"Fat Acceptance" and WLS

I've been a huge fan of fat acceptance for a while and I think of it more as body acceptance. I absolutely love Tess Holliday and think she's pretty amazing. 

I see it more as trying to accept yourself the way you are and trying to get society as a whole to stop treating fat people like **** For me personally I always felt either invisible OR like I was targeted by others as something to mock for how I looked. And that is something that I think needs to change. 

Obviously I chose to have surgery - my reasons were health reasons and I don't want to ever hoist my feelings onto other people. I struggle about how I fit into body acceptance now that I'm technically not plus size, but it's not about me, it's about society as whole IMO. And about how horribly people treat other people based on looks.

I don't know how I'd classify it - political, social justice, etc., I do want it to get bigger though. I know not everyone agrees with that because they feel like it makes it seem healthy to be fat. But at the same time magazines show women who are size 10 as plus size so that completely screws with our perceptions of what is average anyways. I think body acceptance would have helped me feel better about myself A LONG time ago.

I could have written this post.

I feel exactly the same way.  I never want to forget how it felt to be obese -- and that the discrimination is very real.  

 

There was a great "This American Life" called "Tell me I'm fat."  I think that's it, at least.  It's on their web site.  https://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/589/ tell-me-im-fat

I loved the first speaker (Lindy West), the second felt like a cautionary tale, but the third.. the third really spoke to me.  She spoke about the privilege of being just Lane Bryant Fat, versus SMO.  But what really resonated was when she spoke about the Fat Acceptance/HAES movements.  I've been bothered by them, but never able to articulate why, but I think she nailed it.  I've run into people who have bullied and belittled me because I don't accept MY body and weight.  I'm all for people loving themselves and accepting their size and weight and being super happy awesome about who they are.  But if that's not MY choice, if I want to change MY body, that's MY CHOICE.  I've had HAES people try to badger me into "accepting" my body and basically grief me for doing anything to try to improve my health.  Which is ridiculous and completely unacceptable.  

Fat phobia is a horrible thing and I'm even more aware of it now than I was when I was obese because people are unfathomably and astoundingly so much nicer and kinder to me now.  It's mind blowing and disgusting and disheartening and shameful.  But I'd like to change that - not make people feel like crap for self-determining how they feel about their own bodies.  

Yes! Roxanne Gay! I loved that whole episode, but especially her segment. The second one broke my heart, and I'm humbled by how honest she was. 

I love This American Life!! I can't wait to check that episode out - thanks!!

That was a GREAT episode. It made me cry.

It's unfortunate that obesity has become so wide spread in our country. It is the "norm"unfortunately, however, I do not think we should accept it (accepting the people is one thing, accepting a "disease" is another). There is something causing obesity in our country at unprecedenteded rates. I personally think it's something in our food supply (too much sugar, chemicals, etc)....but because "curing" obesity doesn't make people money-finding the reason for obesity is not a priority.

While being obese is unhealthy- again- people should learn to love themselves at any point in their lives. Big, small, fat, tall,.. you only have one life....and it's easier to live when you like yourself.

Scott

I didn't mind that I was fat. I did mind the pain in my knees and feet, my racing heart and my back problems. I did mind that I could not find affordable professional looking clothing. I did mind that people watched me eat.

Now that I'm closer to normal weight (normal for me is 135 to 140), I've really noticed a change in how my opinions are regarded by others. And that bothers me. My opinions and ideas haven't changed, nor has the way I present them other than those same thoughts and ideas are coming out of a thinner person's mouth. I'm no longer dismissed as someone without valid thoughts... as if my inability to control my weight somehow reflected on my ability to be a professional.

I honestly don't think most people are bullies to fat people, but it does cause them to think less of us. It has to do with the perception of our self discipline (or lack thereof).

For myself now, I know how much better I feel and function and so for those I know who are still struggling with their weight, I feel sorry for them. I've found a solution for myself and I can only hope for them that they are able to find one for themselves before it is too late. I hate more than anything, to lose friends to the consequences of obesity (diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, etc).

 

I know I am probably alone in this, and folks please dont jump to conclusions.

Ive always had issues with fat acceptance. And this is comming from a gal who was SMO, never "skinny" till now. And the ideas of fat acceptance or the bbw crowds bother me. The more recent increases in that make me concerned. The average womans waist size is now 37.5" which has risen in the last 2 years from 34.9". So I am now well below average with a 31" waist. Where is the motivation to be healthy? Cause you cant be healthy at everysize. You just cant, I know it all too well!!!

But I think my issue came from I never felt right in my body. Yes we can all say most dont want the fat, but for me it was more along the lines of thoes who feel like they are in the wrong body. Well ok a bit harder to explain, I like my body but disliked the permanent fat suit I was living in. It just felt wrong, I never could accept myself, it had nothing to do with peer or media pressure. It had everything to do with not liking it. And well genetically it didnt make sense either. I was insanely active in sports, course always the biggest but always at the top or near the top in thoes sports against thoes half my weight. While I was "healthy" it wasnt healthy to my body to abuse the **** out of it like that. 

Back to fat acceptance, bbw and the like.... the biggest thing to me how unhealthy it all is. I take everyone for who they are and if thats their choice so be it. I dont try to force anything as unless that person wants to change, it wont happen. But doesnt mean I have to agree with what they are doing, best I can do is be a good example. 

Everyone is built different. Im all for accepting differences, but promoting unhealthy is not acceptable to me. No one needs to be Barbie or the like. A little extra isnt horrible, cause hell I like my men to have a bit of meat on their bones. But health truely needs to come before peer acceptance.