Why are people so concerned with weight-loss? page 29

[Winterbike]

No one said otherwise. Fat people are really defensive (even if they had lost the weight, it seems they remain defensive).

Did you read Cori93437's massage? What the fuck was that?
sbhikes, did anyone here write that it's "awesome to be judgemental"? I don't think so.
meepster, you're a total demagogue. The talk wasn't about getting ripped (10%) nor skinny, or whatever. It was about not being fat. Some of us said that it's disturbing for them to see people with no will to improve their physical appearance when their current appearance is leading them towards low quality well-being. Meaning those people could be doctors, musicians or the inventors of the cure for cancer. It does not matter. A sick man is a sick man, and obesity is an epidemic.

Yep! My boss is an endocrinologist, plays and coaches ultimate frisbee a few times a week and is in charge on the swing dancing club in town. She's smart, she's changing the world with research and... she's super fit and lean and healthy. It can and should go together. Professional accomplishment shouldn't come at the expense of your health, that's just a poor excuse.

I'm not saying everyone should be like my boss, because she's a freak of nature, but she's still a human being, and I find it amazing to know it's possible to do all that. If you're going to aim for something, I don't see why you wouldn't aim high.

[honeybuns]

No one has addressed the true reasons behind the so-called obesity "epidemic".

Is it the kinds of foods that line the supermarket shelves? Is it the crap that is put in those so-called foods? Is it the messages being sent to the general populace through advertising? Not everything is about an individuals lack of willpower.

[Gilleh]

No one has addressed the true reasons behind the so-called obesity "epidemic".

Is it the kinds of foods that line the supermarket shelves? Is it the crap that is put in those so-called foods? Is it the messages being sent to the general populace through advertising? Not everything is about an individuals lack of willpower.

It comes down to willpower -
Willpower to say "Something isn't working here! I'm doing everything my doctors/parents/TV is telling me to do, and it DOES NOT WORK! They are wrong! I've got to look for another way"
Willpower to say "I deserve more in my life - no more of being the way I am, it's time for a change".
Willpower to say "I am done making excuses for myself"
Willpower to fill your plate with real food instead of processed garbage, willpower to move yourself, lift something, run or bike

Yes, it is hard to make a change when eating is the only way you know of coping with emotions or to feel good,
or even when you lack the time to prepare the right food. It's hard to wake yourself up, looking for a solution.
Life's hard. Be strong.

[Leida]

I think the single most decisive factor is the price tag on food. It is simply far too cheap, no matter what kind. The food is devalued. The experience of eating is devalued. Add being locked indoors, without an incentive to live out of doors, and the casual boredom of an average existence, an active avoidance of doing anything that does not need doing, and you have obesity.

[sbhikes]

But it doesn't follow that you can only love your grandparent or parent if they are ample? My mom was slender, my grandma was not. Neither gave out hugs. I love/d both.

Wow, that's quite a leap you took. I'm saying that for every person you look on with judgment, there's someone out there who looks upon them with love. Maybe if people focused on finding the thing that is loved in all people, they'd make the world a more awesome place. Maybe just maybe if you could see what there is to love in someone who is fat, you would be kinder to yourself as well.

[magnolia1973]

I don't see what is so awesome about being so judgmental.

Thanks. We all have things to work on. As I trim up, I find that well, I still have faults. I don't have a balance in my life.

I think above all, being fat is an outward sign of bad nutrition. I have been fat and in two places.... at 300lbs, I was fat because I ate crap we all know is crap and didn't exercise. I wore that and people were mean. We justify it by saying its about health, but no one was mean to the binge drinkers or smokers or the ones that vomited up foods, not mean to the disabled. Unfortunately, fat is like wearing sign that says "I'm out of control and treat my body like a dumpster". It makes me annoyed to see people not responsible for their health. It makes me mad to think people just shovel crap into their kids.

The problem with fat is that its not that cut and dry. I was also a 200 plus pound marathoner, vegetarian. I still had to wear my sign that says "I'm out of control and treat my body like a dumpster". And people like Gilleh see me and say what an irresponsible idiot.

It's weird and as I get slimmer, I am treated better and better and it occurs to me, it is 100% my appearance and not my worth as a person in terms of intelligence, kindness etc. that elicits better treatment. People are nice to me because I am a cute blonde with a nice rack and little waist. People listen to me in meetings because I fit in the chair nicely and can cross my legs.

Truth be told, 5 years ago I was a better person. I volunteered. I exercised more (OK, arguable on Primal site. but). I had more friends that I helped more. I worked harder at work. I was less catty. Now people are nicer to me. ?

Fat people are really defensive

You'd be defensive too if people were nasty to you just because of the size of your ass. I sat in a meeting and listened to a client complain about the fat asses of WalMart. No one ever looked at my shopping cart and said "Hey, you know for the sake of your health, swap out the ice cream with some fruit". They just glared... AND IT HAPPENS ALL THE DAMN TIME. No one ever glares at what I buy now. So you know what people are thinking "Fat ass".... Gilleh, if people glared at you all the time for living and working, do ya think you might maybe be a little defensive?

[RitaRose]

You're missing the point. Not everyone can physiologically be as lean as you seem to think they should be. Again, in case I haven't said it enough, I hit my head twice and my body won't cooperate any more. Prior to that, it did. I'm not doing anything differently. I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess others may have similar issues stemming from a variety of circumstances. Throw your gene pool into the mix and none of us are playing on the same field.

I'm not even all that heavy, only about 20 pounds over where I was when I slammed my head, and I do believe my weight isn't any higher due to eating Primally. But it gave me some serious insight into what others are dealing with and how frustrating it can be, because I've been doing everything I can with no results.

So... I try not to make assumptions about what other people are and aren't doing to improve their health. I don't know what additional issues they're dealing with, so I can't really say if they're "trying" or not.

[honeybuns]

I'm with Quelsen. Unless you are the one walking in those shoes, STFU!!!

[cori93437]

No one said otherwise. Fat people are really defensive (even if they had lost the weight, it seems they remain defensive).

Did you read Cori93437's massage? What the fuck was that?
sbhikes, did anyone here write that it's "awesome to be judgemental"? I don't think so.
meepster, you're a total demagogue. The talk wasn't about getting ripped (10%) nor skinny, or whatever. It was about not being fat. Some of us said that it's disturbing for them to see people with no will to improve their physical appearance when their current appearance is leading them towards low quality well-being. Meaning those people could be doctors, musicians or the inventors of the cure for cancer. It does not matter. A sick man is a sick man, and obesity is an epidemic.

It was a good bit of reality... with a large dose of sarcasm.

In case you missed the posts that were previous to it I'll recap...

For over a year now "awesome" for me would have meant not waking up and going to sleep every day to numerous neurological symptoms such as speech impairment (dysarthria, gait ataxia, etc.)... most days were a complete and utter failure.
And I lost some weight long the way too, thanks to eating healthy "Primal", but if some people in this thread saw me in they would still judge me "fat and lazy" most likely...

Of course, I freely admit that I'm an outlier. I have not one, but two rare diseases... not exactly your average Jane.
However... if some of you would stop and add up all of the problems that seriously cause people to gain weight, affect peoples ability to lose weight, and the sheer numbers of people that are affected... you'd be staggered. It certainly is NOT 1% like so many here like to throw around.

As others have said before me, remember: There but for Grace go [you].

Health isn't about the amount of BF you can see on a person.
Lean doesn't make a person superior.
An absolute IDIOT and complete and utter asshole can be skinny.
Often people are lean by the simple roll of the dice... a random stroke of good fortune means that they can be oblivious to the food that goes into their mouths and do just fine. Yet they would be judged "better".

Low BF, because thin people NEVER have heart attacks, or joint pain, or any other health issues... riiiiiight.

Someone should have told me that 15 years ago when my ass was young, BEAUTIFUL, and the "picture" of health, but also in pain... and had developed a chronic disease.
Meh, I had the right BF... I was HEALTHY!

What I'm saying, quite clearly, is that when you are walking around passing judgement all SMUG, there is NO WAY for you to know which came first...

Many people every year... MANY more than you will ever know if you are lucky... become ill while eating a very healthy diet, at a healthy normal weight. And either the effects of the illness or the medications, or a combination of those things causes weight gain.
Some of us... those people you would judge as "fat and lazy" "stupid" people... well, we aren't. We just have some MAJOR life obstacles that little twits like you how like to sit around being all pompous about things like this can't even begin to fathom.

No one in this thread is saying that people should TRY to be fat, or TRY to stay fat... all we are saying is that people like you, who have zero experience in that persons shoes, should back off and stop being RUDE. Because the truth is, you have NO CLUE what a persons circumstances are.

There but by Grace go YOU... you lucky but very shitty person.
Just keep looking down your nose... maybe the Karma wheel will spin your direction.

[Gilleh]

Corri
Take a deep breath.
You're being defensive:
I've never used the words lazy nor stupid.
I've never said thin people NEVER have heart attacks, or joint pain, or any other health issues.
I said being fat increases the chances of having low well being, having higher risks of getting ill, etc.

You think you're the only one who experience life obstacles? Please tell me you're not THAT sorry for yourself.
I don't know exactly what's keeping you from shedding whatever weight you wish to shed, but if you think you have monopoly on how hard can life be, you're goddamn wrong. I've had my share of shit thrown at me, emotional AND physical.
I GOT OVER IT.

Rita -
You have to understand, most people aren't like you (nor like corri).
The percentage of people who are fat because of a rare, incurable condition is low.
When do you see 10 people who are obese in the supermarket, do you think each and every one of them has a condition (while they carry frozen pizzas in their carts, I remind you)?