Should being fat be socially unacceptable

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

mr_hippo

Living Legend & Old Fart
Humans are not machines - we are all different - look at your siblings, do you all have the same build, hairline, hair colouring. etc.? You share the same parents so you should be more or less identical but you are not! I am the only one of 6 siblings with blond hair and blue eyes and we did not have a German milkman!
There are three body types:- ectomorphs, mesomorphs & endomorphs and your ability to store fat and build muscles largely depends on your body type. When an athlete stops performing, he/she may put on bulk - is this because they have stopped training and competing and have decided to overeat? We all know that retired athletes have the hotline numbers to McD, KFC and the local Chinese chippy!!!!
Someone mentioned BMI - that chart has not been updated for many a long year but general health has improved. The same applies to clothing sizes - inside leg sizes seemed to stop at 33.5" and I need 35, things may have improved since I last tried to but a pair of trousers in the UK.
So things are a bit more complicated that the simple Less Food + More Exercise = WeightLloss equation
 
People make mistakes. Smoking is now socially unacceptable and even die hard smokers know it's silly. Call me a namby pamby liberal but I preferred it when society supported people who were weak, or had the propensity to make poor decisions. Maybe try to educate them. There seems to be a shift now to deprive such people of health care and support, in the hope perhaps that this will teach them a lesson. This concerns me deeply. Is the aim to have a super fit flawless society, where there is no need for a health care system, because all the super fit, super healthy, flawless, perfect individuals do not require it?
 

yumpy

Well-Known Member
Location
Midlands
There should be a health survey of hoodies. Because the ones that wander round and round our area don't have an ounce of extra weight on them. Round and round they go, on foot, over about 4 square miles, all day long.

We should probably have fitness as an aim, not focus on weight. Lets face it, if you're amongst non-cyclists and you mention you've just cycled 40 miles around the countryside in a day, many of them look very surprised and think you need to be super-fit to do it. Plenty of them are thin, but obviously not fit as they can't cycle up a small hill
 
If have read his right... in summary, being "fat" compromises your health, shortens life and is treatable, therefore should be unacceptable?
 

ladyjulian

Well-Known Member
Location
London
See this is my point.

Why shouldn't it? after all, being fat is a choice, like smoking, doing drugs or choosing to have children...all of which are often discriminated against. Should we encourage another choice?

I am totally sure that we should not be pressured into conformity for aesthetic reasons and the thought of doing so repulses me. I'm not talking about attractiveness here but for a better healthier society, should us fatties be shunned into action, rather than be allowed to make excuses and hide behind a veil of conscience and politeness?

here's a scenario; two chaps...lets say identical twins. Both wonderful guys, both caring intelligent, capable and articulate. In fact both identical in every single way except that one is fat...really fat, like stop in the street and stare fat... the other watches what he eats and is slim, fit but no better a person.

which would make a better Father?...remember they are both the same in every way except weight.

The fat one, obviously.

Unlike his thin twin, he'll be able to educate his children through his own lived experiences about the importance of tolerance for others, variance in body shape, and not judging by appearances.
 
U

User482

Guest
I'm now going to drink a whisky, thus gathering the experience I need to educate my daughter about the importance of selecting a good single malt.
 

redcard

Guru
Location
Paisley
The fat one, obviously.

Unlike his thin twin, he'll be able to educate his children through his own lived experiences about the importance of tolerance for others, variance in body shape, and not judging by appearances.

Are we pretending that fat people are all tolerant and non-judgemental? I've come across some right nasty fat people in my time.
Next you'll be be telling us fat people have a great sense of humour!
 

Crankarm

Guru
Location
Nr Cambridge
I cycled 5,000 miles last year and still managed to gain a stone.:whistle:

Obesity is caused purely by eating more calories than you use, how much or how little exercise has little impact on waist size.

Absolute rubbish. Doing hard and regular exercise everyday meaning you increase the energy that your body needs means you WILL lose weight and your waist will get smaller. Provided you don't continue to troff pizzas, pies, crisps, cakes, donuts, alcohol, fizzy drinks, etc
 
U

User482

Guest
Absolute rubbish. Doing hard and regular exercise everyday meaning you increase the energy that your body needs means you WILL lose weight and your waist will get smaller. Provided you don't continue to troff pizzas, pies, crisps, cakes, donuts, alcohol, fizzy drinks, etc
No, that's incorrect.

Next!
 

Crankarm

Guru
Location
Nr Cambridge
I think "appearing fat" is pretty subjective and not necessarily a good indicator of health. I suspect there are quite a few of us on here myself included with an unhealthy BMI and beer belly to match, but a relatively good level of fitness. It also makes me think of young women who being weight concious trying to watch their figure because of the social stigma we already have, dont exercise at all and just eat very little and with poor nutrition.

Having thought about it a little more, I think theres already plenty of social pressure in place and it has little positive effect imho.

How can you have a "relatively good level of fitness" if you have an unhealthy BMI and a beer belly? Please explain. What do you consider a "relatively good level of fitness"?

You are in denial.
 

rollinstok

Well-Known Member
Location
morecambe
I'm old, skint, smoke fags ( and sometimes other stuff ), get drunk at least once a month, swear, have regular scruffy days and am losing my once gorgeous looks and long flowing hair.
I'm not fat though, so its cool.
 
Top Bottom