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Really Big Love
Does every fat woman have a story about the date invite that was actually a humiliating joke? What about the one where the fat girl strikes up a conversation with the cute guy at the bar…and he asks for her thin friend’s phone number? I try to remember that meeting a good partner is a challenge for everyone, but it’s hard in the face of these stories not to feel like the show’s producers are conflating “fat women” with “pathetic, sad women” and leaving it at that.
Still, as I started watching the first episode, I could certainly identify with these women’s dating struggles, even as I sat comfortably on the couch next to my husband. The show's creators have tapped into something with this. But then they fall back on stereotypes, yet again.
It’s hard in the face of these stories not to feel like the show’s producers are conflating “fat women” with “pathetic, sad women.”
The women on the show look amazing; great fashion, great hair and makeup. They are all individually gorgeous, even if they don’t look a thing like the mainstream beauty ideal. It feels really great to watch them strut and shine. But…they are all strutting around huge plates of food.
Ask a random person on the street. They’ll tell you that fat people just eat too much—those fatties, with their lack of self-control. So when the camera lingers on Luke taking a bite of a cheeseburger, films him at a backyard BBQ flipping more burgers, I have opinions.
The show is already perpetuating fat stereotypes with its endless closeups on food. It’s already playing into the whole idea that fat people are a joke, a spectacle. Luke likes to eat, he says. Not a crime, by any means, but why, I shake my fist at the sky, why did they have to go there?
There are hulking platters of food and drink at the cocktail party where Luke meets the contestants, along with pseudo-salacious conversation about meat on a stick. A woman asks Luke what his favorite meal is and he says, “Anything thick and juicy.” This sounds to me like the answer of a man who watches BBW porn. Not a crime, but it feels demeaning. Especially for a man who claims he doesn’t have a “type.”
The women all talk to each other, to the camera, and to Luke. They cry during the interviews, a lot—the editing really plays up the desperation in the room.
More to Love is supposed to be positive. The marketing and commercials are full of “you go, girl” lingo, lots and lots of “real women have curves” platitudes (as if thin women somehow aren’t real). But this forced positivity feels awkward, another symptom of the tension this show embodies—and the tension found in most media portraying the fat set.
Is showing plus-size women in prime-time enough to promote understanding? Or do producers have a responsibility to follow through with the idea and create something that doesn’t fall back on cheap clichés?
Edwards Sex Tape Details
Investigative journalist and syndicated columnist Diane Dimond has covered the Michael Jackson story since 1993 when she first broke the news that the King of Pop was under investigation for child molestation. She is author of the book, Be Careful Who You Love—Inside the Michael Jackson Case. She lives in New York with her husband, broadcast journalist Michael Schoen.
John Edwards' Other Women
Investigative journalist and syndicated columnist Diane Dimond has covered the Michael Jackson story since 1993 when she first broke the news that the King of Pop was under investigation for child molestation. She is author of the book, Be Careful Who You Love—Inside the Michael Jackson Case. She lives in New York with her husband, broadcast journalist Michael Schoen.
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sophia5
No. They are not " P H A T. "
They are F A T.
We have an obesity epidemic in this country,
and this show can be directly tied to
the current healthcare system and reform.
Obese people in this country adversely
affect the cost of all of our health care.
It is time to stop giving people a pass
by using politically correct terms such as
"plus-size or full-figured."
Enough already.
You are obese. You are fat.
There is NOTHING healthy about " your lifestyle. "
Overeating is NOT a " lifestyle. "
Nobody forces you to enter that fast food restaurant.
The weak argument that healthy food cost more is bologna.
A bag of frozen vegetables cost far less than high calorie fries.
A glass of water cost less than endless containers
of sugary drinks.
Short of some extreme hormone imbalance,
being obese is not acceptable, and it is NOT a disease.
You can pretend that there is " more to love, "
but if one of the consequences of diabetes is
heart disease, or amputation, there will be " less to love. "
Try a vegetable.
djanimaequeen
Thank you. It's time we wake up and stop satiating our unhealthy habits.
Deichtre
You may be sick of fat people being 'given a pass', but I'm sick of everyone thinking that because I'm overweight, I must be stuffing my face with junk food.
I'm female, 36 years old, and I weigh 200 pounds. I don't, and never have, eaten too much. My friends know this, my family knows this, and my doctor knows this because she's worried I don't eat ENOUGH. Yes, you're reading that right. I have notes posted on the fridge not warning me not to eat, but reminding me TO eat, because I tend to forget.
Oh, and I don't like fast food. Grease and fried stuff make me sick. I don't like artificial sweets. My fridge is full of fruits and vegetables, feel free to try to dig up the bags of potato chips I must be hiding somewhere.
If I get diabetes, it will be because my father and his mother had it and it's in my genes. I sure hope I don't, because I have enough problems with Multiple Sclerosis and Graves' Disease (Hyperthyroidism, yeah, *hyper* doesn't always make you skinny). 'Why am I fat?' has been an unanswered question all my life, and is likely to remain so, if none of my doctors have ever been able to answer. I just am.
I don't know if my story will make you ever question the habits of the next fat person you decide to judge. I am just so tired of people thinking that, if someone isn't skinny, they must be eating too much. There ARE other reasons.
This comment has been removed by The Daily Beast's editors.
njanec
Jezoebel, no one said anything about being "scary skinny." Further, being too thin affects FAR fewer people than does obesity in this country. It's entirely possible that a person be of HEALTHY weight, simply by watching what he or she eats and remaining active. (One's personal "healthy weight
can vary quite a bit, but being obese is never healthy.) The obesity epidemic in this country is the result of lifestyle choices people make. When one talks about an obesity epidemic, this refers to the fact that obesity rates have DOUBLED in the US over the past 20 years. I am of course excluding rare genetic conditions, beyond one's control, that make it extremely difficult for to control one's weight. By and large, the obese are people who have the ability to make better choices and improve their health. Certainly, these people should not be ridiculed or considered lazy and lacking in self control. In fact, it is possible to recognize obesity as problem and educate people so that they can make better choices, without ridiculing and shaming them. I'm well aware that not everyone can be skinny, or even trim, but most people in this country could benefit from a bit of exercise and some vegetables. You should certainly love yourself for who you are, at whatever size you are, but you should also love yourself enough to care about your health! And if you think being overweight or obese does not aversely affect your health, then I suggest you have a chat with your doctor...
(And before you accuse me of being a self-hating "former fattie," I'll let you know that I have been an active, healthy-eater all my life, and have managed to stay in shape without shoving my fingers down my throat.)
sophia5
@jezoebel
Never had any obesity or anorexia issues,
both of which could be related to a lack of self esteem.
You commented
"we're here, we're fat, get used to it."
Keep up a fat lifestyle,
and obese people WON'T BE HERE FOR LONG.
I feel sorry for people in denial,
and I feel sorry for me and everyone else
who will pay for others' irresponsible behavior,
potential heart disease, potential diabetes
which could potentially lead to amputation.
It's all about moderation.
sockogrrl7
You know what, Sophia...you have NO BUSINESS making such generalizations about the overweight. Let me educate you on a few things:
1. I am a vegetarian.
2. I work out 3-5 times a week, strenuously (running or swimming).
3. The only health problem I have are allergies to ragweed and poison ivy. It's the ONLY reason I go to the doctor, and that is rare.
4. I have normal blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol.
5. I can't even remember the last time I went to a fast food restaurant other than Subway.
6. I don't drink coffee or tea, and I NEVER drink pop.
7. I don't eat anything with Aspartame in it.
Yet, I am 5'4'' and weigh 226 lbs. I am "Morbidly Obese", but I'm willing to bet that I'm probably healthier than you are. Your diatribe is a chock full of assumptions, stereotypes, and other untruths. YES, there are overweight people as you describe. But there are also those who do everything they can to be healthy and fit. I will never be "thin"...but I am healthy! I am NOT a drain on our health system, but by your flawed assumptions, I am. Face it, it's easier to generalize all of us "Fatties" in one lump than to face the fact that there a numerous ways to be unhealthy. In fact, I just read today that tanning beds give you cancer. Stop lumping everyone into your flawed reasoning!
BearlyLegal
Sophia, you are a hateful, despicable individual.
1) Healthcare: Obesity is positively linked to expensive health care, but so are smoking (positively correlated with thinness), drug use (positively correlated with thinness, and sports injuries (positively correlated with thinness). Thin people also live much longer than fat people, and healthcare costs rise dramatically with age - the costs of hospitalization, long term care and medicine for your bony body when you are 95 years old will dwarf the costs of diabetes treatment for a fat woman who dies at 65. The healthcare argument is an absurd red herring. THIN people are a bigger drain on our healthcare resouces than fat people.
2) You are a bigot of the highest order. Experiments on animals clearly indicate that obesity is a direct product of genetic predisposition. Most fat people HATE being fat, and would do anything to stop being fat. They cannot defeat their genes. Do you spew hate at black people for being born black? If not, then why do you spew hate at fat people for being born with a greater quantity of fat cells, a slower metabolic rate, or a greater physiological propensity for hunger?
3) What gives YOU the right to say that being obese is unacceptable? Judge not lest ye be judged yourself, you bigot.
sannanina
Here we go again. Look, you probably won't believe me or the other fat vegetarian who replied below, but I am very fat and still have been a vegetarian for 15 years. And I do not live on vegetrian fast food either - I eat fruits and veggies every single meal, I drink unsweatened tea and water and I don't like fries very much. Plus, I exercise. I have some unhealthy habits too, but I am pretty sure you do as well.
In addition - my risk factors for disease are none, I repeat NONE of your business. I do agree with campaigns that encourage people to live more healthy (and note, that's not the same than being thin), but that still does not mean you have a right to judge the people that don't follow the advice given to the letter. And "stopping" to give people a pass for being fat? Where the hell do you live? Actually, I was bullied because of my weight since elementary school; and when I was in middle school it got so bad that I was afraid of going. Some people STILL find it okay to call me names on the street - not to mention that they assume I must be stupid (I have two university degrees and I belonged to the best of my class both times), lazy (well, I am smart, but I still had to work for those degrees), dirty (I know quite well how to take a shower and how to brush my teeth, thank you very much), and without self-control (to paraphrase a quote I have read once consider that I have not yet attacked anyone who insulted me).
jezoebel
Sohpie5, my relatives on both sides of my family lived till their 80s and 90s, none of whom were skinny. And the few skinny ones in our family died young. And it's not denial. It's called ACCEPTANCE. You might want to practice some. Oh, wait, you don't accept anyone that's not a size zero. Enjoy your cancer stick and tofu.
tinatina
Totally agree. I don't want to pay for anybody's horrible choices--whether it's smoking, drugs or overeating.
biancabriggs
We probably shouldn't be surprised that FOX is behind the show as it's likely that the other networks (wisely) chose to pass on this thinly-veiled attempt to reach "real" people. Must every one of the women have cried during their introductory interviews? Was there no way to find 25 confident, accomplished, unapologetic, self-aware contestants? When dismissed after 30-second meetings with the bachelor, why did they all have to weep that they had to "go back to my real life" as if some amazing romance had transpired? But, most glaring and disturbing of all: I didn't need or want the women's weight prominently featured EVERY time she appeared on-screen. I'm smart enough to figure out that these are larger women, but would we ever feature men with a graphic reinforcement of their deficits or challenges? Can you imagine a show that reveals that a man has ED and he's forced to take Viagra? Absolutely, positively not. Remind me of her name, her age, her hometown, but her weight? Come on!
What's most troubling is that these women went along with the show's producers and submitted to participating in the farce. We can shoot the messenger, but our collective obsession with being on TV and becoming famous has consequences, not the least of which is these (allegedly) happy women sobbing on-screen about how tough it is in the dating world and contributing to the perception that no one can get to who they really are because of fat bias. Despite declarations about being "big and loving it," the biggest contradiction of all was the contestant who said "would I be happier if I were 50 pounds lighter? Yes, I would." Puh-lease. If I were a fat woman, I'd be pissed off at my large and lovely sisters. They agreed to make themselves lambs for the slaughter, only this time, they didn't have to be fattened up before being sent to the chopping block. I know of what I speak...I'm single, not a BBW, and dating still sucks!
kscr14
All I see in the photo is a group of beautiful women. It is about time this kind of reality became a reality show.
DarkEye
Yeah! A reality Joke.
LiamSherborn
While beauty is in the eye of the beholder, these are not "curvy" women. These people are morbidly obese - most over 50 pounds overweight. Now, c'mon, that's not any better an example to our nation than models who look like heroine addicts. What's more, in both cases, the women are being reduced to what they look like. Not a proud moment for the advancement of women.
artois
So long as you're trying to force me to pay for your health care...then you can be certain that you being fat and affecting my pocketbook is my "damn business"...
dreaday19
Public or private, you ARE paying for the health care of obese people. Insurance companies cover fat people too.
artois
You're 100% right !!! But at least it's a choice I've made...To the extent an insurer (subject to market forces) chooses to insure them - they can make the necessary adjustments to their policies and/or premiums. The theory being that insurers who fail to make those adjustments price themselves out of the market...
bobdow
if they drag out a "skinny" girl half way through the season to "shake things up" don't be surprised. I had high hopes for this show and instead it's barely above the maturity level of an MTV or VH1 show.
sophia5
bobdow
Hilarious. Excellent call bobdow. You're probably right.
They're going to bring out a bunch of skinnys
in the middle of the series, and we'll all find out
how much the guy really likes the fattys.
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liviapeacock
The ladies are pretty but here's my beef with the whole fat situation.
I eat lunch every day with overweight men and women in their 30s and 40s. I watch what I eat, am a size 4 and work damn hard at it. I'm also over 40.
My fat colleagues continuously make fun of me, the food I eat, my attention to my health and my self control. Each of these people are on anti depressives, and/or anti anxiety medications because they are unhappy. They do not exercise or make any effort to take control of their unhappiness or their weight. They eat ice cream and cookies at lunch and then complain about how fat they are. They take the elevator and roll their eyes when I take the stairs.
I have never said anything to them about their food choices or lifestyle choices, why do they feel it is politically and socially correct to comment on mine? BECAUSE I AM THIN.
So, what sympathies I used to have for overweight people have diminished. Now I just wish they would get up off their fat asses and help themselves and stop judging me.
djanimaequeen
I understand your situation. Though I am naturally thin, I resent that it's okay for overweight people to taunt and tease me about my eating habits or accuse me of having a eating disorder but if I did the same thing I'm fat bashing. I understand that misery loves company but we need some tough love. My being skinny doesn't effect the heathcare costs of others like being overweight does. It's time we realize that it's not cool to be fat and that marketing to people with unhealthy habits is counterproductive. If you're fat and proud, then you need to pay for it and stay out of my pocket!
pezmanifesto
haha this is funny i agree there a few overweight guys who work with me and their always saying how they wished that they could have my metabolism for a day but what they dont understand is that when you work our 8-9 times a week you can eat whatever you want especially if most is good for you its annoying
sannanina
1.) Concerning health care - it is not at all proven that fat people have higher health care costs during their lifetime than thin people (there was a Dutch study some time ago that suggested otherwise, for example - they argued that people you live longest cause the highest healthcare costs over their lifetime):
2.) I agree with you that thin people should not be judged on their body type by fat people.
JohnnyBeagle
Fat people eat too much. They are wasting our world's resources and taxing the planet to feed their abuse of food. They are direct contributors to global warming, famine in parts of the world, and soaring food costs in poor countries. Sure, not every fat person is a glutton. There is a tiny fraction of people who are fat because of a medical imbalance that is difficult to manage - but the huge majority of fat people are fat because they are lazy and selfish.
There. I said it.
I am 54 years old. I have asthma and a bad knee. I have more than a few excuses to not exercise and just eat & sit on the sofa. I love to eat potato chips, drink beer and eat ice cream - but I do so in moderation. I walk at least three miles every day, put about 3,000 miles on a bike each year, and maintain a body weight that is about the same as the day I graduated from high school.
LexieDi
Wow... It's really sad to think that a person of your age could be such a mindless media drone. 54 years old? Really? One would think that you could do your own research by now. Many studies that say such things as you've described are funded by the 40 billion dollar a year weight loss industry. That's billion... with a B.
Do you honestly believe that a fat person is to blame for loss of resources? Loss of food? Even when tons of foodstuffs are being thrown away each day? Even then, it's all the fault of a person who happens to have more fat cells than the media says he or she should have?
And fat people are the cause of global warming? Do you know how idiotic that sounds? It's preposterous! Why, might I ask, am I the reason for global warming? Because I BREATHE? Well, excuse me for living, dear sir. Allow me to hold my breath a little more often.
And of course it's not war or dictatorship that is causing innocent people to starve in poor countries... it's the fat people. Damn me for having to eat to survive (and breathe for that matter).
Here's where I'll end my sarcasm.
Sir, with as much respect as I can muster, please, I beg of you, take time to read many studies... not just the ones that say fat people are the last sign of the apocalypse. You will see that there are many, many just as relevant scientific studies that show weight to be healthy, especially as you get older.
Don't you realize that if you replaced "fat people" with "blacks" or "Jews" you'd be called a racist... This type of hate and persecution is wrong.
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sannanina
If you are so concerned about health, maybe you should stop endorsing a show that promotes pretty much the unhealthiest way to lose weight than exists - namely The Biggest Loser. Fast weight loss through drastic calorie reduction and exercising until you drop is NOT healthy. Plus, I recommend doing some research - most people that were on The Biggest Loser regained weightb (not to talk about that some lost weight through some additional very dangerous methods like limiting fluid intake).
LexieDi
Fat Acceptance has nothing to do with accepting health problems. Fat Acceptance activists usually advocate HAES meaning Health At Every Size. Most fat activists support eating well and exercising often and being as healthy as you can be even if you are fat. It's a misconception that if you eat right and exercise that you will be thin. Not everyone works that way. Also, thinness does not automatically equal health.
I think you misunderstand the title of the movement. The Fat Acceptance Movement is just a more specific branch of the Body Acceptance Movement which fights for the right for everyone to love their body short, tall, fat, thin, able-bodied, not, etc.
judyjetson
Although each person bears a certain responsibility for their weight, you cannot decide everyone should be one size. People have difficulty maintaining a healthy weight for many reasons. We can't all afford personal trainers or have the time to work out daily to keep a sveldt figure. Sometimes we just do the best we can. Controlling our food intake is a lot different from controlling other "addictions". You can live without smoking. You can live without drinking alcohol. You cannot live without food. The temptation to eat and overeat is always there. The more you weigh, the harder it is to exercise. It is a viscious cycle. You think that when you lose weight, it will be easier to exercise. But losing weight is difficult until you are exercising!
I ask that the skinny people of the world be a bit more forgiving of those who are plus-sized. They would love to be skinnier, but it isn't something you can just switch on and off. Even those who lose weight through surgical procedures are hard-wired to gain it back if they are not monitored carefully. The majority of the world can't afford that kind of help.
If fat people make comments about those who are skinny, it is jealousy, for sure. We'd all love to be the person who wears a size 4. As it is, some of us as we get older settle for size "healthy".
I'll never wear a 4 again, but my blood pressure is lower than average, my cholesterol is good, and I try to get as much activity into my life as I can. My grandfather lived to be 97 years old, my grandmother is still alive at 101. My odds are good. I try to eat a healthy diet with plenty of vegetables and fruit, and few, if any desserts.
I've been single for 17 years now, and that's okay. I'd rather do everything myself and show my daughter that it is okay to go it alone than to moan and groan about not having a man and end up going from relationship to relationship trying to find a "knight in shinning armor" to save me from a life of loneliness. There are MUCH worse things than being alone.
Not being accepted for who and what you are is the worst.
valleygirl
You don't have to hire a trainer or beat yourself up in aerobics class every day to stay in shape. I'm 5'2", weighing in at 102...and over 50. I paid $85 for a bike and helmet at Walmart and $40 for a pair of cross trainers. Between walking, riding my bike and eating right (cut those carbs and fat, lose the sugar, etc) I've maintained my weight. Total cost, other than the regular cost of food: $125. I think most people can afford that if they really want to get into shape.
Plus, did anybody notice that "Luke' is quite a porker himself? Were they afraid to have the bachelor weigh 175 instead of over 300? There are a whole lotta men out there who are not overweight and who like their women on the "chunky" side. Why not choose one of them for the bachelor? THAT would have made a statement. Instead they played it safe. FOX is just shameless enough to do a show like this. Sad.
LexieDi
A "porker"? That's a very offensive and hurtful statement. Fat people are, indeed, human and should not be compared to animals. That's very rude. And though, I don't think that you meant to be so hurtful, I just wanted to let you know that fat people who love their bodies the way they are and are fat activists are fine being called fat. Cutesy, animal-like nicknames are often used to keep from being offensive but they often are more offensive than just the term "fat." ^_^
sanagelosia
i agree with you on mostly everything you've said so far, except the "we'd all love to be the person who wears a size 4." i am happy with my child bearing hips pre-child.
Buffpuff
I love the way the sanctimonious fat-loathers on this thread are blithely ignoring both the contents of article and the premise of the show to simply regurgitate a load of ignorant, prejudiced claptrap. Actually I'm lying; I find it tedious in the extreme.
jollyrench12989
It's unfair to say that these big women have it bad and that they're being exploited. Most people have insecurities about how they look, the gym is full of them. Every time I go, I see ripped guys constantly checking themselves in the mirror and hot women obsessing over their weight. Hell, even Megan Fox says she's insecure. As much as you think its insulting/unauthentic/cliche to show the overweight women joking about spanx, the truth is that skinny women are talking about how they can look skinnier in them too.
knockoutx
This is the first DB article I've seen where the author neglected to post her photo. Interesting....
Monjaloca
What do you mean? Her picture is posted.
sannanina
Her photo is on the left side of the article. Plus, Marianne has plenty of photos (yes, also photos that show her whole body) on her blog.
kscr14
A plus size girl can be six feet tall and trust me she will never fit in normal size clothing.Once again, you cannot lump everyone into the fat and not eating right story.
Girls that are prone to anorexia start the cycle hearing words like I read above.
Rdschenkel
I'm all for acceptance, but over-indulgent behavior such as excessive eating, drinking, etc, should not be presented as an acceptable alternative lifestyle for our children.
Forestroad
And yet starving yourself skinny is presented as an acceptable lifestyle. Why are you so sure that this is a problem of "overindulgent behavior"? Maybe it's a problem with agricultural subsidies that promote the production of corn and soy, moreover corn and soy monocultures with reduced nutritional value, so that we have to eat twice as many calories to get the same nutritional value we would have gotten eating whole foods before WWII? Did you know that you'd have to eat 3 apples today to get the same amount of iron in a 1940 apple?
Or maybe it's a problem of society shaming fat people into over-eating or unsustainable diets.
Or maybe the anti-depressants apparently all fat people are on are making them fat.
Or maybe it really is noyb. Skinny nascar drivers, stunt technicians, coal miners, models, plastics factory workers, all drive up our health care costs too.
Jessica150
@Forestroad--YOU ARE SO RIGHT to address the reasons behind the obesity epidemic--our food supply is seriously defective.
The industrialization of agriculture has left us with "food" that severely impacts our health, in a very negative way. Do you really think that such a HUGE percentage of our population has suddenly decided to eat so much that they waddle down the street?
Or is it more likely that a systemic change in our food supply has taken place over the last couple of generations that has caused obesity in a large percentage of the population?
Many people who are thin seem to enjoy the high and mighty position, raining criticism on those who have gained weight, but what about the people who have gotten fat following the government's "health" recommendations? Low fat? BAD IDEA.
This is such a complex societal issue--for those who want to really learn what is going on, read books by Michael Pollan (Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food), or watch Food, Inc, or King Korn. Eye opening, to say the least.
hithere3
actually, it isn't. it's glamorized to some extent, but that's not the same thing as presenting it as an "acceptable lifestyle."
more importantly, skinny people incur less of a cost -- literally -- than fat people do to society.
i agree to some extent with jessica's comments, and applaud her for mentioning michael pollan, who eloquently and succinctly argues for switching u.s. subsidies from corn to carrots.
but fat people are not in any absolved of their responsibility for being fat.
"i'm ok, you're ok" is over. deal with it.
Jessica150
@hithere3: What about kids? Are they somehow responsible for being obese at 8? 10? 12 years old?
I think that if you're an adult and you know what you need to do to lose weight and you choose not to, then that's certainly on you. But do you blame small children? And as they grow up, at what point do they become "responsible" for reversing something that they had no control over?
hithere3
jessica,
no. the kids' (almost assuredly fat) parents are. my comment was intended for adults only.
what's all the more tragic is that the kids' eating habits at that age are shown to be psychosocially ingrained, so if later in life, they decide to lose weight and live healthier lives, it will be all-the-more difficult.
you know what i love to see, especially in the fat state i live in? fat parents with healthy-weight kids. it's just as heart-warming a thing as kind words from strangers.
sannanina
Well, than how about not showing fat people eating all the time on TV? I am fat, I happen to do a lot of other things than eating.
caliban
There are very few people who are fat due to genetics. Now, I don't mean fat by weight alone; I mean fat by inactivity and general overall dis-ease. You can be 225 pounds and be in shape, athletic, and at ease with yourself. The simple chocie is to stop eating so much bad food and eat better food. Filling up on almonds is better than french fries. Or gorge yourself on salad or yogurt or veggies. Just don't sit there and tell me you are fat and can't help it. I shudder to think we are encouraging obesity.
scott1607
I'm all for accepting the reality that not everyone is the same size or shape, but c'mon, there is a difference between "not a size 4" and fat. Fat is not healthy, end of story. And given that no matter what kind of insurance we end up having, public or private, we will always end up subsidizing in some way the less than healthy. I don't want my money wasted on diabetes, heart attacks, etc. that could have been avoided if some self-control had been exercised.
JDK-JDK
Those considered 'overweight' live longest. Skinny people live the shortest amount of time... on average.
Not talking 'obese'.
pezmanifesto
but you are talking famished in shape people live the longest whether their thick or toned doesnt matter
politico83
That isn't true. The longest life span goes to those who live their lives on a reduced calorie diet (around 14-1500 calories a day) not the overweight and certainly not the obese. I don't know where you are getting your statistics.
Here is a NYT article on calorie restriction http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/31/health/nutrition/31agin.html
In shape people with low calorie diets have the longest life span by far. Feel free to continue making things up to counteract the plethora of research that shows fat is negatively correlated with health.
JDK-JDK
@politico
http://longevity.about.com/od/lifelongnutrition/a/overweight.htm (with sources)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4468001.stm
http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20090625/study-overweight-people-live-lon ger
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/06/24/overweight_live_longer/
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.c7aaeb7940626693fa418a1eab22 91f6.81&show_article=1
http://blogs.chron.com/sciguy/archives/2009/06/new_study_finds_that_over weight_people_live_longer.html
http://blog.oregonlive.com/oregonianeditors/2009/07/underweight_or_overw eight_good.html
http://newsroom.blogs.cnn.com/2009/06/29/study-being-overweight-helps-yo u-live-longer/
http://www.oregonlive.com/health/index.ssf/2009/06/portland_researchers_ find_slig.html
JDK-JDK
@pol
You're full of shit, dude.
scott1607
Hmm, I think there is a qualifier you left out and that's "moderately." I have no problem with moderately overweight people nor do I care how long they live. It's the truly fat ones who end up being diabetic, have heart and various other health issues that end up being subsidized by everyone else -- it's those lardbutts I have issues with. I mean lardbutts in the nicest possible way.
Monjaloca
Calorie restriction has been shown to extend life--in laboratory animals. We are not laboratory animals. We are highly evolved creatures who have to perform complex functions to survive. There is absolutely no proof that calorie restriction produces the same results in human beings.
LexieDi
Actually, diabetes (of the type 2 variety) is linked more to genes than to weight.
And no, you don't mean "lardbutts" in the nicest way possible. You're objectifying fat people by taking the term "people" out of your language by using such offensive terms. You're ignorant and a bigot.
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