Fat Pride Article

If there was a switch we could flick that would give us our ideal bodies in an instant, I reckon there wouldn't be a fat person on earth who wouldn't flick it. I just don't buy that whole 'I'm comfortable in my own skin' argument - it just reeks of laziness and acceptance that the road back is just all too hard, so why bother.

There's a clear line between someone that is enjoying the good life, and others that are simply abusing themselves - to death. It's not about other people respecting them, rather them not respecting themselves.

People that do make the change from seemingly impossible odds, have my utmost respect. Without a doubt, I could not even begin to comprehend the mental and physical challenges they faces along the way. When done properly, the results are for a lifetime, as are the rewards.

GUZZLA said:

If there was a switch we could flick that would give us our ideal bodies in an instant, I reckon there wouldn't be a fat person on earth who wouldn't flick it. I just don't buy that whole 'I'm comfortable in my own skin' argument - it just reeks of laziness and acceptance that the road back is just all too hard, so why bother.

There's a clear line between someone that is enjoying the good life, and others that are simply abusing themselves - to death. It's not about other people respecting them, rather them not respecting themselves.

People that do make the change from seemingly impossible odds, have my utmost respect. Without a doubt, I could not even begin to comprehend the mental and physical challenges they faces along the way. When done properly, the results are for a lifetime, as are the rewards.

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Great post

I don't understand all the hate and preaching at people who are overweight.

you can be overweight and still pretty healthy (and the converse is true, I should know ).

don't judge people because of their size. people come in all shapes and sizes, as Bella correctly pointed out.

Who are we to judge anyone else? you don't know their story. you don't know whether they are healthy, happy etc.

look in the mirror first, everyone. no-one is perfect, no-one should be totally villified.

Live and let live, yeah?

wingman said:

But they cant be intelligent since they let themselves get to the awful state they're in.

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That is so stupid lol.

You cant be obese and healthy... Its how physiology works. More energy stored in fat cells more pro inflammatory cytokines released more inflammation higher cortisol output to reduce systemic inflammation.

Inflammation underlies the physiology of most chronic conditions... Soooo yeah.

Its fairly obvious. You can be obese andn ot have a defined health condition but it isnt "optimal" at all or healthy in any sense of the word.

So what happens when they get that ill and end up having a heart attack or a stroke or anything?

Bet they'll be pretty pleased with that too.

Also agree with Guzzla's post!

Are overweight / obese people happier?

Not long ago I had the following

Migraines
Pissing blood every morning
Kidney Stones
Liver enzymes out of whack
A 60 inch waist and 175 kilograms on the scales.
No energy
Pre diabeties
Breaking my car seat
Spending more money on petrol to drive my fat ass around town
Inactive sex life
Gout
Vision problems
I was less sociable
Lack of confidence and esteem
Sleep apnea
Body Odour
Kankles and skin problems

All of the above plus many more and most of those were all reversed in 12 weeks of exercising and a good diet.

Fat people saying they are "Happy" is a complete utter load of BS.

I know, I've lived it.

it's good for people to "feel comfortable in the skin they're in" n all that jazz, but surely there's a point where you have to say to yourself "you know what? if i'm happy like this, imagine how much happier i could be if i was a healthier weight/more active/etc".

there are literally THOUSANDS of people who have come back from pretty dire straights through hard work and determination, and do you EVER see any of them say "i think i preferred being fat, thank you"? fuck no. there is a difference between happiness and acceptance.

and lets not even get started on the cost of healthcare that having such a large portion of the population classed as "over-weight & obese" brings. just as bad as smoking imo (which i think should become illegal too).

xwifex said:

treating obesity is not just a matter of eating less and exercising more

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Disagree with this immensely. Treat the body and the mind will follow.

I also disagree with judging people based upon appearance; if an overweight person is happy within themselves, they're cool as far as I'm concerned.

However, if you're morbidly obese, struggling to make it to the other side of the parking lot without spluttering and wheezing... I have a hard time picturing you as even remotely happy.

Jay said:

Disagree with this immensely. Treat the body and the mind will follow.

I also disagree with judging people based upon appearance; if an overweight person is happy within themselves, they're cool as far as I'm concerned.

However, if you're morbidly obese, struggling to make it to the other side of the parking lot without spluttering and wheezing... I have a hard time picturing you as even remotely happy.

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No such thing as a happy morbidly obese person mate.

I have several friends that have found themselves in the situation I was in around 2 years ago and if they're happy they must be great actors.

For those that think otherwise, you should put on 100 kilograms then see how long it takes to get it off and see what happens to your health along the way. Although this is not advisable to anybody.

Jay said:

Disagree with this immensely. Treat the body and the mind will follow.

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Have you or do you deal with obese people trying to lose weight?

jamesyboi said:

No such thing as a happy morbidly obese person mate.

I have several friends that have found themselves in the situation I was in around 2 years ago and if they're happy they must be great actors.

For those that think otherwise, you should put on 100 kilograms then see how long it takes to get it off and see what happens to your health along the way. Although this is not advisable to anybody.

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Not morbidly obese, no. But slightly chunky falling into overweight, sure. I mean, I've met "fat" people who can run a 5k as quickly as I can, they just don't tend to themselves as well nutritionally and/or like too much of a good drink too often.

That's not to say that later on in life they won't have issues arising from their choices, but the fact I train doesn't exclude me from the possibility of sudden cardiac arrest or arthritis, either.

dave said:

Have you or do you deal with obese people trying to lose weight?

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Not as a professional, no... but I've trained with a lot of people who wanted to change themselves and helped them along the way. A good few have managed it, some have stayed healthy, others have gone back... others have just completely quit.

I'm a big believer in "if you're physiologically able, you're psychologically stable"... it's a long story about endorphins & serotonin and all that stuff, and the reasons obese people overeat [in general], but I find it to be largely true.

Jay said:

Not as a professional, no... but I've trained with a lot of people who wanted to change themselves and helped them along the way. A good few have managed it, some have stayed healthy, others have gone back... others have just completely quit.

I'm a big believer in "if you're physiologically able, you're psychologically stable"... it's a long story about endorphins & serotonin and all that stuff, and the reasons obese people overeat [in general], but I find it to be largely true.

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Whilst it does help it is not the whole picture. Serotonin and endorphin production etc is not enough to reduce habit and lifestyle issues that have been ingrained into the person. For some that have emotional issues there can be a need for behaviour modification training which will enable a reduction in their destructive behaviours and allow for the increased physiological benefits to be reaped. Both approaches are extremely useful, one on its own tends to be a little more 50/50.

Oh I agree, but just simply doing something well and sticking to it can help recreate habits. The physical changes that manifest by simply doing these things are more likely to help someone stick with a particular routine. Most of the people I've trained with have just needed some guidance & encouragement... I'd bring them in to work out with me, talk to them about food & invite them over to eat. They build their own path once they start seeing results that have pleased them.

I also don't believe that any type of change for overweight/obese people can come in the form of abuse... I wouldn't rag on someone who is overweight for that particular reason. Emotional issues related to eating often stem from the fact someone is overweight to begin with.

Emotional issues are exacerbated by being overweight in many people (not all). The reason for their emotional eating is the same as some peoples use of drugs. They have been hurt, abused, put down etc and can not deal with it either due to the severity or a lack of coping mechanisms inherent to themselves. This is not everyone but you need to think outside of the few people you have known/helped and learn from others who have dealt with many. You can generally tell, just by chatting to the person, what camp they belong to.

That's not to say that later on in life they won't have issues arising from their choices, but the fact I train doesn't exclude me from the possibility of sudden cardiac arrest or arthritis

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Thanks for that snide remark. I'm easing up on the maccas ok!!

dave said:

Emotional issues are exacerbated by being overweight in many people (not all). The reason for their emotional eating is the same as some peoples use of drugs. They have been hurt, abused, put down etc and can not deal with it either due to the severity or a lack of coping mechanisms inherent to themselves. This is not everyone but you need to think outside of the few people you have known/helped and learn from others who have dealt with many. You can generally tell, just by chatting to the person, what camp they belong to.

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I think it looks like we're disagreeing with each other, but we're not, lol. During my time in the military I took untrained guys and I trained them into fit, fighting, soldiers... I gave them nutritional advice and such, but generally after their 4 years, once they left, they get incredibly out of shape. They stopped training, ate like shit.
What I noticed was that the fitter ones usually reupped. They liked the support network and the structure/routine that came from being in a military environment.

Of course it doesn't apply across the board, but if you can get someone to stick to a routine long enough to see the benefits of it, and then educate them on why it's working, they have not just the tools but the motivation and wherewithal to keep on going, just by force of habit.

I've been out of the military for two years now and I still wake up at 5am on a daily basis to go for a long run (cycling for me, at the moment) or walk, and train between lunch and dinner. It's just something that my body has tuned into.

For those who are genuinely emotionally scarred and eat as a coping mechanism, I'd hope that someone with a background in psychology could help them out. I mean, you can bury an overeating problem and replace it with an undereating problem so easily. It's a tender subject that neither physical activity nor nutritional education, alone, can fix... as you rightly said.

TrentZor said:

Thanks for that snide remark. I'm easing up on the maccas ok!!

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Nothing wrong with a pot-belly if you can squat 300kgs

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFgONK2xCUM"]Einar B. Gilberg 300 kg RAW squat - YouTube[/ame]

Haha.

dave said:

Emotional issues are exacerbated by being overweight in many people (not all). The reason for their emotional eating is the same as some peoples use of drugs. They have been hurt, abused, put down etc and can not deal with it either due to the severity or a lack of coping mechanisms inherent to themselves. This is not everyone but you need to think outside of the few people you have known/helped and learn from others who have dealt with many. You can generally tell, just by chatting to the person, what camp they belong to.

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I agree with this.

I didn't emotionally eat though, I ate because I just loved eating pizza and drinking coke.

Tastebuds, do change every 10 days (apparently) according to studies.

I prefer chicken and broccoli or tuna and steak/vegetables now vs higher calorie/less nutritionally dense meals.

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