Big Thoughts
So there's this thing called the Fat Acceptance Movement. It's kind of interesting, and I waiver in my stance on the subject. To complicate things further, I also wavier on many of the sub-subjects. Like how I will cringe and avert my eyes upon seeing a fat man in a Speedo (Canadians in FL during the winter, eh WideLawns?). But, if we extend that thought process - which is "don't make yourself look extra-unattractive to others" - we will eventually bump into issues like whether gay people should be allowed to kiss in public. Hey, it might offend someone, and make them cringe, right? When I look at it like that, I think "Get over yourself, let people be comfortable."
Last week I wore a skirt to work for the first time in over three years. The skirt hiatus had been due to a cruel comment a guy made to me while I was walking down the street in the Financial District a few months after I moved to San Francisco. Last Tuesday I didn't get any compliments, but I also didn't get any insults either. Which is pretty much how I like things.
I guess it's a very fine line between not beating yourself up for your weight and embracing an aspect of your lifestyle that's unhealthy. Should shame play a part in motivating people to lose weight? I don't know. Maybe, if that's the only thing that inspires them to do it. But who is to decide how that shame should be brought on? What's crossing the line? Isn't it shameful enough to have to buy clothes in a fat-people store? Or in a different section at Macy's and Nordstrom? Maybe Old Navy thinks they're saving fat people the shame of having to buy bigger clothes, and that's why they took their fat people section to online-only.
Also, does society want fat people to stay fat so they keep feeling better about themselves? Your marriage may be in shambles, but hey, at least you don't look like THAT. Is that why it's so hard to find workout clothing for fat people? Huh, Missy Park of Title Nine?
Currently candy is taxed. What if potato chips and cupcakes and ice cream were also taxed? But where does it end? What about the people who eat half a loaf of bread with a huge hunk of cheese to maintain their (over)weight? What if you're buying a cupcake and you're a size six? Or you're planning to split one pint of Ben & Jerry's between seven people? Should pregnant people having ice cream cravings be excused from the tax?
I certainly don't think people should be allowed to sue McDonalds for eating their food and being fat because of that. If you can't figure out for yourself that eating from a fast food restaurant isn't healthy, then … well, unless you actually do have an extra chromosome, you don't want me on the jury when your case goes to trial.
There's a lot to think about on this topic. What are your thoughts? I may have to write about this again.
Last week I wore a skirt to work for the first time in over three years. The skirt hiatus had been due to a cruel comment a guy made to me while I was walking down the street in the Financial District a few months after I moved to San Francisco. Last Tuesday I didn't get any compliments, but I also didn't get any insults either. Which is pretty much how I like things.
I guess it's a very fine line between not beating yourself up for your weight and embracing an aspect of your lifestyle that's unhealthy. Should shame play a part in motivating people to lose weight? I don't know. Maybe, if that's the only thing that inspires them to do it. But who is to decide how that shame should be brought on? What's crossing the line? Isn't it shameful enough to have to buy clothes in a fat-people store? Or in a different section at Macy's and Nordstrom? Maybe Old Navy thinks they're saving fat people the shame of having to buy bigger clothes, and that's why they took their fat people section to online-only.
Also, does society want fat people to stay fat so they keep feeling better about themselves? Your marriage may be in shambles, but hey, at least you don't look like THAT. Is that why it's so hard to find workout clothing for fat people? Huh, Missy Park of Title Nine?
Currently candy is taxed. What if potato chips and cupcakes and ice cream were also taxed? But where does it end? What about the people who eat half a loaf of bread with a huge hunk of cheese to maintain their (over)weight? What if you're buying a cupcake and you're a size six? Or you're planning to split one pint of Ben & Jerry's between seven people? Should pregnant people having ice cream cravings be excused from the tax?
I certainly don't think people should be allowed to sue McDonalds for eating their food and being fat because of that. If you can't figure out for yourself that eating from a fast food restaurant isn't healthy, then … well, unless you actually do have an extra chromosome, you don't want me on the jury when your case goes to trial.
There's a lot to think about on this topic. What are your thoughts? I may have to write about this again.
Labels: Clothing, Golden Boy, Harshing Your Mellow, Interactive, Overthinking, People watching, Potential Depth
posted by Green at 5/28/2008 10:00:00 AM
10 Comments:
Seems like one way tolook at it might be boundries issues, physical, percieved. yada etc
Most research on fat concludes that fat, in and of itself, is not unhealthy. Despite this, most research also includes an ending paragraph stating that people shouldn't be fat because it's probably unhealthy - in full contradication with the study's findings.
I think fat is only presented as a health issue because it's an image issue, and that the real fear that people have about fat is not about health but about looks.
I like the blog Shapely Prose for these issues: http://kateharding.net/
For me its definitely health issues. Several members of my family eat garbage and lots of it, became overweight from eating garbage and being sedentary and have a slew of health problems now that they didn't have before. One cousin gained almost a hundred pounds in two years and now has Type 2 diabetes at 26. That seems to contradict any study saying that fat isn't unhealthy. Doesn't being overweight cause Type 2 diabetes? Isn't Type 2 diabetes unhealthy?
For me, I eat really well and am passionate about it for several reasons. One is that I don't want to support the processed food or factory farming industries. Another is that I had health problems already and I have a higher cancer risk. Everything I've heard is that the cancer risk is higher for people who are overweight, so anything I can do which is in my power to control, like my weight, I'm going to do to not get cancer.
I don't think shame should be a motivator unless it's the only motivator you can come up with. Sometimes that's the only thing that works. Shame has motivated me to change a lot of things in my life, but I was deeply unhappy while feeling ashamed.
My advice would be to dress in flattering clothes that make you feel good and are appropriate to whatever situation you're in. Then eat well and exercise with joy and enthusiasm knowing that you're doing the best thing for yourself and that you deserve that. (I don't mean you you, I mean you as in like everyone. I should have used "one.")
Can I just say one thing that drives me crazy? I hate when you see a fat person exercising, like jogging or bike riding or something public and people start making fun of them. This infuriates me. They're exercising for God's sakes!! They're trying to do something healthy and then some moron makes fun of them!
Doesn't being overweight cause Type 2 diabetes?
That depends. Many argue that it does not, that in fact, being overweight is a symptom of Type 2 diabetes and not a cause. Eating too much *sugar* over time, however, is likely to cause Type 2 diabetes.
I also know plenty of skinny people who eat garbage, FWIW - far more skinny garbage-eaters than fat ones, which the research also backs up.
I'm having a great deal of trouble reconciling your frustration with "morons" who make fun of fat people with your earlier post about "eating like an asshole," frankly. But then I see that your anger comes, not from the fact that people are being made fun of because of what they look like, but from the fact that they're being made fun of *while doing something healthy*.
About the taxes on junk food. I am all for putting a tax of some sort on junk food, kind of like the one on cigarettes. But it would be even better to lower the taxes on real, good, fresh foods. The problem lies in the fact that for an average American, it's cheaper to eat crap at McDonald's morning, noon and night, than go to the store, buy fresh ingredients and make real food from that. It's also a hell of a lot faster. There should be some economic incentives to turn this around.
Denmark banned the use of trans fats a few years ago. Would you believe that McDonald's did everything they could to appeal this? But it went through, and apparently the taste if the food is the same. Just no trans fats. Maybe this would be a good place to start in the US. As if it would ever go through though. I've been banning McD for years now, which is how I show my displeasure with the whole industry.
Well Plains Feminist I think it's wrong to make fun of them both because of how they look and because they're doing something healthy.
My post about eating like an asshole was meant both seriously and humorously. The eating like an asshole thing is something my sister and I came up with as a way to keep ourselves in line and I wanted to share the technique with my readers. It works and it's kind of funny. When you ask yourself that question you definitely laugh, but at the same time you take it seriously and realize you may be overeating or not eating properly. It almost becomes like a little eating mantra over time.
I will tell you that my concerns about the overweight are more health related than appearance related, but that doesn't mean I think it's ok to make fun of people because they are overweight. You may be surprised to know that I don't even find overly thin people as attractive as people with a little meat on their bones, as they say.
I have very strong feelings about the processed food and factory farming industries, so many of my concerns about how people eat have to do with that as well.
Additionally, another issue I have with the way people eat is based on social class. The poorest areas in our country don't have access to healthy, fresh foods. The poorest people are the ones who are eating the worst and the most chemically laden processed foods there are because they have no other choices. Most of these foods don't even resemble food at all. In many urban areas there aren't even any grocery stores. People have to buy their food at convenience stores, which is an abomination.
But I feel I'm getting off topic.
I did, however, want you to know Plains Feminist, that while we don't always share the same points of view on some topics, that I always read your blog and I think it's very well written and engaging. I know that you don't feel the same way, and I'm completely fine with that because I don't expect everyone to like me or agree with me all the time about everything. In fact, I find other perspectives really interesting. There have been many times when you have changed my mind about things or at least given me new angles on issues that I may not otherwise have seen. So thanks.
huh... I feel odd jumping in here while others are actually engaged in a "healthy" debate (haha, yes, pun intended... oh, English majors are a card, aren't we?)...
but all I wanted to say was... Hey, didn't I compliment you on this Tuesday? (granted, it wasn't about the skirt...)
I'm not buying that being fat ISN'T a health issue. Not when heart disease is our number one killer.
For me, I know that every 5 pounds I get off is a lot easier on my heart.
As per the boundary issues, no one has the right to comment on the way someone looks. Not only is it not necessary, it's unacceptable. Having said that, I have gotten comments when I was perfectly skinny that I was ugly. I realize now that it was all about the commenter and nothing about me.
Thrice makes an EXCELLANT point about what people say says more about themselves than who they're talking to (or at)
Well Played! (Hm, what does that say about me? Now I'm confused)
Wide Lawns,
Thanks for your response. I really was thrown by the "eating like an asshole" thing, and I still don't think it's funny, but your explanation here has helped me to understand your perspective a little better. It turns out that we're not as far apart on these issues as I thought we were, so I really do appreciate your explanation.
BTW, I do think your blog, too, is very well-written and engaging. I did stop reading regularly after you switched genres, but I've always thought you were a fantastic writer.
PF
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