you think obesity is like alcoholism or a gambling addiction, then get treated and cut out the unhealthy foods.
It's time to stop making excuses and blaming everyone else. If you think obesity is like alcoholism or a gambling addiction, then get treated and cut out the unhealthy foods.
5
Glad you're not my doctor. You have very little empathy. I've lost 70 pounds but I can't eat normally. I essentially have to eat very little about 1000 to 1200 calories a day to lose weight and yes that is with exercise. I'm still obese and may never get into the "normal" weight range again, but my numbers are good. Stop judging others when you don't understand their struggle.
4
Comparing this kind of bias to racism.....I get prickly when I hear people compare this to racism. You can change your behaviors to become slim, I can't change my behaviors to become a white man!
17
Um, no you can't just change your behaviors to become slim. That's one of the points of the article.
4
Wait a few years until the research into the complex interplay of various hormones and other chemical signalers (gherelin, leptin, insulin) advances - weight problems are not simply willpower problems - your comment lacks intelligence as well as compassion.
7
That's the moral equivalent of saying "and blacks wouldn't be the victims of so much racism if they would just get their acts together and get a job and raise their kids properly." This comment shows a complete lack of understanding of the social problem that has led over half of a nation of 300 million to be clinically overweight or obese.
A close friend of mine recently admitted being body shamed all her life by her mother because she was not thin. Her body type had nothing to do with being thin, she was pear shaped like me and definitely not tall. Wide shoulders, strong arms, and a big heart. She said for the first time in my life I can tell someone that at one point I was standing on a bridge, waiting to jump off, and end my life from the shame I felt about my body. I did decide to get off the bridge and get on with my life. She is still not thin but on medication after a serious car incident. She works in a high stress environment with traumatized at risk youth and is raising a son with disabilities. It is time to stop the ill will and prejudice against people who are overweight. It is their choice and their journey and we need to respect that. Amen.
9
I do not claim to understand all the complex causes of obesity. I am sure there are some whose bodies are not designed to lose weight easily. And I do not want to excuse fat-shaming. However, I do not think one can compare "fatism" to racism or sexism. No matter how hard you try, you cannot change your race (although Michael Jackson tried). You CAN change your gender, but only if you take hormones for the rest of your life. But is it not possible to lose weight for most obese people (I did not say all) if they really tried?
I was on a cruise recently and the couple at the table next to us were both obese, the husband morbidly so. They probably ate very similar meals to what we ate. But they had sodas with every dinner that week (we stick to water and wine). So unless they went to the buffet afterwards for a post-dinner snack, the visible difference was the soda (I fully admit to not knowing any non-visible difference). Also, their school-age children were both "normal" weight.
I was on a cruise recently and the couple at the table next to us were both obese, the husband morbidly so. They probably ate very similar meals to what we ate. But they had sodas with every dinner that week (we stick to water and wine). So unless they went to the buffet afterwards for a post-dinner snack, the visible difference was the soda (I fully admit to not knowing any non-visible difference). Also, their school-age children were both "normal" weight.
2
FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY --- please, please, PLEASE stop claiming that "not-fat-shaming" is the same thing as "glorifying" obesity, and PLEASE stop claiming that the body-positive movement glamorizes obesity. GOOD GRIEF.
FYI -- I'm fat! There, I said it. I'm not morbidly obese, just overweight. Do I want to be healthy and weigh less? OF COURSE I DO. Do I also want people to RESPECT ME as a human being?? YEP. Is it such a horrible thing that I am CONFIDENT enough to dress nicely, walk with my head up instead of staring at the ground, and generally not hate myself? NO, NO IT IS NOT. Just because I am "body-positive" and I don't let my less-than-perfect weight drag my confidence and self-esteem down does NOT mean I am not working at losing weight and getting healthier. IN FACT, being confident and not giving a giant rat's behind what others think has HELPED me drop 20 lbs so far. DID YOU GET THAT, FAT HATERS?? It's not your hatred of my body that gets me to the gym; it's the love of my own body that gets me there. If I listened to YOU PEOPLE, who try to make me feel like LESS THAN A HUMAN because I'm overweight, I would NEVER have the confidence to run on that treadmill, or climb that stairmaster, or join that spin class. I do all those things because I respect MYSELF, and I want to be healthier for ME, but I love myself and my body no matter what its reality is.
FYI -- I'm fat! There, I said it. I'm not morbidly obese, just overweight. Do I want to be healthy and weigh less? OF COURSE I DO. Do I also want people to RESPECT ME as a human being?? YEP. Is it such a horrible thing that I am CONFIDENT enough to dress nicely, walk with my head up instead of staring at the ground, and generally not hate myself? NO, NO IT IS NOT. Just because I am "body-positive" and I don't let my less-than-perfect weight drag my confidence and self-esteem down does NOT mean I am not working at losing weight and getting healthier. IN FACT, being confident and not giving a giant rat's behind what others think has HELPED me drop 20 lbs so far. DID YOU GET THAT, FAT HATERS?? It's not your hatred of my body that gets me to the gym; it's the love of my own body that gets me there. If I listened to YOU PEOPLE, who try to make me feel like LESS THAN A HUMAN because I'm overweight, I would NEVER have the confidence to run on that treadmill, or climb that stairmaster, or join that spin class. I do all those things because I respect MYSELF, and I want to be healthier for ME, but I love myself and my body no matter what its reality is.
29
Wow, so many self-righteous perfectly thin people advising those of us who are obese to "just say no." It doesn't work with drugs and it doesn't work with food. There are probably multiple causes of obesity. The relationships among our genes, the food environment, and society are complex. Some kinds of food, including sugar, actually change circuits in the brain's reward circuitry. Our bodies release hormones that tell us when to be hungry and when to feel full, but these can be out of balance for some people causing them to need more food to reach satiety. Weight loss itself can make our physiology respond as though we are starving, which encourages an increased appetite and regaining of weight. New research is finding that the microbes in our gut are somehow having an influence on our weight. Very, very, few people who are successful at losing weight are able to keep it off permanently. Check out the Biggest Losers years after the show. Gastric bypass surgery is the most successful treatment for achieving permanent weight loss, but it does not work for everyone. The truth is that for those of us most at risk for obesity, for whatever reason, attaining a normal weight without major surgery requires an intense struggle against our physiology that never ends. It requires exceptional dedication and discipline, more than non-exceptional people, i.e., most of us, can endure for a lifetime.
8
"Very very few people who are successful at losing weight are able to keep it off permanently."
This myth/excuse developed from a small study which was performed several decades ago and involved only people who were previously unsuccessful at keeping off weight.
This myth/excuse developed from a small study which was performed several decades ago and involved only people who were previously unsuccessful at keeping off weight.
3
Allen, try Googleing it. There have been many studies, not just one, over the last few decades that have shown that "Very very few people who are successful at losing weight are able to keep it off permanently." Many of them in the last few years, and curiously many of those were covered in this very paper.
1
the justifications people have for their obesity as outlined in this article and several similar ones are so much more complicated than the solution, which is changing habits. As it becomes more and more accepted in society the rationale becomes stangely opaque and more blindly accepted. these ideas are as dangerous as and as fashionable as cigarette adds in the 50s, and no one is touting the virtues of those today.
4
It's not habits. It's body chemistry. It's science. There's a lot of science on why it is nearly impossible to lose significant weight and keep it off. There's no science supporting shaming of people whose bodies are different from yours.
8
This article talks a lot about the fact that weight bias leads to higher calorie consumption and therefore weight gain but fails to discuss how discrimination (for any reason; weight, race, sexual orientation, etc.) increases the risks for poor health outcomes, such as heart disease and diabetes, INDEPENDENT of weight. We should focus on ending anti-fat bias not because it causes us to gain more weight, but because the discrimination itself leads to poor health.
10
Will we stop pointing to the scapegoat outside of us...and look inwards? As I pass through grocery stores there are aisles after aisles of empty-calorie, sugar laden, fiber-free donuts, danishes, cookies ants ilk. Even yogurt is loaded with sugar and you are lucky to find plain yogurt, not to mention the cakes and pastries section. And yes, the coffee shops are making booming sales with fancy-named drinks that again are loaded with a dozen or more spoons of sugar. Someone must be buying them otherwise why would anyone make it?
The problem is not so much as availability but what WE demand. And it's not just the kind but the quantity that we use. The demand is already here; the business is happy to cash on it. It's the demand for cheap pleasure, like watching hours of internet images.
We need to replace our legitimate demand for pleasure with higher order pleasures: of knowledge and wonder; of friendship and intimate connection; of playful exertion that gives us true sense of bodily freedom; and we need to exercise our agency and not just believe and obey the internal or external slave-masters, something that Thoreau had warned us against. We need to reclaim our fundamental pleasures -- which lead us to more well bodies and brains rather than ill-health.
Until then we'll be wasting time fixing what are the cosequences rather than causes.
The problem is not so much as availability but what WE demand. And it's not just the kind but the quantity that we use. The demand is already here; the business is happy to cash on it. It's the demand for cheap pleasure, like watching hours of internet images.
We need to replace our legitimate demand for pleasure with higher order pleasures: of knowledge and wonder; of friendship and intimate connection; of playful exertion that gives us true sense of bodily freedom; and we need to exercise our agency and not just believe and obey the internal or external slave-masters, something that Thoreau had warned us against. We need to reclaim our fundamental pleasures -- which lead us to more well bodies and brains rather than ill-health.
Until then we'll be wasting time fixing what are the cosequences rather than causes.
8
Sadly agree re: demand.
I go to a clinic for chronic pain patients at our local hospital every two months, so I am familiar with the little cafe near Registration, where I often stop for coffee after morning appointments. There is usually a line, largely comprising hospital employees including doctors and nurses.
I once asked the cashier why, in a building dedicated to health, all the snacks were dinner-plate-sized danishes and bears claws, and scones and muffins the size of grapefruits.
"Because that's what people want," she shrugged. "I've tried stocking healthy food, but no one bought them."
Education and access to healthy food, unfortunately, does not seem to be the answer.
I go to a clinic for chronic pain patients at our local hospital every two months, so I am familiar with the little cafe near Registration, where I often stop for coffee after morning appointments. There is usually a line, largely comprising hospital employees including doctors and nurses.
I once asked the cashier why, in a building dedicated to health, all the snacks were dinner-plate-sized danishes and bears claws, and scones and muffins the size of grapefruits.
"Because that's what people want," she shrugged. "I've tried stocking healthy food, but no one bought them."
Education and access to healthy food, unfortunately, does not seem to be the answer.
8
“Obesity has been called the last socially acceptable form of prejudice, and persons with obesity are considered acceptable targets of stigma”
I'm not so sure. I sometimes get age-related digs from the overweight 20 somethings. It's hard to have too much sympathy for them.
I'm not so sure. I sometimes get age-related digs from the overweight 20 somethings. It's hard to have too much sympathy for them.
14
I love my wife, I give her everything. She lives in Europe and I live in the US. For five years twice a month I've traveled to her. I've supported her in career change, in the use of IVF to have a baby. What does she give me in return? Unsolicited advice on my diet, weight, eating, not eating, what, where, when, why's of my eating. And it make me want to eat more. It makes me want to go back to the US, send her support money for the rest of her life and just be alone. I don't deserve this. I'm a good person, a generous person devoted to philanthropy for children. At times I wish I could starve myself to such thinness that she could see the pain she has given me.
15
Maybe she doesn't want to be a widow?
I hope you find an answer that works for you, body and soul.
I hope you find an answer that works for you, body and soul.
6
Maybe you should stop giving her everything and hand her a divorce instead. If she's really that terrible to you, then maybe it's time to spend your time with other people who are kind. And not bossy. Life's too short for that. There's enough sadness and misery without all that. And there are plenty of things you could do besides resigning yourself to be alone. There's a whole world of people to hang out with. Nice ones too!
i think everyone's dictionary definition of the word "fat" is quite different and that contributes poorly to this issue.
5
When my baby was born, I went to a newborn moms' support group. Each day we went around and introduced ourselves and our babies. Some babies were growing enormous really fast. I am not saying they were too fat, or that they would be obese adults. ALL the babies were healthy, but the moms of those giant babies were so proud of their babies' size. They couldn't hide it. I wonder if part of the problem is that moms like that don't know when to switch it off, and stop equating size and appetite with health.
3
When I was 4 years old a pediatrician told my mother that I was too thin. Oh, how I wish those days were back. I have battled my fat for my whole life and it only gets harder.
2
Babies are supposed to get chubby. It is protection against famine and a cold winter, and it is normal for parents to be pleased with babyfat. A breast-fed baby will not get excessively fat (unless there is a metabolic disease, which is rare). Normal children then get thinner as they grow up.
After all of the articles that have been written about the various biological factors that contribute to obesity, and how close to impossible it is for most people who try to lose weight to keep it off, it's time for those fortunate enough not to have to work hard to stay at a healthy weight to exercise some compassion and self-reflection. Are you really "concerned" about a fat person's health, or is this a proxy for judging them for not being able to lose weight? If you feel resentful about the collective costs to the health care system of obesity, are you equally resentful about the costs of lung cancer treatment for smokers, drug treatment for addicts, prison costs due to drug and alcohol addiction? The obese, smokers, alcoholics and drug addicts have a lot in common -- they have the misfortune to be more susceptible to harmful substances that are a huge source of financial profit for others. Understanding the forces at work, including corn subsidies that brought down the price of corn-syrup sweetened foods, as well as the relentless marketing of processed foods, would go a long way towards cultivating compassion.
14
If your obesity or other health problems are a result of genetics, no. If they are a result of poor habits, yes.
2
Obesity is not the result of genetics. Genes may make one's body thrifty in the use of calories, but eating more calories than one's body needs is a choice.
2
Totally agree. I am shocked by the lack of compassion in most of these comments. As a person who has been lucky enough to remain thin my whole life, I don't suspect, I KNOW I eat much more than my friends who have serious weight problems. I am not a better person than they are and I can't stand it when a bunch of judgemental know-it-alls make it out to be a character issue when we all know that losing weight is very hard and weight bias is prevalent and real (as are racism, ageism, homophobia and discrimination against people with disabilities.)
2
If a fat person is fine with being overweight, then all that matters is how one views himself. Acceptance.
No, this is stupid and dangerous. Being fat is not a benign condition; you can't fool the body.
No, this is stupid and dangerous. Being fat is not a benign condition; you can't fool the body.
7
...and the rest of us share the cost of their health care.
7
As for sharing the cost of an overweight person's health care: this skinny person has recently had to endure joint and back surgery to the tune of over $200,000. All due to unforeseen complications of the choice I made to be active which, at the time, I believed was the "healthy" choice to make.
I hereby declare my hearty thanks to all the overweight folks for sharing the cost of my lifestyle choices and I hereby also declare that I will HAPPILY share in theirs.
I hereby declare my hearty thanks to all the overweight folks for sharing the cost of my lifestyle choices and I hereby also declare that I will HAPPILY share in theirs.
5
Fat-shaming is but one manifestation of the human tendency to dominate others. People like to feel better about themselves by picking on the perceived "weak" or "inferior," which usually also means "lower class." When food was scarce, thin people were viewed as socially inferior as well as frightening (no one wants to identify with starvation or T.B.) and Rubensesque bodies were considered the most desirable (evidence of freedom to consume). Now that bad, fattening food is cheap and the only thing available in food deserts, it is "superior" to be thin. People need to recognize the animalistic origins of their behavior and rise to a higher ideal. I suggest starting with the Christianity so many profess and so few practice.
19
The author describes a real phenomenon. I was slightly overweight as a child and classmates made fun of me for being fat. In retrospect, the kids were probably jealous or intimidated because I was also a teacher's pet and the tallest person in the class. However, because of that experience, I always-always-always thought of myself as fat. When I turned about 13 and thinned down considerably, I didn't even see it (as I can now from photos). I was very thin through high school and college and thought I was fat the whole time. Finally, in my late 20s, I became very fat for a few years, weighing about 60 pounds more than I do now at approximately my college weight (I'm 41). So now I find older photos of my usual, thin self astonishing because I never realized that I was thin and attractive. My self-confidence was abysmal and sabotaged many of my relationships, which included physical abuse in my teens. I also now find photos of my later fat (and heavy-drinking) self profoundly sad, perhaps a self-fulfilling prophecy. All because kids made fun of me in grade school? Maybe.
10
> All because kids made fun of me in grade school? Maybe.
But probably not. Taking responsibility for yourself is the first step towards fixing any problem.
But probably not. Taking responsibility for yourself is the first step towards fixing any problem.
1
I understand this is a complicated issue but I'm not sure what's wrong with parents telling their children to eat certain foods sparingly and commenting (nonjudgmentally, supportively) about their children's excess weight gain. I sort of suspect that part of the problem remains a LACK of that kind of parental intervention, or at the very least poor modelling.
7
There is simply no such thing as "commenting (nonjudgmentally, supportively)" about a child's excess weight gain.
6
Then what do you propose a parent do?
This is a serious question. There is your child, eating too much of the wrong kinds of foods and gaining weight. S/he is starting to be teased at school. You are responsible for your child's health. You don't buy unhealthy snacks and cook all meals, emphasizing fresh fruit and vegetables--but her best friend's house is full of chips, soda, and processed food of all kinds, and her friend's mom is generous with the snacks.
What DO you say, dear?
This is a serious question. There is your child, eating too much of the wrong kinds of foods and gaining weight. S/he is starting to be teased at school. You are responsible for your child's health. You don't buy unhealthy snacks and cook all meals, emphasizing fresh fruit and vegetables--but her best friend's house is full of chips, soda, and processed food of all kinds, and her friend's mom is generous with the snacks.
What DO you say, dear?
3
You say "I love you no matter what you eat and no matter how you look, and people have discovered one impacts the other. Now stay home and help me cook and find fun recipes, I want to spend time with you."
What is wrong with mean people? Stress and little access to nutritious foods cause obesity. Why do you think most obese people are low income? If you haven't lived it, it's hard to understand. No money equals constant stress and no sleep. I finally have enough time and money, after years, and I just turned the right weight without trying.
8
No one in my family had weight problems. My sister was diagnosed with a serious psychiatric illness. The medication put 50 lbs on her within a couple of months. Her eating had not changed. She found out quickly that people treated you differently when you are no longer skinny
25
I think we're misunderstanding the meaning of discrimination here. You absolutely cannot 'resent paying programs for fat people, drug addicts etc' because, given a real choice, no one would choose an unhealthy condition (either physical or mental), where by unhealthy I mean anything that we might consider enjoyable but whose costs outdo its benefits. At some point or another anyone would find themselves in need of something somebody else paid for, and even if you didn't you are not self-sufficient and you don't live on an island alone, so as a member of society your contribution is implied. Anyhow not discriminating doesn't mean leaving people with their own problems in the name of acceptance. And yes, I'm saying that being overweight or obese IS a problem if it's medically unhealthy. Having a different body than a model is something completely different. The fact that there are common factors that link (some of) the causes of obesity with a wrong standard of beauty doesn't mean it's fine if your current situation is unhealthy. But of course discrimination is not an acceptable attitude and people cannot be forced into treatment. I wouldn't want to be treated for depression if I didn't want to and so does anybody else (I assume) for any issue. I think we should be very careful in mixing medical conditions with social biases. The answer to discrimination cannot be praise of overweight because you're 'accepting who you are and don't care about other people's judgments'
2
There are really only a few things we need to know about obesity in this country:
Since the 1970s, average calorie consumption has increased by about a third.
Humans tend to eat and be satisfied with whatever portion they are given. Portion sizes have increased enormously over the past few decades. When my family visits from the UK, they are stunned and overwhelmed by the amount of food loaded on their plates in restaurants. (Case in point, when they go to a cafe in the UK and ask for a ham sandwich, they typically get two thin slices of bread, a layer of mayo or butter, and two thin slices of ham.
When they come here and ask for a ham sandwich, the "sandwich" itself is a huge bun, meat two inches high, pickles, chips, salad, etc.--a huge full plate. They hate it. They just wanted a snack, not a meal!) And have you noticed the size of candy bars recently? In my local store, it's no longer even possible to buy a "regular" size Kit Kat, say. Now only the giant versions are available.
We now have the huge packs of M&Ms ("Sharing Size"--yeah, right). Bags of chips when I was younger were half the size of the bags we have now.
In the 60s and 70s, sugary drinks were an occasional treat--something to have once every few months--or once a week, maybe, for the very "lucky." Now people ingest multiple servings of those drinks per day.
What else do we need to know?
Since the 1970s, average calorie consumption has increased by about a third.
Humans tend to eat and be satisfied with whatever portion they are given. Portion sizes have increased enormously over the past few decades. When my family visits from the UK, they are stunned and overwhelmed by the amount of food loaded on their plates in restaurants. (Case in point, when they go to a cafe in the UK and ask for a ham sandwich, they typically get two thin slices of bread, a layer of mayo or butter, and two thin slices of ham.
When they come here and ask for a ham sandwich, the "sandwich" itself is a huge bun, meat two inches high, pickles, chips, salad, etc.--a huge full plate. They hate it. They just wanted a snack, not a meal!) And have you noticed the size of candy bars recently? In my local store, it's no longer even possible to buy a "regular" size Kit Kat, say. Now only the giant versions are available.
We now have the huge packs of M&Ms ("Sharing Size"--yeah, right). Bags of chips when I was younger were half the size of the bags we have now.
In the 60s and 70s, sugary drinks were an occasional treat--something to have once every few months--or once a week, maybe, for the very "lucky." Now people ingest multiple servings of those drinks per day.
What else do we need to know?
24
Oh, right. I remember now that there are no obese people anywhere in the UK. It's obviously portion sizes that are the culprit. Greedy, nasty Americans!!
2
k, there are plenty of obese people in the UK. Just not on the scale that there are here in the US. (The UK is rapidly catching up, though.) At no point did I say or even suggest that Americans are greedy or nasty. It's all about portion sizes (a problem created by the food companies and farm subsidies) as well as a lack of food and nutrition education from parents to children. Don't take it so personally.
4
@EB:
What we need to know is _why_ people started overeating. Of course calorie consumption increased, but the question is _why_? Why did people find X calories satiating in 1970, and then required X + Y calories to feel satiated in 2010?
The question of portion size begs a further question: Why don't those giant portion sizes make us feel full? The degree of satiation is strongly dependent on the type and quality of the food, not just portion size. Faced with a giant portion of soda, chips, and ice cream, one can easily consume the whole thing and still be hungry for more. Faced with a giant portion of salmon, eggs, and spinach salad, one will quickly feel full before finishing the whole meal.
If it's just about calories, then candy, sugary drinks, pickles, chips, etc, are all irrelevant. If sugary junk foods have specific metabolic and hormonal effects, then we are already past a simple "calories" model.
What we need to know is _why_ people started overeating. Of course calorie consumption increased, but the question is _why_? Why did people find X calories satiating in 1970, and then required X + Y calories to feel satiated in 2010?
The question of portion size begs a further question: Why don't those giant portion sizes make us feel full? The degree of satiation is strongly dependent on the type and quality of the food, not just portion size. Faced with a giant portion of soda, chips, and ice cream, one can easily consume the whole thing and still be hungry for more. Faced with a giant portion of salmon, eggs, and spinach salad, one will quickly feel full before finishing the whole meal.
If it's just about calories, then candy, sugary drinks, pickles, chips, etc, are all irrelevant. If sugary junk foods have specific metabolic and hormonal effects, then we are already past a simple "calories" model.
When I was 6,my tonsils were removed, and, per my mother, I changed from being a picky eater, and extremely thin, to someone who ate. I was never fat, but my mother weighed 98 lbs in a wedding dress, and I was expected to be as thin. My body type was more like that of my father's family, while my sister matched my mother in size and athletic ability. My mother also equated weight with being lazy, sloppy, and stupid. She would comment on people at the mall, the grocery, etc. She bought, and still buys, me clothes that were unflattering for me, or simply too small. My entire childhood was spent being told I was fat, lazy, and stupid. She tried to put me in special education classes, and refused to believe an IQ test showing I was far from stupid. It was repeated with a different psychologist, who obtained the same results.
As an adult, I was eventually diagnosed with insulin resistance. The things my mother insisted I eat as a child are the worse foods to eat. I worked a real job, a part-time teaching job, and carried a graduate schedule of classes that was almost a double load, and was still called fat, lazy, and stupid.
People with weight issues are not fat, stupid, lazy, and/or lacking self discipline. We teach children not to mock people in wheelchairs, so why aren't they taught not to ridicule people with weight issues?
As an adult, I was eventually diagnosed with insulin resistance. The things my mother insisted I eat as a child are the worse foods to eat. I worked a real job, a part-time teaching job, and carried a graduate schedule of classes that was almost a double load, and was still called fat, lazy, and stupid.
People with weight issues are not fat, stupid, lazy, and/or lacking self discipline. We teach children not to mock people in wheelchairs, so why aren't they taught not to ridicule people with weight issues?
39
You have covered all too typical reasons that eating and appearance become such nightmare problems for so many. You mother sounds as if she took this to an extreme, because ( I suspect) of her seeing you as an extension of herself.
Because we all must eat the stress/shame/revulsion feelings are reinforced constantly, with society at large adding to the pressure. And with the standard old advice - all the dieting - now recognized as leading to, not away from, weight gain because of the effect on our metabolism.
Because we all must eat the stress/shame/revulsion feelings are reinforced constantly, with society at large adding to the pressure. And with the standard old advice - all the dieting - now recognized as leading to, not away from, weight gain because of the effect on our metabolism.
6
I saw a sign once in someone's house that read: DEAR LORD IF YOU CANNOT MAKE ME SKINNY, PLEASE MAKE EVERYONE ELSE FAT. I am leaving this thread, but I am not so statesmanlike that I wanted to leave without mentioning that sign. Cheers!
8
Binge Eating Disorder is newly recognized as a mental illness, deserving of compassion and more significantly- deserving of well funded effective medical/nutrition and mental health treatment. We are talking about depression and anxiety. It's complicated. But BED and Compulsive Overeating are preventable and treatable worthy causes.
4
You post implies that all or most people that are obese either compulsively overeat or binge eat. While undoubtedly some do, most do not. There are multiple societal and personal reasons why people become obese. In short, every fat person is fat for a different cocktail of reasons, and most of those are not easily remedied.
11
We are also caught in a Quagmire of what is considered fat. As a baby boomer, we have a tendency to kill ourselves to stay under a size 8. It's sad but true. There is a cross segment of society that knows that people have lost jobs, so called friends, and even marriages if they are not considered thin and attractive enough. Then we start to deal with the other forms of discrimination. Sad but True.
9
You ARE what you EAT.
MORE research needed how to reduce obesity. Less obesity, healthier, happier lives!
MORE research needed how to reduce obesity. Less obesity, healthier, happier lives!
4
Whoa whoa hold on. If you are writing to discuss food, exercise, weight, or diets, stop. This article is about prejudice, not obesity. Examine your disgust and hatred instead of lecturing others. Examine your privilege. Examine your assumptions, including that weight and wellness are causally related because it is possible to be thin and unhealthy or fat and fit AF. Please stop telling others what size their body must be.
39
What's so hard about exercising and eating sensibly?
Absent an underlying medical condition, I feel little empathy for fat people.
Worse is when they declare, ignoring all health risks, that the only thing which matters is how I "view" myself.
This is idiocy.
Absent an underlying medical condition, I feel little empathy for fat people.
Worse is when they declare, ignoring all health risks, that the only thing which matters is how I "view" myself.
This is idiocy.
7
Let me help you... what do you call eating and exercising sensibly? That is different based on the individual.
In order for me to get to a normal weight, I have to go to extremes, what my sibling does to stay a normal weight is just monitoring of certain foods.
Before laying down disgust, try discovering what different people experience.
In order for me to get to a normal weight, I have to go to extremes, what my sibling does to stay a normal weight is just monitoring of certain foods.
Before laying down disgust, try discovering what different people experience.
14
The assumption in your comment is that all people who are fat must not exercise or eat healthy. Aren't you lucky that you have not had to worry about it? There is something more to obesity. Why can one person eat 5000 calories a day and not be overweight and another eat 1500 calories a day and not lose weight? Why are there certain diseases that cause fat to only appear on certain parts of the body even when the rest is anorexic? I would say you know nothing and need to do a little research to help you be a little more "tolerant."
12
"This is idiocy"
Couldn't agree more - but at least you admit it
Couldn't agree more - but at least you admit it
6
The comment section here is more savage than Game of Thrones!
17
Which just reinforces the author's point about fat prejudice.
7
Jane, tell your readers something they DON'T know instead of providing yet another platform for the self-righteous. Thin people resent "paying for healthcare for the obese." I resent paying for their Adderrall prescriptions. I resent paying for the drug addiction treatment, their endless psychological testing and treatment, their overuse injury treatments, their endless physical therapy, their back surgeries. And yes, I can go on. So knock it off.
14
So, the executive that batters his wife, carefully so the bruises don't show, or rapes children and scares them into silence, or is addicted to violent child pornography, any of such morally flawed and culpable beings could get promoted. Because their failings are invisible. But the executive whose failing is food is on display for all to see and pillory in self-righteous contempt for their moral shortcomings. The fat should be shamed, per many NYT commenters--not taking up space reserved for the morally superior thin people. Perhaps when they are forced into hiding, and not rewarded for their heinous crimes of overeating and under-exercising they will learn the error of their ways and appreciate the degree to which they are inconveniencing the rest of us. Let's take it a step further--unemployment will be good for them, so they don't have money to buy food.
The deficit in common humanity in these comments is sobering. They sound like Scrooge --"are there no workhouses?" Love thy neighbor, as long as he or she fits certain preset conditions, of course.
The deficit in common humanity in these comments is sobering. They sound like Scrooge --"are there no workhouses?" Love thy neighbor, as long as he or she fits certain preset conditions, of course.
32
"Obesity has been called the last socially acceptable form of prejudice...."
Clearly, the only REALLY socially "acceptable" form of prejudice now is being directed towards anyone with physical preferences, standards and goals by describing them as biases. What is my lifelong interest in/love of fitness in both myself and others then, pathological? It's getting to the point that calling someone fit is the same as calling them a fitness bigot.
I hate being out of shape. The obese apparently want to be loved/appreciated for who they are (whatever that means) but supported in any attempts to change that condition, or not. You know, I'm kinda busy...with my own self-loathing fitness program and all. We should have coffee sometime...
Clearly, the only REALLY socially "acceptable" form of prejudice now is being directed towards anyone with physical preferences, standards and goals by describing them as biases. What is my lifelong interest in/love of fitness in both myself and others then, pathological? It's getting to the point that calling someone fit is the same as calling them a fitness bigot.
I hate being out of shape. The obese apparently want to be loved/appreciated for who they are (whatever that means) but supported in any attempts to change that condition, or not. You know, I'm kinda busy...with my own self-loathing fitness program and all. We should have coffee sometime...
5
Well, I thought regular exercise and being in shape contributed to a calmer outlook, decreasing anger and cortisol spikes. And you do say that you LOVE being fit: so what's the beef against " the obese?" I would say that overweight people would like to be treated with respect and civility , by employers and medical providers and society at large; I do not see that as a threat to anyone else.
7
You need to punish and then separate yourself from this horrible person you call your friend. It is time to shame these people.
2
Real question: Do obese women have different mother's milk than thin women? Are the babies of overweight women getting different hormones in their breastfeeding? I don't know the bio science. Perhaps overweight mothers have elevated levels of cortisol in their milk or something. Just a shot in the dark.
1
If this has any validity, I got Mom's fat milk (though she was skinny) and my sister and two bros got her skinny milk. I don't think so... There is a fellow I once interviewed for WebMD (where I was a reporter for yrs) who is researching obesity being related (or caused by) and adenovirus...Wouldn't that be ironic--all the mean people would have been disdaining people with a virus. This researcher attributed rising obesity rates in India and other countries to this virus, not to the inroads made by McDonalds.
2
You're right: you don't know the bio-science. Stay in your lane.
12
Back in the early seventies, when I entered one of the major music conservatories - here in New York City - I met young women who were heavier than most of the girls I'd known in high school --
They were intelligent, friendly, cheery, warm, charming, confident, attractive -- and sexy --
It was so wonderful to meet a woman - any woman - who was so comfortable in their own skin - if I may use that term here - and were perfectly happy being themselves --
As you may imagine - many of them were young opera students - some with glorious voices who went on to have stellar careers --
It just never occurred to any of us to ever think of these fabulous people as fat -- and yes -- we had some men too, who were in the same boat and it was just fine with everybody --
The big supermarket where I regularly shop for groceries has a group of similar young women behind the cash registers --
While not budding opera stars - some of them are similarly "large" and it's obvious to see how comfortable they are with themselves --
In fact - recently I was paying for my groceries at a register with one of the regular young "large" women whom I hadn't seen in a couple of weeks - and asked where had she been ---
"Oh, I was on vacation. My boyfriend took me to the Caribbean for two weeks. It was great. I was on the beach and went swimming every day." -- Presumably in a bathing suit -
News flash --
Nobody can "shame" you if you are not ashamed of yourself -- Self-confidence beats out shame...
They were intelligent, friendly, cheery, warm, charming, confident, attractive -- and sexy --
It was so wonderful to meet a woman - any woman - who was so comfortable in their own skin - if I may use that term here - and were perfectly happy being themselves --
As you may imagine - many of them were young opera students - some with glorious voices who went on to have stellar careers --
It just never occurred to any of us to ever think of these fabulous people as fat -- and yes -- we had some men too, who were in the same boat and it was just fine with everybody --
The big supermarket where I regularly shop for groceries has a group of similar young women behind the cash registers --
While not budding opera stars - some of them are similarly "large" and it's obvious to see how comfortable they are with themselves --
In fact - recently I was paying for my groceries at a register with one of the regular young "large" women whom I hadn't seen in a couple of weeks - and asked where had she been ---
"Oh, I was on vacation. My boyfriend took me to the Caribbean for two weeks. It was great. I was on the beach and went swimming every day." -- Presumably in a bathing suit -
News flash --
Nobody can "shame" you if you are not ashamed of yourself -- Self-confidence beats out shame...
14
that works for adults, sometimes, but is difficult for kids who are being bullied.
19
In the early 90's I was responsible for "Executive Development and Continuity" in a Fortune 500 corporation (now merged with another). An unwritten rule was that overweight managers would not be included in the plan for development as candidates for executive positions, and except under extraordinary circumstances their names would not be placed on a list of candidates for open positions.
Senior executives, in this case NOT a group noted for their physical condition or good health habits, refused to hire staff who were overweight. I was only once asked to tell an overweight potential candidate that he wouldn't be considered for a higher position until he lost weight. He would have been a great executive even if they had to daily get him to the office in a wheelchair. I refused and nothing more was said.
Senior VP of Human Resources, someone who knew how unethical and potentially illegal this practice was, would not interview candidates who didn't have the right look...clothes, glasses, accessories, weight because this would be an embarrassment. This was not an innovative company, and the attitude was aping the prejudices of executives in corporations higher up in the food chain.
Senior executives, in this case NOT a group noted for their physical condition or good health habits, refused to hire staff who were overweight. I was only once asked to tell an overweight potential candidate that he wouldn't be considered for a higher position until he lost weight. He would have been a great executive even if they had to daily get him to the office in a wheelchair. I refused and nothing more was said.
Senior VP of Human Resources, someone who knew how unethical and potentially illegal this practice was, would not interview candidates who didn't have the right look...clothes, glasses, accessories, weight because this would be an embarrassment. This was not an innovative company, and the attitude was aping the prejudices of executives in corporations higher up in the food chain.
11
Senior people at a company aren't just managers, they are public representatives. To expect that weight and appearance aren't going to be factors in the selection for the executive ranks is just naive. The people at the very top have to hit ALL the marks, including looking good.
So many of these commenters sound like 4 year olds, reluctant to share a toy (or space) with someone different than them, they have so thoroughly dehumanized fat people in their minds that they can write a million excuses for how they are justified in feeling superior. It's as if none of them know that there are parts of the world where their skinny bodies would be considered ugly and people find it disgusting to see collarbones on woman for example. My guess is that many Americans grew up very entitled, were never taught humility. We all go into the box or into the furnace the exact same way regardless of size.
26
Some places charge more to cremate a body over a certain weight...Even there...
1
If it costs the crematorium more to incinerate (and to just to handle) a significantly bigger body, why shouldn't that cost be passed along?
2
If something is not done to the continuing abuse of food, this country will eventually be burdened with huge health costs attributed to obesity. How do you stop people from all that eating? By making it unpopular to be fat. It was unpopular to smoke, people shunned you, made you smoke outside and not in public places and the population got it, and that the habit would eventually kill you. That has to be done with obese people. Bullying them is not the answer, I think if you published over and over again how obese people can be subjected to all kinds of illnesses, including cancer, maybe that would make a difference.
7
Irene: I don't feel like paying for the extended physical therapy for the over-exercisers, the back surgery, the knee and hip replacements, the Adderall prescriptions, the psychiatric and drug abuse care, the dermatologist appointments on and on for those of you who are fixated on your appearance. Food and cigarettes are not the same.
4
"These obese people..." Well, you identified your prejudice anyhow...I believe overweight people are already subjected to a dreambeat of how their fat will lead to a range of other horrible diseases...which they all don't get, by the way.
5
You're seriously pretending your cruel suggestion is necessary to help "cure" fat people? That is some over-the-top ice cold judgmentalism.
6
I get that everyone's metabolism is different, that processed food is addictive, that not everyone has the time or ability to eat well all the time and exercise regularly, and I would never intentionally belittle a person over their weight. However when I see someone who is 350+ lbs rolling around on a scooter through Walmart with their fat rolls hanging off and a basket full of processed junk, I can't help but feel disgusted, and frankly I don't feel bad about it. It's a mockery of the human form to let yourself get this big, it's self-imposed sickness and it represents a pattern of destructive behavior that warrants no sympathy. The fact that there are thousands of people in our country at this weight or on the track to be is a tragedy and the obesity of acceptance as a norm is hugely contributing to the dissolution of the future of the Unites States.
16
Perhaps they got sick; then they got fat.
Perhaps they have a lipodystrophy.
It's not for anyone else to judge.
Perhaps they have a lipodystrophy.
It's not for anyone else to judge.
12
I understand your statement, you would not want someone to know that it was you belittling a fat person, however you feel perfectly free to do so behind a keyboard, even admitting that you are nosy, looking into other people's baskets and judgmental, if anything it's people like you with their torch and pitchfork mentality that is leading to the dissolution of the United States.
13
A great many people simply do not know what comprises a healthful diet; we should try harder--at Federal and State levels-- to educate consumers who make poor food choices. But this is a very complicated issue. Low -income families very often struggle to put food on the table. They shop for food that is calorie dense, filling, and affordable. Unfortunately, that's too frequently fast food--cheap, readily available, and satiating. People struggling with their weight need help and support. They need the opportunity to turn their lives around, one veg at a time. One thing they don't need is condemnation, rejection, and marginalization. Overweight people are part of the human race, as worthy of respect as their thin fellow humans, Rudakova. (BTW, I'm thin-average weight.)
5
The comments are so disgusting here, it takes all kinds in case you didn't know.
10
I appreciate the correlation with smoking. I fight weight gain and smoking compulsion all the time. Both are really, really hard! I question those responses that assume that people who insist on the importance of controlling weight are also those who are "naturally" thin. Yes, I'm thin, but only because I continually work at the discipline necessary to eat better and less. My reasons are for better cardiac fitness. And I can't afford new clothes. And I want to keep on walking and sitting (and getting back up) with some comfort in my current and future arthritic old age. It's not about looks, it's about active, independent living. My daily calorie requirement is about 1100 (I've proved it). When I diet, I lose less than a pound a week. Yes, it takes some focus to get rid of the results of even a big holiday. Maybe Americans' need to have instant results is part of this equation also? Obese people who determine to lose need to have a clear idea about how long it might take so they are ready for that and don't feel discouraged and like they have failed if nothing happens for a while. Of course the diet industry promises the world... they lie.
14
I'm a runner and have been for years and I'm still obese. I don't run to be thin-- I run because I love it and it's a joy to move this body of mine, AND because I'm far and away healthier than most skinny people. I agree that instant results would be awesome (if only so that fat shamers would shut up about diet/exercise -- if thin people, most of whom work nowhere near as hard as I do, could just instantly look as fat as their diet/exercise equation should make them, that would be spectacular). But, if "working at the discipline" of eating less was what it took to make myself thin, I would already be tiny.
Please don't assume that what works for you will work for everyone. And also please don't assume that fat people are in poor health. Please don't assume that obese people are dumb and somehow don't know that weight loss takes time. And lastly, please don't assume that eating less than 1200 calories a day is healthy for anyone besides you. Trying to get the fats, fiber, nutrients, the fuel to keep your body and brain operating in a healthy way in less than 1200 calories is near impossible. Please don't pretend that doing so in an effort to be skinny is somehow virtuous or healthy. It's not.
Please don't assume that what works for you will work for everyone. And also please don't assume that fat people are in poor health. Please don't assume that obese people are dumb and somehow don't know that weight loss takes time. And lastly, please don't assume that eating less than 1200 calories a day is healthy for anyone besides you. Trying to get the fats, fiber, nutrients, the fuel to keep your body and brain operating in a healthy way in less than 1200 calories is near impossible. Please don't pretend that doing so in an effort to be skinny is somehow virtuous or healthy. It's not.
7
So, according to one of the claims in this article, a person is overweight because others "discriminate" against them? And is calling a desire on the part of some thin people not to associate with overweight people "prejudice" really accurate? Many of us would not want to associate with ranting Trump supporters. Is that prejudice too? Personal preference is hardly "prejudice."
4
Well, there *is* a lot overlap between the two groups...
3
Wow, so much fat shaming here! Do you think that people who are overweight want to be fat? In the 90's the 'experts' recommended healthy whole grains and a high carbohydrate diet to get slim. I bought into it, and raised my kids on home made bread and whole grain pizza. Now we all have wrecked metabolisms with impaired glucose and insulin response. These changes make you hungry all the time, cause weight gain and are hard to reverse. I gained a lot of weight following Jane Brody's advice! Now, I've lost 80 lbs. eating very low carb and the people who used to treat me disgracefully are suddenly much kinder. Discrimination against fat people is everywhere. Open your eyes to it, and turn on some compassion folks. No one choses to be fat. This is societies problem. The food environment is toxic, don't add your own prejudices to make life even worse for those who are already suffering.
38
The comments are so cruel. I am not obese, yet somehow I can muster the strength to sit next to fat person, unlike so many who've commented here. If you read the article, being unkind and judgmental has a negative impact on weight loss, so your disgust and is actually making people eat more. That is because obesity is not a physical inability to lose weight, it is a mental illness that conditions people to use food as a drug to soothe anxiety and numb pain. It is imperative that we treat the mental pain that drives these behaviors. It is also imperative that we teach new mothers and fathers and grandparents and teachers that food should not be used to reward, punish, hurt or medicate children; America (and England) has an obesity problem, yes, but there is a root problem that drives us to use food in this way and that must be addressed before we can make a dent in the obesity epidemic.
20
Using food to deal with feelings is the same addictive behavior as using any other drug. I've known several people who had bariatric surgery to limit how much they could eat, and the result was simply a switch in their addictions - from food to alcohol or drugs, for example, or shopping or gambling.
5
What a contradiction: In the Health section, the NYTimes notes the effects of a society that "continues to project cultural ideals of ultra-slimness"; in other sections (Style and T Magazine), the Times continues to project those cultural ideals by publishing photos of ultra-slim models.
14
I used to be overweight – BMI 27, but now at 65 years old I am slender - BMI 19. That didn’t happen because I dieted, but because I was mortally ill 14 years ago, when my BMI dropped to 16.2.
When it became apparent that I would survive, I was determined never to be fat again. One rule: don’t drink any calories, except an occasional glass of wine (sweeteners are taboo, too). So, no juices, no milk, no sweetened or creamed tea or coffee. I also avoid processed foods – the foods I prefer don’t need a “nutrition facts” label, because they are totally natural. That is not to say that I never eat anything but those foods, because when I was on the road (I was usually out-of-town during the work week), it was hard to completely abide by those rules. And yes, I still eat sweets - but mostly just (rich!) cakes that I bake from scratch.
I believe that a lot of the obesity in the US is due to malnourishment. The question is: what causes that malnourishment? Maybe an imbalance in the gut bacteria which causes some vitamins/minerals/elements to be not properly absorbed? Perhaps that imbalance was/is caused by antibiotics, either taken as per prescription or involuntarily via meat. I would suggest people with weight issues who really do not overeat should try probiotics to re-attain gut health.
On the other hand – when eating with friends, the overweight ones usually try to get me to eat a little more, because I can “afford” to. Duh.
When it became apparent that I would survive, I was determined never to be fat again. One rule: don’t drink any calories, except an occasional glass of wine (sweeteners are taboo, too). So, no juices, no milk, no sweetened or creamed tea or coffee. I also avoid processed foods – the foods I prefer don’t need a “nutrition facts” label, because they are totally natural. That is not to say that I never eat anything but those foods, because when I was on the road (I was usually out-of-town during the work week), it was hard to completely abide by those rules. And yes, I still eat sweets - but mostly just (rich!) cakes that I bake from scratch.
I believe that a lot of the obesity in the US is due to malnourishment. The question is: what causes that malnourishment? Maybe an imbalance in the gut bacteria which causes some vitamins/minerals/elements to be not properly absorbed? Perhaps that imbalance was/is caused by antibiotics, either taken as per prescription or involuntarily via meat. I would suggest people with weight issues who really do not overeat should try probiotics to re-attain gut health.
On the other hand – when eating with friends, the overweight ones usually try to get me to eat a little more, because I can “afford” to. Duh.
6
There is nothing "body positive" about sitting next to an obese person in a theater or on an airplane when that body positively encroaches upon me and presses against me. It's uncomfortable to be squeezed by someone else's body. No one reasonably likes that.
I understand that looks aren't the most important part of a person, but I'm not talking about LOOKS. I'm only talking about taking up space in public. When someone's obesity takes up too much space, it makes me uncomfortable and, naturally, resentful.
Further, when health care premiums reflect the widespread obesity trend, and I, not an obese person, must pay higher premiums, it's hard not to resent that.
It's not bias or discrimination against obesity: It's a natural, human response to negative impact on one's life.
I understand that looks aren't the most important part of a person, but I'm not talking about LOOKS. I'm only talking about taking up space in public. When someone's obesity takes up too much space, it makes me uncomfortable and, naturally, resentful.
Further, when health care premiums reflect the widespread obesity trend, and I, not an obese person, must pay higher premiums, it's hard not to resent that.
It's not bias or discrimination against obesity: It's a natural, human response to negative impact on one's life.
8
Because only you have a right to personal space. Interesting.
10
It seems that you require a colossal amount of space, to be so bothered by a obese person encroaching on your space, the way you describe it, this must be a real problem for you.
3
You use fairness as an excuse to shun fat people & justify your resentment? Everyone has reason to be resentful. But you don't have to take it out on those around you.
Healthcare premiums - do you want yours lowered because cancer doesn't run in your family, and you're not likely to get it? No. Because you have your own probabilities.
We chose not to have children - should our taxes be reduced because we don't send children to the school system or contribute to global overpopulation? No. it's important for our society for our taxes to support education for others' children.
Personal space? I walk to work, daily crowded off the sidewalk by 'thin' people spread across the sidewalk shoulder to shoulder.
At the office, gym, theatre, on elevators and planes - people reek of perfume that causes me to have an allergic reaction, sometimes an instant headache. Do you discriminate against them for promotion despite stellar performance?
Be truthful. People discriminate against fat people is because it makes you feel superior - and you value looks over substance. That's convenient, because no one can see your particular challenge - greed, cheating, gambling, stealing, taking credit for others work, being judgemental of others so you don't have to aim that judgement at the mirror, etc. You think being thin covers your particular ugliness, but it doesn't for long.
Healthcare premiums - do you want yours lowered because cancer doesn't run in your family, and you're not likely to get it? No. Because you have your own probabilities.
We chose not to have children - should our taxes be reduced because we don't send children to the school system or contribute to global overpopulation? No. it's important for our society for our taxes to support education for others' children.
Personal space? I walk to work, daily crowded off the sidewalk by 'thin' people spread across the sidewalk shoulder to shoulder.
At the office, gym, theatre, on elevators and planes - people reek of perfume that causes me to have an allergic reaction, sometimes an instant headache. Do you discriminate against them for promotion despite stellar performance?
Be truthful. People discriminate against fat people is because it makes you feel superior - and you value looks over substance. That's convenient, because no one can see your particular challenge - greed, cheating, gambling, stealing, taking credit for others work, being judgemental of others so you don't have to aim that judgement at the mirror, etc. You think being thin covers your particular ugliness, but it doesn't for long.
21
I am bias against fat. I am also biased against smokers, bad drivers, and willful ignorance.
Sue me.
Sue me.
5
*biased
"...When weight stigma is internalized..." - I was very a heavy, basically helpless child - as senior fairly well regulated - but what does this quote mean?
I'm sorry for people who are obese for whatever understandable reason. But it's impossible not to be annoyed when walking behind a slowly ambling person blocking the entire sidewalk, or sitting next to an obese person in a concert or on an airplane. I'm afraid my fat bias is driven by obese people encroaching on my space, to which many of them seem to feel perfectly entitled. And the more obesity increases in this country, the more often it happens.
5
So now someone WALKS too slowly? Is there no end to the indignities and annoyance overweight people visit on you?
7
I'd like you to consider that the fat person seated next to you on the plane has little choice but to take up the room he or she is taking up. Fat people are acutely aware of how people like you loathe them; generally they try as hard as they can to take up as little space as possible, but physics is physics.
6
I am adverse to fat.
I've have never been overweight because I exercise, and I'm always conscious of what I eat.
Absent an underlying medical condition, I have little empathy for fat people. Do they not look in the mirror? Do they not care about their health? Have they no sense of vanity?
Is it THAT hard to take responsibility?
I've have never been overweight because I exercise, and I'm always conscious of what I eat.
Absent an underlying medical condition, I have little empathy for fat people. Do they not look in the mirror? Do they not care about their health? Have they no sense of vanity?
Is it THAT hard to take responsibility?
7
Having spent my life obese until recently, I can tell you that you can be a thin criminal and get away with anything. But if you are obese, then people will assume many traits about you. While obesity is yes, dangerous, maybe its time to institute anti-morphism teaching in schools. Despite being obese I managed to have a good life including marriage, children and accomplishment, but my self-image stayed dangerously out-of-control.
15
My husband grew up in Romania after WW2. Food was very scarce. His mother had multiple sclerosis, so at 8 years old he had to go and stand in line at the butcher's shop to buy meat for the family. If he came home with inferior cuts of meat, his mother (too weak to do it herself) told his brother to slap him on the ears.
Given the scarcity of food, he was a very slender teenager. Now he is very overweight and simply loves to eat. Who can blame him?
Given the scarcity of food, he was a very slender teenager. Now he is very overweight and simply loves to eat. Who can blame him?
18
Some people are very vociferous about the matter. They feel obese people have no self respect for themselves or discipline or determination. When trim people exercise, take care of themselves and count their calories, are concerned about their health, they do not understand how others could be so sloppy and careless.
Heavy people are concerned about their health and mobility...Since you seem to have the magic bullet somehow, please share. The meds cause heart issues, the surgery does not result in loss of all the weight, exercise is no longer the key to active weight loss (just to cardio health). One person commenting here only eats 2 days a week--is that the ticket to not being sloppy and careless.? Tell us!
6
I'd like my children to be compassionate and excepting of all people. However, I also want them to learn that food choices have consequences on health and body. In a life where they are more likely to be overweight or obese as they grow older in this toxic environment, I find it critical for them to be conscious of what they put in their bodies.
Often times when we are visiting with family friends who are overweight and obese, these friends are eating unhealthy, highly processed foods and sugary beverages. The friends and family who choose healthy foods and avoid sugary beverages are not obese.
My children link obesity and overweight to poor food choices. They don't blame the children (their friends) but they question why the parents by such unhealthy foods. These questions are often peppered with statements such as, "their junk food collection is massive!"
I explain that even though they're wonderful people they make poor food choices.
I fear they may develop a bias because they've already associated unhealthy food choice and over eating with overweight status but for their own safety I think it's necessary that they know this link.
Often times when we are visiting with family friends who are overweight and obese, these friends are eating unhealthy, highly processed foods and sugary beverages. The friends and family who choose healthy foods and avoid sugary beverages are not obese.
My children link obesity and overweight to poor food choices. They don't blame the children (their friends) but they question why the parents by such unhealthy foods. These questions are often peppered with statements such as, "their junk food collection is massive!"
I explain that even though they're wonderful people they make poor food choices.
I fear they may develop a bias because they've already associated unhealthy food choice and over eating with overweight status but for their own safety I think it's necessary that they know this link.
16
in the 60s they used to say "you need a bra" and "you should go to vic tanny's(the only gym then). Even though I turned out to be a very good athlete, basketball, tennis, even triathlons I still feel like the "fat kid" and if I have a tough month at work or life, missing the gym, I feel like I can put on 15 lbs in a day. I am thinking of going to extremes now as marginal changes just aren't doing it. At 6'2 I went from 200 to 240 lbs in 2003 when I stopped playing basketball 3 times a week in my early 40s and multi timess a week just ain't cutting it.
4
Go ketogenic, stay ketogenic. Might work?
News Flash, This Just In: A calorie is not a calorie. A calorie is not a calorie. A calorie is not a calorie. What do I mean? I mean that it matters WHAT you eat. It’s NOT a matter of will power; it is NOT a matter of “portion control,” no matter how much Weight Watchers cons you into paying them. Let’s Review: A calorie from a sugar-laden soda from Coca-Cola is NOT the same as a calorie from a carrot. A calorie from a cheese-laden Domino's Pizza is NOT the same as a calorie from broccoli. A calorie from a fat-saturated McDonald's Big Mac is NOT the same as a calorie from kale. It matters WHAT you eat, no matter how much Coca-Cola, Domino's and McDonald's spend in advertising to make you think otherwise. You CANNOT outrun, out exercise a lousy, poisonous diet. YOU WANT TO EAT A WHOLE FOODS, PLANT BASED, NUTRIENT DENSE, CALORIC LIGHT DIET. If you wish to ignore the overwhelming evidence regarding the foregoing and choose instead to continue eating the Standard American Diet (SAD) you'll get the SAD results you see all around you. The choice is yours. This isn't rocket science. PS: You may be an idiot, but don't pass on your outrageous, obscenely poor diet choices to your kids.
11
@Greg Gerner:
Agreed on the uselessness of calorie counting, but vegan vs. SAD is a false dichotomy. There are many other diets from which we could choose, and not everyone will thrive on a strict vegan diet.
Agreed on the uselessness of calorie counting, but vegan vs. SAD is a false dichotomy. There are many other diets from which we could choose, and not everyone will thrive on a strict vegan diet.
12
Protein works for me. If I eat protein at every meal, my hunger is non-existent. Not even tempted to snack or whatever. On the rare occasions when I do snack, it's always on nuts.
3
I totally agree with this comment! The junk food culture is slowly killing Americans. Furthermore, how many Americans sit down to a family meal every night, that is a ritual in France?
Food choices do matter. We used to consider gluttony one of the deadly sins-- now along with other excessive behavior such as the taking of drugs and binge drinking this is socially acceptable.
Let's be honest: if you choose to lead a healthy and disciplined lifestyle you shouldn't be put down for choosing to do so.
Take a look at the author of this article: she is quite slim and has been for years. Would it make all the fat people better off if she too was obese and praised both gluttony and overeating as well as processed foods?!
Food choices do matter. We used to consider gluttony one of the deadly sins-- now along with other excessive behavior such as the taking of drugs and binge drinking this is socially acceptable.
Let's be honest: if you choose to lead a healthy and disciplined lifestyle you shouldn't be put down for choosing to do so.
Take a look at the author of this article: she is quite slim and has been for years. Would it make all the fat people better off if she too was obese and praised both gluttony and overeating as well as processed foods?!
2
You know what the real problem is? That fresh, nutritious produce is midblowingly expensive when compared to to the mac&cheese that lasts a week for a few bucks. It seems like eating healthy is near impossible for the average person. If ya'll can fat shame, why don't you put some effort into pushing for affordable produce.
24
kinda the same psychology as "must have maximal humans on the planet", but "shaming women who lack support for their multiple children"
2
"'We all need to move away from the current appearance-focused culture and recognize that other things matter more than what a person looks like,' [Dr. Puhl] said."
I Googled Dr. Puhl and could not fail to notice the attractive photographs posted on her website bios. Ever since I was a child I was told that one's appearance wasn't the critical thing, but the Culture's superficiality has only increased over the years and you opt out at your professional and personal peril.
I Googled Dr. Puhl and could not fail to notice the attractive photographs posted on her website bios. Ever since I was a child I was told that one's appearance wasn't the critical thing, but the Culture's superficiality has only increased over the years and you opt out at your professional and personal peril.
8
Change the phrase "if only she lost weight..." with "if only her skin were lighter..." and see what that does to your head.
20
if only he were taller
3
Bad analogy. People have no control over their skin color and their is no biological disadvantage to having dark skin, in fact, melanin is usually an advantage in that it provides protection from the sun. All humans descended from a common African ancestor.
Being obese, by contrast, is within the control of many people. There is a reasonable basis for aversion to obesity: excessive weight is not healthy.
Being obese, by contrast, is within the control of many people. There is a reasonable basis for aversion to obesity: excessive weight is not healthy.
4
When I was a little girl, a young neighbor pointed to my stomach and told me that I was fat. I was completely mystified by her interest in my stomach and asked "why do you care?" My aunt overheard the conversation and pulled me inside because she thought I would be upset. I told my aunt that I couldn't understand why my body would be her business. A lifetime of being overweight and I believe the same thing now - no one else's business how fat, thin, blonde or anything else I am. I may find something about another person objectionable (hairy ears anyone?!...) but that is my hang-up and nothing to dump onto their plate, so to speak. And for the record - anyone who finds fat as objectionable as does Jane Brody's friend is probably wildly out of touch with her own appetites. She should stick to figuring that ball of wax out versus throwing judgment anyone else's way. (And Jane - doesn't she read your work regarding the many issues that cause extra body weight? Sigh.)
23
I would extend that "nunya" policy to what is in someone's shopping cart. Keep your eyes on your own work!
3
We have a world-wide health emergency crisis here. Obesity is putting a very serious strain on health care systems, resources and budgets in every country that has one. Fat people don't need "body acceptance" and coddling. They need shaming. We've shamed smoking out of existence in many communities and demographics. Why? Because it was killing people and costing society untold billions of dollars. We enlisted the government to legislate and legalize the aggressive shaming of smokers. We taxed the heck out of their bad habits. Obesity is no different.
This "anti-fat bias" doesn't start "as young as 3", it starts at day 1. Studies have shown newborns have a bias against fat faces. Why? Because it does not look like a healthy body, humans have a natural aversion to individuals exhibiting signs of illness.
"With extreme thinness being so prevalent in the media"... what? There is no "extreme thinness" in media. It's just normalcy. Or what used to be normalcy. This is a perfect example of normalization of obesity, no one can tell what a normal, healthy human body is supposed to look like.
This "anti-fat bias" doesn't start "as young as 3", it starts at day 1. Studies have shown newborns have a bias against fat faces. Why? Because it does not look like a healthy body, humans have a natural aversion to individuals exhibiting signs of illness.
"With extreme thinness being so prevalent in the media"... what? There is no "extreme thinness" in media. It's just normalcy. Or what used to be normalcy. This is a perfect example of normalization of obesity, no one can tell what a normal, healthy human body is supposed to look like.
14
So you're the new authority on world-wide healthcare budgets? That all medical procedures are restricted to the obese? Are you tapped in AT ALL to images in the media? To the rampant eating disorder "epidemic" that - btw - is rarely if ever cured? Bring it down a peg and write your vitriol to Big Food and Big Pharma. P.S. Cigarette sales are just fine.
2
You know what a baby is thinking?
2
There's no doubt that Americans are fat and have been getting fatter. In the 1950s the average woman was size 8 (that's why there's the range of sizes 2-14), but now the average size is 14. Men, too, are ballooning. There are practical considerations. Recently, the guy who came to fix our AC said the hole on the floor was too small for him to get through, and he had to find someone skinner to do the job. So far, the company hasn't found anyone! My building was constructed in 1970, and back then the average repairman had no trouble getting through. Now I'm wondering: if the repairment company doesn't hire obese workers, is it considered discrimination?
14
Americans have an unrealistic sense of how much exercise is necessary. basically, you should be running, walking, biking, skiing, surfing, swimming, and lifting so frequently that you can't really keep track on a note pad. I might go for a run before driving to the beach, then swim for an hour or so, then walk along the beach for a mile or two just looking at the water, then shower, then ride my bike a couple of miles to meet friends for dinner. Then hit the gym to lift the next day. Most people do exercise like taking a pill.
I knew a woman who was very slender yet never ran or lifted weight. She rode her bike about 12 or so miles every day and would go clubbing/raving three nights a week for 4 hours of non-stop dancing.
I knew a woman who was very slender yet never ran or lifted weight. She rode her bike about 12 or so miles every day and would go clubbing/raving three nights a week for 4 hours of non-stop dancing.
1
Too bad she'll likely have hearing loss by middle age from going to raves clubs 3 nights a week.
But it helped keep her very slender.
But it helped keep her very slender.
3
maybe she wore earplugs? at 32 her hearing was fine, but that's not middle age. I saw her at 34. her hearing seemed fine.
1
So, when you live to be 65 or 70 and you can no longer lift, weight, swim, run cycle, walk, ski and surf, you will definitely become at least overweight. At that point you will perhaps able to eat about 1000 calories per day to keep looking like your same old emaciated, unattractive old self. Nothing looks worse than an old skinny person!
1
When I hear a weight shamer put somebody down for being overweight, underweight or whatever I think less of the shamer than the person their shaming.
22
I do too. But there is a difference between making fun of someone because of his or her weight (I've seen co-workers do this.) and being troubled by mounting obesity rates.
3
To re-discuss and re-analyze the already known physical and psychological consequences of overweight and obesity is a waste of time and effort.
My obese friends excuse their size by saying they have children, grandchildren and a spouse to feed -- and that's why they are so large.
Parents have to insist on healthy, low-cal, small portion eating for their families amf themselves. If a woman's family clamors for fried foods, starches and sweets, it's up to her and her partner to say "no".
The person doing the shopping must read each label and avoid hidden sugars snd fats, and bring home only healthy food. If they do, their kids won't develop a taste for grease and sugar.
Obesity is rarely caused by metabolic or genetic disorders. It's caused by too much eating and not enough exercise, and it kills.
I agree that we should not be cruel to anyone for their faults and imperfections.
But to side with the sugar lobby, the high fructose corn syrup purveyors and fast food lobbyists, against the interests of good health, is not logical.
No matter if you love your curves... will you love your cardiac disease? Those who are
encouraging obesity--loving your curves--need to turn their energies toward exercise and healthy nutrition.
My obese friends excuse their size by saying they have children, grandchildren and a spouse to feed -- and that's why they are so large.
Parents have to insist on healthy, low-cal, small portion eating for their families amf themselves. If a woman's family clamors for fried foods, starches and sweets, it's up to her and her partner to say "no".
The person doing the shopping must read each label and avoid hidden sugars snd fats, and bring home only healthy food. If they do, their kids won't develop a taste for grease and sugar.
Obesity is rarely caused by metabolic or genetic disorders. It's caused by too much eating and not enough exercise, and it kills.
I agree that we should not be cruel to anyone for their faults and imperfections.
But to side with the sugar lobby, the high fructose corn syrup purveyors and fast food lobbyists, against the interests of good health, is not logical.
No matter if you love your curves... will you love your cardiac disease? Those who are
encouraging obesity--loving your curves--need to turn their energies toward exercise and healthy nutrition.
7
@Lilou:
If obesity is due to "overeating", then high fructose corn syrup, sugar, fast food, healthful food, vegetables, fats, lean protein, etc, are all irrelevant. The body is just a toaster oven, and the amount of calories is all that matters.
If sugar, HFCS, junk foods, fast foods, etc, have specific metabolic and hormonal effects which promote obesity, then we have already moved past a simple "calories in, calories out" system.
If obesity is due to "overeating", then high fructose corn syrup, sugar, fast food, healthful food, vegetables, fats, lean protein, etc, are all irrelevant. The body is just a toaster oven, and the amount of calories is all that matters.
If sugar, HFCS, junk foods, fast foods, etc, have specific metabolic and hormonal effects which promote obesity, then we have already moved past a simple "calories in, calories out" system.
8
Who cares about cause? I'm considered obese by most standards, and it's no one's business whether it's my "fault" or beyond my control because of some metabolic disorder. I may be obese, but I'm also intelligent, kind, funny, and empathetic. "Fault" simply does not come into the equation. You don't have to like me, but I do have the right to respect and common decency. And frankly, I think that all the moral approbation toward fat people is nothing more than an excuse to rationalize people's basic visceral bias against them. Get a grip and grow up. Love your neighbor as you love yourself.
2
So, NYT recently had an article indicating that obese Asian-Americans were seen as more American, but today we find that those same chubby Asians will be subject to weight prejudice. No silver lining in this Fluffy cloud.
3
I'm surprised that this article nowhere mentions the role of our market economy in the obesity problem (and it is a serious health problem) and the billions of dollars in advertising, marketing, and packaging, engaged in by the food industry to convince people to eat junk food and to eat it excessively. We do not do people who are obese any favors by "accepting" them while doing nothing to stop the assault on the senses of all of us by this greedy industry. One of the other commenters mentioned that there were always fat people and attributing thinness to affluence, but when I see old documentary film clips -- from the 1960's and earlier - I see a lot of "normal weight" people. Today, to go into a suburban supermarket is to be stunned by the sight - virtually everybody is obese - parents and children alike. This has been done to them. Jane, you need to go after the right people. But good luck with that. In our market economy, making money is the #1 priority, not the health of our citizenry.
93
Some of these commenters will say nasty things or throw nasty sneers to people based solely on their weight. They need to remember that the fat people may not always be fat and they should try changing their attitudes as well.
6
Actually, formerly fat people are often the most judgmental. It's not right, but I think I understand it: They think that if they did it others can, too. They may also be concerned about backsliding which we know is easy to do.
2
If Americans are biased against fat people, isn't it surprising that the percentage of Americans who are fat or obese is increasing? In businesses the managers are often large and fat, hence the phrase "large and in charge". Do those fat managers owe their position to a bias in favor of fat?
1
When I look at my school photos from the 1950s I see 30 teenage boys whom we with today's standard would call significantly thin. There was just one exception, bullied as fat by us, a boy always with a chocolate bar in his pocket. Today he would barely qualify as slightly overweight.
As I remember it we ate a lot of food, even my sisters. The mother put a giant pot of potatoes and lots of meat or fish on the table with each dinner, to which we drank milk. What's the difference from today?
Well, we had nothing to eat between meals, nothing! Sugary drinks, candy and everything else we held dear was for special occasions only: birthdays, Christmas, sparse parties and the like. Junk food was not invented or imported. The largest commercial ads was for milk.
The most crucial difference seems crystal clear to me. Today people are bombarded with commercial propaganda for unhealthy junk food and soda, intentionally filled with harmful and palatable ingredients designed to make it irresistible. Against this storm of enticing ads ordinary people are expected to have the knowledge and strong will to choose a different and more healthy path.
One of the flip sides of individual freedom is vulnerability. If Sweden still lags behind US in the obesity league it's because we have official propaganda and some monitoring (of for instance school and hospital food), but in the spirit of neoliberal "freedoms" we are rapidly catching up.
As I remember it we ate a lot of food, even my sisters. The mother put a giant pot of potatoes and lots of meat or fish on the table with each dinner, to which we drank milk. What's the difference from today?
Well, we had nothing to eat between meals, nothing! Sugary drinks, candy and everything else we held dear was for special occasions only: birthdays, Christmas, sparse parties and the like. Junk food was not invented or imported. The largest commercial ads was for milk.
The most crucial difference seems crystal clear to me. Today people are bombarded with commercial propaganda for unhealthy junk food and soda, intentionally filled with harmful and palatable ingredients designed to make it irresistible. Against this storm of enticing ads ordinary people are expected to have the knowledge and strong will to choose a different and more healthy path.
One of the flip sides of individual freedom is vulnerability. If Sweden still lags behind US in the obesity league it's because we have official propaganda and some monitoring (of for instance school and hospital food), but in the spirit of neoliberal "freedoms" we are rapidly catching up.
11
When I read the article I know the majority of people commenting would be cruel and nasty. There are those that say hey I lost 10 20 30 pounds and did just by eating less and exercising. Congratulations you have a normal metabolism. Not everyone does. As for the people who are talking about how there were no fat people in caveman times give your head a shake. Is anyone aware that the tables that decide whether you are obese etc are NOT medical tables. They are strictly made for life insurance companies and based on their mortality levels. In fact, if you do some research you will find that about 15 or 20 years ago they decided to change their tables. Overnight, according to their tables 30% more Americans became obese.
Some went from obese to morbidity obese. Of course, if you are obese the insurance companies can charge you much more on your premiums. Do you think they have a vested interest in making more Americans obese? So just skip the holier than thou commentators and deal with the medical issues around obesity.
Some went from obese to morbidity obese. Of course, if you are obese the insurance companies can charge you much more on your premiums. Do you think they have a vested interest in making more Americans obese? So just skip the holier than thou commentators and deal with the medical issues around obesity.
11
A friend recently said to me, "if you want to lose faith in humanity, read the comments in the New York Times."
23
THAT'S THE BEST COMMENT HERE!!!
1
LOL. I was just wondering why I come to these obesity threads--it seems to be the same shortsighted, ignorant, self-righteous, or uncompassionate people time and time again....
2
The Economist comment section is far worse.
1
My best friend constantly criticized her overweight sister-in-law, in a seemingly non-critical fashion, to anyone who would listen. "Poor Janie, she has such a pretty face and dresses so nicely. If she could just lose 50 pounds, she would be beautiful." That sort of thing. Her daughter grew up hearing those comments from the cradle. End result, at age 31, her daughter is an anorexic basket case, in and out of treatment facilities since the age of 13. The daughter cannot see herself as anything but fat which she equates with unworthiness. So be careful what your fat shaming of one person can do to another person.
28
I am horrified by some of these comments. What has become of empathy? We shouldn't "accept" obesity? By being kind to another person we are "promoting" obesity? So treat them horribly until they lose weight because you are projecting your own body issues? What an utterly disgraceful way to think. People need to mind their own business. Obese people are painfully aware of their weight and what other people are thinking every minute of their lives. Also, as an obese, single mom by choice, who works full-time as an attorney, I would argue that not many people could be as "lazy" as I am. Horrible.
25
So many commenters on this article and any others that dare to address fat bias leap immediately to morbid obesity. The article repeatedly talks about people who are simply overweight. It's as if we can't mention any softening toward any amount of extra weight without a sermon on fitness. The lectures on this thread! sheesh. I think there has been a shift in my lifetime toward a religiosity about food and exercise. In the 60's, most of the women I knew (in church, in my neighborhood, in my school), wore somewhat modest clothing. They had soft arms. None of the women I knew lifted weights. They had no shame about wearing sleeveless shirts with their arms showing. I don't remember any sculpted arms. Yet, almost every woman I know today expresses disgust about their own or other's "flabby" arms. We feel far too proud and somehow good if our arms are extremely firm. I wish people would just relax. I'm not advocating for everyone to become obese. But, for heaven's sake, allow people some kindness if they are somewhat overweight. Have you never struggled with anything at all? If not, then I wish you luck when you do. If you have, then grant these folks just an ounce of understanding. I wonder if it's about vulnerability. We attack someone who dares to become a little soft. Disgusting! Revolting!
19
Everyone has issues.
5
"With extreme thinness being so prevalent in the media"
WHO are they talking about? Ivanka? Taylor Swift? Jen Lawrence? Kim Kardashian? I can see Angelina Jolie being labeled as "extremely thin", but everyone I've mentioned I'd say are within normal weight range.
WHO are they talking about? Ivanka? Taylor Swift? Jen Lawrence? Kim Kardashian? I can see Angelina Jolie being labeled as "extremely thin", but everyone I've mentioned I'd say are within normal weight range.
4
I have a deep and long-standing fat bias. I was always active, and I looked at fat people with pity and revulsion. And as I got older, being a thin girl who could eat anything without gaining weight became a larger part of my identity than I care to admit. All this worked out well for me until my late 20s. Suddenly, my weight started creeping up. I didn't respond to it the way I assumed I would if it ever happened to me. My metabolism turned on me at around the same time I began spending most of my day behind a desk in a stressful job and had a health issue that kept me out of the gym for 6 weeks. By the end of the 6 weeks, I was in the habit of ending each day with a cocktail instead of exercise. I was embarrassed, so I stopped going places that were full of thin, pretty people, and I began spending more time with my heavier friends. I stopped looking in the mirror except at just the right angle. My confidence plummeted. And the worse I felt, the worse my habits became. I've always said that you don't magically develop a taste for salad over burgers, and while I think that's true, what happened to me was so much more psychological than that. Because I was grossed out by fat people, my self-disgust grew with every pound I added. I went from a size 0 to a 12, and it was truly the most awful thing that's ever happened to me. Years later, I'm down to a size 6/8, and I'm still too humiliated to swim in public. But maybe someday...
8
Aw--jump back in the pool already! Did you know this season of Project Runway is using models of all sizes--2 to 22...You'd be a skinny...if that means so much to you, enjoy it!
2
I read some self-loathing here. Ease up on yourself. Life is short. You would be considered small by any standards, but even if you are not, live your life. Do what you want to do.
2
Yes there are afew folks who have a genetic basis for obesity, born that way. There are those unfortunates who have overweight parents and they also inherit genes that are active for fat production. Again, not their fault. You were a fat teenager and now 10 years later have a child then there is a good chance the fat epigenes you developed are passed on and your child has a big chance of becoming fat.
However, there are the many millions who choose to be fat, overeating the wrong foods and no exercise. This is the really big health problem. They are costing the rest of us lots of tax payers dollars for their increased diseases.
However, there are the many millions who choose to be fat, overeating the wrong foods and no exercise. This is the really big health problem. They are costing the rest of us lots of tax payers dollars for their increased diseases.
2
I've been driving through upstate New York for several days.
Two observations:
Virtually everyone here is significantly overweight or obese. (Exception: not in Mennonite areas).
The food available in the towns is awful -- total junk, either local or from a national chain if one has an outpost along the state routes.
People in small towns did not look or eat like this in the 1960s of my youth.
What in the world has happened to America?
Two observations:
Virtually everyone here is significantly overweight or obese. (Exception: not in Mennonite areas).
The food available in the towns is awful -- total junk, either local or from a national chain if one has an outpost along the state routes.
People in small towns did not look or eat like this in the 1960s of my youth.
What in the world has happened to America?
7
Processed food is to blame, so we need more shame, not less. The shame should be directed at the food industry, and at government, which allows corrupt lobbies to influence regulatory policy.
Shrilly asking people not to speak about obesity, or name it, is unhelpful. All the 'compassionate' people commenting here may well be apologists for Western Disease. That is misplaced compassion.
People need access to healthy, cheap food alternatives. Government has a responsibility to follow the science and regulate to create financial penalty for the industry which profits (and which leaves as its extranality the obesity epidemic). Accademia has an ethical obligation to stop lionising the old and listen to new science, even when it bucks the trend. And compassionate people need to use compassion to think, to act, and to care enough about each other to speak tough truths, and seek solutions to obesity, not the false balms and fictitious platitudes that let all the myriad actors (profiteers, lawmen, lobbyists, enablers, collateral...) in this sad trainwreck off the hook...
Shrilly asking people not to speak about obesity, or name it, is unhelpful. All the 'compassionate' people commenting here may well be apologists for Western Disease. That is misplaced compassion.
People need access to healthy, cheap food alternatives. Government has a responsibility to follow the science and regulate to create financial penalty for the industry which profits (and which leaves as its extranality the obesity epidemic). Accademia has an ethical obligation to stop lionising the old and listen to new science, even when it bucks the trend. And compassionate people need to use compassion to think, to act, and to care enough about each other to speak tough truths, and seek solutions to obesity, not the false balms and fictitious platitudes that let all the myriad actors (profiteers, lawmen, lobbyists, enablers, collateral...) in this sad trainwreck off the hook...
44
Since when do people not have the choice to choose? If you don't like whats on the tube, pick up a book! There is no sugary ads there. I don't buy the concept of shaming the food industry. They are selling a product they are not spinning lies.
Growing up in a middle class 1970's Midwestern town of 10,000 people, there were 150 members of my high school graduating class. No more than three of them would be considered overweight - not one of them "obese". In a photo taken during that time of my mother, in a group of other local mothers, the same observation can be made. I read an article on Hurricane Katrina with a photo of 3 generations of African American women who lived in the same swept-away house in a low-income neighborhood of New Orleans. At roughly the same height, the granny was whippet thin with muscled arms. The mother was maybe 20 pounds overweight. The granddaughter weighed 350-400 pounds.
Whether we attribute the state of public health these days to lack of exercise, addiction to the sedentary practice of communing with data devices 6-10 hours a day, or the preponderance of sugar & salt in processed foods, the fact remains that widespread obesity has occurred quite rapidly within our society over the past two generations - with enormous cost to both individuals and society. Medical professionals have little training for dealing with a public health crisis that did not exist 50 years ago on anywhere near the scale we find today. While I applaud every effort to provide emotional support and human kindness to people suffering with obesity, we must also recognize this public health crisis as just that - and work equally hard to deliver basic and low-cost remedies, advice and support for the suffering.
Whether we attribute the state of public health these days to lack of exercise, addiction to the sedentary practice of communing with data devices 6-10 hours a day, or the preponderance of sugar & salt in processed foods, the fact remains that widespread obesity has occurred quite rapidly within our society over the past two generations - with enormous cost to both individuals and society. Medical professionals have little training for dealing with a public health crisis that did not exist 50 years ago on anywhere near the scale we find today. While I applaud every effort to provide emotional support and human kindness to people suffering with obesity, we must also recognize this public health crisis as just that - and work equally hard to deliver basic and low-cost remedies, advice and support for the suffering.
15
I don't understand why we cannot segregate two very different things.
All adults have responsibility over their own personal health, and should take care of it as best they can. Weight is one part of that, as is a whole host of other issues.
That is our personal responsibility. But then when we go out in the world, again as adults, we should strive to be kind and understanding to our fellow human beings. This means that we don't treat people badly because they look different than we would prefer, or try to avoid people that are disabled, or are a different race or gender, or are overweight. We treat them with dignity as we would like to be treated.
Has one person ever been treated with a lack of dignity by someone else and thought - you know what, that is just the incentive I need to go out and lose five pounds? I don't think so.
I have been thin my whole life, but my mother in law, a lovely woman, has suffered with obesity. I have seen people treat her badly. Her mother treated her badly over this issue. And honestly, I don't get it. We all have our stuff.
I don't think a bit of compassion for our fellow man or woman is too much to ask.
All adults have responsibility over their own personal health, and should take care of it as best they can. Weight is one part of that, as is a whole host of other issues.
That is our personal responsibility. But then when we go out in the world, again as adults, we should strive to be kind and understanding to our fellow human beings. This means that we don't treat people badly because they look different than we would prefer, or try to avoid people that are disabled, or are a different race or gender, or are overweight. We treat them with dignity as we would like to be treated.
Has one person ever been treated with a lack of dignity by someone else and thought - you know what, that is just the incentive I need to go out and lose five pounds? I don't think so.
I have been thin my whole life, but my mother in law, a lovely woman, has suffered with obesity. I have seen people treat her badly. Her mother treated her badly over this issue. And honestly, I don't get it. We all have our stuff.
I don't think a bit of compassion for our fellow man or woman is too much to ask.
140
I'm 5' 7". I've been treated (by women) with some disdain, due to my height. My response has to be to work out a ton, earn an advanced degree, work hard on my style, and strive for mid six figure income.
The main difference is that men respond to criticism by trying to improve themselves and women responded to criticism by decrying patriarchy.
The main difference is that men respond to criticism by trying to improve themselves and women responded to criticism by decrying patriarchy.
I am only being partly facetious--you could stand on your wallet--what are overweight people to do--paste 100 bills all over their bulges?
The Star, they could lose weight. To me, it's easy to stay thin. Just work out 10 hours a week. It doesn't take any brainpower. I would MUCH rather work out 60 hours a week than do stocks 60 hours a week. I feel like women have it easy: Just stay thin and men will drop at your feet. Men, on the hand, have to be tall, dark, handsome, successful, funny, smart, fit, educated, social, charming, etc..
If having a six-pack by itself got me the women I want, I'd be married five years ago. Despite being in terrific shape, I've been rejected for being too short or not rich enough (back when I had no money). I've ever bene rejected for not being a Harvard student (I was using Harvard's library with a pass from Boston College and a female grad student seemed very interested in me, until she learned that I attended a lesser university).
If having a six-pack by itself got me the women I want, I'd be married five years ago. Despite being in terrific shape, I've been rejected for being too short or not rich enough (back when I had no money). I've ever bene rejected for not being a Harvard student (I was using Harvard's library with a pass from Boston College and a female grad student seemed very interested in me, until she learned that I attended a lesser university).
I agree with everything in this article regarding discrimination and blaming/shaming. However, I find it absurd when fat people complain that no one finds them sexually attractive, as if it's society's job to change advantageous perceptions of health so they feel more included. It's one thing to cognitively realize that fat people should not be blamed for their weight, it's another thing to ask us to change what we are sexually attracted to. I'm sure given the choice, even fat people would prefer a thin person to breed with, making their victimhood all the more hypocritical.
4
You assume "fat" people want a thin mate? How do you know? My ex used to say--"You can't drive a railroad spike with a tack hammer." And I actually have not seen too many, if any, on this thread saying they are not sexually attractive--other people have said they don't find the overweight people sexually attractive... You will find overweight women are often not lacking for companionship--I sure wasn't in the day...and not "chubby chasers, "either. Sex is funny that way--quirks and preferences.
2
I started gaining weight and decided to use the app Lose It. I can control my weight and still eat balanced meals. It showed me how to make better choices.
4
What is worse than fat shaming is the trend of advertisers of products -- particularly fashions -- to portray overweight subjects -- their models -- as being attractive and acceptable, thereby encouraging those that are overweight to stay that way.
I'm not referring here to obesity, which is a national health crisis and growing worse; it needs to be addressed before those who develop illnesses such as diabetes resulting from obesity overwhelm our medical facilities and insurance programs. Rather, I am dismayed by those advertisers implicitly suggesting being overweight is "normal" by using overweight models in ads selling clothes and other products; that is counter to encouraging health and fitness.
If you disagree with any of the above: Tour a seniors community. Count how many seriously overweight residents you find there. Almost none. Most residents are vital and active, enjoying their supposedly "twilight years".
I'm not referring here to obesity, which is a national health crisis and growing worse; it needs to be addressed before those who develop illnesses such as diabetes resulting from obesity overwhelm our medical facilities and insurance programs. Rather, I am dismayed by those advertisers implicitly suggesting being overweight is "normal" by using overweight models in ads selling clothes and other products; that is counter to encouraging health and fitness.
If you disagree with any of the above: Tour a seniors community. Count how many seriously overweight residents you find there. Almost none. Most residents are vital and active, enjoying their supposedly "twilight years".
5
I object to all the thin models that are used to advertise fast food. Like those gigantic cheeseburgers in the Carl's Jr. commercial. There is no way to stay that thin and regularly eat that kind of food.
1
Food is the most abused anti-anxiety "medication" and exercise is the most under utilized anti-depressant. It seems rational to make distinctions between people who are healthy mentally and physically and those who are not. The more critical the job to be done, the more important it is to make such distinctions.
6
Mmmm...I'd say it is alcohol. But that wouldn't fit into your argument. There are plenty of people who look "healthy" on the outside and are deeply mentally disturbed.
1
Replace obesity in this article with smoking. Both are harmful behaviors that are within your control. Should we cancel all of our anti-smoking campaigns, pretend it is healthy and and that smokers are powerless to do anything about it to avoid hurting their feelings?
No one is claiming that being healthy is easy -- it requires long-term dedication, self-restraint, and hard work. That doesn't mean we shouldn't strive for it.
No one is claiming that being healthy is easy -- it requires long-term dedication, self-restraint, and hard work. That doesn't mean we shouldn't strive for it.
6
I think that regularly showing a range of body types in media could be helpful. However after just returning from a trip to Portugal, I immediately noticed how many more overweight people, especially adolescents, there are here. Why are so many Americans fatter. Also I was eat so much more in Portugal (most delicious food ever!), but lose weight there. Fat bias and dieting are both ineffective. I also think there are too many crazy diets, deprivations and punishment through food and shaming.But why are there so many fat and diabetic here? Our young people in particular should not be obese--not hyper skinny either-- just healthy. They need exercise and healthy diets, with delicious, healthy food, and occasional treats too! Wish we could stop marketing every last thing, and reclaim hope and common sense!
6
The so-called "bias" against being overweight is justified by the health risks: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/weight-management/health-ri.... What next, an article about bias against smoker? I imagine the smokers would agree that they are being stigmatized by social attitudes that make it difficult for them to stop smoking.
3
I take public transportation and notice that there are a lot of large passengers. Regardless of the reason(s) they got that way, the fact is they do take up more space. I have had to sit on the edge of one seat because the large person is taking up more than half of the second seat. This is not bias, this is fact. They also block the aisle when they refuse to sit down when there is a seat. I understand how hard and embarrassing it must be for such people in public spaces. Having lived and traveled abroad, compared to their European and Asian counterparts Americans eat way too much and are far lazier. Bullying and fat shaming are wrong but in the American way of being all about the individual, each individual fighting a weight issue needs to get help and stick with it. Those of us on the outside can not do it for you.
5
And what about those who have weight loss surgery? They're mocked for being big and then for taking the so-called easy way out. Sheesh. Let's have some compassion.
5
Interesting article, and of course people of any age should not be bullied or shunned because of their weight. Ever. But I am somewhat mystified by the idea oft now stated - including by an accompanied article on this page - that being over weight is merely genetic, nothing to do with will power or habits. Many people I know work quite diligently to keep their weight down. I have a hypothyroid condition and have to use all the will power and good habits I can muster - including eating much less than I used to - to keep to my preferred weight. I do observe the contents of the shopping carts sometimes of people who a very overweight and I feel sad about the poor choices they seem to be making. I don't think we are just victims of our genes; we have choices - and some of them are difficult. Some, as another article in this section describes, show the benefits of front loading our calorie intake to the beginning, not the end, of the day. Not that difficult; just another habit.
5
I think sometimes people are arguing that WILL POWER is genetic (and not just a propensity for weight gain).
1
I feel like I have some perspective on how one becomes obese and why it's so prevalent in the US. For years, while living in a walkable US city and in Europe (8 years total.) I maintained a healthy weight (within my ideal range.)
Then we moved back to the US. We moved to a city that was sprawling, with horrible and barely existent public transport. It was hot there almost year round (so even if it had been walkable, it would've been unbearable.) I feel like in the US it's very easy to lead a monotonous and somewhat isolated life because of this.
When you live in a walkable city, you see all types of people everyday. Just walking to work or while on your lunch break also helps you be in touch with your body. So you benefit from a greater awareness of your body and your fitness and you also have at once a stimulating effect from being amongst all the people as well as a subconscious peer-pressure effect. Lastly, I feel like walking in a vibrant city provided me with much needed stimulation and that somehow in returning to the US, food became a lame effort to replace the missing stimulation.
I am still overweight and battle it daily, but I feel like whereas before my life's environment conspired to help me, here I experience the opposite. I know for me that the answer is to move back to a walkable city, and I'm working on it!
Then we moved back to the US. We moved to a city that was sprawling, with horrible and barely existent public transport. It was hot there almost year round (so even if it had been walkable, it would've been unbearable.) I feel like in the US it's very easy to lead a monotonous and somewhat isolated life because of this.
When you live in a walkable city, you see all types of people everyday. Just walking to work or while on your lunch break also helps you be in touch with your body. So you benefit from a greater awareness of your body and your fitness and you also have at once a stimulating effect from being amongst all the people as well as a subconscious peer-pressure effect. Lastly, I feel like walking in a vibrant city provided me with much needed stimulation and that somehow in returning to the US, food became a lame effort to replace the missing stimulation.
I am still overweight and battle it daily, but I feel like whereas before my life's environment conspired to help me, here I experience the opposite. I know for me that the answer is to move back to a walkable city, and I'm working on it!
12
As a person who struggles mightily with my weight, despite eating well (not perfectly but plenty or fruits and veggies, very few sweets, very limited processed foods) and getting a lot of exercise (boxing classes, strength training, walking my dog, riding my bike among other things), I can only say that the arrogance, pomposity, superiority and downright cruelty of many of these comments makes me sad...for those people, not me.
I have a wonderful husband, a terrific daughter, wonderful friends and a full life. I don't have the time or energy to be judging other people based on such superficial things as their weight.
And if you don't think I can be healthy because my BMI says I am obese, I suggest you talk with the recipient of the kidney I donated a few years ago! To qualify as an organ donor you have to undergo many, many tests and I passed them all with flying colors.
If you don't want to sit next to me on the plane or in the movie theater, that's cool with me; it frees up a seat for a person who might want to meet me, not judge me.
I have a wonderful husband, a terrific daughter, wonderful friends and a full life. I don't have the time or energy to be judging other people based on such superficial things as their weight.
And if you don't think I can be healthy because my BMI says I am obese, I suggest you talk with the recipient of the kidney I donated a few years ago! To qualify as an organ donor you have to undergo many, many tests and I passed them all with flying colors.
If you don't want to sit next to me on the plane or in the movie theater, that's cool with me; it frees up a seat for a person who might want to meet me, not judge me.
30
All living things are hard wired to avoid unhealthy individuals. It's not 'bias' per se; it's hard-wired survival skills. I am not overweight or obese, and I avoid overweight and obese people whenever and where ever I have the option.
2
During the Reagan years, the Republican Party embraced the agenda of exclusively helping its wealthiest donors increase their wealth, at the expense of everyone else. As that agenda was difficult to sell to the millions of people Republicans needed to consistently and enthusiastically vote against their own interests, conservatives constructed an alternate reality and ideology that was easier to sell. It notably includes the myth that the wealthy donors were altruistic job-creators who would trickle down their tax cuts.
Another salient feature is the belief that people choose to be poor or sick (or fat) because of their moral weakness, lack of willpower, or laziness. Conservative Believers (who of course have strong morals, willpower, and work ethic) should thus not tolerate Big Government confiscating their hard-earned wages to support "takers" who make bad choices. That tenet of the conservative faith was designed to justify what we saw most recently in the failed effort to repeal the ACA: Transferring funds that provide health care and other services for undeserving "takers" to the pockets of wealthy donors and insurance CEOs who clearly deserve tax cuts and corporate welfare.
Many of the comments here show how successful conservatives and Republicans have been at spreading their ideology. Even the ostensibly liberal readership of the Times eagerly parrot it in response to an article about fat-shaming. I don't think that augurs well for our country.
Another salient feature is the belief that people choose to be poor or sick (or fat) because of their moral weakness, lack of willpower, or laziness. Conservative Believers (who of course have strong morals, willpower, and work ethic) should thus not tolerate Big Government confiscating their hard-earned wages to support "takers" who make bad choices. That tenet of the conservative faith was designed to justify what we saw most recently in the failed effort to repeal the ACA: Transferring funds that provide health care and other services for undeserving "takers" to the pockets of wealthy donors and insurance CEOs who clearly deserve tax cuts and corporate welfare.
Many of the comments here show how successful conservatives and Republicans have been at spreading their ideology. Even the ostensibly liberal readership of the Times eagerly parrot it in response to an article about fat-shaming. I don't think that augurs well for our country.
14
Ted, your comment gets to the heart of the matter.
1
I definitely am put off by excess body fat. My whole life, my family has been very weight conscious. I swim daily and am very careful of my diet ( a silver lining to a diagnosis of RA several years ago ). My partner is also very fit --- he and I swim together often.
I feel that, as there are so many overweight people these days, our culture has tried to get us all to embrace excess body weight. "Fat shaming" is a no no. But, for myself, I prefer fit. If I detect pounds coming on, I immediately adjust my diet. If I don't, clothes don't fit, I feel uncomfortable and my mom will definitely have comments to make.
I feel that, as there are so many overweight people these days, our culture has tried to get us all to embrace excess body weight. "Fat shaming" is a no no. But, for myself, I prefer fit. If I detect pounds coming on, I immediately adjust my diet. If I don't, clothes don't fit, I feel uncomfortable and my mom will definitely have comments to make.
1
I confess, I suffer from the bias referred to in this article. All my life, being fat has been associated in my mind with weakness, self-indulgence, laziness. And I apply those strictures to myself. I'm currently overweight and I regard that as a moral failing in myself.
I'm aware that this is both unfair and counter-productive, but prejudices aren't always easy to root out. And there is a dilemma here, isn't there? If we normalise obesity, if we deprive it of all negative connotations, how are we to deal with the fact that being fat is bad for you? Obviously, treating it as a health issue rather than a personal failure is a start, but even opening the conversation inevitably, on some level, reinforces the "fat bad, thin good" message.
I ask this in a genuine spirit of inquiry, Clearly, lowering people's morale and stigmatizing them is going to make things worse, so we should stop it. But how to reinforce the public health message, and tackle the diabetes epidemic, in a positive manner that doesn't make kids - or their parents - fell bad about themselves?
I'm aware that this is both unfair and counter-productive, but prejudices aren't always easy to root out. And there is a dilemma here, isn't there? If we normalise obesity, if we deprive it of all negative connotations, how are we to deal with the fact that being fat is bad for you? Obviously, treating it as a health issue rather than a personal failure is a start, but even opening the conversation inevitably, on some level, reinforces the "fat bad, thin good" message.
I ask this in a genuine spirit of inquiry, Clearly, lowering people's morale and stigmatizing them is going to make things worse, so we should stop it. But how to reinforce the public health message, and tackle the diabetes epidemic, in a positive manner that doesn't make kids - or their parents - fell bad about themselves?
10
The comments to this article really reinforce the article, because so many don't discuss bias against fat people, but their weight.
18
I agree completely.
You only talk about obesity as a failure in will power. Most obese people are struggling with a health issue or disease - diabetes, thyroid disorders, Celiac, etc.
3
Their weight is the problem. If they managed their bodies properly, they wouldn't have to deal with any "fat bias".
Not having enough time to exercise is a common problem, but we always have enough time to eat, after all, it not only sustains us, it makes us feel good too.
Most of us eat 3 meals a day in addition to snacking, the clock keeps running, before we know it, time to get some sleep.
It's old but worth repeating, "calories in, calories out", there just isn't enough time for both. Make time, or live with the consequences.
No time for the gym? Improvise, walk, run to your destinations, leave the car at home. Need more speed, use a body powered vehicle, like a bicycle, need to increase calorie burn, ride a Me-Mover, saves time using more energy than cycling, You can run out of reasons not to exercise, but you have to work hard at it.
Most of us eat 3 meals a day in addition to snacking, the clock keeps running, before we know it, time to get some sleep.
It's old but worth repeating, "calories in, calories out", there just isn't enough time for both. Make time, or live with the consequences.
No time for the gym? Improvise, walk, run to your destinations, leave the car at home. Need more speed, use a body powered vehicle, like a bicycle, need to increase calorie burn, ride a Me-Mover, saves time using more energy than cycling, You can run out of reasons not to exercise, but you have to work hard at it.
6
Except that pretty much all the research on weight and obesity disproves your little body-shaming anecdotes. Calories in, calories out has been repeatedly shown to not be the case for many people, and weight loss is not as simple as burning off the energy one consumes. Maybe you should find some additional time to educate yourself.
7
Relevance to the bias issue--which is the point here?
I had a feeling that commenters here would prove the point of the article, and unfortunately, I was right. The self-righteousness and outright cruelty of the majority of these comments is appalling. I can't even imagine what it must be like to be a fat person having to deal with this kind of condescension, simple-mindedness, and stunning lack of compassion every single day - the moralizing, the dietary and excercise advice (as if no overweight person has ever tried it or heard of it before), and yes, the shaming. These are acts fueled by hatred, not concern, and have nothing to do with health, only heartlessness.
49
I find very thin people unappealing. I know many who could lose weight and look better and just as many who could gain weight and look better. Not that it's any of my business.
13
At some point in history in Europe and Asia, the more obese a person was the more wealthy they were considered, as weight was equivalent with sufficient or more than sufficient food. With the exception of the Reuben's period, women were supposed to remain small of build, hence the rise of the corset.
Also, one can be obese and still be malnourished. Even skinny people can have high cholesterol.
Also, one can be obese and still be malnourished. Even skinny people can have high cholesterol.
4
Up to 20 million people are starving to death in east Africa so, comparatively speaking, 'fat shame' is a typical first world problem.
5
Yet still a problem for the millions who suffer from it. Both problems need solutions, not blame.
1
Absolutely, being fat is a first world problem. It's like anorexia which is also a first world problem. No anorexia in Bangladesh, none in North Korea, not much in India. Too fat? Stop eating so much. Anorexic? Any disease which can be cured by the internal application of cheeseburgers doesn't impress me much. It's not like non smokers getting cancer, now there's a disease which the person didn't inflict on himself / herself.
Please cite your source. 20 million seems a tad high?
More weird research. The article states
"The study’s lead author, Asheley C. Skinner, a public health researcher, said that prejudices that people are unaware of may predict their biased behaviors even better than explicit prejudice."
Gee, how do we find the prejudices that people are unaware of? It must come from watching their behaviors. This is using the outcome to define the cause!
"The study’s lead author, Asheley C. Skinner, a public health researcher, said that prejudices that people are unaware of may predict their biased behaviors even better than explicit prejudice."
Gee, how do we find the prejudices that people are unaware of? It must come from watching their behaviors. This is using the outcome to define the cause!
3
There are tools to find implicit bias.
1
My God, if you are fat then you are FAT. It is up to YOU not to be fat. Control your caloric intake and exercise OUTSIDE or a GYM not the remote control on your tv or your game console.
16
Only you can make yourself a kinder and more sensitive human being.
54
Debatable here. I think he's going to need a lot of help. Of course, underneath it all he may not want to become a kinder or more sensitive human being.
4
I share her friend's visceral revulsion at the obese. I try not to show it ... but also try to avoid them wherever possible (e.g. avoid 'all you can eat' buffet type restaurants, etc). In fairness to the obese - who probably can't help themselves (for any of 100 possible reasons) - laws and social attitudes ought to be non-discriminatory. Am unclear whether various prejudices (e.g., racial, or anti-gay, or against the elderly) is due to nature or nurture. For example, I feel slight disgust (but try not to show it) towards male gays, but not towards female gays. I feel no disgust at other races, but know that some (many?) people do. Not sure of the why re my own feelings.
3
Well, first of all, Americans seem to be the most obese people in the world, as is VERY frighteningly apparent when walking down any street in America or sitting in a coffee-shop where especially overweight people polish off large muffins and xtra-large, sweet, caramel-infused lattes with whipped cream for breakfast, or brandish large bags of fatty ugly-looking chips. So, don't tell me about genes! I find very overweight people very unappealing. There, I've said it! it's not a character-assassination and not "biased" or my "prejudice" but a question of esthetics, harmonious shapes and a dash of style. And I'm not talking about the crazy skinny obsession. Before I came to America (from Europe) in 1975 I had NEVER seen a grossly overweight person, so no prejudice. People have individual bodies and individual weights - well-rounded, a tad chubby and all is wonderful and part of a personality. Obesity is an epidemic and partly a choice, and needs to be treated, not glorified and accepted as the "new shape" we dare not address out of "consideration" for the "poor victim's" feelings. Let's stop finding murky excuses for unhealthy lives and physical laziness, and please, no "fat is beautiful" battle-cry and the resulting accusation of people who are trying to slap the label of "body-shamer" onto anybody who cares about their appearance and makes an effort to stay shapely. That's a word I like and find something to aspire to.
11
Sabine -- the problem is that your "esthetic" preference is too often used to rationalize unfair discrimination. That's when it becomes a problem.
No one is suggesting "glorifying" anything. It's simply a demand that people not be unfairly discriminated against because of the size of their bodies.
Full stop.
No one is suggesting "glorifying" anything. It's simply a demand that people not be unfairly discriminated against because of the size of their bodies.
Full stop.
5
I kind of agree, but don't really understand the anger or resentment against the fat. I also wonder why it's so different in Europe and there are so few obese. I maintain a healthy weight with planning, but when I Europe I eat so much better and more. I typically walk instead of going to the gym. I always drop pants size without trying. It's harder to walk everywhere here unless you live in a city with good public transportation. But I still think we should do a better job especially for the young. People need to be very mindful and careful in the states. I wonder why it feels so different. I don't think all the blame helps.
1
I do think our food has something to do with it. First, there was a study (article in the Atlantic last month or so) that determined an American eating the same diet, not just the same calories but the same foods, and getting the same exercise today as a person from the 1980s would weigh more (about 20% I think!). Second, the last time I spent a couple of weeks in Europe, I ate and drank more than I do here, walked more but did almost no intense exercise, and lost weight.
I'm sure the obesity epidemic has many contributors, but removing addictive additives and unnatural junk from our food would undoubtedly help a lot of people.
I'm sure the obesity epidemic has many contributors, but removing addictive additives and unnatural junk from our food would undoubtedly help a lot of people.
4
All those who still think it is a genetic condition that causes obesity should read the statistics on the rising rate of obesity in places where there was no obesity! All of Asia, with China and India with nearly 2 Billion people have alarming rates of increase in obesity due to Western life-style and food choices. Which means more motorized vehicles, office bound jobs, pizzas, burgers, KFC, french fries and sugary colas.
So please face it - it is a life-style choice! Don't fool yourself in believing that it is out of your control.
So please face it - it is a life-style choice! Don't fool yourself in believing that it is out of your control.
9
Go back and look at news photos of people from 75 years ago. There were fat people then, too. It's a class privilege to exercise and eat right and keep your cortisol levels down.
6
Crowd shots of people all over the world show not a sign of the obesity apparent in U.S. photos of today. The upper classes never exercised as much as the workers in the fields. There have always been plants to eat -- even before we began cultivating and reaping in the fertile crescent.
Do your research, A Reader.
Do your research, A Reader.
1
It's a "class privilege to exercise and eat right and keep cortisol levels down"? Huh??? Are you sure about that?
2
Whoa. There a whole lot of judging going on! Here's one more: isn't it shallow and unkind to dismiss people based on their appearance? I'm old enough to remember the adages don't judge a book by its cover and do unto others... .
25
I'm old enough to remember when most people were thin and people who were obese didn't blame their weight gain on everything except themselves.
I'm tired of the defeatist attitude and refuse to see morbid and super-morbid obesity normalized. I do not deny that it's a complex challenge for many people, but you cannot go through life carrying enormously more weight than your body was intended and expect to remain healthy. I will never mock you, but I am not going tell you that a 350-plus-pound model is beautiful just to make the Fat Acceptance people happy.
I'm tired of the defeatist attitude and refuse to see morbid and super-morbid obesity normalized. I do not deny that it's a complex challenge for many people, but you cannot go through life carrying enormously more weight than your body was intended and expect to remain healthy. I will never mock you, but I am not going tell you that a 350-plus-pound model is beautiful just to make the Fat Acceptance people happy.
10
And I am old enough to remember when medicine classified different body shapes as ectomorphs, mesomorphs, and endomorphs--and differences were accepted as a matter of fact. By the way, this season on Project Runway--the models are from size 2 to size 22.
1
Obesity is not the last acceptable form of prejudice. And it is not the worst. Most of us are aware of our mistreatment of the obese. By contrast we discriminate against the mentally ill and have no idea that this is unacceptable.
17
This is an excellent comment - I think you may be right about this form of discrimination. I had never thought of that. Thanks.
4
A very important point. Thank you for pointing this out.
heightism is the last acceptable form of prejudice.
Being very overweight is unhealthy and to a large part preventable. There are a number of basic steps you can take to prevent being very overweight. It should not be socially acceptable to act in a way that is harmful to your health. I wouldn't insult an obese person, but they are partially doing it to themselves and their children.
1 - it starts with children. Don't give them lots of bad food.
2 - don't eat garbage snacks
3 - portion control. Put your food in a bowl don't just eat out of the bag.
4 - use smaller plates, so you don't put too much food on your plate.
5 - Don't be sedentary, at least do some walking.
1 - it starts with children. Don't give them lots of bad food.
2 - don't eat garbage snacks
3 - portion control. Put your food in a bowl don't just eat out of the bag.
4 - use smaller plates, so you don't put too much food on your plate.
5 - Don't be sedentary, at least do some walking.
9
Have you ever lost a significant amount of weight? "Bad food"? Really?
5
There are a number of basic steps you could take to increase your empathy and understanding. But I won't list them because they are as obvious as your little hints.
16
Empathy is fine but this person is talking about how not to be heavy in the first place. There is nothing wrong with that. Overweight people now seem to disregard that part and only expect endless empathy etc for something only they can control.
2
it goes both ways. my wife and I are both preternaturally thin. in many situations we stick out like sore thumbs. my wife is also 6' tall and has a very hard time forming friendships with other females who apparently don't like the comparison or feel we are obsessed with our diets and exercise, which is ridiculous. its a little disorienting as thin people are perceived as being self obsessed and snooty based solely on BMI.
14
I have had the same problem as Rob and his wife. I have always been thin (the lowest healthy BMI for my height or a tad lower), and when I was younger I worked out and ran very regularly, which kept me fit, too. Since developing some autoimmune disease, it has become impossible to train like I used to, but I walk a few miles every day and do whatever I can to keep myself moving throughout the day. I have been happy with my body (most of the time--always room for improvement!) but have had people, especially since moving to the Midwest, comment on my being "too thin" and even asking me if I am anorexic. I have been ostracized from groups of heavier women at places of employment, had my daily lunch highly commented upon, comments made about thinness vs. "a little meat," etc. These same people were horrified if anyone even insinuated that being overweight is unhealthy or less attractive to some people! The hypocrisy of it all was too ironic.
1
I have been thin my whole life and people had no problem talking about and making fun of my body. Heavier people were the worst.
just look to your own crossword puzzle, nyt. you'll find cutesy puns two to three times a week that all lead to the answer obese. wiil shortz and crew have no problem making fun of obesity.
5
Forget his show on NPR then. Thanks.
The fact that fat bias exists "even in obesity specialists" and other medical personnel can be deadly, because sometimes obesity is a sign of an underlying endocrine condition. I can't count how many times doctors and nurses told me to "go on a diet" before an endocrinologist discovered the pituitary tumor that would have eventually killed me.
18
I was bullied for years....a very sensitive child who didn't overeat, but was overweight. It seriously hurt and honestly, it still hurts 30 years later.
16
How could you be overweight as a child if you didn't overeat?
lemonande without sugar.
Here we go again.
It is not a bias, an unfounded emotional response. The dislike of fat people is rooted in our DNA, in our reproductive searching for a mate. In an evolutionary context, if today's obese people even came to pass (I doubt it), they would have been a not self-supporting member of the tribe or group. Eating more food, not contributing due to physical limitations. Just like today, plus now we have medical expenses.
My father cheerfully embrace anyone of any race, creed, color, blah, blah. His one "bias" was fat people. When hospice sent a 400 pound nurse who could barely get up the stairs, we had to ask for another.
I have been obese and diabetic. I did something about it. You can, too.
It is not a bias, an unfounded emotional response. The dislike of fat people is rooted in our DNA, in our reproductive searching for a mate. In an evolutionary context, if today's obese people even came to pass (I doubt it), they would have been a not self-supporting member of the tribe or group. Eating more food, not contributing due to physical limitations. Just like today, plus now we have medical expenses.
My father cheerfully embrace anyone of any race, creed, color, blah, blah. His one "bias" was fat people. When hospice sent a 400 pound nurse who could barely get up the stairs, we had to ask for another.
I have been obese and diabetic. I did something about it. You can, too.
11
Every parent who thinks fat little babies are cute should read this.
1
Traditionally a chubby baby is a healthy baby. What person can resist chubby baby cheeks? Please don't put the babies or the children on diets. Also try to be more accepting of different healthy body types. Not every one is tall and thin. And many are dieting, and some obese do have health or emotional problems. Some very beautiful people also have health and emotional problems. We all have a bias in favor of the slender and beautiful and against the overweight. Women just a few pounds overweight can be very hard on themselves or judgmental. This article asks us not to solve, but first acknowledge the bias and its effects on ourselves and others. It's uncomfortable and interesting.
2
My "fat baby" grew up to be a very thin, and at one time underweight adult who was advised by the doctor to gain weight.
This group of commenters is easily the most cruel, heartless folks I've ever seen write into the Times in years!
Do you think your repitition and verbal abuse is a solution ? No! It is not ! So why do you do it? Because you want to feel superior !
Your life is not in the shape you want it to be, so you'll be damned if you can't find someone to take out your well of self hate upon!
Oh hey, there's an overweight person! Let me throw a mountain of heartless math equations at him and poof all his worries will be cured! This is why America is the way it is today. We have become a nation of heartless clods! i am ashamed of the majority of cold hearts here today.
Do you think your repitition and verbal abuse is a solution ? No! It is not ! So why do you do it? Because you want to feel superior !
Your life is not in the shape you want it to be, so you'll be damned if you can't find someone to take out your well of self hate upon!
Oh hey, there's an overweight person! Let me throw a mountain of heartless math equations at him and poof all his worries will be cured! This is why America is the way it is today. We have become a nation of heartless clods! i am ashamed of the majority of cold hearts here today.
46
"Oh hey, there's an overweight person! Let me throw a mountain of heartless math equations at him and poof all his worries will be cured!"
That's a total straw man. Most people who've lost weight or who are middle-aged and fairly sedentary understand the difficulties. It is you who are over-simplifying the arguments of people who think that healthy weights are achievable.
That's a total straw man. Most people who've lost weight or who are middle-aged and fairly sedentary understand the difficulties. It is you who are over-simplifying the arguments of people who think that healthy weights are achievable.
9
you missed the point
simple answer to complex issue
will not repeat the debts
simple answer to complex issue
will not repeat the debts
1
I was the only "fat" one in my family being perhaps 10 lbs overweight. My father constantly brought it up as an issue and chastised me whenever I wanted seconds of any food. From the moment I left home, I've been eating non-stop. I know my obesity is my fault but I still resent his nastiness 50 years later. People should learn to MYOB.
11
No, man, it's not your fault. That's what society wants to make you believe. Obesity is a disease and it needs treatment. Of course your willingness is essential to lose weight because lots of times you'll have to put an end to lunch or dinner still feeling hungry. But it pays off in the end because you'll be able to run a bus, squat to fasten your laces, climb a couple of flights of stairs without running short of breath, and lots of other things.
5
It's our business because we will be paying for your poor health choices.
1
Your father created a toxic dynamic and now doing good things for yourself seems as if you are ratifying the ugly things he said. You need to try to manage that. (Notice I don't say "overcome it" because that may not be possible.) Many of us have issues like that, but they may not involve food. Maybe seeing a therapist would help.
2
A recent movie review comment pegged mocking West Virginia Hillbillies as the last acceptable public prejudice. So just imagine being an obese Appalachian hillbilly with accent. Throw in some lousy teeth and you´d never have half a chance for a job. Yet the US continues to rob people nationally of health care including preventive and dental and education. Its a cruel country.
Sure kids mock fat kids. There used to be fewer of them. When I was in grade school in the early 1960´s there were typically 2 in a class of 30 skinny to normals, very little pudge at the time. I assume that´s from current poor eating plus much less running around for kids. But kids behaviours are designed to be moderated - that is the whole point of school and upbringing and "Lord of the Flies". If each of us tries today to see just one person for who they are, their hopes & desires & dreams & humor - hey we will all be better off.
Sure kids mock fat kids. There used to be fewer of them. When I was in grade school in the early 1960´s there were typically 2 in a class of 30 skinny to normals, very little pudge at the time. I assume that´s from current poor eating plus much less running around for kids. But kids behaviours are designed to be moderated - that is the whole point of school and upbringing and "Lord of the Flies". If each of us tries today to see just one person for who they are, their hopes & desires & dreams & humor - hey we will all be better off.
3
Kids in grade school don't treat each other poorly because of race. But they often do pick on their fat classmates. Why? Is it because the fat child is often unable to run, skip, hop, jump, throw a ball, swing a bat? Is it because the fat child eats like so many fat children do? (Have you watched them eat?)
Little kids aren't learning their reactions to their fat classmates at home.
(I've also noted over the years that the same children who pick on their fat classmates will never treat the special ed kids badly. Go watch.)
Little kids aren't learning their reactions to their fat classmates at home.
(I've also noted over the years that the same children who pick on their fat classmates will never treat the special ed kids badly. Go watch.)
I suspect there isn't one obese person who doesn't want to be skinny. That's our dream -- will it come true for me, probably not at my age. But I can keep trying. As for the discrimination, yes, it is very real -- I learned this fact of life early on. Put another way, imagine the comments I heard as a fat little red head. And of course, I was never a part of the "in-crowd."
This is no pity me party for yes, I have some bad eating habits. But, when I look back at what I accomplished over the years -- college grad, Army Captain, gainfully employed, academic, writer, family man, tax payer, I guess being overweight is a minor thing in my grand scheme of life.
This is no pity me party for yes, I have some bad eating habits. But, when I look back at what I accomplished over the years -- college grad, Army Captain, gainfully employed, academic, writer, family man, tax payer, I guess being overweight is a minor thing in my grand scheme of life.
26
Unfortunately, obesity is now becoming normalized due, of course, to the sheer number of fat people in this country. Heck, even the current president is likely technically obese. And it appears that things will get even worse in the future.
In fact, things are so bad in many areas that if you took a world-class athlete in peak physical condition like, say, Roger Federer and let him mill around at the local county fair ... HE'S the one who would look freakish.
In fact, things are so bad in many areas that if you took a world-class athlete in peak physical condition like, say, Roger Federer and let him mill around at the local county fair ... HE'S the one who would look freakish.
7
To see this phenomenon in action, look no further than the comments section of the recent article on the lack of work for overweight actresses. In the normally inclusive NYT, the typical response was, "Wanna star in movies? Lose weight, for God's sake!"
9
I'm all for people accepting themselves, and going beyond what is seen on the outside to find and appreciate the person within. But we can't deny the fact that obesity is a serious health issue and a huge cost to health care. It is not always due to "personal irresponsibility," etc., but it has gotten more prevalent over the decades.
That said...
Believe it or not, the uncomfortable feeling of being looked at differently because of size is a two-way street. I am a lifetime member of Weight Watchers who has been at my goal weight for nearly five years. I go to the weekly meetings because I need the accountability. There have been times when I've caught someone's eye while waiting on the scale, or I'll see someone give me a puzzled, somewhat hostile look, implying, "What are YOU doing here?" I'm there for the same reason everyone else is, so please don't judge ME. I admit -- I do feel uncomfortable. And yes, I also admit there are times when I struggle with the concept of fat acceptance, and feel sad at the number of obese and morbidly obese people I see daily. But, I am human, just like those who wonder what I'm doing at a WW meeting.
A WW leader once spoke about this. She reminded us that we cannot judge others. We don't know their stories; we don't know their lives. We can acknowledge the issue of obesity without the accompanying judgments or assumptions. We are all on our own journeys, doing the best we can, and, hopefully, supporting each other along the way.
That said...
Believe it or not, the uncomfortable feeling of being looked at differently because of size is a two-way street. I am a lifetime member of Weight Watchers who has been at my goal weight for nearly five years. I go to the weekly meetings because I need the accountability. There have been times when I've caught someone's eye while waiting on the scale, or I'll see someone give me a puzzled, somewhat hostile look, implying, "What are YOU doing here?" I'm there for the same reason everyone else is, so please don't judge ME. I admit -- I do feel uncomfortable. And yes, I also admit there are times when I struggle with the concept of fat acceptance, and feel sad at the number of obese and morbidly obese people I see daily. But, I am human, just like those who wonder what I'm doing at a WW meeting.
A WW leader once spoke about this. She reminded us that we cannot judge others. We don't know their stories; we don't know their lives. We can acknowledge the issue of obesity without the accompanying judgments or assumptions. We are all on our own journeys, doing the best we can, and, hopefully, supporting each other along the way.
10
I hear you. I've been near ideal weight most of my life, but when I turned 60 I soon got an extra 10 pounds I didn't want or need. Metabolism changes, too much work, too little exercise, an extra glass of wine nightly - who knows, or cares, which. I seriously considered something like WW for support and accountability, but was also afraid of the "what are YOU doing here" looks.
4
Maybe I can't judge other people but I can judge their statements. When they say that there is nothing they can do, and nothing they could ever do I don't believe it. I am not including the very few people with genetic and metabolic diseases, as well as people who are overweight because of medical treatments and injury.
4
Karen Kressenberg,
On My Fitness Pal, there's a group for women who need to lose weight, but not as much as the typical member. It was formed because many of the members felt that their problems weren't being taken seriously. Only you can decide what amount of weight gain bothers you.
On My Fitness Pal, there's a group for women who need to lose weight, but not as much as the typical member. It was formed because many of the members felt that their problems weren't being taken seriously. Only you can decide what amount of weight gain bothers you.
2
What a mishmash of relevant and irrelevant anecdotes!
Yes, there is anti-fat bias based on looks. But a parent's monitoring a child's food intake to ensure healthy choices and prevent obesity is part of the job of a parent, along with training a child in traffic and fire safety.
Yes, there is anti-fat bias based on looks. But a parent's monitoring a child's food intake to ensure healthy choices and prevent obesity is part of the job of a parent, along with training a child in traffic and fire safety.
12
I'm not seeing, in the comments I've read so far -- many blaming parents for their kids' poor eating habits -- any recognition that some parents can't easily give their youngsters healthy food because they can't afford it (and don't have time to cook it). They work three jobs to make ends meet, and fresh fruit and veggies are stylishly expensive. Kids eat mac & cheese, or ramen, or spuds, because that's what their parents can buy. It's much easier to eat healthfully, and feed your kids well, if you are well off.
6
Did you read the article? Too much monitoring can lead to overeating. You have to be very careful as a parent, not to plant the seed of overeating by critiquing weight and food choices. Obviously, you're the adult and you need to make the big decisions about meals, etc., but micromanaging will backfire every time.
3
Any Walmart has huge selections of vegetables and fruits at prices that are way below those of the pizzas and chips and hot dogs and all the mountains of other junk that fill the miles of aisles -- and the shopping carts of people who don't know or care about eating well.
I work (as a tutor) with low-income (or no-income) families. I know what they have to spend. They have sufficient funds to eat healthfully. There are food banks all around. Stop spreading nonsense, please.
I work (as a tutor) with low-income (or no-income) families. I know what they have to spend. They have sufficient funds to eat healthfully. There are food banks all around. Stop spreading nonsense, please.
Making obese people feel bad about themselves is wrong. Bullying is wrong. Respect others, etc. Nothing new here.
But it is also wrong to not promote healthy life-styles openly and pretend it is normal (careful of how one uses the term "acceptable") to be obese so that feelings aren't hurt. The WALL-E spaceship world wasn't supposed to be a future utopian goal to remove "fat-shaming".
And not finding obese people especially attractive is not discrimination. I also don't find very skinny people attractive. So what? Don't shame me for my preferences which happen to align with healthy individuals. This is the type of rhetoric that gets Trump supporters going: extreme PC.
And their health problems can make them more expensive to employ (Yes, I've experienced this firsthand) so there is an economic slant to this.
But it is also wrong to not promote healthy life-styles openly and pretend it is normal (careful of how one uses the term "acceptable") to be obese so that feelings aren't hurt. The WALL-E spaceship world wasn't supposed to be a future utopian goal to remove "fat-shaming".
And not finding obese people especially attractive is not discrimination. I also don't find very skinny people attractive. So what? Don't shame me for my preferences which happen to align with healthy individuals. This is the type of rhetoric that gets Trump supporters going: extreme PC.
And their health problems can make them more expensive to employ (Yes, I've experienced this firsthand) so there is an economic slant to this.
13
Jane Brody encourages weight control in probably 50% of her articles. It's a regular thing she promotes.
2
Promote healthy life styles all you want. No one is saying that eating an appropriately balanced diet and exercising are bad. But at the same time, stop thinking that "health" can be measured with a scale. Engaging in healthy behaviors isn't going to make everyone thin.
2
I know that just getting older changed the metabolism of my body so that I gained weight more easily by eating the same amounts as when I was younger. At the moment, I have to literally fast for four days straight in order to successfully lost weight because my metabolism is so much slower than it used to be. Some people diet by eating five days and fasting two days, but I have to fast five days in order to eat for two days. I see weight bias all around me--my students (two boys in 7th and 10th grade made explicit comments); in potential employers whose faces fell when they saw for the first time I was overweight. No employer will say outloud, "Sorry but your overweight look would be bad for our school brand so we are not going to hire you," but this is certainly apparent from their actions. Schools are concerned about their brand image with parents, students, alumni, etc, and a person who is overweight confuses that brand image.
7
Have you been to a doctor? How can you be fasting so many days? Aren't you starving? Most slender people eat every day. Unless for religious reasons you shouldn't need to fast to be a normal--not model thin-weight.
You eat two days a week? Wow. Amazing...This can't be healthy. Do you feel tired--food is energy.
This article is so true and that is why as a psychologist who lost 51 pounds (20% of my body weight) I wrote the New No Gimmick Diet. As someone who is still not skinny the comments I received either directly or indirectly only reinforce that society does not support reasonable efforts on weight loss. Being told that a diet book had to have a "gimmick" and the snide remarks that I could still lose more weight only made me want to share the hard work it is to lose weight and the much harder work of keeping it off. The very people who think that they are inspiring weight loss actually undermine reasonable efforts to be a healthier size. In our culture the images and messages of what should be our goal do not support reasonable weight loss.
4
Excellent article. Often you encounter those who focus on social stigmas or those focused on the pragmatic elements of weight loss: PhDs traditionally had the luxury to compartmentalize the two. None of the rest of us do. Still, this only hints at how addressing how the internalized stigma does not necessarily end even if you "look normal" and how that influences longterm weight maintenance. I can say for myself, I never really understood fat prejudice until I lost 200 pounds 12 years ago, and spending 10 years to create a space for post-weight men and women only confirmed how ingrained that stigma is upon the very industries we count on for solutions. What other reason would recidivism rates be what they are?
1
Schools, both K-12 as well as University, really need to train their students how to focus on the substantial rather than superficial. The effect of the ability to view things intelligently is better jobs, better positions in society. Higher income should motivate these students to work-on this skill.
Very commendable. But at the same time, we live in a culture that worships the image. Everyone is expected to look camera-ready 24/7. Being unphotogenic, which includes being seriously overweight or obese, doesn't cut it.
The kids are responding to the world they encounter, not the world as it should be.
The kids are responding to the world they encounter, not the world as it should be.
1
Healthy eating is expensive and/or time-consuming.
Yesterday I bought two delicious donut peaches. $2.50, which would be a chunk out of minimum wage when you are spending, say, $2.75 for a subway ride to work. I bought a piece of salmon for $9.00 and a demo-baguette for $2.79.
Last weekend, I bought a lovely organic baseball squash, a portobello mushroom, and brown rice. I plan to grill the vegetables and steam the rice. This will take me about a half-an-hour, not counting the time it takes to go to a farmer's market and the clean-up. I don't work two jobs so taking that time to cook is something that can enjoy.
On the other hand, when I walk into the local Food Emporium (which I do only when I am in a rush and where I am sure to get limp lettuce and mealy apples), there are stacks of chips and cupcakes invitingly and displayed and on sale. And these foods are engineered to encourage binge-eating.
So I enjoy the luxury of having the time and money to buy good nutritious food.
There are many reasons for obesity, but our culture virtually guarantees that none of these can be addressed. But it shouldn't be a matter of privilege to enjoy a healthy and nutritious food.
Yesterday I bought two delicious donut peaches. $2.50, which would be a chunk out of minimum wage when you are spending, say, $2.75 for a subway ride to work. I bought a piece of salmon for $9.00 and a demo-baguette for $2.79.
Last weekend, I bought a lovely organic baseball squash, a portobello mushroom, and brown rice. I plan to grill the vegetables and steam the rice. This will take me about a half-an-hour, not counting the time it takes to go to a farmer's market and the clean-up. I don't work two jobs so taking that time to cook is something that can enjoy.
On the other hand, when I walk into the local Food Emporium (which I do only when I am in a rush and where I am sure to get limp lettuce and mealy apples), there are stacks of chips and cupcakes invitingly and displayed and on sale. And these foods are engineered to encourage binge-eating.
So I enjoy the luxury of having the time and money to buy good nutritious food.
There are many reasons for obesity, but our culture virtually guarantees that none of these can be addressed. But it shouldn't be a matter of privilege to enjoy a healthy and nutritious food.
13
That it is necessarily expensive to eat healthy is a myth: healthy proteins like eggs, sardines, beans all inexpensive. Fiber from kidney beans, black beans, chick peas, garbanzo beans, oats, apples and other fruits (when in season), all cheap. Veggies like cauliflower, green beans, carrots, tomatos, corn all inexpensive. Nutrients from sweet potatos, plantains, bananas--cheap. Starches like rice and potatos--cheap. I could go on for a long time...
5
Fancy stores have really tempting treats too, so I'm not really following your argument. And I'm pretty sure that there are un-mealy apples for sale, at the discount store, or even applesauce would be a better choice than an apple pie. It takes about 3 minutes to steam a few cups of spinach or broccoli, maybe even faster in a microwave. And a 5 bean salad takes about 2 minutes, from a bunch of cans.
Good education and universal healthcare are fundamentally basis of a respectful and inclusive society .
Some citizens might fall through the cracks , but the greatest majority will contribute to a successful citizenry.
The few unlucky ones must be helped by all means to overcome their status.
This article focuses on a widespread phenomenon of discrimination and bias towards our minorities , African Americans in particular.
The recent obnoxious demonstrations by the alt right movement with the complacent silence of most elected politicians and the highly controversial response of the " so called " president , have generated an insidious effect of perpetration of this dirty politics towards the unlucky of us afflicted by poverty , poor education and lack of adequate healthcare.
The ones with children are suffering the most in this rich America.
Some citizens might fall through the cracks , but the greatest majority will contribute to a successful citizenry.
The few unlucky ones must be helped by all means to overcome their status.
This article focuses on a widespread phenomenon of discrimination and bias towards our minorities , African Americans in particular.
The recent obnoxious demonstrations by the alt right movement with the complacent silence of most elected politicians and the highly controversial response of the " so called " president , have generated an insidious effect of perpetration of this dirty politics towards the unlucky of us afflicted by poverty , poor education and lack of adequate healthcare.
The ones with children are suffering the most in this rich America.
It is a difficult problem. Clearly, we don't want people to be obese because it is so unhealthy for that person individually, and also because obesity adds to our skyrocketing health care costs.
But clearly "fat shaming" is not an effective solution to obesity, because we have plenty of both in our society (fat shaming and obesity).
The easy, quick, cheap availability of addictive processed foods are part of the problem. We need to somehow transform our society away from relying so much on those types of foods. How we do that, I don't know.
But clearly "fat shaming" is not an effective solution to obesity, because we have plenty of both in our society (fat shaming and obesity).
The easy, quick, cheap availability of addictive processed foods are part of the problem. We need to somehow transform our society away from relying so much on those types of foods. How we do that, I don't know.
2
I gained weight all of a sudden when my mom was ill and dying - a combo of grief, lack of time and energy for my usual daily biking and hiking, and eating more comfort foods and foods picked up on the run. I totally noticed how being fat affected people's interactions with me. It is difficult to describe, but when you are accustomed to people treating you in a certain way and it suddenly changes, it's very noticeable and very hurtful.
9
Many commenters bring up the point of responsibility in one way or another. I would say that, yes, as adults we are each responsible for our own health. But... let's also say that doctors, dieticians, and various public health agencies have a responsibility to provide accurate and useful advice.
The predominant official advice of the past several decades (eat less, exercise more, eat less fat, eat less meat, eat more carbohydrate, etc) has been ineffective at best, and is actively fattening for many people. What if people are following the official advice in good faith, but are still struggling with fat gain? Then where does responsibility lie?
The predominant official advice of the past several decades (eat less, exercise more, eat less fat, eat less meat, eat more carbohydrate, etc) has been ineffective at best, and is actively fattening for many people. What if people are following the official advice in good faith, but are still struggling with fat gain? Then where does responsibility lie?
3
Dare we mention class in this discussion? I come from peasants on both sides. All grandparents were immigrants. They lived off the land, which meant they went through times of famine or near famine. Our metabolisms were obviously designed to keep us alive in times of little food. They weren't fat--but all their descendants are. They weren't dumb, either, and have been very successful in America. But spending a life struggling with weight has caused me to think about this a lot. We are definitely genetically programmed, no matter what we do. I never eat fast food, I stopped using salt in the 60s. I grew up only having dessert on Sunday and candy on holidays. I never bought into diet drinks--i just drank water. I did use sugar and cream in my one coffee a day--now I use agave instead. I eat small portions of healthy food and have for decades. It is a constant struggle to convince my body I am not going to starve, and it is frustrating. I am not obese, but it seems I will always be overweight. Attitudes from small minded not very smart people don't help.
9
Calannie--your post totally underscores something I posted as well. On the NPR program Radiolab there was an episode about genetics, and the science has shown that periods of famine, however brief, can alter someone's genes to slow metabolism, preserve fat at all costs, and seek high fat foods. This can affect descendants for multiple generations. They just don't know what triggers it in some descendants and not others.
8
I also have similar ancestry. When I read the humorous book "A short history of tractors in Ukranian" I laughed so hard when the U.K. author described a conversation with her older Ukrainian relatives about losing weight, and they essential replied: why would you want to be skinny? When the famine comes you will be dead!
I think about that every time I say I want to lose my last 10 lbs. Genetics aren't everything but they are important.
I think about that every time I say I want to lose my last 10 lbs. Genetics aren't everything but they are important.
1
AMEN!
The school district I grew up in is currently failing to comply with the state's integration law. The board of education treats the law as unimportant, unreasonable, and impossible to follow. They treat it as a burden to begrudgingly attempt to follow with no guarantee of full compliance. School segregation is a heartbreaking form of institutional racism. Clearly fat bias is not the "last socially acceptable form of prejudice" since we are pretty adversarial to enforcing civil rights in our schools.
Unrestricted access to high calorie food a relatively new phenomenon.
As a health care professional I see large number of complications directly related to obesity.
Humans are not designed to be obese.
its not a normal state of being.
I blame food industry.
I have seen people who feed their toddlers blended KFC .
That is shameful
As a health care professional I see large number of complications directly related to obesity.
Humans are not designed to be obese.
its not a normal state of being.
I blame food industry.
I have seen people who feed their toddlers blended KFC .
That is shameful
2
Saying that shaming people for being fat is counterproductive doesn't mean you are encouraging obesity. It is certainly valid to encourage healthy behavior if you really want to help people, but you don't need to shame anyone to do it. Shaming other only helps you feel better, and does nothing to help the person being shamed. None of us need to be holier-than-thou about our lifestyles, because we all have something that we do that might create costs for society (even athletes have sometimes costly injuries that non-athletes don't have).
To make it even worse, not all the people being fat-shamed are really obese or even overweight, much less unhealthy -- especially among children and teens. There are also medical and mental health issues that make it very difficult for some people to maintain weight, and shaming them isn't going to help them at all.
The lifestyle choices of other people are, quite frankly, nobody's business except their own unless they are harming another person, and any treatment for obesity or the need thereof is a subject that -- as with any medical disorder -- should concern only the patient and their doctor.
To make it even worse, not all the people being fat-shamed are really obese or even overweight, much less unhealthy -- especially among children and teens. There are also medical and mental health issues that make it very difficult for some people to maintain weight, and shaming them isn't going to help them at all.
The lifestyle choices of other people are, quite frankly, nobody's business except their own unless they are harming another person, and any treatment for obesity or the need thereof is a subject that -- as with any medical disorder -- should concern only the patient and their doctor.
2
Some prejudices are inherently unfair. No one can change the color of her skin, or his height, or sexual orientation. However, being obese, is more often than not, a sign of food addiction, probably one of the last addiction that has escaped the contempt felt for other extreme dependencies, such as on drugs, alcohol, gambling, etc. In addition, rampant commercial interests have decided it's better to sell clothes to fat people than not. Therefore, the rise of plus size models. To defend or accept obesity as part of diversity is simply wrong. Somethings such as addictions can be helped and should be addressed by those suffering from them for their own health and for the society at large that has to foot the bill for the health problems of the obese. Why should an obese people be considered any healthier or more in control of their lives than alcoholics?
4
SMS -- there are some fat people who are truly "food addicts."
But not most.
The further stigmatization of fat people as also being mentally ill is an effort to reinforce negative stereotypes and unfair discrimination.
(And PS -- given the comments posted here about aversion to fat people, I think most folks are probably glad not to live in a world where fat people are naked, which is what we'd be if those "rampant commercial interests" hadn't "decided it's better to sell clothes to fat people than not." Whatever that meant.)
But not most.
The further stigmatization of fat people as also being mentally ill is an effort to reinforce negative stereotypes and unfair discrimination.
(And PS -- given the comments posted here about aversion to fat people, I think most folks are probably glad not to live in a world where fat people are naked, which is what we'd be if those "rampant commercial interests" hadn't "decided it's better to sell clothes to fat people than not." Whatever that meant.)
1
Should the fat among us go naked? Or maybe only wear sack-cloth and ashes as they are not worthy of any clothing that is boring let alone attractive?
1
The "Fat Bias" does, indeed, run deep. The Catholic Church deemed gluttony one of the 7 Deadly Sins. Also, there is a tendency in us to gain extra pounds once we hit middle age. There are a lot worse things to be guilty of than eating too much. The only issue I have with overweight friends is the health hazard.
I'm not so sure about "implict" prejudices or bias -- about anything -- race, weight, thinness, redheads, -- may just be an invention of social science (like many other things they have "discovered").
But this article does point up th4e fact that medical science has almost no clue as to the causes and no real cures (other than hack-and-slash surgery) for obesity.
Good heavens, still going on about the long falsified "food deserts" theme -- as if the poor and uneducated will buy and eat "what we say is healthy for you" food if they just had an expensive Whole Foods market in the neighborhood.
But this article does point up th4e fact that medical science has almost no clue as to the causes and no real cures (other than hack-and-slash surgery) for obesity.
Good heavens, still going on about the long falsified "food deserts" theme -- as if the poor and uneducated will buy and eat "what we say is healthy for you" food if they just had an expensive Whole Foods market in the neighborhood.
4
How is it that so many people who are incapable of controlling their compulsion to post ignorant, judgmental, mean-spirited and outright cruel comments believe that it would be a simple matter for oversight people to control their food intake ?!!
164
Like you?
1
Why? Because a hundred million people DO manage to control their food intake.
Why isn't this post a NYT pick?
In 1959 when the first Barbie Doll came out, the two neighbor girls got real Mattel Barbie dolls, but I got a knock-off Barbie. Her frame was a wee bit bigger, so the clothes did not quite fit--they were a tiny bit snug. I remember my friends noticing and saying "your Barbie is fat". Even at age five, I felt shame, and it was not even my body, but a doll's!
59
The comments here debating willpower vs genes make me think of a program I heard about genetics recently, and how they are not static, but subject to change based on conditions. When populations have to endure famines or periods of starvation, even if brief, it can cause mutations that in effect can doom descendants to a tendency toward obesity. It's not in every descendant, and they don't know what activates it in some and not others. But I vividly remember them saying the effect can carry forward for multiple generations. The genes change to cause the body to conserve food as fat for survival, and also cause a predisposition to seek high-caloric foods. Yes people who are overweight eat a lot, but have we ever really objectively wondered about the possible causes of overeating other than to assume it's gluttony or lack of willpower?
26
In Nessa Carrey's book The Epigenetics Revolution this factor is also mentioned, and it explained why, after my teens, I was never as slender as my mother was. In the first World War my grandmother was exposed to starvation conditions before my mother was born, and while I am not obese, my body loves to store every extra calorie it can get. But, mind you, it is not actually a factor for obesity, it is only that the genes controlling the body's reaction to nutrients have been modified, so that the body is in a hoarding mode on a permanent basuis.
Oh, one little incident from my teaching days. In a 5th grade, there was one girl in my class who was obese, and the pupils introduced her to me with the words: "This is --- ; isn't she darling?" She was exactly that, always cheerful, and whoever risked teasing her had to account to her classmates.
Oh, one little incident from my teaching days. In a 5th grade, there was one girl in my class who was obese, and the pupils introduced her to me with the words: "This is --- ; isn't she darling?" She was exactly that, always cheerful, and whoever risked teasing her had to account to her classmates.
2
(to Francois) I've read something similar, about a study of people in some non-western country (I forget where) - what was observed was that the cohort of adults whose mothers had been pregnant with them during a major famine were heavier than those born in years before or years after.
Perhaps the question, then, is "weight" simply not talked about in any shape or form (no pun intended)? Do we express nothing but sympathy for those overweight, thus create an atmosphere of deterministic, not-your-fault-you-bear-no-responsibility attitude?....
....or, with care and understanding, prompt/critique those with weight problems to (1) change their diet, and (2) become more (and more) active, (3) other (medical, etc., needs)?
The latter, IMO, is necessary for anyone wishing to control or modify one's weight, but it is also foundational to everyone who wishes to "aim for good health". Yet, more and more often, to even point out a "weight problem" is viewed as an attack or other sort of discriminatory, hurtful, violent (?!) act...which is where I sort of lose my cool, because it ought not be cool nor acceptable at a national/general/normative level to "be fat" because in the long run, excess weight is a health issue. (And, whilst another topic in itself, we all end up paying for a person's weight problem in various ways, esp. in subsidizing insurance/medical costs.)
Objectively, though, overweight humans are generally not healthy humans, and learning to manage one's lifestyle - limiting foods, eating more of other foods; creating an active lifestyle, etc. - is a well-researched, positive thing for *all* of us to do. Those with weight issues simply stand out.
....or, with care and understanding, prompt/critique those with weight problems to (1) change their diet, and (2) become more (and more) active, (3) other (medical, etc., needs)?
The latter, IMO, is necessary for anyone wishing to control or modify one's weight, but it is also foundational to everyone who wishes to "aim for good health". Yet, more and more often, to even point out a "weight problem" is viewed as an attack or other sort of discriminatory, hurtful, violent (?!) act...which is where I sort of lose my cool, because it ought not be cool nor acceptable at a national/general/normative level to "be fat" because in the long run, excess weight is a health issue. (And, whilst another topic in itself, we all end up paying for a person's weight problem in various ways, esp. in subsidizing insurance/medical costs.)
Objectively, though, overweight humans are generally not healthy humans, and learning to manage one's lifestyle - limiting foods, eating more of other foods; creating an active lifestyle, etc. - is a well-researched, positive thing for *all* of us to do. Those with weight issues simply stand out.
When I was a kid we teased fat people. Never as seriously as that against "Fatso" in "From Here to Eternity". But we never had to deal with obese people. Ernest Borgnine (the actor who played "Fatso") and Jackie Gleason were fat, more or less. But they did not come close to the obesity we see today.
Wanting obese people to lose weight yet not having an effective way to communicate that desire.
Conundrum defined?
Wanting obese people to lose weight yet not having an effective way to communicate that desire.
Conundrum defined?
6
You don't need to tell overweight people that they need to lose weight. They already know that and messages come in every day that let them know that. There is plenty of ways that message is communicated. Other people don't need to tell them directly.
5
I rarely see obesity today, and many people cannot control the genetics that led them to gain weight. Blaming their willpower for something outside of their control is blaming the victim. Willpower will not speed up a slow metabolism.
2
You may or may not be a doctor, but, who asked you to deal with 'fat' people. Self-appointed commenters in this society are unnecessary, except when we are talking about the political, economic or social issues which will impact this country. Please don't cry to me about the cost of treating 'fat people'. The truth is probably that fat people don't seek medical care, so pleeese!
5
Just want to comment on the final quote in the article: I take issue with the inclusion of "intelligence" among the determinants of self-worth. How is that quality any more within the purview of one's control than body shape or size? Why should it be something on which self-worth hinges? What about the intellectually disabled among us, or those who are simply less "smart" in the ways that our society tends to value and venerate? Are they worth any less than those endowed with higher IQs? I believe that a person- any and every person- possesses self-worth is inviolate and unconditional.
26
*self-worth THAT is...
1
While I don't want to give off a 'holier than thou' vibe, I would like to add (as many have before) that accepting obesity, while civil in the short run, comes with dangerous consequences. It means supporting and encouraging an individual's poor health choices - akin to cheering on smokers for their life choices. It (ultimately) results in increased medical costs, loss of productivity, shortened lifespans, etc. (the list really does go on). Those are, ultimately, the sources of the stigma. Those who are averse to the aesthetic of obesity are shallow and are often the true bullies.
Acting on this stigma is wrong. Period.
But carte-blance acceptance of obesity is also wrong.
I have lost 100 lbs. myself and am very conscious of this problem as someone whose lived on both sides of the stigma. I believe in self-acceptance, but I also believe in self responsibility. It is important to reconcile both of these ideas and understand that they are two sides of the same coin. Taking care of your body and maintaining a (somewhat) reasonable weight/BMI is an important aspect in any person's life.
Acting on this stigma is wrong. Period.
But carte-blance acceptance of obesity is also wrong.
I have lost 100 lbs. myself and am very conscious of this problem as someone whose lived on both sides of the stigma. I believe in self-acceptance, but I also believe in self responsibility. It is important to reconcile both of these ideas and understand that they are two sides of the same coin. Taking care of your body and maintaining a (somewhat) reasonable weight/BMI is an important aspect in any person's life.
79
Have you ever thought that people can make healthy choices and still be overweight? Or because you were able to lose weight, it is always a matter of willpower and mind over food?
6
Whenever I notice that I tire more quickly when walking up the stairs or taking my shopping back home (up to 20 pounds in a backpack in a town which has a number of hills), I know I have to watch what I eat. That warning sign works every time.
1
Respectfully disagree. The source of the stigma is that many (if not most) people find fat people unattractive.
4
Being obese should perhaps not be "normalized" (i.e., of course healthful eating and behaviors should be encouraged), but neither should the stigma against obese people. The article is not about whether being obese is healthy or not, or who or what is to blame. It's about all the rest of us who feel no guilt over our prejudice toward obese people. Like we are somehow superior because we can control our weight. Has it not occurred to any of us that everyone's life is complicated? And sometimes those complications manifest as eating disorders, and sometimes they manifest as being in debt, and sometimes they manifest as having mean miserable personalities, and sometimes they manifest as greediness, and sometimes....etc. Not everyone has the brainspace, money, or time to monitor every aspect of their lives in perfect harmony. But everyone deserves simple human respect.
And to the author's friend who "can't stand to be around fat people" who claims she can't pinpoint the source of her feelings: whether you developed the bias at age three or not, you're an adult now. Think for two seconds.
And to the author's friend who "can't stand to be around fat people" who claims she can't pinpoint the source of her feelings: whether you developed the bias at age three or not, you're an adult now. Think for two seconds.
90
An individual's obesity is more of a threat than weight bias.
13
I disagree. Shame is lethal. If you're obese, shame will keep you obese. Shame makes you withdraw from life.
71
A threat to whom? To what? To people wanting to achieve perfect bodies? To their co-workers' senses of beauty and aesthetics? What kind of "threat" does obesity pose?
1
Fine. Enable.
Or, change. As many have done.
Or, change. As many have done.
2
Some of the responses are so cruel, self righteous, and also ignorant of some known pitfalls of chronic dieting - that you might think that fat people were terrorists. What is it that elicits so much fear and anger, and the desire to hurt someone? That might be a good subject for study.
91
The response to condoning or enabling obesity is not a desire to hurt people. Overweight people are hurting themselves and the rest of the population through increased health issues that plague individual lives and cost the rest of us more due to their health issues.
I will never hesitate to call attention to that fact.
I will never hesitate to call attention to that fact.
2
Well aren't YOU The Responsible Citizen Of the World.
Think about it: Are you really sure that every single overweight person you meet is overweight primarily because they're irresponsible and don't care about the rest of us?
And do you also call attention to the "fact" of smokers' health issues? How about people who drive too fast? Do you also track with those who engage in irresponsible sexual activity? Have you made certain you count the steps of all those around you on a daily basis to ensure they are exercising adequately? Because, y'know, it's possible to be svelte but unhealthy--my cousin, a size 2, just had quadruple bypass surgery! Hmm. You've got a LOT of work to do, O Citizen.
Think about it: Are you really sure that every single overweight person you meet is overweight primarily because they're irresponsible and don't care about the rest of us?
And do you also call attention to the "fact" of smokers' health issues? How about people who drive too fast? Do you also track with those who engage in irresponsible sexual activity? Have you made certain you count the steps of all those around you on a daily basis to ensure they are exercising adequately? Because, y'know, it's possible to be svelte but unhealthy--my cousin, a size 2, just had quadruple bypass surgery! Hmm. You've got a LOT of work to do, O Citizen.
12
My sister, the skinny sister, has a stent and COPD.
2
To all of the commenters on the far side of the "being overweight is not self-inflicted" side of the spectrum:
I have been to the grocery store at least 1,000 times during my life. I've seen thousands of individuals with their food selections. For every 30 people who are not significantly overweight (or unhealthily thin), and are buying plenty of garbage and empty calories causing me to think "how can he/she eat like that and not be obese," I see maybe 1 overweight individual buying majority healthy selections and think "it's surprising this individual is struggling with their weight given these food choices." What does that tell you?
Also, there is a difference between "fat shaming" and being against "fat acceptance" in a country where obesity is an epidemic and a serious public health problem. Yes, there is much much more to people than their weight. And yes, some overweight individuals do have underlying health issues causing or contributing to their weight, and an even larger issue is parents who instill poor eating habits and/or feed their kids garbage leading to overweight kids who eventually become overweight adults. And once an individual is overweight, keeping the weight off after losing it can be very difficult due to hormonal and metabolic changes. However, you can treat people as individuals without accepting a 30% obesity rate in the U.S. Fat-shaming isn't the answer for improving public health, but simply accepting obesity as OK isn't either.
--JHU MPH
I have been to the grocery store at least 1,000 times during my life. I've seen thousands of individuals with their food selections. For every 30 people who are not significantly overweight (or unhealthily thin), and are buying plenty of garbage and empty calories causing me to think "how can he/she eat like that and not be obese," I see maybe 1 overweight individual buying majority healthy selections and think "it's surprising this individual is struggling with their weight given these food choices." What does that tell you?
Also, there is a difference between "fat shaming" and being against "fat acceptance" in a country where obesity is an epidemic and a serious public health problem. Yes, there is much much more to people than their weight. And yes, some overweight individuals do have underlying health issues causing or contributing to their weight, and an even larger issue is parents who instill poor eating habits and/or feed their kids garbage leading to overweight kids who eventually become overweight adults. And once an individual is overweight, keeping the weight off after losing it can be very difficult due to hormonal and metabolic changes. However, you can treat people as individuals without accepting a 30% obesity rate in the U.S. Fat-shaming isn't the answer for improving public health, but simply accepting obesity as OK isn't either.
--JHU MPH
17
MPP1717, who reports that he/she has carefully observed the food selections of thousands of overweight people while doing her own grocery shopping, asks, "What does that tell you?"
It tells me that MPP1717 has perfected the skill of looking down on people while keeping one's nose in the air.
It tells me that MPP1717 has perfected the skill of looking down on people while keeping one's nose in the air.
18
It tells me that you make assumptions based on what you see in one grocery selection. What do you think when you see the same people in the fast food line?
3
Wow, just wow.
No, call it observations and (mostly valid) conclusions drawn. Just like we learn about so many things in life. People smoke, they die earlier, conclusion drawn.
Grocery cart observation is fun and informing. As noted, relatively few fat or obese people, in my observations, have the cart loaded with healthy foods. Real foods, as I call them. More typically, processed, food "products" vs. natural, starchy, sugery foods. Even non-diet sodas!
No, call it observations and (mostly valid) conclusions drawn. Just like we learn about so many things in life. People smoke, they die earlier, conclusion drawn.
Grocery cart observation is fun and informing. As noted, relatively few fat or obese people, in my observations, have the cart loaded with healthy foods. Real foods, as I call them. More typically, processed, food "products" vs. natural, starchy, sugery foods. Even non-diet sodas!
4
I'm glad all the commenters on this article appear to have worked out perfectly the solution to weight equilibrium and have never suffered from unwanted weight gain or eating disorder. Eat less! Exercise more! Overweight people have never heard that one! The self-righteousness dripping from the vast majority of these comments simply underscores the author's very points on fat bias. (And no, being fat does not automatically mean you are unhealthy, despite what all these armchair physicians here seem to think.)
134
thin people get sick and die too!
3
I believe that have done studies that people who survived those camps tended to put on quite a bit of weight--the body again, looking out.
3
@Jus Me NYT:
It's no secret that any animal will lose weight when forcibly starved. Do you think that imprisoning the obese and rationing their food is a good solution?
It's no secret that any animal will lose weight when forcibly starved. Do you think that imprisoning the obese and rationing their food is a good solution?
2
It might be worthwhile to clear up one point. Genetics is not causing the current obesity epidemic. Processed foods/snack foods/fast foods are causing the epidemic. Genetics plays a role. It creates some bodies that can survive in the current unhealthy food environment without gaining excess weight. Genetics makes it much more difficult for others.
To the point of the article: I understand fat-bias. I was a fat uncoordinated kid and did not have a happy childhood as a consequence. I grew out of some of that fat, but at about the age of 30 started putting on weight again. At that point I took control of my weight and, using what most consider extreme measures, I have kept my weight under control for the 40 odd years since. I am vegan, eat almost no packaged foods of any kind, never eat snacks, sodas or fast food and still have to strictly control the quantities to keep my weight in check.
I will confess that in spite of my understanding of how difficult it can be for some people to control their weight, I still have an ingrained negative reaction to obese people. I keep this reaction to myself, hopefully successfully.
To the point of the article: I understand fat-bias. I was a fat uncoordinated kid and did not have a happy childhood as a consequence. I grew out of some of that fat, but at about the age of 30 started putting on weight again. At that point I took control of my weight and, using what most consider extreme measures, I have kept my weight under control for the 40 odd years since. I am vegan, eat almost no packaged foods of any kind, never eat snacks, sodas or fast food and still have to strictly control the quantities to keep my weight in check.
I will confess that in spite of my understanding of how difficult it can be for some people to control their weight, I still have an ingrained negative reaction to obese people. I keep this reaction to myself, hopefully successfully.
29
Early in this decade, I took a trip to Western Europe, to see the sights, and perhaps gain some insights into how other societies function.
While in France, I noticed that there were almost no fat people. Then I took notice of how the French ate. They consumed many kinds of food I had never before seen or eaten, such a foie gras, but always in moderate or small portions. Sweet and calorie-rich foods were on the menu, in small portions. And the French spent a great deal of time (by American standards) eating their meals.
The French way of eating was almost completely the opposite of the modern American way of eating, with super-sized portions, lots of fat, sugar, and salt, and meals wolfed down in a few minutes. On matters gastronomic, we could learn a few things from the French. Bon appetit!
While in France, I noticed that there were almost no fat people. Then I took notice of how the French ate. They consumed many kinds of food I had never before seen or eaten, such a foie gras, but always in moderate or small portions. Sweet and calorie-rich foods were on the menu, in small portions. And the French spent a great deal of time (by American standards) eating their meals.
The French way of eating was almost completely the opposite of the modern American way of eating, with super-sized portions, lots of fat, sugar, and salt, and meals wolfed down in a few minutes. On matters gastronomic, we could learn a few things from the French. Bon appetit!
71
so true, I have lived in Italy for years and can tell you that despite all the pastas, breads, risottos, etc people are generally thin....that is changing however as more processed foods become acceptable. I think the answers are truly more complicated than we think, genetics and processed foods all playing a role.
4
Gene,
It is a myth that there are no fat people in France. For decades, the French government has been studying the obesity problem. Jenny Craig entered the French market not too long ago.
Myth busting: Half of French adults are now overweight
https://www.thelocal.fr/20161025/tipping-the-scales-one-in-two-french-ad...
It is a myth that there are no fat people in France. For decades, the French government has been studying the obesity problem. Jenny Craig entered the French market not too long ago.
Myth busting: Half of French adults are now overweight
https://www.thelocal.fr/20161025/tipping-the-scales-one-in-two-french-ad...
12
They also don't drive as much and have less screen time. They don't work as many hours and they have longer vacations and lunch hours. Meals are a family social event, where everyone sits down at the table and has a conversation. Food is not convenient, it is to be savored. The smaller portions are just the tip of the iceberg. In some ways, I think the American way of eating is a response to stress, and a big part of that stress is that we lack the structures and protections that allow people to live more family- and community-based lives.
9
" a society-wide reformation that may help to absolve them of personal responsibility for their weight." Utterly ridiculous. If weight isn't a personal responsibility, I don't know what is, beyond the rare individual with a true disorder. My wife and I recently visited the Portland, OR area. Not a fat person in sight. Back home in Iowa where body fat has become normalized, nearly two thirds are huge. The state capital has bacon festivals, the state fair offers deep fried cheeseburgers. This will have a major wave of impact on those needing, among other things, liver transplants, knee surgery, heart surgery, starting in about four years.
39
I'm from Portland, and we used to have a normal number of fat people here. The reason we don't anymore is that all our lower-income people have been pushed out of the city. If you want to get rid of your fat people in Iowa, make your city so trendy that it gentrifies. They'll all be forced out into the burbs, and, as long as you can afford to stay in the city yourself, you won't have to put up with fat people anymore.
5
Oh man! A deep-fried cheeseburger... I'll be dreaming of that one! You didn't make that one up, did you?
I think there's a fairly simply explanation for the so-called 'fat bias' the author is attempting to describe. In almost all cases, there is a very simple reason why some people are fat and some people are not fat. Fat people eat too many calories. It's that simple. Yes, there are rare medical conditions that cause some to be too thin, some to be too heavy, but these are the exceptions and they do not explain the huge increase in morbid obesity in the US.
In an America of gargantuan portion sizes of food that resembles throw-up covered in cheese, it takes quite a bit of will power to avoid overeating. It's a struggle I live with everyday, and no one would describe me as thin....but also probably not fat. So, when I see an obese person I do have a bias against them due to the physical manifestation of their lack of discipline in their everyday life. Who doesn't want to sit around all day and eat? If I could avoid the immediate weight gain, I'd start tomorrow.
Being obese should not be 'normalized'. It should be discouraged and healthier lifestyles should be pushed at the earliest possible age.
In an America of gargantuan portion sizes of food that resembles throw-up covered in cheese, it takes quite a bit of will power to avoid overeating. It's a struggle I live with everyday, and no one would describe me as thin....but also probably not fat. So, when I see an obese person I do have a bias against them due to the physical manifestation of their lack of discipline in their everyday life. Who doesn't want to sit around all day and eat? If I could avoid the immediate weight gain, I'd start tomorrow.
Being obese should not be 'normalized'. It should be discouraged and healthier lifestyles should be pushed at the earliest possible age.
28
This view denies the facts that genetics do cause weight gain. Weight control is not as easy for some people as it is for others. Some people have fast metabolisms and some have slow ones.
1
I never cease to be amazed by the number of utterly unqualified people who employ the word "simple" to address an issue which medical research increasingly shows is not simple at all. Study after study verifies that it's NOT just "calories in, calories out"; that there's still a great deal we don't know about metabolism; that people who successfully lose a lot of weight fail to keep it off about 95% of the time even when they maintain their lifestyle changes; that the industrialized world is full of people who are fat who do not, in fact, "just sit around and eat" (which I'd argue that relatively few people really want to do anyway); and that shame and stigma do absolutely nothing to help people lose weight or maintain weight loss. These are medical facts. But none of that weighs for a second with people who need someone to look down and need the world to be "simple." It HAS to be an issue of morals and character, or else--OMG--we'd have to get serious about addressing food deserts, the processed food industry, the culture of overwork in the U.S., the connection between obesity and poverty (the latter, if anyone cares, is the single greatest predictor of the former), the class-based components of body shaming, and the mysteries of metabolism. We'd have to support people instead of finding reasons to condemn them. And I guess we all know THAT's not going to happen.
17
@KCF:
There is a very simple reason why some teams win games and others don't. The winning teams score more points. This is the essence of "calorie logic" -- perfectly true and also perfectly useless to explain _why_ people are overeating, or why overeating has increased on a population level.
There is a very simple reason why some teams win games and others don't. The winning teams score more points. This is the essence of "calorie logic" -- perfectly true and also perfectly useless to explain _why_ people are overeating, or why overeating has increased on a population level.
2
Well what is it ?...Is being overweight killing us or is "fat shaming'...Make up your minds liberals !...You are the first to tell us what to eat as to not become overweight but when someone points out an overweight person you hypocrites are the first to blast at anyone pointing it out !...so which is it ?
5
I hear you. I understand the dilemma. But I don't think liberals are confusing us. Should there be a public posture that exhorts people to be healthy, eat healthy, be active, with the obvious result being a population that looks a particular way? Or not? You tell me. I don't know. What I do know is that no particular political philosophy created this health question.
11
@Tom: Really. "Liberals". I suspect that most of the many people speaking out here against normalizing obesity are liberal in some respects. They don't fit your lazy stereotype. Why do you need to conjure up a caricature and apply it to 100 million (give or take) people?
15
The middle and South of the country is the most overweight and that is Trump country. Trump-shaming is probably enough for those people.
5
When you are overweight the first person who bullies you is generally your mother. As you get older you dread the obligatory family visit because you know that the first thing your mom is going to do is comment on your weight and it always ends with the "I'm just saying this because I love you." Family is crueler than any outsider would ever dream of being.
I'm obese. I was an active child and teenager who was thin and muscular. But when I was 14 I was diagnosed with epilepsy and one of the side effects of my medication was that it damaged my metabolism. The weight gain was gradual because the doctors were constantly adjusting my meds which made the damage worse.
Even after I stopped taking my meds because they didn't work the damage was done. I'm active but even still I have accepted that the body I had pre-med will never return. All I can do is stay active and eat healthy.
Does it bother me that people assume I'm lazy because I'm obese; absolutely. But I find that I can't do anything to change the mind of those who have already formed an opinion without bothering to find out the facts. All I can do is soldier on and try not to let it get to me.
I'm obese. I was an active child and teenager who was thin and muscular. But when I was 14 I was diagnosed with epilepsy and one of the side effects of my medication was that it damaged my metabolism. The weight gain was gradual because the doctors were constantly adjusting my meds which made the damage worse.
Even after I stopped taking my meds because they didn't work the damage was done. I'm active but even still I have accepted that the body I had pre-med will never return. All I can do is stay active and eat healthy.
Does it bother me that people assume I'm lazy because I'm obese; absolutely. But I find that I can't do anything to change the mind of those who have already formed an opinion without bothering to find out the facts. All I can do is soldier on and try not to let it get to me.
81
Mothers are damned if they do, damned if they don't.
Obesity is self-medication of anxiety or other mental health issues.
Mothers who aren't aware of this put their child on a diet and/or sign them up for exercise regimens. They're trying to help. If they did nothing, their kids would grow up and blame them for doing nothing.
Mothers who are aware of the problem for what it is seek mental health treatment that often includes anti-anxiety meds. Then they're damned for "drugging" their child.
Very few people are innately equipped to deal with mental health issues in their own children or other adults.
Any adult who is obese is self-medicating and not taking steps to address the underlying mental health issues; blaming one's parent is pointless.
Obesity is self-medication of anxiety or other mental health issues.
Mothers who aren't aware of this put their child on a diet and/or sign them up for exercise regimens. They're trying to help. If they did nothing, their kids would grow up and blame them for doing nothing.
Mothers who are aware of the problem for what it is seek mental health treatment that often includes anti-anxiety meds. Then they're damned for "drugging" their child.
Very few people are innately equipped to deal with mental health issues in their own children or other adults.
Any adult who is obese is self-medicating and not taking steps to address the underlying mental health issues; blaming one's parent is pointless.
5
Honeybee did you read Ami's post? She developed epilepsy, and the medication for that condition changed her metabolism, causing her to gain weight. It had nothing to do with mental health.
28
I have a lot of friends who have described their mothers tormenting them as a child about their weight. The same mother who fills the house with unhealthy food. I find it shocking. My mother was certainly not perfect, but thankfully, all the women in my life when I was a child either didn't think about this stuff, or certainly didn't share it with children.
2
The problem here is not an moral one it is a major Public Health issue that to date has not been embraced in a fundamental way by the majority or the politicians they vote for. Imagine how it might be if a politician got elected on a promise to "make America great again " and then followed up with the public health measures required to get there.
10
"Norm" is not a dirty word. It is not discriminatory; it is not make-believe. (Which is not to say that it has not been misused, e.g., the fashion industry).
But if one looks to the internet and advertising expecting Truth, stop.
But if one looks to the internet and advertising expecting Truth, stop.
2
"(The studies lead author) traced the origins of weight bias to ... society at large...(which) blames people for being fat."
The author of this piece insinuates that the average overweight individual bears little or no responsibility for their weight. She then goes on to detail all of the disordered eating, the decreased likelihood to change food choices or increase exercise when people are "fat shamed" (or even perceive themselves to be). the author seems to want to have it both ways: argue that the obesity epidemic has little or nothing to do with choices, and then blame poor choices that increase the obesity epidemic on the biases of individuals who weigh less.
Also, the "food desert" narrative is a myth. Food deserts exist because of the dietary preferences of the people (many of whom are overweight) living within them. People are not overweight because of food deserts. Also a common media-driven myth: eating healthy is necessarily expensive.
--JHU MPH
The author of this piece insinuates that the average overweight individual bears little or no responsibility for their weight. She then goes on to detail all of the disordered eating, the decreased likelihood to change food choices or increase exercise when people are "fat shamed" (or even perceive themselves to be). the author seems to want to have it both ways: argue that the obesity epidemic has little or nothing to do with choices, and then blame poor choices that increase the obesity epidemic on the biases of individuals who weigh less.
Also, the "food desert" narrative is a myth. Food deserts exist because of the dietary preferences of the people (many of whom are overweight) living within them. People are not overweight because of food deserts. Also a common media-driven myth: eating healthy is necessarily expensive.
--JHU MPH
11
MPP,
you are misinformed. Food deserts DO exist, as supported by studies. In the city of St. Louis there are areas where there is no grocery store for miles around and the people have to take busses to get to the nearest one. Not an easy task if you are disabled or elderly or if you want your cold items to keep from spoiling.
YOU try eating healthy when the only place nearby is a convenience store.
you are misinformed. Food deserts DO exist, as supported by studies. In the city of St. Louis there are areas where there is no grocery store for miles around and the people have to take busses to get to the nearest one. Not an easy task if you are disabled or elderly or if you want your cold items to keep from spoiling.
YOU try eating healthy when the only place nearby is a convenience store.
5
Proof of anti-fat bigotry? How resentful people become on an airplane when their seatmate turns out to be wide, but not when their seatmate turns out to be tall. I've observed stinkeye against fat passengers but never against someone 6'6" trying to fit his long legs and torso ahead of or behind them. Being extremely tall inconveniences one's fellow airplane passengers as much as being extremely fleshy, but it provokes zero rage. The health rationale for fat-phobia won't work here. You might be mad about paying for other people's diseases, but you're not doing that on an airplane. Maybe it's a coincidence that almost everyone over six feet tall is a man while passengers who infuriate others for existing in a fat state in coach are often female.
15
Tall people tend to be more of a bother for people in front and behind them (if they recline the seat) Fat people take up real estate sideways, which is unpleasant for those at the sides. Most people do not want others touching them; easily avoided with tall thin people, but not so much with the obese.
26
I find it annoying when a tall person takes a seat in front of me at the theatre--because I'll probably be inconvenienced. Similarly when an overweight person sits next to me. I certainly don't hate or blame those people. But the fact is they are likely to impinge on my experience of the play or the flight. You understand that, right?
2
What? The person next to the fat person is resentful because the fat person is impinging on the other person's already tiny amount of space. The person is resentful because the fat person puts up the arm rest so that he or she will have more room, which means that I am squished. My brother-in-law is a very large man, probably 300 pounds -- and he always books 2 seats. He doesn't expect someone else to pay for his extra space on the airplane. I am more amenable to paying for other people's diseases than I am to paying for someone else's airplane seat. If I'm on the window seat and the fat person's seat is between me and the aisle, there is an excellent chance that it is going to take longer for me to get off the plane because the fat person has to heave out of his or her seat. One tries not to think about exiting in an emergency. LadyProf's comment seems, to me, to be flagrantly insensitive to the experience of the people around her.
3
I disagree with the statement that obesity is the last socially acceptable form of prejudice. I think there is a huge prejudice against people who are not academically talented as well. We value where people started mentally rather than where they get after working hard, and that can't have a positive effect on people who are not academically gifted. At the end of the article, Dr. Puhl is quoted as saying that what is really important is “character, intelligence, ambition, effort and contributions to society". However, I disagree that intelligence should be considered so important because we all face mental challenges at some point, and our innate cognitive abilities are less important than our determination and willingness to work hard.
17
Next, we'll have a protected class for people who claim "cognitive disadvantage."
9
No, ageism is the last socially acceptable prejudice.
5
Apparently, we will simply elect them to high office.
5
People who self-medicate with food are going to be overweight. We need to address the causes and conditions that create so many citizens who self medicate, whether with food, work, opioids, pornography, or whatever.
If you child is heavy, they are self medicating. This is a signal of unhappiness, stress or misery. Address their misery.
While teasing and bullying miserable people is no help, it is also not a solution to normalize hugeness. Especially childhood hugeness.
Lets address the inner pain that causes the disordered eating.
If you child is heavy, they are self medicating. This is a signal of unhappiness, stress or misery. Address their misery.
While teasing and bullying miserable people is no help, it is also not a solution to normalize hugeness. Especially childhood hugeness.
Lets address the inner pain that causes the disordered eating.
16
A child may be heavy because their parent admonishes them to clean their plate, rewards them with sweets, or gives them antibiotics or steroids. Being obese may not be a choice for children. They have so few.
14
I think humans thrive when leading a hand-to-mouth existence; it's how all other animals live their lives.
Once human animals get a little cushion from the stress of survival, the anxiety and stress that helped us survive have no outlet and we self-medicate to soothe the build up.
The existence of an "addiction industry" doesn't help; it sustains itself by never, ever admitting that the problem is psychological and probably best treated with anti-depressants.
Once human animals get a little cushion from the stress of survival, the anxiety and stress that helped us survive have no outlet and we self-medicate to soothe the build up.
The existence of an "addiction industry" doesn't help; it sustains itself by never, ever admitting that the problem is psychological and probably best treated with anti-depressants.
4
This is simply not true. It may be for a small percentage of kids, but most kids are overweight from eating too much. They eat what they are given at home and may be allowed to snack at will and drink sugary drinks. Trying to make everything a mental illness helps no one. Poor diet and poor choices by their parents.
1
There are different causes of obesity, hormone imbalance, genetics, but the most common one is overeating and eating junk food. How about taking step one to eat less and step two to move more?
6
I'm sure that no overweight person has ever thought they should eat less and move more! What a brilliant idea!
31
To think is one thing, to do is another, and yes, brilliant ideas are often the most simple.
6
@realist:
Do you think a person becomes obese without ever having tried to eat less or exercise more? This advice is a fundamental misunderstanding of why the body gains or loses weight.
Do you think a person becomes obese without ever having tried to eat less or exercise more? This advice is a fundamental misunderstanding of why the body gains or loses weight.
2
Who is really the real culprit of having a society with more and more obese people? Genetics? I don't think so, I think is due to the junk-food industry. If I turn the TV on, almost all the commercials are with sugary things, greasy fried stuff, sugary drinks, creamy ice-creams, etc., etc. And, the other half of commercials is about drugs: buy this for cholesterol, this for diabetes, and, of course, this for losing weight. My advice?
Begin a campaign of TV commercials advertising how great you will feel your body doing exercises (be you either fat or thin), get a dog! (and what a wonderful way of rescuing another pet from a not so good fate!); ads about how wonderful is to eat a balanced meal and not to eat in between meals, etc., etc. So, to begin with: yes ,we live in a sick culture, and one feel so good of targeting the others! We have regrettably, (beyond the issue of body images), recent examples of how low we can go denying humanity to all of those who are not like "us." So, the real culprit is not you, over weighted people: the weight bias-stigma, is no other than the culture of sick consumerism we live on.
Begin a campaign of TV commercials advertising how great you will feel your body doing exercises (be you either fat or thin), get a dog! (and what a wonderful way of rescuing another pet from a not so good fate!); ads about how wonderful is to eat a balanced meal and not to eat in between meals, etc., etc. So, to begin with: yes ,we live in a sick culture, and one feel so good of targeting the others! We have regrettably, (beyond the issue of body images), recent examples of how low we can go denying humanity to all of those who are not like "us." So, the real culprit is not you, over weighted people: the weight bias-stigma, is no other than the culture of sick consumerism we live on.
12
Exercise is a poor strategy to lose weight. It's a common misconception.
16
Exercise is an excellent way to improve mood and well-being, and fitness predisposes people to a host of healthful habits. Active children are less likely to become obese in the first place.
3
But not exercising is an excellent way to become out of shape and even fat if you want to.
1
What wasn't stressed in this article is that obesity is unhealthy. Trying to get society to accept overweight people for their appearance is fine, but that won't help their hearts and other organs that are under stress.
27
So this rise of weight bias corresponds with the ride of obesity?
1
Probably not, just more "bad examples" to rag on.
When I was assigned a new physician, I was chagrined that he was overweight. I cared about fitness and health and thought he should too.
I noticed, however, that as a doctor, he was more responsive and seemed to care about my well being more than other doctors I had had.
During the next year or so, I learned that he had been taking care of his wife who was terminally ill during this same time he was taking care of me and a lot of other patients.
My initial assumptions about him were wrong on a lot of counts. Yes, I was prejudiced and I hope I've learned my lesson.
I noticed, however, that as a doctor, he was more responsive and seemed to care about my well being more than other doctors I had had.
During the next year or so, I learned that he had been taking care of his wife who was terminally ill during this same time he was taking care of me and a lot of other patients.
My initial assumptions about him were wrong on a lot of counts. Yes, I was prejudiced and I hope I've learned my lesson.
238
I am empathetic towards your doctor, and applaud his performance.
But exactly what about that should lead to obesity?
But exactly what about that should lead to obesity?
I was disappointed not to see an illustration of a little girl included for this article. But maybe she is invisible, like all us overweight girls are. It's just a shame, all the potential wasted.
11
It's hot out there, over 90, humid too, got to go to the store, easy to get up from sitting, then get in the car, sit again, pull into the parking lot, damn lots of cars close to the store entrance, looking, looking for the right space that requires as little body movement as possible, right? Wrong!
At least for me, I took the Me-Mover which is breezy when it gets going, I feel my leg muscles working, my core is tense as I step on the pedals. Maybe this doesn't seem normal for a 79-year-old guy, but it makes me feel better than sitting for hours, then going out to sit some more which most of us do and wonder why am I putting on more weight, why?
Different can be good, very good, ask your doctor, he/she will concur with me. Just be careful, get acclimated, adapt to something that your body moves you.
Please stop sitting so much and eating out of boredom, hard to eat doing 15 mph circumventing a sweeping curve, feeling the wind in your face, endorphins kicking in on a Me-Mover.
At least for me, I took the Me-Mover which is breezy when it gets going, I feel my leg muscles working, my core is tense as I step on the pedals. Maybe this doesn't seem normal for a 79-year-old guy, but it makes me feel better than sitting for hours, then going out to sit some more which most of us do and wonder why am I putting on more weight, why?
Different can be good, very good, ask your doctor, he/she will concur with me. Just be careful, get acclimated, adapt to something that your body moves you.
Please stop sitting so much and eating out of boredom, hard to eat doing 15 mph circumventing a sweeping curve, feeling the wind in your face, endorphins kicking in on a Me-Mover.
7
What's a Me-Mover?
1
My mother put me on a diet when I was five. The ensuing 57 years have been a jumble of name-calling, fat jokes, faux encouragement ("good for you, coming to the gym!"), weight loss, the inevitable weight regain, self-hatred, and airplane seat belt extenders. Three weeks ago I had bariatric surgery. The first person who tells me I should love myself as I am, rather than mutilating my body, should be ready to run.
43
The damage fat-shaming does by causing anorexia and eating disorders is far worse for those victims than any amount of fat. Anorexia is killing younger and younger kids every year and is rapidly becoming an affliction of men as well as women. It is one of the most deadly disorders and kills or maims people at very young ages, taking decades off their lives rather than the few years fat might.
Shaming doesn't help any fat people lose weight, frequently causes weight gain, causes stress which only exacerbates health issues, and can cause people of healthy weight to develop eating disorders which kill them. It has no good effects other than making the shamers feel momentarily superior, and I'm not even sure that's good for their characters.
Shaming doesn't help any fat people lose weight, frequently causes weight gain, causes stress which only exacerbates health issues, and can cause people of healthy weight to develop eating disorders which kill them. It has no good effects other than making the shamers feel momentarily superior, and I'm not even sure that's good for their characters.
12
This isn't momentary superiority and I doubt only the deranged enjoy name calling. However, saying someone is fat when they're fat is like saying they're blonde when they're blonde. Should we endorse protected speech for hair color? Any shame fat people feel is their own and they should be ashamed and it help should drive them to change.
That said, this, for me, is about economics and moral hazard and the negative impact to the US with a near 45% obesity rate. 45% of all adults are obese. Doesn't that surprise you? Worry you? Concern you?
How about this: charging fat people the prices they deserve for healthcare will help make them thin. If they can't afford healthcare, they certainly shouldn't afford donuts. Everyone might as well be fat and unhealthy since the system will just pay for it. Wouldn't you be outraged to pay for a voluntary smoker's lung cancer treatment when it was wholly unavoidable? Or for a coal miner's cancer nobody told them to take a dangerous job. Or a skydiver? Step away from the donuts. Fat is avoidable.
That said, this, for me, is about economics and moral hazard and the negative impact to the US with a near 45% obesity rate. 45% of all adults are obese. Doesn't that surprise you? Worry you? Concern you?
How about this: charging fat people the prices they deserve for healthcare will help make them thin. If they can't afford healthcare, they certainly shouldn't afford donuts. Everyone might as well be fat and unhealthy since the system will just pay for it. Wouldn't you be outraged to pay for a voluntary smoker's lung cancer treatment when it was wholly unavoidable? Or for a coal miner's cancer nobody told them to take a dangerous job. Or a skydiver? Step away from the donuts. Fat is avoidable.
2
Do you think miners CHOOSE to work in a coal mine? You sound complacent and ill-tempered in every snide reply you make to people here.
5
You're absolutely wrong on all points. Almost all major chronic diseases are caused by lifestyle but we wouldn't turn away a person or paying for their care if it was heart disease, diabetes, HIV, Hep C...because "they caused this." Do we turn away the alcoholic with liver damage or the drug addict with pericarditis because "they caused this?" What you're implying is that anyone who is fat can somehow "just do it" and they wouldn't be fat. Not true, and there is a large genetic component that you're ignoring when making these types of statements.
7
Body positivity is all very well, but being overweight is unhealthy and should not be encouraged or, frankly, ignored. Weight is entirely amenable to dietary manipulation. I wonder how much of this "weight positivity" stance is from big food and big pharma, which have created the diabesity epidemic and profit handsomely from it, wanting to maintain the status quo, with all its profitable consumers and patients.
12
Huh?
10
Our German receptionist at Berlitz Language School here in San Diego told me she was afraid to shop in our grocery stores, knowing that lots of the food was genetically modified, loaded with sugars and additives, let alone pesticides. When I told her about the organic market in our town, she almost cried with relief. It almost seems as if the Big Food industry in America is working hand-in-glove with Big Pharma, with the added irony that many pharmaceutical drugs cause weight gain, among an array of bad side effects. Certainly there were fewer obese people in the U.S. a few generations ago, so what is it that's changed if not what we eat/medicate ourselves with?
34
I didn't realize we could trust labeling anywhere and that there is guaranteed to be no cheating in an "organic" market. There aren't any real rules. And the kicker is, no science suggests that organic food is worth the uptick in price. Domesticated wheat, organic or not, is likely a bigger problem overall.
3
Eater - Check out "The Cornucopia Institute" for the latest in the organic food wars.
1
There are some real rules, though they are under constant assault by corporate America. Check out The Cornucopia Institute to see the game in play. While I agree domesticated wheat is a big problem, it is by no means the only problem extant.
3
I went on my first diet when I was 12. I wasn't overweight but had a naturally skinny mother and I was bigger than her. Instead of telling me that I was ok she would say, just push away from the table. This "support" had the opposite effect. I would eat more and subsequently developed an eathing disorder. I've spent my life thinking of myself as fat, although I've rarely been so. I believe that my body dismorphia isn't unusual, and is probably a factor in many peoples diet issues.
35
I hosted a few overweight (actually obese) guests recently and they ate the same things we ate BUT in double or sometimes triple portion sizes. Perhaps your mother was doing the right thing to signal portion control? It's really the only tool that works in a normal diet aside from bulking up muscle which increases your metabolic rate in general (and recommended).
14
Rainbow told us a personal story about her own struggles with weight bias, reflecting the tone of the article with personal experience. Don't diminish that with fat shaming ideology. No, it's not good for a mother to put a young child on a diet that ends this way; we see it causes lifelong emotional pain to tell a child--who may or may not have even been overweight--that she's not good enough because of how much she weighs.
Additionally, the larger a person is, the more calories that person requires to maintain his or her weight. So presumably these fat guests of yours WERE eating more. And since I presume you weren't weighing all their portions for them to see just how much they were eating, don't you think their bodies are their business, not yours?
Additionally, the larger a person is, the more calories that person requires to maintain his or her weight. So presumably these fat guests of yours WERE eating more. And since I presume you weren't weighing all their portions for them to see just how much they were eating, don't you think their bodies are their business, not yours?
20
Bad gut bacteria can induce craving for food. And it may not be known or the fault or choices of people who are obese.
6
I seem to recall that an exceptionally wise person once said "Judge not, lest you be judged." Some commenters here should remember that.
That particular individual devoted his life to trying to get us all to behave better, and I'm pretty sure blaming, contempt, and bullying weren't in His repertoire.
That particular individual devoted his life to trying to get us all to behave better, and I'm pretty sure blaming, contempt, and bullying weren't in His repertoire.
46
Really? How do you think Jesus responded to the young rich man, the Pharisees and the money lenders in the temple. The idea that Jesus never shamed or treated people with contempt shows a distinct failure to read all the stories about his life. I am no expert on the Bible and got much of my Bible learning from the Pearl Buck Story Bible, but even I am familiar with these stories.
1
Plus, it can be risky to play with karma...You may be "naturally" thin, get to eat whatever you want and never gain an ounce, judge your fellow flyers with abandon, blat on about it's all about "health" and health costs, but you may get a disorder, be put on a medication, or just get to the age when this changes...ooops.
1
Beg to differ. What is called fat bias here probably does have a "nature" basis, rather than being totally the result of "nuture" (something we're taught, perhaps inadvertently. We seem programmed by nature to have similar standards of beauty, which is tied to breeding behavior and species health and survival. Of course as civilized beings, we want to be kind and avoid hurting others. However,it would be a mistake to normalize, embrace or celebrate significant obesity, because it is a grave health risk factor, and interferes with the enjoyment of life, sooner or later. We have normalized and even celebrate selfishness (follow your dream), drug abuse, unwed parenthood and sexual promiscuity -- and gee, look where it's gotten us!
6
'fat bias here probably does have a "nature" basis'
two thoughts - as social animals, humans are finely sensitive to perceptions of unfairness - I see tiny kids, and they say monkeys will, reject offers they see as unfair when someone else arbitrarily gets more - the sight of a fat person may trigger basic feelings of 'they got more than me - they've eaten an unfair amount' - stemming from times of famine, while fat people may indeed be the genetic survivors, storing energy as fat, in these times of slim supermodels - thinness being the admired rarer state - fat people may tend to trigger automatic feelings of disgust as in 'what a pig - they ate my share - that's not fair'
secondly - the most ancient statuettes from prehistoric times are of obese females with rolls of fat - from the rare=desirable model, this suggests that hunger was common, and they might only dream of having too much to eat - thus a figurine to dream about - a fat woman ! I believe even in recent decades Indian female movie stars tended to be overweight - again probably because most Indians were skinny and hunger was commonplace - so - go to the movies and dream - of having a fat woman !
so - disgust at unfairness, and desire for what we don't have ...
two thoughts - as social animals, humans are finely sensitive to perceptions of unfairness - I see tiny kids, and they say monkeys will, reject offers they see as unfair when someone else arbitrarily gets more - the sight of a fat person may trigger basic feelings of 'they got more than me - they've eaten an unfair amount' - stemming from times of famine, while fat people may indeed be the genetic survivors, storing energy as fat, in these times of slim supermodels - thinness being the admired rarer state - fat people may tend to trigger automatic feelings of disgust as in 'what a pig - they ate my share - that's not fair'
secondly - the most ancient statuettes from prehistoric times are of obese females with rolls of fat - from the rare=desirable model, this suggests that hunger was common, and they might only dream of having too much to eat - thus a figurine to dream about - a fat woman ! I believe even in recent decades Indian female movie stars tended to be overweight - again probably because most Indians were skinny and hunger was commonplace - so - go to the movies and dream - of having a fat woman !
so - disgust at unfairness, and desire for what we don't have ...
4
Frank as recently as late 19th C USA, the "gilded age" a phrase popularised by the great American writer/humorist Mark Twain a man in a suit with huge belly was known as "a fine figure of a man". Presidents Wm Howard Taft in the early 20th C, Chester Arthur and Grover Cleveland are examples. They looked rich in contrast to malnourished skin & bones & rickets packs of migrants from starving Ireland and Europe, Even trying on clothes from the 1930´s and 1940´s its obvious that in the depression and war years people were simply shorter and lots skinnier due to want than most are now. So its market forces, the food industry and psycho-sociological effects of late 20th and now 21st C living that accounts for mass obesity, plus from Australia you may not be aware of the lack of comprehensive health care for anybody under upper middle class now in the USA. Its fixable just like the US is fixable.
1
'from Australia you may not be aware of the lack of comprehensive health care for anybody under upper middle class now in the USA'
I'm very aware PJ - and thank my lucky stars for the healthcare we have in Australia - the US 'freedom?' is indeed a world outlier in not having what most other developed nations provide for their citizens.
Good luck fixing it - US folk have made a good start in rejecting the initial crass attempts to kill off 43 Million 'unnecessary' US citizens ...
I'm very aware PJ - and thank my lucky stars for the healthcare we have in Australia - the US 'freedom?' is indeed a world outlier in not having what most other developed nations provide for their citizens.
Good luck fixing it - US folk have made a good start in rejecting the initial crass attempts to kill off 43 Million 'unnecessary' US citizens ...
Going on a diet sounds temporary, something to do when the weight starts to increase, then increases again, etc. It should be, going on a sustainable common sense nutritional program to maintain a desirable weight. But not easy to do, too many good things to eat, then continue because it tastes so good, besides it takes the place of endorphins, makes us feel good too.
Habits are hard to break after years of conditioning, the excess calories battle wages for years, and food companies, retailers, fast food, slow food restaurants are not helping our battle to stay at healthy weight.
Marketing companies know what motivates buying impulses, they get paid to entice. Walk down the super high-calorie food aisles, lots of printed propaganda. makes your mind bring back those TV commercials that turn on your sugar cravings.
It's a war folks, either you win or they do. It's lost or won at the food market, at the restaurants with great looking menus.
Either you incinerate those excess calories or become more of you.
We all know what to do if we want to do what we should do.
Habits are hard to break after years of conditioning, the excess calories battle wages for years, and food companies, retailers, fast food, slow food restaurants are not helping our battle to stay at healthy weight.
Marketing companies know what motivates buying impulses, they get paid to entice. Walk down the super high-calorie food aisles, lots of printed propaganda. makes your mind bring back those TV commercials that turn on your sugar cravings.
It's a war folks, either you win or they do. It's lost or won at the food market, at the restaurants with great looking menus.
Either you incinerate those excess calories or become more of you.
We all know what to do if we want to do what we should do.
5
I joined the Peace Corps a decade ago and my group included about 17 middle aged and older women, the majority of whom were overweight or obese and had been for a long time. During our three month training in our Eastern European country, we lived with host families who gave us food and portions that were typical for this country. We were expected to walk most places. Everyone lost weight and some lost dramatic amounts. After trainng we had more ability to eat extra food, but most women returned to the US the slimmest and healthiest they had been since they were teens.
48
Thought about this a bit: you had "naturally" restricted portions and exercise. Even more, everyone had real purpose in their lives - they weren't obsessing about what they ate and what they looked like, but what they were doing. Maybe that is the "secret" to carrying a healthy weight.
WHEN does a tiny minority succeed in shaming a HUGE majority-- pun intended. Fifty % of US adult population is obese and another 25% is overweight. KIDS rarely see a thin person. BODY POSITIVITY is the mantra. FAT people feel guilty from the sin of gluttony when one billion people are starving so they shift the conversation to blaming others for their sin. America is based on over consumption and the conflict with the SEVEN deadly sins is obvious.
8
So many negative comments by the NYT's readers. Are these the same liberal readers that combat racism, Trump, sexism, etc. Leaves me to assume that there are far more hypocrites out there then one would think.
104
Good response.
10
Most people are born with the color of their skin, they don't create it over their lifetimes, or even in their childhoods. Same with gender, although that is clearly beginning to change.
I'm not sure what combatting Trump has to do with the other two.
The negative comments stem from the continued perception, even by children, that being fat is self created, and is the result of over eating [and is therefore controllable]. When you saw pictures of Governor Christie sitting on the beach recently, are you being hypocritical by thinking that the man in the picture is somehow struggling, and it is reflected in his body?
I'm not sure what combatting Trump has to do with the other two.
The negative comments stem from the continued perception, even by children, that being fat is self created, and is the result of over eating [and is therefore controllable]. When you saw pictures of Governor Christie sitting on the beach recently, are you being hypocritical by thinking that the man in the picture is somehow struggling, and it is reflected in his body?
6
This article borders the bizarre, especially the insinuation that avoiding obesity is outside of most's control. Go to any typical U.S. grocery store and look at what people are putting in their carts. Look at the menus of fast-food and casual restaurants. The question isn't why are there so many obese people today, the questions is: given all of the garbage we consume, how are more people NOT morbidly obese. 3/4 of the calories that Americans consume have no business being put into anyone's.body. Until the average American diet improves drastically, I don't want to read any more articles about the mysteries of obesity, "fat acceptance," etc.
P.S. re: "fat people are the last group whom it's OK to discriminate against..." How about drug addicts, alcoholics, pedophiles, criminals? Or how about the elderly, those facing health issues in no way self-inflicted, the unattractive, short men, and a whole bunch of others facing discrimination through absolutely zero fault of their own.
P.S. re: "fat people are the last group whom it's OK to discriminate against..." How about drug addicts, alcoholics, pedophiles, criminals? Or how about the elderly, those facing health issues in no way self-inflicted, the unattractive, short men, and a whole bunch of others facing discrimination through absolutely zero fault of their own.
19
There is quite a huge difference between fat people, drug addicts, alcoholics, pedophiles and other various and sundry criminals. Or do you not agree?
6
I certainly agree there's differences between all of those groups. The point of my original statement is that the Dr.'s statement is false, not that these groups are equivalent to the overweight.
2
As a man who had to start dealing with humiliating hair loss at age 19, I have little to no sympathy for all these obese adults you see everywhere nowadays.
The idea that obesity is somehow a genetic condition is laughable, in my view. I don't remember nearly as many overweight people back in the '70s and '80s. Put these people in a strictly controlled environment, where they're forced to eat properly and exercise regularly, and their BMIs would eventually start dropping faster than Trump's approval rating.
Sorry, I'll save my sympathy for the baldies who've had to struggle with a real genetic defect.
The idea that obesity is somehow a genetic condition is laughable, in my view. I don't remember nearly as many overweight people back in the '70s and '80s. Put these people in a strictly controlled environment, where they're forced to eat properly and exercise regularly, and their BMIs would eventually start dropping faster than Trump's approval rating.
Sorry, I'll save my sympathy for the baldies who've had to struggle with a real genetic defect.
15
Are you a geneticist? If not, you might consider familiarizing yourself with the vast literature on weight loss before you make these statements.
24
The literature that supports the "fat gene" theory is for the most part spurious. Ignore the supposed "literature" by online experts. Go to the primary literature, such as found in NLM's Medline. You'll find almost all investigations, studies, and trials found such genes, if they exist at all, are rare.
2
Personally, I subscribe to the belief that "some heads are perfect, the rest God had to cover up with hair".
Here's the thing...kids pick up on the larger memes of a civilization, like dislike of fat, fears, prejudices, money, etc. Media is glad to help out, especially on behalf of it's paying sponsors. Unless a child isn't exposed to them at all, and that takes a lot of vigilance or limiting the child's exposure.
If children adopt the memes and then aren't educated in why the memes are erroneous then they are likely to retain them. This is why childhood is so traumatic to do many. Many live in impoverished social circles where they aren't receiving feedback from many people to help them develop into well rounded individuals.
If children adopt the memes and then aren't educated in why the memes are erroneous then they are likely to retain them. This is why childhood is so traumatic to do many. Many live in impoverished social circles where they aren't receiving feedback from many people to help them develop into well rounded individuals.
5
Difference here, is that you cannot change your skin color or nationality but most of the time you can do something to change your weight, so weight does reflect of your habits, and in teaching your children and yourself healthy habits it's hard to do so without saying that bad habits will make you overweight. I've struggled with mild obesity all my life, but right now I am more commited to exercise and healthier habits more than I have ever been, and the results are starting to show. And my kids can't unsee this. We strive for them to eat healthy too, limiting the consumption of junk food for one and setting them up for sports courses on the other. What they make of it, I can only hope for the best.
11
I agree - obesity, except in very rare cases, is self inflicted. It is easy to get fat and much, much harder to stay slim. I know this from experience because after having two children, I felt a 'creeping obesity' but stopped it in its tracks. I joined a gym and stopped eating candy and cake. No time for the gym? Just walk - everywhere. Sweat. Cut your portions in half. It's not rocket science people - it's inactivity combined with terrible eating habits.
21
Oh, Rhonda. I though that people in Lido Beach were more enlightened, or at least more compassionate.Did you learn nothing from Superstorm Sandy,or are you a recent transplant, or someone who was miraculously spared ?! I'm glad that
you used your full name, so I can back up should I ever have the displeasure
of meeting you should you ever cross the border into Long Beach .
Don't pat yourself on the back, too quickly, either. I wish you well, but if you
ever need to be put on medication such as Prednisone,you'll learn that will power of steel will not combat the weight gain. My niece went from being a rail thin
4 year old to an obese one on Prednisone. When she was taken off the Prednisone,she returned to her normal thin self.
you used your full name, so I can back up should I ever have the displeasure
of meeting you should you ever cross the border into Long Beach .
Don't pat yourself on the back, too quickly, either. I wish you well, but if you
ever need to be put on medication such as Prednisone,you'll learn that will power of steel will not combat the weight gain. My niece went from being a rail thin
4 year old to an obese one on Prednisone. When she was taken off the Prednisone,she returned to her normal thin self.
5
Back in my younger days in elementary school about 1,000 years ago when we were stupid and shallow we made fun of kids who were little more than chubby. Today they would be of average weight or even better. The number of people walking around the Chicago area and beyond who can barely walk they are so heavy is staggering. What happened?
11
Sugar, fats, computers, television, impoverished social lives....
15
People aren't fearing another person's health crises. They are fearing being fat themselves. They ridicule and shame what they are afraid of. Sound like anything else? It's shameful. Try to empathize, not criticize.
52
But, didn't you just criticize? And make some pretty strong assumptions.
4
I don't think the abuse stems from a fear of being fat. It's more a case of a warped sense of punishing justice: "The fat are indulging while I suffer denial, so I'm going to make sure they also suffer."
1
Pretty obvious Botticelli's the problem. Need to remove--or build a plywood in front of it--his painting from the Uffizi--too symbolic. Can't have that in the modern world, can we?
5
Most people don't regard Botticelli's Spring as obese and, contrary to the prevailing PC narrative, painting and sculpture show a fairly stable standard of - let's say - what the artist chooses to portray.
With the exception of a few fertility goddesses, the effect is universal.
With the exception of a few fertility goddesses, the effect is universal.
3
I'm thinking you missed her point...
5
There was a time when I truly believed that most Americans were good people. Mostly generous and kind. No more. Lately I have come to see how very wrong I was. The comments here from people congratulating themselves on their "flat" stomachs and discipline and overall perfection are absolutely ridiculous. Every person has faults. Everyone. Even the fat shamers commenting here.
271
You were naive and now you have wised up. Human nature is not good or bad, it just is. We are not that different from your average pack of feral dogs.
2
Almost everybody advocates for some form of self-control. We are certainly expected to exercise self-control when it comes to how we treat others; indeed the current national mood is one of increasing expectations for self-control in many personal realms (e.g. racism, sexism, etc.)
Yet when it comes to materialism (personal consumption) we stigmatize self control. We encourage unbridled consumption as a means of and a reward for getting rich. Similarly, this article argues for a form of body-image libertarianism; it implies that the attempt to exercise self-control in food consumption is at best futile and at worst immoral.
Since we demand high levels of self control from individuals so as to keep them from being racist or sexist, (with the implied message that this really easy to do) it stands to reason that we may want to extend our conceptions of self control to other realms e.g. being fat.
Yet when it comes to materialism (personal consumption) we stigmatize self control. We encourage unbridled consumption as a means of and a reward for getting rich. Similarly, this article argues for a form of body-image libertarianism; it implies that the attempt to exercise self-control in food consumption is at best futile and at worst immoral.
Since we demand high levels of self control from individuals so as to keep them from being racist or sexist, (with the implied message that this really easy to do) it stands to reason that we may want to extend our conceptions of self control to other realms e.g. being fat.
12
I have lost weight and kept it off. The trick: Eat less and weigh yourself daily.
What we weigh is up to us, not anyone else. Eat whatever you want, but don’t eat so much of it. I have given up eating almost everything containing added sweeteners of any kind. That helps tremendously. The scale will tell you how you’re doing. You can do it!
What we weigh is up to us, not anyone else. Eat whatever you want, but don’t eat so much of it. I have given up eating almost everything containing added sweeteners of any kind. That helps tremendously. The scale will tell you how you’re doing. You can do it!
11
@XYZ:
If it works for you, that's great, but just eating less without also paying attention to types and qualities of foods is broadly ineffective.
If it works for you, that's great, but just eating less without also paying attention to types and qualities of foods is broadly ineffective.
4
Here is the congratulatory note you are looking for:
Congratulations: You did it right, and you are An Awesome Person!
The rest of us are not great at discipline and if anyone else is overweight it is clearly because s/he is far less proficient than you--in terms of self-control, of course.
Your weight, of course, tells us nothing of your kindness, hope, peacemaking, perseverance, generosity, hospitality--so many other things that make up human existence and a good life. But now that you've achieved svelteness, I hope you are experiencing good life in lots of other ways as well.
Congratulations: You did it right, and you are An Awesome Person!
The rest of us are not great at discipline and if anyone else is overweight it is clearly because s/he is far less proficient than you--in terms of self-control, of course.
Your weight, of course, tells us nothing of your kindness, hope, peacemaking, perseverance, generosity, hospitality--so many other things that make up human existence and a good life. But now that you've achieved svelteness, I hope you are experiencing good life in lots of other ways as well.
5
"he rest of us are not great at discipline" . . . the saddest of excuses. And yet, an excuse.
2
Tell us something we didn't know! While many of the comments posted prove the articles point they also demonstrate how ill informed so many people are about the nature of being overweight, the causes, the effects, and the necessary solutions.
Beyond the realms of calories & exercise, there is a world of genes, hormones, basal metabolic rates, employment, lifestyle, economics, poverty, stress, psychology & medical conditions that all play a part in an individuals ability to gain/lose weight.
Steroids, PolyCystic Ovary Syndrome, the pill, antidepressants, Cushings Syndrome, Arthritis, Diabetes are just a few of the medical conditions & medications that cause weight gain. Fat shaming people already dealing with serious health issues that pre-date any weight gain is cruel and un-necessary. Did you stop to ask for a full medical history that last time you fat shamed someone?
Dieting itself also reduces the basal metabolic rate, making it harder to maintain weight loss.
Fat shaming really can ruin lives. I speak as someone who's been both fat & thin as an adult. Despite being a healthy weight I was on my first diet at 7yrs old. I had my first eating disorder at 9, another by age 12, self harming by 13 & a breakdown at 22.
There is no doubt that obesity is an epidemic, one that needs to be solved but the emphasis for any individual, and for society as a whole, should be on being healthy. Science shows people respond far better to the positive so let's not be negative - Please!
Beyond the realms of calories & exercise, there is a world of genes, hormones, basal metabolic rates, employment, lifestyle, economics, poverty, stress, psychology & medical conditions that all play a part in an individuals ability to gain/lose weight.
Steroids, PolyCystic Ovary Syndrome, the pill, antidepressants, Cushings Syndrome, Arthritis, Diabetes are just a few of the medical conditions & medications that cause weight gain. Fat shaming people already dealing with serious health issues that pre-date any weight gain is cruel and un-necessary. Did you stop to ask for a full medical history that last time you fat shamed someone?
Dieting itself also reduces the basal metabolic rate, making it harder to maintain weight loss.
Fat shaming really can ruin lives. I speak as someone who's been both fat & thin as an adult. Despite being a healthy weight I was on my first diet at 7yrs old. I had my first eating disorder at 9, another by age 12, self harming by 13 & a breakdown at 22.
There is no doubt that obesity is an epidemic, one that needs to be solved but the emphasis for any individual, and for society as a whole, should be on being healthy. Science shows people respond far better to the positive so let's not be negative - Please!
80
Fat bias is quite real and destructive, but hardly the last "acceptable" discrimination out there. Try being a short male. Same issues and the open discrimination, bullying, and shaming start at about the 6th grade. It peaks in early to mid-20s in the dating scene (women can be devastatingly deliberately and cruelly callous, especially when in public with friends), and then seems to mostly vanish by mid to late 30s. This is the age when women figure out the person is far more important than the faux image and one -upsmanship with rivals. But still, people generally have no intent to restrain comments, or have the slightest empathy. I'm glad now to be in my mid-50s and married with kids -- long past the hard days, but now fighting the middle aged waistline! Go figure.
25
I hear you. My husband, also short, has an outsized personality that got him through school on all levels (senior class president) and beyond into his career. Just keep smiling!
5
At what age do men figure out that the person is more important than the faux image?
20
I think there are two varieties of this problem at play here. There are the "regular" overweight people, and then there are the morbidly obese so common in the US as to have become the global symbol of American fatness, laziness, stupidity, consumerism, big-business-controls-everything-ism, and other such qualities that the rest of the world loves tacking on to the stereotypical American, so they can hate him/her even more. And it's really not helping that the US is a world leader in the existence and spread of such inhuman obesity. Until I came to the US 14 years ago, I had never seen a truly obese person. The magnitude of fatness I encountered here was so mind-blowing that it seemed unreal.
"Fat" people have always existed to some extent. In the past, they were the rich or the royal, because they could afford to eat a lot, so fatness was a sign of prosperity. The image of fat people has changed through the years. But what is new, and truly alarming, is that second category. People who are simply overweight aren't necessarily sick, and haven't been thought of as such historically, even when fatness was no longer desirable. Theirs has been an attractiveness issue. But obesity is actually dangerous to your health. So let's keep those categories separate. It's fine to preach self-acceptance to simply overweight people. But obese people, while respected, need to be helped and encouraged out of their category. Obesity is not a state that we can afford to accept or learn to love.
"Fat" people have always existed to some extent. In the past, they were the rich or the royal, because they could afford to eat a lot, so fatness was a sign of prosperity. The image of fat people has changed through the years. But what is new, and truly alarming, is that second category. People who are simply overweight aren't necessarily sick, and haven't been thought of as such historically, even when fatness was no longer desirable. Theirs has been an attractiveness issue. But obesity is actually dangerous to your health. So let's keep those categories separate. It's fine to preach self-acceptance to simply overweight people. But obese people, while respected, need to be helped and encouraged out of their category. Obesity is not a state that we can afford to accept or learn to love.
16
It's easy to condemn. I have a friend and a relative each who became Boise due to anti epilepsy medication. The friend started this at age 10 and so has been made miserable for 40 years.
Even people who have become obese for "voluntary" reasons cant just switch it off dues to homeostasis and other reasons
Obesity is dreadful on a physical basis, but you are blaming the victim.
Even people who have become obese for "voluntary" reasons cant just switch it off dues to homeostasis and other reasons
Obesity is dreadful on a physical basis, but you are blaming the victim.
8
Where exactly did you see me blaming the victims?
3
you midded the point. what they're saying is until they got to US, they didnt see fat peope. and they didnt exist in this country until about 20 years ago. humans have been around for over 100,000 years but just got disgustingly fat in the last 20. so what happened?
1. cell phones. constantly. ad nauseum.
2. sitting on your butt all day.
3. too much tv.
4. too may people emotionally cant cope w/life (many causes)
5. the economy rigged to ridiculously favor the ultra rich and being stressed from it (including being rich enuf to get skinny w/help from Dr's and trainers) knowing their stuck where they're at.
6. industrialized, processed crap masquerading as "food" thats been filled w/garbage additives to make you "comfortable".
7. every tv show (and the nyt) who constantly, constantly, ad nauseum are forever putting out "new recipes".
8. short attention spans and virtually no ability whatsoever to delay gratification in even the most minute way. all verifiable mental problems aided and abetted by the "love yourself" types.
1. cell phones. constantly. ad nauseum.
2. sitting on your butt all day.
3. too much tv.
4. too may people emotionally cant cope w/life (many causes)
5. the economy rigged to ridiculously favor the ultra rich and being stressed from it (including being rich enuf to get skinny w/help from Dr's and trainers) knowing their stuck where they're at.
6. industrialized, processed crap masquerading as "food" thats been filled w/garbage additives to make you "comfortable".
7. every tv show (and the nyt) who constantly, constantly, ad nauseum are forever putting out "new recipes".
8. short attention spans and virtually no ability whatsoever to delay gratification in even the most minute way. all verifiable mental problems aided and abetted by the "love yourself" types.
6
If losing and maintaining weight loss was so easy, there wouldn't be a multi-billion $ weight loss industry dependent on the ongoing failure of their customers. It is a complex problem and requires complex solutions.
139
Losing weight is easy: stop eating more than 1,000 calories a day. Control hunger by allowing very few of those 1,000 calories to be from carbs. It works every time, all of the time. I've done it for months at a time; the hunger goes away after a couple of weeks because the hunger is psychological.
Once you've lost the weight, you can eat about 1200 calories a day to maintain your weight.
The problem is that overweight and obese people don't want to face facts and stop eating so much--mostly because they use food to self-medicate mental health issues, which is why they are overweight/obese in the first place.
Once you've lost the weight, you can eat about 1200 calories a day to maintain your weight.
The problem is that overweight and obese people don't want to face facts and stop eating so much--mostly because they use food to self-medicate mental health issues, which is why they are overweight/obese in the first place.
4
So you recommend that a 5'11 woman should "face facts," stop self-medicating, and eat 1,000 calories a day to lose weight? You consider that to be healthy? Again, please provide peer-reviewed research before dispensing, quite cavalierly, such dangerous, ill advised advice.
5
@Honeybee:
Cutting to 1,000-1,200 calories per day is starvation for an adult. It may work for short term weight loss, but much of the weight lost will be muscle unless the diet is also high in protein. If maintained over several weeks (or months?!?), the body decreases metabolic and increases hunger to compensate. This has been demonstrated over and over again throughout a century of obesity research.
Hunger is a fundamental physiological drive. Do you think your need to breathe or your need to drink water are "psychological"?
Cutting to 1,000-1,200 calories per day is starvation for an adult. It may work for short term weight loss, but much of the weight lost will be muscle unless the diet is also high in protein. If maintained over several weeks (or months?!?), the body decreases metabolic and increases hunger to compensate. This has been demonstrated over and over again throughout a century of obesity research.
Hunger is a fundamental physiological drive. Do you think your need to breathe or your need to drink water are "psychological"?
6
I have the feeling that the people most likely to say negative things about fat people are also likely to not support any efforts or regulations to deal with this health crisis. People in the US are getting heavier across the board, with poorer people being hit hardest. There are trends in the broader culture, society and economy that have lead to this result. It didn't just happen because suddenly people decided to get heavy and oh well who cares.
21
Let's examine this issue as a moral hazard. If one elects to swallow a lot of ice cream and potato chips using their own resources and as a result: raises healthcare costs for everyone, impacts productivity for everyone, expects taxpayer-funded government handouts for "regulations" or some other form of health crisis intervention, then everyone might as well just do the same. The government will take care of it. I don't make smokers smoke. I don't make opioid addicts shoot up heroin. Our tax money didn't pay for them to get that way. Our tax money shouldn't be used to clean up after their mess either. Economics is the best method: make it too expensive for fat people to get insurance coverage and voila fewer fat people. I know it can come across as crass or heartless but seriously, it's the only way. If you can't afford it, don't do it.
45% obesity rate in America is not due to lack of public funds, lack of education, lack of access to guidance, lack of access to decent food. In pockets, perhaps, but not nationwide. We've become a nation of lazy and personally irresponsible people unwilling to take matters into our own hands.
Sorry.
45% obesity rate in America is not due to lack of public funds, lack of education, lack of access to guidance, lack of access to decent food. In pockets, perhaps, but not nationwide. We've become a nation of lazy and personally irresponsible people unwilling to take matters into our own hands.
Sorry.
10
I am so appalled by the unkindness that is expressed in the responses to this article. My mother was the champion in teaching me to hate my body just as she hated hers. I am 69 and was the only fat kid in my class. Amazingly, I was never ridiculed, at least to my face, and had many friends. When I was 16, I lost the excess weight but gained a lifetime eating disorder - anorexia, bulimia, unrealistic body image, and self loathing. I have had multiple liposuctions, and a variety of weight related procedures. I am a walking calorie counting book.
Recently, after enduring several months of profound stress, I allowed myself to self medicate with food and alcohol, assuming that when I resumed my usual diet and exercise routine the weight would drop off. It did not. When I consulted an endocrinologist, she told me there was nothing she could do for me. What I heard was that I was consigned to this new size. I became suicidal and spent a week on a behavioral health crisis unit.
For many overweight people, food is their comfort, their addiction. There is a correlation between childhood sexual abuse and food addiction. When you choose to shame an overweight person you are adding to the shame they carry around 24/7 from the sexual abuse. Many overweight people need psychotherapy and empathy not more emotional pain. The shame, is on you to contribute to their pain. What if the person that is targeted were your mother, your child? Is that what you would want for them?
Recently, after enduring several months of profound stress, I allowed myself to self medicate with food and alcohol, assuming that when I resumed my usual diet and exercise routine the weight would drop off. It did not. When I consulted an endocrinologist, she told me there was nothing she could do for me. What I heard was that I was consigned to this new size. I became suicidal and spent a week on a behavioral health crisis unit.
For many overweight people, food is their comfort, their addiction. There is a correlation between childhood sexual abuse and food addiction. When you choose to shame an overweight person you are adding to the shame they carry around 24/7 from the sexual abuse. Many overweight people need psychotherapy and empathy not more emotional pain. The shame, is on you to contribute to their pain. What if the person that is targeted were your mother, your child? Is that what you would want for them?
176
People need to take responsibility for my own children. If your parents created your situation, you should 100% blame it on them as a child. BUT, you're an adult now. An advanced adult. Hard to continue blaming your parents for your problems approaching 70 years old. At some point, you have to take responsibility for your own body and mind. Probably closer to 21 than 70. Sorry.
2
I am sorry to hear you have gone through all of this, my little sister commited suicide some years ago because of bulimia-induced deep depression. Shaming or avoiding people because of their weight is evil and many in my family have suffered deeply for it. Myself just a bit, but I am male. I guess women are targeted more viciously.
I hope you are now in the way of healing yourself. God bless.
I hope you are now in the way of healing yourself. God bless.
34
Keep your disingenuous "sorry." Don't worry so much about moral hazards on our economy. You truly need to worry about being a moral person, because your post was mean-spirited. A person with morals is one who treats others the way they would want to be treated. That means not putting down people who are dealing with any kind of addiction. A very easy morality lesson that you can wrap your "sorry" around, right? Because, here's the thing - a civilized society takes care of it's weakest citizens. No human being is perfect. Take it down a notch, Eater. The Upper West Side has big enough sidewalks for all of us to share.
30
There is nothing inherently good or bad about differences in gender, ethnicity, race and sexual orientation and all of these need to be protected from discrimination. The same cannot be said for normal weight versus obesity.
As a society we need to help obese people overcome their weight problems and this should not be done via shaming or bullying but to present body mass as a value free entity is counterproductive and dangerous.
As a society we need to help obese people overcome their weight problems and this should not be done via shaming or bullying but to present body mass as a value free entity is counterproductive and dangerous.
14
I suspect you may have a few faults (as we all do) that I would not presume to think society needs to "help you overcome". Are you serious?
People are imperfect. Society can't do anything about it.
People are imperfect. Society can't do anything about it.
6
I don't like to hang out with people who abuse tobacco, alcohol, or heroin. I assume that everyone is OK if I make a choice not to associate with people like that.
Why can't I make the choice to not want to associate with people who ABUSE food? Is there a genetic component (maybe? maybe not. But there are genetic components to the other abuses I describe as well). But as a physician, I refuse to believe that human genetics have evolved dramatically over the last 40 years while obesity in the US has doubled. So much of it is not genetic.
When someone who weighs 300 pounds is eating a triple baconater, that's food abuse and I have every right to feel the way I do about that person.
(here's my kicker - 10 years ago I lost almost 100 pounds without surgery or medications, and have kept it off. How? I stopped eating entire bags of Doritos in one sitting and got a little exercise instead. MAGIC!)
Why can't I make the choice to not want to associate with people who ABUSE food? Is there a genetic component (maybe? maybe not. But there are genetic components to the other abuses I describe as well). But as a physician, I refuse to believe that human genetics have evolved dramatically over the last 40 years while obesity in the US has doubled. So much of it is not genetic.
When someone who weighs 300 pounds is eating a triple baconater, that's food abuse and I have every right to feel the way I do about that person.
(here's my kicker - 10 years ago I lost almost 100 pounds without surgery or medications, and have kept it off. How? I stopped eating entire bags of Doritos in one sitting and got a little exercise instead. MAGIC!)
33
"... as a physician..."
Wouldn't an MD have at least some elementary notion of statistics and of what makes a significant sample? One is not enough to surmise anything.
As for "entire bags of Doritos in one sitting" just about anyone overweight wouldn't do that. After stringent diets, their body becomes extremely efficient at using fewer and fewer calories --and just about all overweight (or imaginary overweight) folks have gone on several diets.
See for instance what happened to ALL the contestants of the "Biggest Looser" (several studies have been reported -- just look them up). They regained their weight even as they have cut down calories to the level that would make anyone who hasn't gone on a stringent diet emaciated.
There are specific figures as to how many calories our bodies will make do with after suffering from famine (voluntary or involuntary) for a length of time. Actually there are even studies that if one generation exists at a near starvation level, the offspring even 2 generations removed will be more efficient calorie users and thus might be prone to storing more fat (you know, evolution has made our bodies adjust to periods of famine and periods of plenty)
But then of course what physicians doesn't know this?
Wouldn't an MD have at least some elementary notion of statistics and of what makes a significant sample? One is not enough to surmise anything.
As for "entire bags of Doritos in one sitting" just about anyone overweight wouldn't do that. After stringent diets, their body becomes extremely efficient at using fewer and fewer calories --and just about all overweight (or imaginary overweight) folks have gone on several diets.
See for instance what happened to ALL the contestants of the "Biggest Looser" (several studies have been reported -- just look them up). They regained their weight even as they have cut down calories to the level that would make anyone who hasn't gone on a stringent diet emaciated.
There are specific figures as to how many calories our bodies will make do with after suffering from famine (voluntary or involuntary) for a length of time. Actually there are even studies that if one generation exists at a near starvation level, the offspring even 2 generations removed will be more efficient calorie users and thus might be prone to storing more fat (you know, evolution has made our bodies adjust to periods of famine and periods of plenty)
But then of course what physicians doesn't know this?
12
You know, maybe just cheering up would cure all the people with depression! It did me when I felt sad!
Magic!
Magic!
16
"As a physician"
Lumping together food with alcohol, heroin, and tobacco? I'm sure one of those is required for survival, the others not so much.
I'm a fat man. I've lost weight and gained it back too many times to count. I'm embarrassed by the way I look.
I recently took a trip to the UK. I was the fattest man riding the tube in London, biking through the Trossachs in Scotland and hiking a 1000' hill in the Highlands. I'm trying to stay active on vacations and my job requires me to be on my feet and walking 50 plus hours a week. I'm just doing the best I can.
I'm also a kind, loving and generous person. I have a lovely wife, we took our nephew to the UK as a gift for his high school graduation as we have and will with each of our three nephews and one neice. I volunteer weekly at a local hospice and speak to hundreds of people a year about the dangers of drinking and driving. I'm just doing the best I can.
I've got a great sense of humor, I may overcompensate for my obesity, but I make others laugh out loud daily. You'll never know me though, just because I'm fat.
Lumping together food with alcohol, heroin, and tobacco? I'm sure one of those is required for survival, the others not so much.
I'm a fat man. I've lost weight and gained it back too many times to count. I'm embarrassed by the way I look.
I recently took a trip to the UK. I was the fattest man riding the tube in London, biking through the Trossachs in Scotland and hiking a 1000' hill in the Highlands. I'm trying to stay active on vacations and my job requires me to be on my feet and walking 50 plus hours a week. I'm just doing the best I can.
I'm also a kind, loving and generous person. I have a lovely wife, we took our nephew to the UK as a gift for his high school graduation as we have and will with each of our three nephews and one neice. I volunteer weekly at a local hospice and speak to hundreds of people a year about the dangers of drinking and driving. I'm just doing the best I can.
I've got a great sense of humor, I may overcompensate for my obesity, but I make others laugh out loud daily. You'll never know me though, just because I'm fat.
34
Amen to Denise. The implicit attitude even in this article is that fat people shouldn't be fat, and that the most negative result of bias against them is that it keeps them from losing weight. The change that needs to take place is to recognize that body size varies and to accept bodies of all sizes. Emphasis needs to be placed on enhancing health, not on reducing size.
20
It is dismaying to see how many of the commenters here still blame and shame. Dear fellow human beings, it has been tried. Fat people have been blamed and shamed forever, they have been bullied, insulted, maltreated, refused medical treatment, and they have subjected themselves to all kinds of horrible things to get thin. And it has not helped. Your decision to blame and shame a bit more will not help either. Blaming and shaming has not made a single person less fat. It has, however, made a huge number of people more miserable than they already were. Thank you.
And I am not even fat, and never have been. I just loathe bullies, and they are very concentrated here.
And I am not even fat, and never have been. I just loathe bullies, and they are very concentrated here.
360
Well put, Noname!
And those folks who stigmatize others on the basis of their appearance don't feel the need to do any good works themselves. Like taking up social causes for instance.
I wonder what a survey of people who shame others for their appearance would show about what kind of selfish frightened people they are?
And those folks who stigmatize others on the basis of their appearance don't feel the need to do any good works themselves. Like taking up social causes for instance.
I wonder what a survey of people who shame others for their appearance would show about what kind of selfish frightened people they are?
12
The assumption underlying this article is that the only reason people get fat is by overeating and under-exercising. Yet decades of obesity research shows otherwise. Consider these:
1. A slender woman received a fecal transplant from an overweight donor in order to treat an entrenched C. difficile infection. The woman gained 30 lbs in one month, despite no change in her diet or exercise levels. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4438885/
2. People who undergo bariatric surgery to regulate their weight must take substantial dietary supplements to ensure that they get the nutrients required for survival. In other words, they must exist on near-starvation rations for the rest of their lives or risk putting the weight back on. It they eat a normal diet and maintain a normal exercise regimen, they become obese.
3. People who have overgrowth of bacteria in their small intestines (SIBO) experience massive weight gain. Treating the bacterial overgrowth often re-adjusts their metabolism, making weight loss easier: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4276985/
4. Weight gain after liposuction is typical. The reason, as obesity researchers point out, is because the body registers the net deficit in fat mass and adjusts its metabolism in order to make up the deficit.
So perhaps what we need is an attitude change. When we see an obese person, rather than thinking "lazy gluttonous slob", think "person with a disordered metabolism."
1. A slender woman received a fecal transplant from an overweight donor in order to treat an entrenched C. difficile infection. The woman gained 30 lbs in one month, despite no change in her diet or exercise levels. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4438885/
2. People who undergo bariatric surgery to regulate their weight must take substantial dietary supplements to ensure that they get the nutrients required for survival. In other words, they must exist on near-starvation rations for the rest of their lives or risk putting the weight back on. It they eat a normal diet and maintain a normal exercise regimen, they become obese.
3. People who have overgrowth of bacteria in their small intestines (SIBO) experience massive weight gain. Treating the bacterial overgrowth often re-adjusts their metabolism, making weight loss easier: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4276985/
4. Weight gain after liposuction is typical. The reason, as obesity researchers point out, is because the body registers the net deficit in fat mass and adjusts its metabolism in order to make up the deficit.
So perhaps what we need is an attitude change. When we see an obese person, rather than thinking "lazy gluttonous slob", think "person with a disordered metabolism."
172
How do explain me and at least 10 friends and coworkers I can name who lost 60-100 lb each and have kept it off for on the order of a decade or more, without surgery or medications? Did our gut flora suddenly change?
We all did the same thing. We stopped eating crap and started getting a little exercise, and understood that we weren't trying to make a drastic temporary change but instead a sustainable permanent lifestyle change.
We all did the same thing. We stopped eating crap and started getting a little exercise, and understood that we weren't trying to make a drastic temporary change but instead a sustainable permanent lifestyle change.
16
45% of the American population is obese. Your suggestions are nice ones but aren't significant at the scale of nationwide obesity. Sorry.
7
Oh, they are! Each person needs to change and if we just "accept that it's ok" that isn't going to help.
Look at how much we've reduced smoking in this country with a campaign that emphasized how unhealthy it is, warning labels on cigarettes, advertising to fight the tobacco companies, cigarette taxes, nicotine patches, etc.
How about a big warning label on every package of candy that says "This will lead to metabolic disorder and obesity". How about putting candy behind a locked door at the store and you have to ask the clerk to open it up to get it? I'd prefer we don't show calories but instead "miles of running" - e.g. this double cheeseburger takes 4 miles of running to burn off.
You're suggesting we can't suggest across society that people stop eating garbage?
Look at how much we've reduced smoking in this country with a campaign that emphasized how unhealthy it is, warning labels on cigarettes, advertising to fight the tobacco companies, cigarette taxes, nicotine patches, etc.
How about a big warning label on every package of candy that says "This will lead to metabolic disorder and obesity". How about putting candy behind a locked door at the store and you have to ask the clerk to open it up to get it? I'd prefer we don't show calories but instead "miles of running" - e.g. this double cheeseburger takes 4 miles of running to burn off.
You're suggesting we can't suggest across society that people stop eating garbage?
10
I was obese from 3rd grade of elementary school to the age of 20. I will be 55 soon. The abuse - verbal, emotional and physical - at home, in schools and jobs is something I deal with to this day.
I don't know if weight problems are caused by genes, lack of discipline, environment, etc.
I ask that everyone treat those with weight problems in a respectful manner.
Thank you.
I don't know if weight problems are caused by genes, lack of discipline, environment, etc.
I ask that everyone treat those with weight problems in a respectful manner.
Thank you.
178
You say you don't know the cause of weight problems. How did you solve your problem when you were 20? You surely figured something out. P.S. Intake regulation is statistically the highest explanatory factor. And the most obvious and common sense.
8
We need to differentiate between fat children and fat adults. For the most part, unless a rare but serious illness is involved, children are only fat because their parents/caregivers feed them nutrient deficient foods in excess. Blaming fat children for their weight is unacceptable. Parents/caregivers should be held accountable for putting the children in their care at risk for physical and mental harm, and society in general should try their best to be compassionate when it comes to overweight children so as not to make their situation worse. Fat adults, on the other hand, are in control of their own food intake. I understand as much as anyone the addictive qualities of processed foods, but I also know the challenge of food addiction is not insurmountable. Also, the truth is, society rarely discriminates against the mildly overweight (i.e. the new average), and it is scientifically dubious to say that a few extra pounds will kill someone. On the other hand, morbid obesity is a death sentence for which the individual is personally responsible.
22
One of the more thoughtful, balanced comments here.
I think it is horrible that parents of obese children are not held accountable. I have seen so many people suffer as adults because they were not taught proper eating habits while young. My husband suffers daily trying to lose his excess weight. When he did not have to deal with anything related to food besides eating meals I prepared, his weight was quickly reduced (100 pounds in 6 months) and managed without a "diet", now he has to do all the cooking and cleaning because of my illness and he rapidly falls back to the bad habits, eating while you cook, clean, watch TV, drive, etc. because that is what he learned while young. Teaching needs to begin at birth and parents should be held accountable for overweight/obese children as child abuse and should suffer consequences. Once a child suffers with the weight problem it becomes the roadmap for their entire life with a weight problem because of how they were taught in regards to eating and how their metabolism was messed up for life.
8
I'm not at all sure you are right. Growing up in the 60s, we ate our share of junk food, Mom made dessert most nights, we drank Coke in somewhat small glasses, and we were slim. Just about all of my friends. Because we played outside and walked everywhere we were going. We burned all those calories. Today's kids are kept indoors and driven everywhere. My kids were too, but they inherited their dad's "slim" genes.
Recently ate at a national fast food chain -- which was outside of my regular routine -- as a very young woman I overcame cancer and have followed a basically 'clean' eating plan now for fifty years. I knew that fast food was filled with unhealthy fats but it was outright amazing to discover just how much fat saturated the food. Honestly, for people who just live their lives without tuning into the actual nutrients in their food, or without carefully measuring what they do eat is certainly at the bottom of much obesity. For me, back to carrot juice in hopes of washing out that awful meal -- and I won't let myself get talked into returning to the fast food joints -- even for the sake of friendship.
18
My daughter had a normal pre-pubescents weigh gain and was hassled about it again and again. After our doctor told her at age nine she should not have eaten a bagel for breakfast she started restricting her eating. Upon loosing 30 pounds at age 12 people many people commented to her and to me how great she looked. She did not look great--she looked thin, and was on her way to anorexia. After professional treatment and much work on her part, she is in recovery from an eating disorder. Thank you for this article. Stigma is real and and can be deadly.
134
Some girls will gain weight before puberty, and my daughter was one of them. We had bagels in the house because it was the only thing my other daughter, a picky eater, would eat for breakfast. Why do you feel compelled to write this? My daughter gained weight in puberty without increasing her food intake and struggled very hard with fat shaming and bullying that imprinted her for life.
When she started eating salads people praised her for loosing weight.
When she started eating salads people praised her for loosing weight.
11
Anorexia and other disorders are the primary result of fat shaming, and are far worse for the person's health than being severely obese. People just don't think sometimes.
I hope your daughter continues her recovery successfully.
I hope your daughter continues her recovery successfully.
10
Ever since the NYT switched to Google Jigsaw to screen comments, more posts like Eater's are making it through moderation. Blaming a parent for her daughter's anorexia because - gasp! she gave the girl a bagel for breakfast! - is the kind of cruel and gratuitous comment that real people catch but software misses.
11
It's rather telling that even in an article about the scourge of fat bias, the primary negative consequence that the author warns of is...weight gain. If that's not irony, I don't know what is.
16
I'm old enough to remember when there were no obese young people, just a small number who were "pudgy." So I can't help but think that obesity is a lifestyle choice for those younger than middle age. There is little sadder for me than seeing an obese young person. If what you are doing is making you gain weight, cut down on the calories and up the amount of exercise. A half century after high school my stomach is again as flat and firm as it was then--thanks to exercise and diet management. I do not starve myself in the slightest. Why can't others do this?
21
My husband and I rarely watch broadcast television but were recently drawn to a particularly good series on A&E about the incarceration of a potentially innocent man, Scott Peterson. The show was good but the interruptions every 10 or 15 minutes for commercials for pizza, hamburgers, all-you-can-eat lobster buffets, etc was alarming. Go out and eat fatty, carbohydrate laden food and enjoy seemed to be the message.
Even, I, who at a typical meal, eat 6-8 ounces of salmon, quinoa, and mixed greens, was salivating. If I were a teenager, I'd probably reach for the phone and call Pizza Hut.
Even, I, who at a typical meal, eat 6-8 ounces of salmon, quinoa, and mixed greens, was salivating. If I were a teenager, I'd probably reach for the phone and call Pizza Hut.
15
Hmm... or maybe, since you're "old enough to remember" a time with few overweight young people, you're also old enough to have lived through some major shifts in our social environment?
Also - serious question - do you really think that announcing the ease you personally have had in accomplishing something actually means it's just plain easy for anyone? Because by that measure I could sit here and say "Well, gosh, earning that ph.d. sure was easy for me! Why doesn't everyone have one?" or "Boy, running that marathon was so simple! How come everyone doesn't do it?" Sounds dumb, right?
Also - serious question - do you really think that announcing the ease you personally have had in accomplishing something actually means it's just plain easy for anyone? Because by that measure I could sit here and say "Well, gosh, earning that ph.d. sure was easy for me! Why doesn't everyone have one?" or "Boy, running that marathon was so simple! How come everyone doesn't do it?" Sounds dumb, right?
125
They just aren't as wise and disciplined as you are. Is that the response you are looking for?
45
The Times, one of the best and most important sources of information in the world, seems to have a quota for articles making victims out of one group or another. These articles use extreme anecdotes and hyperbole to paint a grim picture of a biased and hostile America. Perhaps they could take a cue from many of the comments posted in response to these articles and publish the occasional piece debunking this attitude.
18
A few weeks ago I saw a German TV documentary about the decades-long efforts of the sugar lobby (American Sugar Association?) in America, unfortunately successful, to promote sugar as a healthy nutrient and to get it into more and more food products. A TV commercial from the 1950s even claimed that sugar would help you LOSE weight. We got so used to, and addicted to, the sweetness of sugar, that if Mom didn't buy Frosted Flakes, we put it on corn flakes and rice crispies and Cheerios. In later years, when people thought they were becoming health conscious, the industry was slipping it into bread, yoghurt, the bran muffins that were trendy for a while, spaghetti sauce (it was already in ketchup), juice "nektar," instant oatmeal, and if that wasn't enough, the cheaper version called high-fructose corn syrup came into broader use and seemed to do even more damage. Sure, you can take "personal responsibility" by buying everything fresh and unprocessed, and cooking everything yourself, but you may have to cut down your work hours substantially to be able to spend enough time in the markets and in the kitchen, and not everyone can afford to do that.
98
Well said, Barbara Pines. I'd like to add many of these people work two jobs and take public transportation, which makes meal preparation even more difficult.
6
Barbara, exactly. I do just that, cook from scratch, but I'm retired and have the time to.
That said, you can speed up the process and spend very little time on it if you batch cook once a week and freeze the meals. Takes maybe two hours in all.
I do wish you could buy healthy prepared meals at the supermarket, but until that happens, this is the best we can do.
That said, you can speed up the process and spend very little time on it if you batch cook once a week and freeze the meals. Takes maybe two hours in all.
I do wish you could buy healthy prepared meals at the supermarket, but until that happens, this is the best we can do.
9
You can buy a take-out salad just as easily as a take-out pizza. There are cut-up veggies and fruits that are packaged for you just as there are packaged macaroni and cheese or lasagna dishes. You can snack or dine on prepared low-calorie, high nutrition casseroles and soups just as quickly as you can stuff yourself with canned, frozen or boxed junk.
If everyone can afford the overpriced garbage, they can afford the reasonably priced good stuff.
If everyone can afford the overpriced garbage, they can afford the reasonably priced good stuff.
1
We don't know why people become obese, not everyone can gain that much weight.
We don't know how to lose weight, all methods work for a while but each sets up more problems in the future.
We don't know what a "normal" or healthy weight is or how to measure it.
We haven't been taking obesity seriously because it was a woman's problem. Discrimination against fat women is worse than against fat men. Women have always had more weight problems than men and women have always had more sedentary occupations. Now that many jobs for men also involve sitting all day and men are getting fatter we are beginning to seriously look at obesity.
So maybe this discrimination has to do more with our failure to address our misogyny and ignorance.
I propose an alternative theory. We are training our metabolisms to do more on less. It is not possible to sit on your backside eight hours a day, preceded and followed by an hour sitting in the car each day and have a working metabolism, no matter how much you exercise in the hours between your job/commute and going to bed or what you eat. It is not possible to have a working metabolism with this much sedentary behavior. But in our society, if you aren't working full-time you are lazy and you will get no healthcare benefits. The more you work those long hours the more you will need those benefits.
Can someone use some common sense and break this cycle?
We don't know how to lose weight, all methods work for a while but each sets up more problems in the future.
We don't know what a "normal" or healthy weight is or how to measure it.
We haven't been taking obesity seriously because it was a woman's problem. Discrimination against fat women is worse than against fat men. Women have always had more weight problems than men and women have always had more sedentary occupations. Now that many jobs for men also involve sitting all day and men are getting fatter we are beginning to seriously look at obesity.
So maybe this discrimination has to do more with our failure to address our misogyny and ignorance.
I propose an alternative theory. We are training our metabolisms to do more on less. It is not possible to sit on your backside eight hours a day, preceded and followed by an hour sitting in the car each day and have a working metabolism, no matter how much you exercise in the hours between your job/commute and going to bed or what you eat. It is not possible to have a working metabolism with this much sedentary behavior. But in our society, if you aren't working full-time you are lazy and you will get no healthcare benefits. The more you work those long hours the more you will need those benefits.
Can someone use some common sense and break this cycle?
46
Good points about metabolism.
1
I'm going with the flow, dog.
Ah, McDonald's just ahead.
Ah, McDonald's just ahead.
Agreed. We also mess with our day/night cycles and insist people subsist on poor sleep, both of which contribute to messing with our hunger hormones and cause weight gain. Poor people in particular have less free time to exercise and sleep.
I am convinced, as I mentioned in an earlier comment, that we need good medical solutions for weight; and I don't think it will be the same for everyone. It's as ridiculous to expect that diet and exercise will work for every fat person as it is to expect that it will help every depressed person (exercise is excellent for mental health too), but a significant number of depressed people need medications to function and I'm thinking the same will be true for fat people, we just don't have those medicines yet.
Someday people will tut at all those who expected people to lose weight alone as they tut now at everyone who expected depressed people to just cheer up and snap out of it.
I am convinced, as I mentioned in an earlier comment, that we need good medical solutions for weight; and I don't think it will be the same for everyone. It's as ridiculous to expect that diet and exercise will work for every fat person as it is to expect that it will help every depressed person (exercise is excellent for mental health too), but a significant number of depressed people need medications to function and I'm thinking the same will be true for fat people, we just don't have those medicines yet.
Someday people will tut at all those who expected people to lose weight alone as they tut now at everyone who expected depressed people to just cheer up and snap out of it.
4
Is it really prejudice when drawing conclusions based on someone's weight? Obesity, for the vast majority of people, is a result of diet and activity level. An individual's choices make them obese, it's not inflicted on them from some uncontrollable force.
No one deserves to be stigmatized, bullied, or shamed. Everyone deserves to be treated with compassion and respect. This article just goes too far claiming that obese people are helpless victims in their fate, with society adding insult to injury in their unfortunate predicament.
Obesity is a choice, just like an opiate addiction. I'm sure drug addicts are more likely to use if they feel stigmatized as addicts, that doesn't mean society should become more accepting of heroin use.
No one deserves to be stigmatized, bullied, or shamed. Everyone deserves to be treated with compassion and respect. This article just goes too far claiming that obese people are helpless victims in their fate, with society adding insult to injury in their unfortunate predicament.
Obesity is a choice, just like an opiate addiction. I'm sure drug addicts are more likely to use if they feel stigmatized as addicts, that doesn't mean society should become more accepting of heroin use.
33
You might want to read Sam Harris' "Free Will."
(I had no choice in writing this comment, btw.)
(I had no choice in writing this comment, btw.)
4
Given that you believe that opiate addiction is a choice, it's unsurprising that
you believe that obesity is a choice. Both reflect your ignorance.
you believe that obesity is a choice. Both reflect your ignorance.
5
Another opportunity for the self righteous thin folks to disparage and humiliate the overweight. If you are thin and smoke, it's fine, you are not incurring more health care costs. If you are thin you are healthy. Such bigotry, it really is disgusting.
26
Your argument is false. You are right that there is prejudice against fat people. You are wrong that people think smokers are "fine". Many companies have policies to limit smoking in or near the workplace, some offer smoking cessation programs, and some will refuse outright to hire smokers. Activists and legislators have worked to limit depictions of smoking in film, and 5 states have passed laws raising the age at which one can purchase cigarettes to 21.
Very few of us think smokers are fine.
Very few of us think smokers are fine.
6
Fat bias may be due to fear among those who bully the obese.
9
"A new study by researchers at Duke University, for example, found that “implicit weight bias” in children ages 9 to 11 was as common as “implicit racial bias” is among adults."
This is amazingly on target, part of our social fabric. Reading this instantly recalled a fourth grade playmate, age nine, in 1949, whose real name I never knew, since he went by "Porky"--even to teachers.
This is amazingly on target, part of our social fabric. Reading this instantly recalled a fourth grade playmate, age nine, in 1949, whose real name I never knew, since he went by "Porky"--even to teachers.
15
So the fat people themselves "reported coping with weight stigma...by eating more food". What kind of study lets the subjects write their own self-serving conclusion? "People can internalize weight stigma, blaming themselves for their excess weight...." Oh dear -- instead of blaming everyone else for what they put in their own mouths?
And society is also supposed to "help to absolve them of personal responsibility for their weight"? How nice to absolve them of the personal responsibility for their damaged babies, diabetes, dementia and for using up more than their share of the world's resources.
Why take any responsibility for anything? All together now, "My body is bee-oo-tiful." Editor’s note: This comment has been anonymized in accordance with applicable law(s).
And society is also supposed to "help to absolve them of personal responsibility for their weight"? How nice to absolve them of the personal responsibility for their damaged babies, diabetes, dementia and for using up more than their share of the world's resources.
Why take any responsibility for anything? All together now, "My body is bee-oo-tiful." Editor’s note: This comment has been anonymized in accordance with applicable law(s).
45
I wish that, instead of looking for who is to blame, people would focus on what can be done. With everything: unemployment, addiction, poverty, child abuse. Deciding who to blame (and inevitably, punishing them) is satisfying, but useless. You just wait for the bad thing to happen, and beat someone up to vent your anger. Trying to find a solution is difficult, it takes longer, sometimes you have to listen to scientists, and there is no emotional reward involved. Even so, in the long run it is the only thing that makes sense.
18
While you're enjoying criticism of others' shortcomings,
you might take a look at your ability to empathize or even to help.
you might take a look at your ability to empathize or even to help.
18
What qualifications do you have to back up what you say? Have you studied metabolism? Are you an endocrinologist? Many years ago I did see these experts, and they all explained to me that I had a metabolic disorder and that my body did not properly metabolize my food. One doctor said i was too bad society was so judgmental since I had no control of my pituitary problem. Sanctmonious people like you are a detriment to society.
1
When I was in my twenties, I noticed something: I unconsciously held my breath around fat people.
Now I'm fat, I don't bother anymore.
Now I'm fat, I don't bother anymore.
6
A lot of people seem to think it's ok to make fun of heavier people. Many of the shamers think that it's just a matter of will power. What I've observed is it clearly not that simple. However some people seem to maintain a a healthy weight effortlessly while other people seem to gain weight no matter what they do.
93
"No matter what they do?"
I'll bet you $1,000,000 that no one who eats 2000 calories a day and gets mild to moderate exercise for 30 minutes 5 times a week gains weight.
Want to take the bet?
I'll bet you $1,000,000 that no one who eats 2000 calories a day and gets mild to moderate exercise for 30 minutes 5 times a week gains weight.
Want to take the bet?
3
I would take that bet. Hope you can pay out.
13
@Tom B:
This is absurd, because metabolic rate, hunger/satiety, and fat storage are all variable and interdependent. Two people can eat the same amount but have different responses based on differences in metabolic rate, gut microbes, age, hormonal status, sex, previous health history, etc, etc. Humans are not toaster ovens.
This is absurd, because metabolic rate, hunger/satiety, and fat storage are all variable and interdependent. Two people can eat the same amount but have different responses based on differences in metabolic rate, gut microbes, age, hormonal status, sex, previous health history, etc, etc. Humans are not toaster ovens.
19
The phrase, "cultural ideals of ultra-slimness," may be better stated as "From the beginning, was not fat." (Look it up.)
Watch the smallest of children in the playground. The obese waddle; the very fat cannot climb the monkey bars; the overweight cannot run or jump.
The other kids, the kindest among them, know something's not right.
Why are we defending something that we have known for all of our history is wrong?
Watch the smallest of children in the playground. The obese waddle; the very fat cannot climb the monkey bars; the overweight cannot run or jump.
The other kids, the kindest among them, know something's not right.
Why are we defending something that we have known for all of our history is wrong?
21
Fatness has been considered attractive and even ideal in many cultures since forever. It's been a signifier of wealth and health. Your assertions are just plain incorrect.
14
I teach languages, which requires knowledge of Western countries literature and art. Plumpness was a sign of wealth (no one connected it with health -- where is evidence for that?) in some areas, not all.
Obesity -- the obesity commonly seen in any Walmart -- wan't known. Point out one painting, one story where there is happy mention of a man or woman weighing 300, 400, 500 pounds.
And even if fatness had been considered OK in the dark past, why would that make it so today? Lots of things OK then are gruesome now.
Obesity -- the obesity commonly seen in any Walmart -- wan't known. Point out one painting, one story where there is happy mention of a man or woman weighing 300, 400, 500 pounds.
And even if fatness had been considered OK in the dark past, why would that make it so today? Lots of things OK then are gruesome now.
7
"Why are we defending something that we have known for all of our history is wrong ?"
"We"?!
You are ignorant as well as cruel. It's not true that overweight children can not
run, jump or climb monkey bars. I have five nieces and five nephews.One of my nephews was obese when he was a child. He ran, jumped, climbed monkey bars and was a very good basketball player.
"The other kids, the kindest of them, know something is wrong." How would you know what children think ?
Certainly, you could not know what "the kindest of them" think,
as you display not a shred of kindness.
"We"?!
You are ignorant as well as cruel. It's not true that overweight children can not
run, jump or climb monkey bars. I have five nieces and five nephews.One of my nephews was obese when he was a child. He ran, jumped, climbed monkey bars and was a very good basketball player.
"The other kids, the kindest of them, know something is wrong." How would you know what children think ?
Certainly, you could not know what "the kindest of them" think,
as you display not a shred of kindness.
7
Weight bias may be alive and well, but ageism remains an acceptable form of discrimination, stereotyping, infantilism, and shaming.
147
As is bias against atheists, muslims and many other folks as well. I didn't like that remark either. There is no last acceptable form of discrimination, there are bunches of them.
4
They're not mutually exclusive. And imagine the bias against people like me who are both overweight and aged.
5
You can't stop time but you can stop over eating.
5
Schoolyard bullying over weight and other issues leaves terrible scars, and it's high time we did something about it. There is also no excuse for weight-based discrimination in employment.
That said, I fear this article veers in the direction of political correctness in discussing weight. The implication that people of normal weight are somehow extremely thin is absurd. Obesity is not normal to our species -- it is virtually unheard of among primitives and when I was growing up 50 years ago it was rare in the United States as well.
What has changed is our diet and with 71% of American now overweight it is doubly important that we must resist the urge to make obesity, a condition that is as lethal as smoking, the new normal.
I know that personally when I eat sugary foods I get fat and when at the opposite extreme I replace carbs with fat I lose about two pounds a week until I reach my ideal weight, without hunger. If I eat a moderate carb diet like paleo my weight remains stable.
Having struggled to avoid temptation and binging I'm not going to judge others: modern ultra-refined foods are addictive and lethal. But at the same time, I'm not going to pretend that obesity isn't a matter of personal choice and personal responsibility.
We can't change how others view us but in the case of obesity, we can change ourselves, and while we should fight bullying and discrimination we have at the same time to acknowledge that obesity is undesirable and a self-inflicted condition.
That said, I fear this article veers in the direction of political correctness in discussing weight. The implication that people of normal weight are somehow extremely thin is absurd. Obesity is not normal to our species -- it is virtually unheard of among primitives and when I was growing up 50 years ago it was rare in the United States as well.
What has changed is our diet and with 71% of American now overweight it is doubly important that we must resist the urge to make obesity, a condition that is as lethal as smoking, the new normal.
I know that personally when I eat sugary foods I get fat and when at the opposite extreme I replace carbs with fat I lose about two pounds a week until I reach my ideal weight, without hunger. If I eat a moderate carb diet like paleo my weight remains stable.
Having struggled to avoid temptation and binging I'm not going to judge others: modern ultra-refined foods are addictive and lethal. But at the same time, I'm not going to pretend that obesity isn't a matter of personal choice and personal responsibility.
We can't change how others view us but in the case of obesity, we can change ourselves, and while we should fight bullying and discrimination we have at the same time to acknowledge that obesity is undesirable and a self-inflicted condition.
183
Well said!
The more times we excuse personal responsibility, labeling an ever growing list of things "diseases", the more our population is given a pass to say "it's not my fault!".
The number of truly medical obesity cases is small *in comparison* to the number of obese individuals. Many can influence their weight if they put in the effort.
The more times we excuse personal responsibility, labeling an ever growing list of things "diseases", the more our population is given a pass to say "it's not my fault!".
The number of truly medical obesity cases is small *in comparison* to the number of obese individuals. Many can influence their weight if they put in the effort.
11
Does one case, yourself, makes for as statistical significant sample?
6
Weight is partially under our control, but not fully. Most people can manage to lose and keep off about ten percent of their weight, what we need to keep in mind is that the person may have already lost that ten percent and still be very fat.
It also takes time and energy to diet, both of which can be in short supply in modern times. People are shorted sleep, which causes weight gain, and shorted pleasurable ways to exercise which is good for our health no matter our weight for most people. I think there are some mitochondrial disorders where exercise is counter-productive, but I know little about them.
Personally, I think medicine and research are needed. Given the very poor long term effects of dieting, my best guess is that it is as difficult to lose weight alone as it is to deal with depression alone. We have medicine for depression now that helps those whom therapy and exercise alone are insufficient. I hope that in the future we will have medicine for those for whom diet and exercise are insufficient to manage their weight. Better medicine than surgically destroying the digestive system that is.
It also takes time and energy to diet, both of which can be in short supply in modern times. People are shorted sleep, which causes weight gain, and shorted pleasurable ways to exercise which is good for our health no matter our weight for most people. I think there are some mitochondrial disorders where exercise is counter-productive, but I know little about them.
Personally, I think medicine and research are needed. Given the very poor long term effects of dieting, my best guess is that it is as difficult to lose weight alone as it is to deal with depression alone. We have medicine for depression now that helps those whom therapy and exercise alone are insufficient. I hope that in the future we will have medicine for those for whom diet and exercise are insufficient to manage their weight. Better medicine than surgically destroying the digestive system that is.
8
Wow, four comments, and so far nobody's congratulating herself for her superiority in being thin because of her "lifestyle"* and looking down her nose at overweight people.
*Having enough money to buy low-calorie, healthful foods, especially lean protein and fresh produce; having enough leisure and the ability to control your time to exercise, control stress, and prepare quality food; having ectomorph genes.
*Having enough money to buy low-calorie, healthful foods, especially lean protein and fresh produce; having enough leisure and the ability to control your time to exercise, control stress, and prepare quality food; having ectomorph genes.
59
Ever heard of beans and rice, frozen veggies, and peanut butter on whole grain bread? Let's stop pretending healthy foods are out of reach for even the most indigent among us.
11
Sorry, those aren't good examples of healthy food. Whole-grain bread being healthy is a food myth that you're perpetuating. You claim to live in NYC where actually good, fresh ingredients are abundant year round, yet you recommend badness. If I were you, I'd take a look at my own diet.
4
Actually, EMS, "the most indigent among us" haven't money for any food and depend upon food pantries and school lunch programs.
4
I have a cousin who told his little brother to call me fat names. That was 45 years ago. I avoid spending time with those cousins because of this. I know. I should forgive them. I did. But I still avoid them.
121
You're under no obligation to forgive people who cruelly made fun of you, especially the older cousin. The younger one may not have understood the harm he was inflicting.
4
DNA does not give anyone a pass to be "mean" and mean is what they are (I'm sure they haven't changed).
2
You don't need to forgive them if they haven't atoned and asked for your forgiveness. Seriously? Move on as best you can, but until they own their hatefulness, you owe them nothing. (Yes, you can tell, I'm not from the "turn the other cheek" culture.)
3
Old folks like myself would probably agree that the overt biases have diminished significantly in the past 30 years, yet the general trend toward obesity continues. How can that be reconciled with the weight-bias-leads-to-more-eating argument?
I'm not trying to be insensitive here, but this is important. We should work to reduce and eliminate the bias for the sake of civility and emotional well-being, if nothing else, but this article implies that it will help reverse the obesity epidemic. I see little more than anecdotal evidence to support that claim and no data, whatsoever, on the possibility that the threat of weight bias keeps some at a lower weight that they would otherwise be. (I am NOT saying that this is good.)
Again, I know most will be inclined to look past my plea for clarity and reflexively challenge the fact that I won't accept an incomplete picture, but the problems of both incivilty and obesity deserve better science.
I'm not trying to be insensitive here, but this is important. We should work to reduce and eliminate the bias for the sake of civility and emotional well-being, if nothing else, but this article implies that it will help reverse the obesity epidemic. I see little more than anecdotal evidence to support that claim and no data, whatsoever, on the possibility that the threat of weight bias keeps some at a lower weight that they would otherwise be. (I am NOT saying that this is good.)
Again, I know most will be inclined to look past my plea for clarity and reflexively challenge the fact that I won't accept an incomplete picture, but the problems of both incivilty and obesity deserve better science.
33
Sorry Shawn, but bias is NOT incivility. It's oppression.
3
Excellent point. I have friends who were scarred by fat shaming 50 years ago, but the obesity epidemic hadn't begun then.
Forgive me for repeating myself, but we know what's causing the obesity epidemic -- more calories, in the form of carbohydrates, particularly added sugars. No one ever got fat from carrots or apples, but that soda with 16 teaspoons of sugar in it is a different matter entirely.
Forgive me for repeating myself, but we know what's causing the obesity epidemic -- more calories, in the form of carbohydrates, particularly added sugars. No one ever got fat from carrots or apples, but that soda with 16 teaspoons of sugar in it is a different matter entirely.
8
Didn't mention that almost 45% of Americans are considered obese? We're not talking merely fat, we're talking obese. 45%! That negatively impacts healthcare costs (and especially for fit people who have to foot their bills due to some notion of "insurance equality"), negatively impacts GDP growth (impaired cognitive function even you've written about, among other impacts), and more. There's also no way, zero way, that 45% of Americans are obese due to no fault of their own. Sorry. And using modern mores seems a conceit. When humans were hunter/gatherers rather than couch potatoes, do you really think fat people had a chance?
It's one thing to say some people make other people feel bad. It's another thing to claim pure innocence among the target group and that it has no social impact on its own. The fittest nations will survive and in many forms of fitness, physical and mental fitness being paramount.
It's one thing to say some people make other people feel bad. It's another thing to claim pure innocence among the target group and that it has no social impact on its own. The fittest nations will survive and in many forms of fitness, physical and mental fitness being paramount.
76
I'm not sure your claim on health care costs is accurate. In many cases, fit people suffer very long and expensive final illnesses and dementia - the body outlives the brain for a long period of time.
This reminds me of the issue with cigarettes, where the smokers actually save the health care system money because they die suddenly or at least quickly.
This reminds me of the issue with cigarettes, where the smokers actually save the health care system money because they die suddenly or at least quickly.
10
I'd rather have a nation of fit people contributing to the greater overall good for as long as they can, even if there are later-in-life illnesses. The rest of their lives were productive and healthy and less strain on all systems. Fit people should not subsidize fat people any more than non-smokers should subsidize smokers. Fat people don't have to swallow. Smokers don't have to smoke. Sorry.
16
That sounds sort of eugenicist drivel. I have a healthy BMI so do not attribute my statement to self-justification, I just think that there's a lot more going on that you refuse to acknowledge in an effort to get some malice out of your system.
9
From 'The NY Times' 2007
"Obesity can spread from person to person, much like a virus, researchers are reporting today. When one person gains weight, close friends tend to gain weight, too. [A] study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, involved a detailed analysis of a large social network of 12,067 people who had been closely followed for 32 years, from 1971 to 2003. The investigators knew who was friends with whom as well as who was a spouse or sibling or neighbor, and they knew how much each person weighed at various times over three decades. That let them reconstruct what happened over the years as individuals became obese. Did their friends also become obese? Did family members? Or neighbors?
The answer, the researchers report, was that people were most likely to become obese when a friend became obese. That increased a person’s chances of becoming obese by 57 percent. There was no effect when a neighbor gained or lost weight, however, and family members had less influence than friends."
"Obesity can spread from person to person, much like a virus, researchers are reporting today. When one person gains weight, close friends tend to gain weight, too. [A] study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, involved a detailed analysis of a large social network of 12,067 people who had been closely followed for 32 years, from 1971 to 2003. The investigators knew who was friends with whom as well as who was a spouse or sibling or neighbor, and they knew how much each person weighed at various times over three decades. That let them reconstruct what happened over the years as individuals became obese. Did their friends also become obese? Did family members? Or neighbors?
The answer, the researchers report, was that people were most likely to become obese when a friend became obese. That increased a person’s chances of becoming obese by 57 percent. There was no effect when a neighbor gained or lost weight, however, and family members had less influence than friends."
7
I'm not fat because I have overweight friends. They lose weight because of their friends with better habits. Goes both ways. 45% of Americans are obese through no fault of their own? C'mon. The future of America is discipline, not indiscipline.
29
Discipline will get you through your day and allow you to make a success of yourself, but it will not reduce your weight. There is more going on than just laziness. You offer no insight into what that might be.
11
I had an obese friend who was always trying to undermine my efforts to eat sensibly, always offering me candy and energy bars with hundreds of calories even after I explained many times that I did not want them. It's such a relief and so much easier when I hang out with trim people who eat sensibly and are active.
4