It's probably not the best thread title. But the sentiment that stirred the ire is valid, I think. It certainly hanks my hiney that there are still any kind of blanket statements that are okay.

For this example: I work out daily. Actual sweat streaming down my face where the hell is my inhaler oh my god I can't breathe working out. I try to watch my diet as much as I can. I don't eat after 4:30pm and I don't get to bed until 11 or midnight. I'm up at 5. I eat small meals. I'm out of the house from 6:20am-9:30pm most nights and it's hard to find snacks/meals that are cheap and suitably portable. The most likely source of my inability to lose weight is that I don't get enough sleep + too much stress = cortisol packing the pounds onto my midsection as I'm clearly in some kind of crisis.

Regardless, I don't think of myself as lazy or stupid or careless. I can work, I can go to school, and I can fight my biology -- but only two out of the three at any one time. And frankly I'm astonished that there are people (and I'm generalizing to my own experience, not MC) who will say to my face that I'm obviously lazy and I must just sit around eating pizza all day because they know someone who lost a gazillion pounds on their thigh master so clearly I just lack will power and am a sub-standard human being.

You don't think I can see myself in the mirror? Why do you think I work out daily? Why do you think I starve myself on the weekends? Truthfully, if I could make myself throw up I *WOULD*. Every single day. I've tried. More times than you could possibly count.

But people are entitled to be as pigheaded as they want. Some of it is still sanctioned. (By the way -- anyone see the news article that apparently obesity isn't quite as bad as they thought? Oh, but they're not going to publicize that widely... My favorite part:In fact, people who are overweight have a lower risk of death than those of normal weight, federal researchers are reporting in an unexpected outcome to the newest and most comprehensive study of the effect of obesity. )

Sure, some fat people are lazy slobs. And some [stereotyped group] are [stereotypical behavior]. Yippee. Why is any of it okay. If you're purple, what more should I know by looking at you then that you're purple? Do I automatically assume that you eat people?

And while we're covering the reasons I'm substandard, I'd like to just get them all out.

I'm female, so I'm obviously not as good with computers. [So said the hiring manager in the registrar's office when she told me that it came down to me and a guy for a secretary position, and since they needed that person to use the computer a lot (Word, for pete's sake. I've had a word processor since I was 5!) they would be more comfortable if they had a guy in the position.]

I have acne, so I clearly don't bathe; eat lots of grease; roll in a vat of chocolate twice daily; etc. [Said to me at least weekly since I was in the 4th grade.]

I wear glasses, not contacts, so I'm clearly not concerned about my appearance.

I get good grades, so I must study all the time and never have fun. [No, I'm just smarter than you, asswipe, and I got it the first time.]

Gah. I'm not supposed to post this late at night because my humors get all out of whack. LoT, meet my bile. Bile, meet LoT.

I'm sure judicious application of leeches can fix this.

This is why I am a closet eater. I am terrified that someone will see me eating something (anything) in public and say, "Look at that fat person eating, no wonder why she is fat." My sister would say some nasty things to me as we were growing up so most of my complex comes from childhood, but enough of it has been fed by society to keep the paranoia alive.

This, more than anything, has furthered my confidence that my book needs to be written. Life experience of the persecuted is often swept under the rug, even though each one deserves to be told. I don't care what you think about obesity, but if you don't spend the time to talk to someone and understand their experience, you don't have any place judging them. If somebody wants to judge me after reading Yoga for Fat Girls? It's open season-- but I'll mourn the lack of compassion in that the way I mourn the lack of compassion for any minority, illness, disablility.

Tee hee! You rule! :snap:

Please don't discuss other boards. This topic could have been brought up without mentioning where it took place or the specifics. Wouldn't, "What do you think about people making fun of overweight people in a post?" have started the same discussion?

Yeah, that's what I was getting at. Not that you shouldn't bring up the topic, but that you brought the other issue here. That's often how board wars start.

I empathize with the sentiments expressed here.

Ditto. Keep it generic.







Although in a board war LoT would clearly kick their ass. :)

I have not read the thread, but the subject has come up here about discrimination and the reasons why "fat" people are belittled.

I have people in my family considered morbidly obese. One of those relatives recently underwent bariatric surgery because of all the associated health problems commonly associated with being overweight - blood sugar issues, high blood pressure, cholesterol, sleep apnea, etc, etc, etc. It is a truly amazing surgery - immediately after surgery she stopped taking those medications and her blood completely normalized. The only reason I can think of for this is that the portion of the small intenstines bypassed must not work properly. How else could the blood work normalize so quickly? I honestly think that for the most part (while there are certainly exceptions), many, many obese people suffer from a physical problem that cannot be overcome. She exercized and ate....not well, but OK, but the weight kept adding on. Genetics plays into it a lot.

Another relative, i believe, was simply lazy, and when she finally went on a low carb atkins type diet and and started exercizing, lost 70 lbs in a year and is still going.

Whatever the cause, though, it is sad that obese people are treated as they often are. I have never been obese, so I can't relate. People are people and should be treated with respect until actions may deem otherwise, not appearance.

One question, though, that was an issue not long ago in the news here in Phoenix. If someone of large size takes up two seats on an airplane, should they be expected to pay for two seats? How much should industry try to accomodate the obese? For example, I would suspect many rides at DL could not handle some larger people. Should DL be expected to accomodate? I am afraid that obesity may someday be covered under the ADA and that industry and businesses will suffer financially. Should it be considered a disability? I know for some morbidly obese people it truly is and is a physical problem outside of their control.

My apologies for specifically mentioning another board. I only did so because I wanted to make clear that this incident had not happened on this board.

For the record, I'm a big fan of both boards and have no intention of starting a board war.

Prudence: if it weren't for the fact that that thread is falling blessedly onto lower pages, I would suggest you post your earlier sentiments on the thread itself, as you make very good points. But on the other hand, isn't it nice to see people's interest drop once people start making sweeping generalizations about a minority group?

I take it back.... that thread's been posted to this very afternoon. Prudence, please share your eloquent thoughts!