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[GungHo]

There are people who drink too much alcohol. Should we also not persecute these people with destructive habits?

If they get on the road or start hassling the general public, you bet. If they're just drinking themselves to oblivion at home, it's their life to toss away.

If some fat guy runs down the street and beats someone with their $5 footlong, then we'll address that then. Otherwise, just mind your own business.

 

[fuzzfac]

The US should introduce a fat tax like Hungary have recently.

To be fair, there are a small fraction of obese people who have no control over their metabolism, have thyroid problems, etc. These people get progressively worse over time and need all the support they can, unlike those who eat themselves to death and end up being a burden on Universal Healthcare systems and use up much-needed resources, such as hospital beds.

 

[Akkad]

If you want to actually do something about obesity, pursue solutions, don't harass people who are obese. It just makes you an asshole.

Because talking shit and putting people down is easier. That's why some people will say I'll support this and that without doing anything to show that support.

 

[marrec]

Just in case there was ambiguity, I wasn't calling you or anyone specifically out with that comment.

Yep, I wanted to provide a little personal context to what you were saying though. I have VERY little sympathy for people who are hugely overweight because I've been on both sides. Just like I have very little sympathy for smokers who claim they can't quit.

The winning cocktail is motivation + education + support. Some people can get all of those things from themselves, many can't.

Personally I think the most important factor is education.

Education is extremely important, especially when it comes to the sweeping lifestyle changes that are required. I used to drink two 32oz sodas a day without a second thought because I honestly had no idea they were THAT bad for me.

 

[Opiate]

I used to be obese and worked to lose a lot of weight. I work hard everyday to keep a healthy lifestyle and I think everyone is capable of doing it if they have the proper motivation.

I also think virtually everyone is capable of getting straight A's if they work extremely hard, and I think everyone could move themselves far up the corporate ladder if they applied themselves to their jobs.

That is not sarcastic. Your position reminds me of my girlfriend's father, who was born in to poverty, left his home at 16 to work on an oil rig, and through intense hard work now makes ~300k per year. He is incapable of understanding why other people aren't able to pull themselves up professionally like he did.

 

[jaxword]

In fact, for some obese people, it's as hard for them to be thin as it is for a gay man to 'be' straight.

Go on.

 

[Red]

You also realize that you probably did what you are programmed to do: Eat what tastes good, and eat until you are full. It's harder work for some people then others. For some, it's the hardest thing you can imagine. So, using terms like "Lardass" is unfair. Not only that, it is indicative of a trashy upbringing and latent sociopathic tendencies. In fact, for some obese people, it's as hard for them to be thin as it is for a gay man to 'be' straight.

The goal doesn't have to be 'be thin,' just 'not be obese.'

Plus you are still wrong: at worst, an obese person can undergo fat removal surgery. A gay person can not have gay removal surgery.

 

[jmdajr]

I also think virtually everyone is capable of getting straight A's if they work extremely hard, and I think everyone could move themselves far up the corporate ladder if they applied themselves to their jobs.

That is not sarcastic.

The diet industry makes millions selling short cuts to losing weight. But you are right there is no short cut. It takes hard work, like with so many other things.

 

[.GqueB.]

I used to be obese and worked to lose a lot of weight. I work hard everyday to keep a healthy lifestyle and I think everyone is capable of doing it if they have the proper motivation.

Sometimes a healthy lifestyle is out of reach for people. It's not THAT easy.

 

[marrec]

I also think virtually everyone is capable of getting straight A's if they work extremely hard, and I think everyone could move themselves far up the corporate ladder if they applied themselves to their jobs.

That is not sarcastic.

OMG that was a quick edit.

Yes, I agree with both of these sentiments. I am a college drop out who is now making 60k+ a year and working my way up the corporate ladder rather quickly. Motivation and dedication are powerful.

You also realize that you probably did what you are programmed to do: Eat what tastes good, and eat until you are full. It's harder work for some people then others. For some, it's the hardest thing you can imagine. So, using terms like "Lardass" is unfair. Not only that, it is indicative of a trashy upbringing and latent sociopathic tendencies. In fact, for some obese people, it's as hard for them to be thin as it is for a gay man to 'be' straight.

Using hurtful terms is always going to be unfair to anyone. I'm not advocating that everyone run around laughing at fat people, but at the same time I cannot make that 'discrimination' connection in my head. The very large majority of overweight people have every opportunity to improve themselves.

The very large majority of homosexual people have no choice in the matter.

Sometimes a healthy lifestyle is out of reach for people. It's not THAT easy.

Food deserts are a real problem in urban environments and there should be an effort nationwide to provide education and resources to these areas so that families don't buy 10 dollars worth of Double Cheeseburgers and call it dinner.

 

[marrec]

Double, sorry.

 

[Steve Youngblood]

Plus you are still wrong: at worst, an obese person can undergo fat removal surgery. A gay person can not have gay removal surgery.

But what about those religious reorientation programs? Don't those have a phenomenal track record?

 

[scy]

Telling fat people they ought to be thin is about as helpful as telling gay people they should be straight.

Just ... wait ... what.

I think I need someone to explain to me how this train of thought works.

 

[Etrian Oddity]

You also realize that you probably did what you are programmed to do: Eat what tastes good, and eat until you are full.

Except this is not a universal tenet. There are many societies where they eat merely to sustain themselves. Americans absolutely stuff their gullets and bellies with as much food and drink as physically possible. Just take a look at McDonalds and other chains' sizes in other countries compared to ours.

Obesity is nowhere near homosexuality, and anyone who thinks so is an absolute fool. One has direct, adverse effects on your health and is a product of lack of willpower. It's a product of laziness, gluttony, and ignorance; and I can say this because once upon a time I was obese and I was all three of those things.

There are those who are genetically predisposed for being heavier; but that's something else entirely from being super obese.

America's obesity epidemic has actually worried the Armed Forces because the pool of young Americans who can pass military fitness standards has been quickly shrinking over the past decade or two.

It's just not right. It's not right for your health, it's not right for our societal mindset, and it's sure as fuck not right to look at.

Nope not easy. Like I was saying. It's not easy being a healthy person when the people around you have bad habits. If everyone around you wants to go to golden corral for lunch all the time and no one wants to just get a salad, it's kinda tough! If you can't ever find that person who can lead by good example, your kinda screwed.

You are the one responsible for your actions. My entire social circle loves to go out and drink, which is not beneficial to weight loss. I simply remove myself from those activities. We work out and socialize otherwise, but the only one in full control of yourself is you. If you're the only one who wants to eat healthy, then eat healthy and don't be scared to blaze your own trails.

Success doesn't come without pains, you know.

 

[jmdajr]

Sometimes a healthy lifestyle is out of reach for people. It's not THAT easy.

Nope not easy. Like I was saying. It's not easy being a healthy person when the people around you have bad habits. If everyone around you wants to go to golden corral for lunch all the time and no one wants to just get a salad, it's kinda tough! If you can't ever find that person who can lead by good example, you're screwed. Hell, obese people kinda need a sponsor like AA.

-"dude I really want to go to the Chinese buffet."
-"don't do it bro! Lets go for a jog and get a smoothie afterwards instead!"

So yeah. We don't just have supposedly mean people picking on fat people, you have fat people encouraging other fat people to continue these bad habits.

 

[Opiate]

Sometimes a healthy lifestyle is out of reach for people. It's not THAT easy.

The problem, I think, is that it's relatively easy for some people and relatively harder for others. That's where a lot of this comes from.

For example, someone who has 3 kids and a full time job to take care of those kids will have significantly less time and significantly less will power reserved away to focus on their health than a single 25 year old male whose primary or even exclusive responsibility is his career. Alternatively, someone may be prone to anxiety or depression, which correlate strongly with obesity.

Someone may find it easy to do well in school, but hard to do stay thin. Someone may find it easy to stay thin, but hard to do well professionally. Someone may be do well in school and be fit, but may be an obnoxious, selfish jerk. Problems arise when people are incapable of seeing what is easy for them may be hard for someone else.

 

[MightyHedgehog]

Came in expecting an Onion News link. Disappointed that this is even taken seriously.

 

[JCX]

I really think time/money are the biggest causes of obesity. The convenience of processed, food often trumps healthy alternatives for people with busy lives. An obese person with a family and job is going to have a harder time losing weight than a relatively unattached young person.

I am obese and have tried a couple times to lose weight, only to be distracted after a major life change. My Dad died during my senior year of college, and more recently, working 50+ hours a week and dong open mics almost every night I wasn't working. Now that I will be back to working less hours, I'll begin exercising regularly again.

 

[marrec]

Nope not easy. Like I was saying. It's not easy being a healthy person when the people around you have bad habits. If everyone around you wants to go to golden corral for lunch all the time and no one wants to just get a salad, it's kinda tough! If you can't ever find that person who can lead by good example, your kinda screwed.

That's why I compare getting skinny to quitting smoking all the time.

It's hard sometimes when everyone else is smoking to quit, but if you want to be healthy you have to do it. It's hard when everyone around you is drinking 700 calories worth of soda/coffee, but if your body can't regulate those calories like your more skinny friends then you just have to stop doing it.

 

[teeny]

While obesity should not be compared to homosexuality in the ways the article has done, absolutely no one deserves to be ridiculed, embarrassed and made to feel like complete shit, whether they are fat, gay, of a different ethnicity, whatever.

Some of you guys in here are part of the problem. Its nice to know, as a fat guy, that my body type sickens and disgusts you and you automatically assume I am a lazy, greedy glutton. What a nice way to motivate me.

I have even had people say stuff to me when I am in the gym, trying to work off my excess bodyweight. Seriously, healthfreaks and "those kinds" of thin people are deluding themselves if they thing their derision is "motivation". Mostly, you just make it intimidating to even try and be active at the gym, or in public or anywhere.

 

[NihonTiger90]

A little overweight is fine, but obesity is a health risk. Also, you choose what to put n your mouth. Completely invalid comparison in my opinion.

Lies. It's in my genetic code to eat Quarter-Pounders every day.

But in all seriousness, obesity is sometimes caused by genetic issues (not everyone processes food in the exact same manner), and I agree that folks shouldn't harass folks for being fat. Losing weight is not an easy thing to do for some folks, even with lots of work.

What we should encourage is folks to be healthy, not necessarily rail-thin.

 

[Opiate]

OMG that was a quick edit.

Yes, I agree with both of these sentiments. I am a college drop out who is now making 60k+ a year and working my way up the corporate ladder rather quickly. Motivation and dedication are powerful.

My guess, marrec, is that you have quite a few significant flaws I could criticize if I knew you well which are completely under your control. More broadly, almost everyone has flaws like this; very few people are tremendously successful academically and professionally, while maintain generous, charitable nature and fit, perfect health. Either you have no sympathy for virtually anyone or you accept that no one is perfect and have sympathy anyway; both are logically coherent positions, although the former hardly seems kind.

For example, I could ridicule you for dropping out of college. But I won't, because I understand that we all have flaws.

 

[scy]

There are those who are genetically predisposed for being heavier...

This line is the greatest crutch ever for obese people. It's kind of amazing in general how we latch onto "out of my control" excuses for everything.

Amazing in that kind of depressing, facepalm, "I need to go cry in the corner at how sad this is," sort of way.

 

[Etrian Oddity]

I really think time/money are the biggest causes of obesity. The convenience of processed, food often trumps healthy alternatives for people with busy lives. An obese person with a family and job is going to have a harder time losing weight than a relatively unattached young person.

Lack of time is perhaps a valid excuse; lack of money is not. It's far cheaper to buy nutritious groceries than to eat out. You can get a week's worth of food for a Super-Sized fast food meal's price.

 

[fabricated backlash]

should we mock fat people? Hell no
should we encourage them to get healthy? Hell yeah.

 

[Talon]

The problem, I think, is that it's relatively easy for some people and relatively harder for others. That's where a lot of this comes from.

For example, someone who has 3 kids and a full time job to take care of those kids will have significantly less time and significantly less will power reserved away to focus on their health than a single 25 year old male whose primary or even exclusive responsibility is his career. Alternatively, someone may be prone to anxiety or depression, which correlate strongly with obesity.

Someone may find it easy to do well in school, but hard to do stay thin. Someone may find it easy to stay thin, but hard to do well professionally. Someone may be do well in school and be fit, but may be an obnoxious, selfish jerk. Problems arise when people are incapable of seeing what is easy for them may be hard for someone else.

It's hardest for the poor because they tend to live in food deserts, without access to fresh fruits and vegetables in a decent market. Case in point: southwest Baltimore. My girlfriend was working there last year at a hospital, and the closest real grocery store was 4 miles north of them. 4 miles doesn't seem like a big deal, but not everyone has a car.

Food deserts are a real issue in the inner city - even in the south and west side of Chicago, and it needs to be addressed.

 

[marrec]

My guess, marrec, is that you have quite a few significant flaws I could criticize if I knew you well which are completely under your control. More broadly, almost everyone has flaws like this; very few people are tremendously successful academically and professionally, while maintain generous, charitable nature and fit, perfect health. Either you have no sympathy for anyone at all or you accept that no one is perfect and have sympathy anyway; both are logically coherent positions, although the former hardly seems kind.

Everyone has blind spots in their empathy that have developed because of previous experience. Does that make everyone hypocrites or should we weigh each persons positive empathetic nature against their negative selfish nature and see which side comes out on top and only judge them based on that?

Some judgement, both fairly and unfairly, will be a part of every humans interaction with another human.

 

[Steve Youngblood]

That's why I compare getting skinny to quitting smoking all the time.

It's hard sometimes when everyone else is smoking to quit, but if you want to be healthy you have to do it. It's hard when everyone around you is drinking 700 calories worth of soda/coffee, but if your body can't regulate those calories like your more skinny friends then you just have to stop doing it.

It's a valid comparison, but for me it sheds light on why I sometimes think using personal success to illustrate the relative ease of something is rather disingenuous. I have quit smoking. Haven't had a cigarette in over 18 months, and that was after smoking for about 8-9 years. And, in hindsight, it was stupidly simple. The key? Just don't fucking smoke. That's it! That's all there was to it!

"Can I just cut back?" No! "Can I still smoke when I drink?" No! "What about after a bad day at work?" No! After about of month of this, I was pretty much done and haven't looked back. It doesn't even seem that hard.

However, that doesn't really tell the whole story. For one, my motivation isn't something easily replicated. My catharsis wasn't a moment of clarity where I got serious about my health; it was because my wife was pregnant. Secondly, it ignores that there were probably about five failed attempts over that time to quit. Lastly, it doesn't take into account that -- at some point -- I could very easily let my guard down and slip up.

 

[vas_a_morir]

The goal doesn't have to be 'be thin,' just 'not be obese.'

Plus you are still wrong: at worst, an obese person can undergo fat removal surgery. A gay person can not have gay removal surgery.

I'm not "wrong." I never spoke in absolutes here. I just said for "some." Unless you have lived a day in the shoes of every obese person on Earth, you can't know how hard it might be.It's damn hard for some people. DAMN hard. And they try hard.

And I'm not ignorant enough to suggest that gay people "at worst" could have gender reassignment surgery and "be straight." Some people don't want to modify their body to be what people want them to be.

GAF is so used to the hivemind, they will attack anyone who says otherwise as if they are the embodiment of all dissenting opinion. I was even polite and respectful enough to put "be" in quotations, where I did not for "be thin" as a way of expressing respect for the complexity and unique, incomparable situation of human sexuality. I'm just talking about what a psychologically torturous, shameful, and self-loathing struggle if is for 'some' people who are obese, and I do so out of respect for homosexuals who have been persecuted for decades in this country by people haven't spent a second in their shoes.

 

[Monocle]

You also realize that you probably did what you are programmed to do: Eat what tastes good, and eat until you are full. It's harder work for some people then others. For some, it's the hardest thing you can imagine. So, using terms like "Lardass" is unfair. Not only that, it is indicative of a trashy upbringing and latent sociopathic tendencies. In fact, for some obese people, it's as hard for them to be thin as it is for a gay man to 'be' straight.

This isn't even an overstatement. It's the gnarled afterbirth of a misbegotten comparison. For pity's sake, try not to spawn another one.

 

[Steve Youngblood]

You can get a week's worth of food for a Super-Sized fast food meal's price.

That strikes me as a slight exaggeration at best.

 

[Talon]

That strikes me as a slight exaggeration at best.

It is but I cook every meal and come down to $5/day for food. Eating pretty well.

 

[jmdajr]

That's why I compare getting skinny to quitting smoking all the time.

It's hard sometimes when everyone else is smoking to quit, but if you want to be healthy you have to do it. It's hard when everyone around you is drinking 700 calories worth of soda/coffee, but if your body can't regulate those calories like your more skinny friends then you just have to stop doing it.

That's gotta be tough. If everyone is eating the same and you're the only one that is overweight.

It's funny when I go to restaurants. Sometimes I see specifically, groups of fat people or thin people. No mix. They are either one or the other. The habits just spread.

 

[harSon]

Some people's bodies are just different.

I've personally lost close to 160 pounds (I've dropped from 351 to somewhere in the low to mid 190s at 6'2"); and I'm on a strict diet on top of a regular weight/cardio routine. I worked hard as hell for these results, and am still fighting to this day. I've noticed that my body is absolute shit for losing weight and keeping off weight.

I'm personally on a Ketogenic/Low-Carb diet, and while a lot of people can get away with eating ~40-50g of carbs a day and all of the artificial sweeteners they want, I have to stay under ~25g a day to be in Ketosis and can't have artificial sweeteners without my Insulin levels spiking horribly, bumping me out of Ketosis completely.

Many dieters can have cheat days/cheat weekends every once in a while or weekly and still lose a ton of weight, I cannot come off my diet without packing on weight in such a considerable manner that it's not worth it. I constantly have to go out with friends and watch them eat, watch them drink beers, etc because my body will not allow me these indulgences without negative impact to my body.

Being the opposite of the above makes dieting SO much easier.

This has all made weight loss extremely difficult and demoralizing, and while I've personally stuck through it, I can see how someone else could take these same hits and give up. And quite honestly, I wouldn't blame them.

A lot of the people who treat people like shit certainly eat healthy, are physically active as well, but as I said, a bunch of these bigots eat like shit and don't do shit through out the day, and because of they're genetic makeup, they'll stay phenotypically thin. These people won't get made fun of, despite them living the same unhealthy life styles of overweight/fat/obese people, and they're some of the biggest hypocrites known to man.

 

[marrec]

That strikes me as a slight exaggeration at best.

I suppose someone could technically survive on 8 dollars a week in the middle of downtown Pittsburgh...

Though, I would not say that it's a healthy lifestyle.

 

[Petrie]

That strikes me as a slight exaggeration at best.

It's an exaggeration, but it's incredibly easy and cheap to eat well. Just takes a bit more effort than the drive-thru window does.

 

[Opiate]

Everyone has blind spots in their empathy that have developed because of previous experience. Does that make everyone hypocrites or should we weigh each persons positive empathetic nature against their negative selfish nature and see which side comes out on top and only judge them based on that?

Some judgement, both fairly and unfairly, will be a part of every humans interaction with another human.

Absolutely, you'll notice I'm not telling you you're a terrible person for the blind spots in your empathy. I'm only trying to establish that it is a blind spot. A "blind spot" suggests you are at fault for not empathizing; this is distinct from believing that obese people are genuinely, honestly undeserving of sympathy, which places the blame on them.

I, for example, don't empathize well with people who don't do well in school, but I recognize absolutely and entirely that this is my failing, as not everyone can do focus on school for a variety of reasons, both genetic and environmental. And that's okay; as we seem to agree, no one is perfect.

 

[JCX]

Lack of time is perhaps a valid excuse; lack of money is not. It's far cheaper to buy nutritious groceries than to eat out. You can get a week's worth of food for a Super-Sized fast food meal's price.

I don't know where you live, but a large fast food meal is like $12 here, and that would barely cover a week at the high grocery store prices around me, unless I just ate pasta and instant mashed potatoes.

I do agree with that specifically, but the combination of time and money makes it a harder choice. If you've just worked 10 hours and there are a bunch of bright signs promising instant food, rationality can sometimes fly out the window, at least for me.

I live in Chicago, and while there are some big grocery stores, many areas of the city don't have access to a major grocery store, so fast food/corner store stuff become diet staples.

That said, these are not hard and fast obstacles. Some people have the will to overcome them, but a lot of variables factor into it.

 

[marrec]

That's gotta be tough. If everyone is eating the same and your the only one that is overweight.

It's funny when I go to restaurants. Sometimes I see specifically, groups of fat people or thin people. No mix. They are either one or the other. The habits just spread.

It seems like my body can't handle calories like people around me and sometimes it sucks when my SO can eat an entire half of a pizza with zero problems but if I eat more than 3 slices I feel physically awful for the next day. Some of that feeling my be psychosomatic based on the conditioning I've put my brain and body through over the course of 3 years, but some of it is that I just can't deal with that much food as efficiently as some other people.

So I don't eat as much anymore, and I run, and I generally try to stay healthy.

 

[.GqueB.]

The problem, I think, is that it's relatively easy for some people and relatively harder for others. That's where a lot of this comes from.

For example, someone who has 3 kids and a full time job to take care of those kids will have significantly less time and significantly less will power reserved away to focus on their health than a single 25 year old male whose primary or even exclusive responsibility is his career. Alternatively, someone may be prone to anxiety or depression, which correlate strongly with obesity.

Someone may find it easy to do well in school, but hard to do stay thin. Someone may find it easy to stay thin, but hard to do well professionally. Someone may be do well in school and be fit, but may be an obnoxious, selfish jerk. Problems arise when people are incapable of seeing what is easy for them may be hard for someone else.

Oddly enough, I experience both. I live in NYC but in bedstuy Brooklyn. They're NOW starting to get some healthy stores in the area but it's slow moving. I work in the city so it's relatively easy for me to head over to Trader Joe or Whole foods and pick up some decent stuff but on weekends forget it. When I run out of food, the nearest supermarket is pretty far away so when I get hungry I just got around the corner and get some Teddy Grahams.

I can imagine that many people experience the same but way more often than I. It's really difficult to eat healthy if you have to go out of your way. And, like you said, when you simply don't have the time.

 

[krameriffic]

False.
http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pmed.0050029

The conclusion of this article is basically "fat people die earlier, so their net lifetime cost of health care is less than healthy people simply because healthy people live longer."

That's... rather morbid.

 

[Red]

I really think time/money are the biggest causes of obesity. The convenience of processed, food often trumps healthy alternatives for people with busy lives. An obese person with a family and job is going to have a harder time losing weight than a relatively unattached young person.

I am obese and have tried a couple times to lose weight, only to be distracted after a major life change. My Dad died during my senior year of college, and more recently, working 50+ hours a week and dong open mics almost every night I wasn't working. Now that I will be back to working less hours, I'll begin exercising regularly again.

It depends.

The cost/convenience argument is more of a perceived drawback of healthy living than it is reality. In some places this isn't true, as the availability of food is restricted, but even then you've almost always got a basic healthy selection. You perhaps have less options, but a few remain. I could, for example, go to a Save a Lot and get a week's worth of frozen vegetables and white meat. I could get a dozen eggs and hardboil them all at once to grab as a quick breakfast each morning. Or, if I wanted, I could poach them -- even in the microwave, with just a teaspoon of water, and have a hot breakfast in about two minutes.

Lately I've been getting a lot of "microwave-in-bag" frozen veggies. They usually weigh about a pound and cook in 6-8 minutes. That's convenient. For about $2-3 a bag they aren't too bad. If I wanted to save even more, I could buy bulk bags of veggies and meat and separate them as needed.

A healthy diet is not necessarily "exciting," but it is not cost or convenience prohibitive.

 

[FallingEdge]

A lot of the people who treat people like shit certainly eat healthy, are physically active as well, but as I said, a bunch of these bigots eat like shit and don't do shit through out the day, and because of they're genetic makeup, they'll stay phenotypically thin. These people won't get made fun of, despite them living the same unhealthy life styles of overweight/fat/obese people, and they're some of the biggest hypocrites known to man.

To be fair, just because they are thin, doesn't mean they are healthy.

And is it really that bad for you? I find it extremely hard to believe that you can't have a single cheat day or a night out due to weight gain. What negative impacts are we talking about here? Again, not talking about throughout the week, just one night.

 

[beastmode]

-fuck whoever wrote this for making a straw man against fat people.

-the common advice of eat less/move more is bullshit. it's like telling someone with constipation to poop less. there's no proper causality for "energy imbalance." there is, however, for carbohydrates and insulin resistance. since this gets progressively worse and harder to fix as you age, the advice given of just needing to get off your ass becomes more and more worthless.

-not everyone made a completely rational decision to eat excess carbohydrates and become fat. that's ridiculous free market thinking. i became fat as a child after being fed all kinds of terrible food, being an only child to a single father in poverty in my early years and then a single mother who didn't have the slightest clue on how to be a parent. did i have the social, self-esteem, and (potentially) future health problems coming to me? lets also not forget the genetic component - i know plenty of people who've eaten way worse than myself with no consequences and i have plenty of obese/alcoholic people on my mothers side & a heroin addicted father (possibly indicating self control issues?)

To be fair, just because they are thin, doesn't mean they are healthy.

And is it really that bad for you? I find it extremely hard to believe that you can't have a single cheat day or a night out due to weight gain. What negative impacts are we talking about here? Again, not talking about throughout the week, just one night.

any additional carbs after maybe 2 pieces of bread and i stop losing weight for a week or two. same amount over a few days and i'm gaining.

 

[marrec]

Absolutely, you'll notice I'm not telling you you're a terrible person for the blind spots in your empathy. I'm only trying to establish that it is a blind spot. A "blind spot" suggests you are at fault for not empathizing; this is distinct from believing that obese people are genuinely, honestly undeserving of sympathy, which places the blame on them.

I, for example, don't empathize well with people who don't do well in school, but I recognize absolutely and entirely that this is my failing, as not everyone can do focus on school for a variety of reasons, both genetic and environmental. And that's okay; as we seem to agree, no one is perfect.

I may not have the capability of very much sympathy for overweight people, but that doesn't mean I or anyone else who feels the same as me shouldn't encourage and allow people who want to change their lifestyles for the better. Calling someone a 'lardass' isn't encouragement, it may just feed into their psychological need to eat (if they have one).

On the surface, there is a connection between someone who is bullied for being fat and someone who is bullied for being gay. But that's only a surface connection shared between all people who are bullied and doesn't go any further. There is no discriminatory comparison between homosexuals and fat people.

 

[harSon]

To be fair, just because they are thin, doesn't mean they are healthy.

And is it really that bad for you? I find it extremely hard to believe that you can't have a single cheat day or a night out due to weight gain. What negative impacts are we talking about here? Again, not talking about throughout the week, just one night.

I know they're not healthy, but you can't really look at a skinny person and tell they're unhealthy, which means they'll go unscathed for their unhealthy lifestyle like an obese person would.

If I have a substantial cheat day/weekend, I experience weight gain or a complete plateauing of weight loss that generally takes much longer than its worth to lose again.

I've been dieting for well over 2 years now, and am extremely knowledgeable in how my body works, thanks in great part to jotting down data and weighing myself daily. If I have a cheat day/cheat weekend, my weight will basically bump up to where it was a week or two previously, and take a week or two just to get to the point to where I was before the indulgence. It's been like this since the day I started dieting, and it's simply not worth it IMO.

Fortunately, I seem to put on muscle relatively easily...

 

[Flo_Evans]

I think the comparison to poor people is more apt. I don't think it is a coincidence the fat people also are poor.

Telling poor people to just work harder is about the same as telling a fat person to exercise more.

 

[JCX]

Oh, and on the note of shaming fat people, I can almost guarantee you that the fat or obese person already knows he or she is fat and also feels shitty about it most of the time.

 

[jimi_dini]

Plus you are still wrong: at worst, an obese person can undergo fat removal surgery. A gay person can not have gay removal surgery.

This is not even the point.
Being obese is a medical condition. There are ICD codes for it (E66.x)
Being gay is not a medical condition.

Spoiler

although some crazy person specified an ICD code, which got removed in 1992

But yes, noone should make fun of obese people. If that's what the quote in the OP meant, then I agree. But the quote sounds like being gay would be like being obese, which is complete bollocks.

 

[vas_a_morir]

This isn't even an overstatement. It's the gnarled afterbirth of a misbegotten comparison. For pity's sake, try not to spawn another one.

Nice sycophantic post. I mean that. What you did was basically give a youtube thumbs down, but you did it the right way. Your post really said nothing at all while affirming that you are with the GAF hivemind on the swarm, which will help you get approval from other gaffers. It also used a lot of creative words to give the impression that you might actually have something insightful or substantive to say, but surely must feel the medium and the occasion is too far beneath you to actually explain what you mean.

Honestly, it's as hard for 'some people' to be thin as it is for penguins to fly. I don't know what you are suggesting, because you didn't actually say anything at all, but I only made the comparison out of respect for how difficult it was for a gay man to 'be' straight. Just talking about the psychological struggle. Not genetics. Not undermining the natural and healthy sexual preference of homosexuality Just the struggle of people who don't think like you expecting you to think like them, when you simply can't do it.