Let’s shame obesity

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http://www.phillymag.com/news/2012/10/1 ... lem-shame/

I’ll try to remember this at all times, as well as the fact that I owe my continued existence to the completely undeserved kindness fitter people show by not killing me with their bare hands, despite their patent ability to do so at any time if they want to. Lose weight or die!

Outside of a few specific medical conditions, obesity is a self-inflicted problem.

Granted, our society encourages an UNHEALTHY lifestyle of eating garbage and not getting regular exercise, but the truly obese are that way because they can't put down the fork and spoon.

Get your blood checked for health issues...see a shrink about emotional issues causing you to overeat, but do SOMETHING.

It's basically an act of slow suicide, but you make everyone else suffer for it.

What about the people who qualify as obese but they exercise regularly and don't over eat? I have serious trouble losing weight no matter what eat or how much I exercise and I'm 230 to 240 pounds.

I get tested for PCOS and Cushing Syndrome next month because I have all of the symptoms and not just the weight problem.

Yeah, let's make a bad situation worse!

I'd say then you'd qualify as having a medical disorder or genetic condition that predisposes you to obesity. If a person is eating right and exercising but can't lose weight, some outside (sic) factor is causing the issue.

I know some beefy gals who can kick my butt who look like they could stand to lose 20-30 pounds, but they do MMA and other things I get tired just thinking about.

in general, malnutrition can be a factor both in underweight as well as overweight. let us please avoid fat-shaming.

I was being sarcastic, both in the other thread and this one, auntblabby - not sure if it was obvious

no worries "obvious" things can sail right past me.

I would like to point out that in cases of over use of alcohol, tobacco, or drugs, it is possible to isolate yourself from them long enough to get past the rough withdrawal phase, like going to a cabin, or checking into a facility until you have gotten past the worst of the cravings. Unfortunately, this isolation method won't work for obesity. If you stop eating you will die. People need to eat every day to avoid other health issues, that is, food is a requirement for life. None of those other substances are required to maintain life.

Also, it isn't nice to insult people struggling with a health issue, even when it is at least partly self induced. Everyone has their own problems, and you wouldn't want people shaming you over yours. And the fact that someone else is fat doesn't do you any harm, so why pick on them?

Generally, no matter what the cause of becoming fat, once you are there, your body chemistry changes to maintain that excess weight, so in any attempts to lose weight the person is fighting not only the excess poundage, but their body chemistry.

Rather than shaming, you should be offering encouragement to anyone who has any kind of health issues. Shame on you for not doing so!

I'm disgustingly obese myself and I think the shame is entirely justified. That's why I endorse it.

I don't think shaming people will do anything to help. I do think that healthy eating habits and getting some form of physical activity is a good thing. I don't think that people are naturally 300,400,500 or even 600 pounds. People don't get that way overnight either. In my opinion it takes a lot of going without exercise and eating nothing but unhealthy foods as well as constantly going over a calorie limit.

Shaming is going to make it worse. Promoting healthy habits in a positive manner will.

oh! i have an idea! let's shame shaming obesity!

I love that idea!

Shaming alcoholism and drug addiction doesn't work. I don't see how fat-shaming will work either. Sugar is extremely addictive. Addictions, no matter what they are, needs to be medically and psychologically treated. Unfortunately, the US is one giant crab bucket. It's a culture that prays on the weakest of crabs to give themselves a boost and is shocked when bigger and stronger crabs do the same to them. Avoiding the real issues and resorting to bullying is just another way to feed into this mindset. We don't want to fix the problem, we want to be better than them.

http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2015/09/fat_shaming_does_not_work_poverty_is_worse_for_health_than_obesity.html

I don't think public shaming of obese people is a good idea.
It is too mean and would cause in psychological damage in many people.
But I think more awareness of obesity as a generally bad thing for people's health is a better approach.
Like there is high awareness of smoking as an unhealthy thing.
I think that accepting "plus size" to boost people's self-esteem has gone too far.
Going away from that trend and recognizing obesity as a major source of health problems would be better.