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So, "shaming" someone for being overweight serves a purpose.
Can I extend that concept to people who are stupid and ignorant. That cannot be healthy. If you are an ignorant, narrow minded, uneducated moron should we "stupid shame" you? As many mentioned, if you smoke or drink excessively, should we "smoke or drink shame" you? If you are addicted to drugs, should we "addict shame" you? If you drive like an idiot, should we "moron driver shame" you? If you are rude and obnoxious, should we "a$$hole shame" you (you might get your face bashed in. That's not healthy)? If you engage in dangerous extreme sports, should we "extreme idiot" shame you (someone has to pay for your hospital bills)? If you have herpes, should we "STD shame" you? If you sleep around, should we "**** shame" you?
I agree. But it is a lot harder for most obese people than those who just carry a few extra pounds. Just like not drinking is a lot harder for an alcoholic than it is for the person who has a glass of wine with dinner. You sound no different than the person who has a glass of wine with dinner who tells an alcoholic to just drink less. After all, lots of other people can keep their drinking in check, shouldn't be any different for you.
And, yes, there are more and more studies being performed that prove different chemical reactions in the brain to food among obese people.
So, "shaming" someone for being overweight serves a purpose.
Can I extend that concept to people who are stupid and ignorant. That cannot be healthy. If you are an ignorant, narrow minded, uneducated moron should we "stupid shame" you? As many mentioned, if you smoke or drink excessively, should we "smoke or drink shame" you? If you are addicted to drugs, should we "addict shame" you? If you drive like an idiot, should we "moron driver shame" you? If you are rude and obnoxious, should we "a$$hole shame" you (you might get your face bashed in. That's not healthy)? If you engage in dangerous extreme sports, should we "extreme idiot" shame you (someone has to pay for your hospital bills)? If you have herpes, should we "STD shame" you? If you sleep around, should we "**** shame" you?
We do shame people for all of the above (except for STIs because you could get an STI while only having one partner in your life. Hell, kids are born with STIs sometimes).
Why does the US have 30% of it's population that are obese (note this data is 2003, likely to be worse now). Canada, which is subject to the same diseases, tv influences and fast food is at 14% obesity (still WAY too high, but less than half that of the US as a percentage of our smaller population).
If this was a contagious disease we would be taking drastic measures. What we're seeing instead is parents raising an entire NEW generation of obese children, kids who never even have a chance at developing healthy habits around food and exercise.
What do people propose should be done about this if we're not allowed to address this as a critical public health issue?
What do people propose should be done about this if we're not allowed to address this as a critical public health issue?
No one is saying this can't be addressed as a critical public health issue. What we are saying is that SHAMING DOESN'T WORK! It doesn't educate anyone. It doesn't encourage anyone to lose weight. Usually, in fact, it has exactly the opposite effect.
Why does the US have 30% of it's population that are obese (note this data is 2003, likely to be worse now). Canada, which is subject to the same diseases, tv influences and fast food is at 14% obesity (still WAY too high, but less than half that of the US as a percentage of our smaller population).
If this was a contagious disease we would be taking drastic measures. What we're seeing instead is parents raising an entire NEW generation of obese children, kids who never even have a chance at developing healthy habits around food and exercise.
What do people propose should be done about this if we're not allowed to address this as a critical public health issue?
The flaw in your reasoning is that you've decided that singling out fat people and shaming them is the only solution to curing obesity in America, as if that's the only solution you can come up with. It's not hard to find alternatives if, instead of Googling "shaming fat people", you try searching "how to solve the obesity crisis" instead. Funny thing happens when you take the agenda out of your search: You find that on most lists, shaming fat people isn't even one of the options.
The flaw in your reasoning is that you've decided that singling out fat people and shaming them is the only solution to curing obesity in America, as if that's the only solution you can come up with. It's not hard to find alternatives if, instead of Googling "shaming fat people", you try searching "how to solve the obesity crisis" instead. Funny thing happens when you take the agenda out of your search: You find that on most lists, shaming fat people isn't even one of the options.
Except you miss the point, any comment about someone being fat is considered to be "shaming". It seems there can't even be a dialogue about this without that label being tossed around.
As stated before, the headline was intended to get dialogue going, which it has.
I'm not proposing we yell names at people, but normalizing obesity is NOT the answer, and that seems to be what those that are quick to allege "fat shaming" do.
Curing obesity IS about "fat people". The only solution is losing weight, eating less, more activity, more nutritious choices and CERTAINLY not raising another generation of obese kids.
So what should be done about the obesity crisis - lets agree active "shaming" isn't the answer. Do you believe "I'm okay, you're okay" fat acceptance is helpful or harmful?
Except you miss the point, any comment about someone being fat is considered to be "shaming". It seems there can't even be a dialogue about this without that label being tossed around.
As stated before, the headline was intended to get dialogue going, which it has.
I'm not proposing we yell names at people, but normalizing obesity is NOT the answer, and that seems to be what those that are quick to allege "fat shaming" do.
Curing obesity IS about "fat people". The only solution is losing weight, eating less, more activity, more nutritious choices and CERTAINLY not raising another generation of obese kids.
So what should be done about the obesity crisis - lets agree active "shaming" isn't the answer. Do you believe "I'm okay, you're okay" fat acceptance is helpful or harmful?
But obesity is just a symptom of unhealthy living. I think it's more important to cure the causes. Wrong food, no exercise = UNHEALTHY. Leave the body size and shape out of it, because many people can eat junk and sit in front of the TV, stay normal weight, and still = UNHEALTHY.
Picking on overweight people and telling them they shouldn't eat pizza or ice cream or whatever because they're fat does no good. Let's educate all people, fat or thin, that eating junk food too often or not exercising leads to diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, certain cancers, infertility, etc. etc.
I'm not clear, is it horrific to label the parents as abusive or to feed your kids in a way that starts them on the path to a lifetime of obesity?
Child Abuse. I have seen prejudice on the other side of this coin years ago. "Cannot see you from the side". "You look like a 12 year old boy". "How can your daughter eat that much and still be skinny?" Bulimic"? Follow her to the bathroom in school to see if she was vomiting to stay that weight. Want to know what that did to her self-esteem? No difference for an overweight young girl.
Go to school armed with family PHOTO ALBUMS (GENES going back 2 generations) in my "then" size 3 jeans (vanity sizing today size 00) and size 5 shoes. Oh, maybe she ISN'T doing anything herself to be that skinny? GENES works for both sides of the coin. Been there, done that.
Having experienced this myself with my children, and myself, for the reverse reason, I will definitely fight that fat shamming and "child abuse" from the other side. "One Size Fits All". No, it doesn't. Are we now supposed to be the perfect human race? According to WHO?
You won't get this SKINNY person to "fat shame". I know what it is like to be SKINNY SHAMED.
But obesity is just a symptom of unhealthy living. I think it's more important to cure the causes. Wrong food, no exercise = UNHEALTHY. Leave the body size and shape out of it, because many people can eat junk and sit in front of the TV, stay normal weight, and still = UNHEALTHY.
Picking on overweight people and telling them they shouldn't eat pizza or ice cream or whatever because they're fat does no good. Let's educate all people, fat or thin, that eating junk food too often or not exercising leads to diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, certain cancers, infertility, etc. etc.
And this IS exactly what medical professionals and public health officials have been trying to do for some time now (along with pushing for more research on the pathophysiology of metabolism in general and obesity in particular). The issue has hardly been ignored, contrary to what tlvancouver seems to think.
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