Comments on: "Fat Acceptance" raises concerns among health care professionals

By: Dee

Dee — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 15:12:24 +0000

Oh horrors! People are making peace with their bodies and (hopefully) concentrating on more important things, like living a full life. God forbid that anyone forgo vanity and the illusion of control over health and longevity.

Anyway, people who are classified as overweight (BMI 25-30) are the longest lived Americans, and people who fall into the "type 1 obese" range (BMI 30-35) – by far, the majority of people who are classified as obese – live as long as people who are classified as normal weight (BMI 18-25). So, despite higher weight being a risk factor for heart disease and diabetes, there's little impact on longevity. Logically, then, weight loss for most people is an issue of quality of life. Quality of life is a balancing act that each individual has work out for themselves.

Additionally, almost nobody manages to stay 20%+ below their maximum weight for more than a year or two, and being 10-20% below one's maximum weight confers pretty much all the health benefits of weight loss – but none of the social benefits. If you're in the "obese" range, then a 10-20% weight loss is going to mean that you're still overweight or obese.

Naysayers: is it self indulgent and irresponsible to accept your body when you're maintaining the type of weight loss that eliminates your risk factors, but still look fat, even if it denies others the ability to judge health by body size? Well, I hate to break it to you, but that doesn't work, anyway.

By: S Sanders, MA

S Sanders, MA — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 03:25:44 +0000

D Bhatt with all due respect you are too full of yourself. Fat people in this country have needless suffered emotional abuse, there are studies that have found they have the same emotional distress as other discriminated against groups. Very few people are fat because of self-indulgence. It is either genetic or a result of environmental factors not easily controlled. In fact, obesity in industrialized societies is correlated with poverty. Why don't you learn the facts before you rant.

By: S Sanders, MA

S Sanders, MA — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 03:18:46 +0000

They are really afraid of losing those profits. Years ago I read an article on how attractive bariatrics is to doctors. First, there is no need for special training. Anyone with an MD can call themselves a bariatrican. The profits are huge and it is far less stressful than being a regular GP. Since the patients almost always blame themselves for weight regain, there are few malpractice lawsuits. No wonder they want to condemn fat acceptance and protect their easy money.

I am a sociologist who has researched the stigma of obesity for a very long time. Except in the extremes, fat people CAN be perfectly healthy. Sadly, many of the ill health affects attributed to obesity come from risky weight loss practices and yo-yo dieting. Pharma and the medical profession has done more to kill fat people that all the Big Macs in the world!!!

By: Big Fat Deal » Fat Acceptance Sucks

Big Fat Deal » Fat Acceptance Sucks — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 00:37:15 +0000

[...] least it does according to this article, where health care professionals are worried that some fat people "now seem to think their [...]

By: D Bhatt

D Bhatt — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:29:27 +0000

I am regular listener of "All Things Considered", and enjoy it most of the time. But the show this Wednesday struck a jarring note. First, there was a very sombre description of the atrocities going on in Congo and rather shocking story of a young girl molested by militia, made to live in a hole for months, and then shunned by her own family when she was returned pregnant. It took me a long time to even fathom the severity of this poor child's horror, when the show transitioned to the above "investigative report" of how obese women in the US are coming to terms with their body, and how they are begining to love themselves. The show went on to say that "some" health professionals are worried that obesity will now become more fashionable – I wonder who those pros are! I was in my car and wanted to scream at this rather ridiculous report. What a bunch of baloney! Maybe my reaction is more anguished than expected because this report came just after the sad story. But really do we want to hear about how and why narcissistic people are begining to gain more self-festeem in this country? Believe me, I love all kinds of programs, not necessarily serious, but reporting on self-indulgence is a waste of time, especially in the guise of "investigative reporting".. Sorry, I just had to write to you…

By: Marci Lall

Marci Lall — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 02:49:18 +0000

I think it's just an excuse for overweight people to not be responsible for their health.

Sure you can dance around, be comfortable with your body and love your body for what it is.

But when it all comes down to it they'll still have problems with their health in the long run.

They need to correct their lifestyles, and take responsibility for their health by staying at their ideal weight range.

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Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:02:50 +0000

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