This American Family - #589 - Tell me I'm fat

This is available as a podcast or from the web site http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives.

I was surprised they didn't touch on WLS but so many other things touched me that I thought I would pass it on.
The first part is your typical "embrace the fact that you are fat" and I almost stopped there but even that I thought

about how many of us - even after losing a ton of weight - are still at least a little heavy or still think we are. So while
I think it is the wrong attitude there may be some lessons for some of us.

It brought up many of the things that bothered me pre-op and while no happy to relive those moments it is still a 
good indication of how far I've come. I think those stories (like the whole thing about chairs) will always be with me.

I wanted to reach through the radio and tell the last person about the DS. Such a familiar story and why oh why
can't people consider this a viable option earlier in their lives. 

Anyway - enjoy. Definitely thought provoking.

Pete

I just finished listening to this podcast when I signed onto OH to see your post. It was brought to my attention by a therapist friend. 

The point of being invisible, yet highly visible at the same time really hit home for me.

The woman who made it a game of trying to get free food at the deli after losing weight was so foreign to me. If that had happened to me as a heavy person, I would have been filled with shame around not having money, especially as I was trying to buy food as a fat person. If it was to happen now, I would have a twinge of shame (more like embarassment now) around not having money but would simply choose to leave something behind.

What struck me was virtually all these women's observations and experiences were so familiar to me, even though I am considerably older. I was involved in the size acceptance movement for more than 25 years, yet these experiences are still so prevalent.

I also liked the gradations of fat description by one of the women, ie: "Lane Bryant fat". I spent much of my life being far too large to fit into any commercially available clothing.

In Canada, when I was growing up , we didn't have any plus size stores at the time. My American friends, at least had Lane Bryant to shop at growing up (if they were still in their size range). This is why I learned to sew and design clothes at a young age and always prided myself on my wardrobe.

It is definitely worth a listen. Thanks for bringing to our attention.

Tricia 

I sometimes find that observations between genders don't always line up but most of thi**** home for me. My Mom was a "lane Bryant" size for most of my life so I get the comparison. When i was a kid there was one specialty store that handled big clothes. Life at least got a little easier when the big and tall stores got more numerous.

I totally get your feelings about buying food, not only for not having money but just on food choices. I could have all kinds of salad stuff but adding cookies was sometimes just embarassing. A little silly since no one was really paying attention except me, at least most of the time.

I thought the women doing the food experiment was really interesting. It is always an interest to me just what subconscious advantages people get just because of their looks. Kind of like the studies that tall people are perceived as having more of a commanding presence.

Pete