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Dea13, your post hit home somewhat. But I think what the issue became on this thread, at least for a while, is how fat people are treated because they are fat - for whatever reason. It simply just doesn't make sense to me that a fat person should be treated negatively just for being fat. I just don't get it. We all have faults - some are just more visible to the naked eye. I stopped reading this thread because it seemed there was a chasm that was uncrossable for either side. But I'm glad I checked in again; Lola's last sentence is spot-on - so is tiffela74's entire post. As always, IMO...
discrimination does take place. take it from someone who used to be over 200lbs overweight (yeah thats right. but i "carried it well" )
not saying its like that everywhere in the workplace or society...but it does happen
there is a BIG difference in the way people look at me now that i am not obese anymore. and the way i've been treated and considered by employers. i have been more qualified for certain jobs over the years i KNOW i was passed over for for my size / weight. although better qualified or better suited for the job
fat people are not some "united front" against fit people or complaining about being discriminated against. but it does happen
ever see those studies where the "pretty thin" girl goes for a job with almost little, no, or less qualifications and interviews well...but shows up the next day to interview disguised in a "fat suit" with better education, qualifications, and work experience? well, the much less qualified thin woman would get the job almost every time, or at least get the "call back" for consideration. nothing for the fat woman at all
Hmmm....Well I know one job I did not get because I was young and thin. The person was a women who was fat and shlubby. It cuts both ways. She actually told me that women probably would not want to shop with me and thier husbands!
It all boils down to be who you want to be. Someone is going to have a problem with you no matter what anyway.
Actually, the standard for morbidly obese is a BMI of 40.0 or above. At 6' that would be 295 lbs; at 5'6", 248 lbs; and at 5'0", 205 lbs. 500 lbs even at 6' would translate to a BMI of 67.8.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wicked Felina
I recently saw a cable tv program on obese people in the US.
There are millions (I don't remember the exact #) of obese people in this country; of those millions five million are morbidly obese, i.e. 500+ pounds. If that's not an epidemic, I don't know what is.
In the tv program there was a segment on a man who weighed over 1,000#, and had not stood on his own feet or been outside of his house in over three years. He was a former athlete, but began eating fast-food for his meals. It only took him about seven years to gain this weight, coupled with lack of exercise.
He was admitted to an in-patient hospital program and lost hundreds of pounds over several months. That's extraordinary self-control, isn't it? Eventually, he was taken outside in a wheelchair, and the look on his face was heart-wrenching. Just to be outside, he was almost in tears!
The problem: the show cut back to his family as he was preparing to leave hospital and go home. They were all sitting on the couch, stuffing McDonald's into their faces! Including giving a baby french fries. Clearly this was a typical meal, as none of his children were what one might call thin. They said they 'don't think' about getting as large as their dad. Poor guy, he doesn't stand a chance.
While I agree with stan4, if one is not in a supportive atmosphere and already has trouble with eating and self-control, it must be extremely hard to lose weight. Drugs and alcohol are far more addictive and inherently dangerous than food. Using money to help someone who is sincerely trying to clean up their act is never wasted, imo.
Fast-food, overprocessed food (pretty much everything that's available in most grocery stores) - aka "convenience" foods - are responsible for this epidemic. The whole idea of easy cooking is has made us a fat nation.
Ultimately, we are responsible for our own actions. But it seems to me that in our current culture, putting on weight is a given. I feel compassion for very heavy people who cannot lose weight, but that goes out the window pretty fast when I see them eating desert and fried foods at meals. Grease is not our friend.
Sorry for such a long post and I hope I have not offended anyone here. If one is happy at the weight they are, they good on ya'. And for those who are trying to lose weight and be more healthy, I wish you the very best of luck!
Actually, the standard for morbidly obese is a BMI of 40.0 or above. At 6' that would be 295 lbs; at 5'6", 248 lbs; and at 5'0", 205 lbs. 500 lbs even at 6' would translate to a BMI of 67.8.
BMI is total crap. Any ratings, methods, info, etc. pertaining to BMI is just junk. Anyone who knows anything about health and fitness will NOT use BMI as a tool to measure one's health/fitness level/size/etc. It is just NOT accurate.
Same thing with clothes sizes. People (especially women) cannot just say "Oh I wear a size 8" or "I am a size 5" because everyone knows that sizes are different based on the designer, and, more than likely the person who posts and says "I wear a size 5" is probably just saying that because she has ONE item in her closet that is a 5 with the rest being 16s probably. My wife is 5' 2" and weigh 125 lbs. She wears clothes that are size P, XS, S, and medium. So she can actually say that she's a petite or size medium and be correct.
Inaccurate:
BMI
Clothes sizes
Accurate:
Weight with height listed.
Body fat caliper results AND height AND weight.
Other than that then there is just too much room for error.
This is a fascinating thread. I would like to add my 2 pennies. I can remember back in the sixties when Metrical, the first diet drink, was introduced. There was a commercial showing a lady looking in the mirror frowning and saying to herself that she was putting on a few pounds. Then came the pitch for metrical.
The lady was shown again presumably after a few weeks on Metrical looking in the mirror. This time she has a smile on her face. She is saying to herself something like with Metrical "It will help a size 12 stay a size 12." This stuck in my mind because I was a size 10-12 teenager. They were telling me size 12 was ok and at my height of 5'71/2" at 130 pounds it was but I didn't think so because all of my friends were smaller.
So in 1960 it was ok to be a size 12. Perfectly normal. The goal to which women were told they should aspire. So who changed the rules? Who makes the rules for that matter? Today women are told they should be from 0-6 and not a pound more. I have actually seen size 12 referred to as "plus-size."
I wish I was a size 12 today, unfortunately I had to be on steroids (Prednisone) in my mid forties. After a couple of surgeries and other meds, I gained weight enough to have to wear real plus sizes much higher than 12. The weight gained in this manner is almost impossible to lose. I don't eat junk food or sweets and I don't eat a lot. My diet is a lot healthier that when I was thinner. I take supplements that keep my blood pressure and cholesterol normal and exercise as best I can. But I am still overweight. There are a lot of people in that boat.
Obesity is a complex thing. If losing weight were as easy as many people think, no one would be fat.
They vanity sizers! They 12s of then are today's 6/8s. (and some 4s) Steroids messed up my mothers body for a long time. It just CLUNG to weight for dear life for a year before it relaxed. I think the body going through certain stresses really makes the body cling to weight. Everyone I know that has weight issues has major stress issues too. Even if they don't do food addiction thing. You should try eating right and lifting or some sort of strength training if you can. It takes time. I think people give up too easily too with loss and go back to bad fattening habits. Fattening habits are much easier to do than the non-fattening ones.
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And for those who are trying to lose weight and be more healthy, I wish you the very best of luck!
