Question:
Anyone else wish these t-shirts didn't have the word
I just went to buy a few t-shirts, but got stuck on the prevalent "Obesity.com" statement. Maybe when I'm at goal I will feel differently. Anyone else have an interest or idea for getting a t-shirt made that doesn't scream "obesity"? Why can't this web site be shrinking.com or something more friendly? Is it me? — Karen F. (posted on June 10, 2002)
June 10, 2002
I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL I HATE THE WORD MORBID OBESITY ,I WISH THEY WOULD CALL
IT SOMETHING ELSE TOO. NANCY M.
— NANCY M.
June 10, 2002
I dont like it either. I kinda feel like I'd be wearing a big flag saying
- look at me... look at me!!! No one likes someone who toots their own
horn... I would love to help someone out there learn about this surgery -
but on a 1 on 1 basis... not by wearing a t-shirt with 'Obesity' written on
it.
— Valerie H.
June 10, 2002
Hello! This is a good question. Morbidly Obese is what we are.. we aren't
'hefty, fluffy, pleasingly plump, well cushioned or pudgy'- those terms,
while cute and a way for others to attempt to speak of our obesity without
being offensive, are not the true medical term for us is morbidly obese.
It's scary term isn't it? MORBID as in dead, death..(that which can kill,
or that which speaks of death) OBESITY.. which to me brings to mind the
words gargantuan and humungous... certainly not words I would like to use
to classify myself.
Morbidly Obese.. I was shocked the first time I saw those words in my
medical records.. and I fought like a madwoman to wipe it out of my memory,
but I could not.. I had to accept it. I am not by ANY means, saying anyone
else reading this has NOT accepted their obesity, so please don't prep the
wet noodle *G*.
I guess my point is that so many of us have been medically classified as
morbidly obese, so many of us fighting for these life saving surgeries who
need to see those words on letters from our doctors to our insurance
companies.. those two words that to me almost translate as MEDICALLY
NECESSARY. We're obese, morbidly so. This website helps us find a way to
end the battle.. obesity help. My humble opinion.. don't change a thing.
Thanks for the chance to share my opinion! ~Peace
— Joscelin
June 10, 2002
I have never liked the word obese. I would rather be called fat than obese!
— Deb H.
June 10, 2002
I understand that having obesityhelp.com or whatever it says on the shirts
is to promote this site. However, I also feel that I would not wear one.
I have dealt with the sneers, snickering, comments, etc. all my adult life
and I would not buy a shirt with the name of this site on it. I love the
site, don't get me wrong, but to me I might as well wear a shirt to the
mall saying "fatcow.com" and waiting for the barrage of giggles,
pointing and the same old harrassment that I am trying to avoid and get
over.
A previous poster mentioned seeing the word "obese" in their
medical records. I know the feeling. I also know the feeling of having
serious back problems. Lumbar arthritis, stenosis (narrowing of the spinal
column), degenerative disc disease. These terms I am familiar with. One
of my last visits I also peeked at my charts while waiting for my doctor to
come in. LORDOSIS. ??? Didn't want to ask but looked it up when I got
home. Know what it is? It is back pain which is made worse due to the fat
hanging from your belly. I am not joking.
So the medical community needs to describe our unsightly and unhealthy
conditions and use medical terminology to camouflage the common reality.
Can you imagine a doctor putting in your chart that on top of all of your
SERIOUS BACK PROBLEMS you also suffer from LORDOSIS? Put that on a
t-shirt.
— Jodi C.
June 10, 2002
I haven't bought the t-shirts for the exact same reasons. So what if
that's what we are ~ if we thought on that on a broader spectrum we'd have
all sorts of slogan's, such as: ugly large nose planted on my face.com or
woman with too large of head.com , fake boobies R US. com or how about that
great one - man with small pee-pee.com ~ some things are better left
unsaid. I would love to promote the website with t-shirts & whatnot
but yes - I think you said it the best - a bit more 'friendly'. :)
— Lisa J.
June 10, 2002
i agree 100%. i would love to buy the shirts, but i'm fat, plain and simple
and i don't need a shirt telling people i'm fat...
— candymom64
June 10, 2002
Me too!! I hate the thought of wearing the "truth" as some like
to call it. LOL You know what? The Truth hurts (unfortunately). There is
just no way I would be willing to put a dang label on my big fat belly!
LOL The thing is, I understand that they may be trying to plug the site,
but there has got to be a better way. If you think about it the site could
sell shirts just to support the site and it would still be benefical y'know
what i mean? If we bought shirts to aid the site they could say just about
anything.... Does this make sense? The site does need to make $ to support
itself, but I do not necessarily think us fat folks being billboards is
quite the right answer. I would not mind sending in donations to keep this
cool site going, and I would do that wayyyyyyy before I wouuld stick a
shirt on my hide that said Obesity.... Sorry, but it is truth too! Just my
2,no probably 5 cents worth!
— [Deactivated Member]
June 10, 2002
LJ, I just had to tell you that you started my morning off with laughter!
Thanks you!:~)
— Cheri M.
June 10, 2002
Good Point. Although I don't mind it as much anymore that I'm closer to
goal...I still dislike the word and even cringe a bit telling people to go
to obesityhelp.com fearing the name will make them hesitate to come here.
This is a wonderful resource...but I think people ARE put off by the name
and hesitate to buy the shirts for the same reason.
It DOES remind me of why I don't care for the word obese. An old story of
my grandma, mom and aunt (who was larger than the other two...but they all
had a weight problem). The dr looked at my mom and said "You're
overweight" At my grandmother: "You're overweight" And to my
aunt said "You are obese". On the way home, my aunt was highly
offended and said "He was mean. He said you two were overweight and
he called ME a BEAST!" Maybe that's why I don't care for that word
;) hehe
— Nicole P.
June 11, 2002
I also agree with you and all the others. I like some of the catchy
phrases on the T-shirts but would like the URL to be minimized. If the
catchy phrases caught someone's attention they might ask a question or even
strike up a conversation at which time I would be able to put in a plug for
Obesityhelp.com.
Perhaps our responses will help bring about a slight change in the
T-shirts.
— Lynn E.
June 11, 2002
I posted earlier and I was just thinking of alternatives to the
obesityhelp.com placement on the t-shirts. Why not AMOS? I wouldn't mind
having a shirt that promoted AMOS. If people wanted to ask what AMOS stood
for I could choose to answer or not depending on the person asking. Here I
am an adult and I am still trying to avoid the bullies/jokesters. Pretty
sad that our society allows, enocurages, accepts this in the form of
comedy. Don't get me started! (That's another reason I boycott Martin
Short. I think his show is one of the coldest forms of fat-bashing I have
ever seen.) In my honest opinion, making fun of or ridiculing the heavy
and overweight in our country is the last discrimation allowed and
considered acceptable and comedic. It is not about being "politically
correct". It is about being humane.
— Jodi C.
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