What I don't understand about the Obesity Epidemic in America

[Anonymous]

So, a while back I was reading an article about things that don't make sense about the Fat Acceptance Movement. I think it may have been on ThoughtCatalog, but I'm not sure and feel free to post a link if you find it. Anyway, I've been thinking a lot about this movement and there are some aspects of it that I don't really understand. Now, I know what you're thinking, "we don't care or want your approval." But this is the internet so I'm prompted to finally state my opinions, because these are things I would never say to anyone. I consider myself a really nice person and I actually have quite a few friends who are overweight and I think they are all lovely people. I am a naturally thin person, a statement that makes many people cringe or judge me for whatever reason. I've always been small; I'm 5'8'' and have never weighed over 120 lbs. And that's not a lack of me trying, I eat a lot but I also just have a very high metabolism that makes weight gain very difficult for me. But I also exercise 5 days a week and eat extremely healthy. So, it's true, I have never been overweight and I've never worried about my weight. Maybe the comment section of this article will give me some insight, so I'm totally open to that.

Anyway, here are some things that I just don't understand about our attitude towards overweight and obese individuals in America. Some of these are statements, some are questions, feel free to chime in in the comments:

1. If you are unhappy with the way you look, why don't you do something about it? I have friends like this. They complain and complain that they don't like the way they look, but refuse to start eating healthier go to the gym. You can't change your life if you don't try. Th gym is really not scary one you start going and everyone has to start somewhere. Whenever I see bigger people at the gym, I think good for them! Which brings me to:


2. Why are we glorifying obesity and unhealthy lifestyles? Don't get me wrong, I don't think it would be ever okay to say this to people in real life in any situation. I would never say any of this outloud. I don't think it's okay to name call or belittle, but at the same time I don't think it's okay to tell people that being overweight is acceptable. Teaching kids poor eating habits and not having any concern for your own is not okay. Like it or not, obestity is unhealthy. It causes problems with blood pressure, the heart, and if left untreated can take years off your life. It is not okay and it's not okay that we are acting like it is. Take "My Big Fat Fabulous Life" or whatever it is called on TLC. I'm glad that you are loving life, everyone should, but don't say that being 200 lbs overweight is acceptable.


3. I'm all about positivity, but not at the expense of someone else. This may seem conflictual with the last point but hear me out. I don't think it's okay to call someone "porky," "fatty," or any other demeaning name and I don't think any reasonable person would say that's okay behavior. That being said, why is it okay to say things like "real women have curves" and "Men love real women with real bodies" and calling other women things like "skinny bitch." So, because I'm naturally thin, I'm not a "real woman? What's that suppose to mean? Also, what's with the phrase "size 0 is not a real size." It is my size actually and you don't see me saying "size 20 is not a real size." That would be a ridiculous statement.


4. Just because someone isn't attracted to you doesn't mean they are a terrible person. I think this may have been one of the points on thier article, but here's my spin on it. I hear people say all the time "That guy/girl is such such and asshole and so superficial because he/she won't see past my body. Here's the thing, people are allowed to not like you. Sure, some people are superficial, that's human nature. So men only like physically fit women, some women enjoy bigger men. Some people are only attracted to short people or tall people or blonde people or brunettes. Or maybe it's your personality that they don't like. Not everyone has to like everyone. I am a tall, thin, outgoing brunette. Do some men find me attractive? Of course. Do some men not find me attractive? Of course. But I don't think they are bad guys, I am just not their type and that's okay. It is probably the lack of confidence or lack of putting any effort in your appearance that is the issue. People who look like they don't try are not the most approachable people ever.


5. They always blame it on their thyroid. This particularily irks me because I have hypothyroidism. Sure, it screws with your metabolism when untreated but as soon as they put you on the medication to supplement it, it evens out. Plus, if you know you have a medical issue, than you need to be responsible and change your lifestyle.


6. They eat when they are upset or stressed or happy. I guess I just don't understand the "eating my feelings thing." When I am sad I curl up on the couch in my pjs and cry to my friend or boyfriend. When I am stressed I do yoga and then deal with the issue at hand. When I am happy I also do yoga and I hang out with my friends. Food never crosses my mind. Sure some food tastes good, but it doesn't magically help anything. Doing something about it helps. How does food help anything? If you are lonely and you eat, your are still alone. When I am lonely I make a point to have dinner with friends or I force myself to get out into some type of social environment.

That's all I have for you. Like I said, I am really interested to hear if anyone even remotely agrees. Or if you totally disagree and want to tell me why, that's cool too.

[Izzy2102]

I'm gonna copy and paste from another post because this issue has been discussed to no end

No being fat isn't in style. Having a fat ass and fat boobs is, but that is it. Everywhere else they still expect you to be thin. Now that's not realistic which is why ideals you often see online are photoshopped

It's still not ok to have rolls. Just look at the shit Kim K got while PREGNANT for being big
images. intouchweekly. com/.../... dashian-greece. png
I agree she looks big there but she's pregnant for christs sake and she isn't even that much bigger she just lost her waist definition which men found attractive. So now that she isn't attractive to men anymore it's ok for them to bash. And that IS an attitude that worries me

Now I also agree with what others said body doesn't always correspond to health especially since we are used to underweight women and everything over it seems fat to us.
Sports Illustrated for example needs to stop padding themselves on the back for putting a plus size model on the cover
www.gossipextra.com/.../Graham-ad.jpg
This isn't a plus size model, this is a normal sized human, you're just used to minus size models
www.anneofcarversville.com/.../...oel2_620x350.jpg

That should address a good amount of your points. The ones address looks. Of course making someone feel bad for the way they look, but you're being very close minded if you think the issue mainly lie with "fat acceptance" because fat isn't acceptable.
You say we shouldn't teach kids to think being overweight is normal. well we also shouldn't teach them that underweight is normal. Which we do. A good amount of the worlds most desired women ARE underweight, like the models above. Especially for your point 4. Men don't only like physically fit and healthy women, over the centuries men have fallen for all kinds of unhealthy trends (think corsets or lotus feet) and these days it's being underweight. And I really don't think it's wrong to point that out

Your really not asking any questions here, you're just judging so not sure what the point of this post was?

[Phoenix98]

I eat healthy and bodybuild 5 days a week in addition to MMA 3 times a week. And personally I just think they need a kick in the pants and honestly overweight people are pretty good about coming to the gym and trying to get healthier in my town. Even the old folks use the gym I wish the rest of the country would get off their asses and get healthier, this is one of the reasons I am becoming a professional trainer to be the kick in the pants people need to wake up and get training.

[Anonymous]

Interestingly enough, I actually didn't know you can control your thyroid, so thanks for that insight. (I don't have a problem with mine, but like you said I always hear people saying that. I figured it was not a problem you could control).

It comes down to people not doing what they don't want to do nowadays. They don't want to exercise... so they don't. They don't like eating vegetables... so they don't. I think people also feel comforted by the statistics of just how many people are in their shoes. 99.9% of America could be obese. Nearly everyone. Each individual would still have to deal with the repercussions of an unhealthy lifestyle. Obesity doesn't give two shits about statistics.

You can reap the rewards of exercising without actually enjoying it. In fact, you can downright hate it. Much like homework. How often do you enjoy it? Not much. You do it to get the grade and advance in education. Curse out exercise every second you are doing it... I don't care. Like Nike says just do it.

Healthy eating is a bit trickier, but most people could if they really wanted to. I grew up eating healthy. As such, I enjoy healthy food. I never had vegetables hidden in a milkshake or any of that nonsense growing up. I had vegetables. That I had to eat, and until I did, I wouldn't get any dessert.

Though I'm thin, my body fat percentage is a bit high (not overfat or obese, just on the higher side of normal.) Which is why I am starting to exercise. Because I have to, not because I want to.

I think glorifying obesity too much is a mistake. Though I think everyone should feel comfortable, it makes people feel comfortable being unhealthy, and that isn't good.

If the obesity rates continue in the direction they have been, we'll all be like the humans in Wall-E in a few years time.

It's time to reverse obesity. No hate, no making obese people feel bad. Just helping them get into shape and become healthy.

If it really is survival of the fittest, we're screwed

[MyBabyAngels]

Daaaaamn why girls always talking about weigh lol. I bet you are the same girl who wrote the article "stop gloryfying obesity" is crazy how in ur last messege u were been a hypocrite n on this one u try to change ur speech. N is crazy to me how u still remain anonymous lol. Let me say this here, been TOO overweight is not correct as is been TOO skinny is not correct.

In the past it was all about been slim fit n thin, we bigger girls wanted to be slim because that was what u had to be in order to be consider beautiful. Now, curves are in, n it means just that, booty, hips n tits. You may say "is just more fat " lol, it depends where is at hunny that makes it look yummy. I said it, ask around. So people now know that not just been slim is beautiful. So now is hard for u to deal when NOT ALL the attention is on you. Now, not all men are into curves. We all have our prefferences, what we want for our partner N as how we like our bodies to look like.

Been fit is great, been slim is great, been curvy is great, get it through ur heads is health that matters. You can be all this sizes n be healthy. Now about people trying to loose or gain weight that is a mental or physical condition. Booyah in ya faces!!

[Takada]

Please don't call fat women "curvy"
lexxreloaded.files.wordpress.com/.../curvyfat.jpg

As an actually curvy woman, I don't want to be put in the same category as women who are just fat.

[MyBabyAngels]

Please youuu! I never called fat women curvy, you did. You know what curvy is, men usually do this thing with theirhands like drawing an hourglass figure. You can be small medium or large n still be curvy. " i dont wanna be in the same category" hahaha please who told you u was that important.

[MaskedSanity]

Way to completely miss the point of the article and unload all of your butthurt on take owner.

[MyBabyAngels]

No butthurts here hunny i didn't even look at your lame article lol

[MaskedSanity]

Clearly you didn't look at anything, because this is not my article.

All you did here is throw out a bunch of assumptions at take owner and are crying about not being accepted. Standard butthurt behaviour right there.

[MyBabyAngels]

Hahaha i laugh at all these type of articles, you dont know what you are talking about. I am accepted by many believe that! just people like you that think that beauty is measured by weight. Not I, am beautiful if am slim or have more weigh on me cuz i carry my weigh well on my opinion. I actually like being thick not everybody want to be slim. This is what you guys dont get, when people are skinny calling them anorexic is offensive n when someone is big if u call them fat is offensive. You guys coming here criticizing peoples weigh problems, like " i dont understand why people eat when they stress out, i do yoga" lol. When i say HEALTH is not your concern is because all you do is criticize. If you cared about health, it should be something motivational not degrading people. As for me i can care less if people call me fat or obese look at my pics does it look like give a fk what people think of me lol. GIRLS BE HEALTHY N TONE UP UR CURVES U R BOOTIFUL LET EM HATE, KILLIN EM

[Hidden_P]

Everyone is different.

I've always been overweight. I started gaining weight when I was about 4 years old. Half of my family is skinny (mum's side) and the other half are fat (dad's side). I take after my dad.

I've tried a lot to change my weight. Diets, exercise, hell I've had eating disorders. But I've never been less than 200lbs and I'm 5ft 5. I've been to the doctors for help and I've done eating plans and you know what they said? I'm one of those unfortunate buggers who have to eat under 1,000 cals a day to lose weight.

I don't blame my thyroid. I don't blame an illness. I try to do something about it. I hate how I look so much I'm amazed my boyfriend is attracted to me, let alone anyone else. I hate how I feel and look, when people stare at me I assume they are staring at me for my size not my looks or anything else.

So, maybe America is glorifying it, but the UK certainly isn't. And the saddest thing is, I'll never understand your struggle to gain weight, just like you won't understand mine to lose it.

[Takada]

I was stuck in that mindset of complaining but not doing anything to lose weight, and I was pretty damn fat. I just needed to find a diet that was sustainable, since I thought that the only way to lose weight is to starve yourself.

But what I don't understand about the American obesity epidemic is that people let themselves get morbidly obese. You can become overweight by not eating properly. But to become morbidly obese, you'd have to really force yourself to eat a ton of very filling (and unhealthy) foods. It's not just a slip of the finger, it's constantly seeking for food to eat, almost like a full time job.

Furthermore, what annoys me is when morbidly obese women call themselves curvy, as if their obesity is something desirable. This goes along with that bs about how "Men like women with some meat on their bones". Teach women to be comfortable with being a little chunky, sure, but not frickin' huge. What's funny is that those women are the same women who complain how no man wants them. How can they act like they're desirable one moment and complain how no one wants them the next?

When I was fat, I never deluded myself into thinking that men liked my jiggly gut. Nor did I let myself become obese. These women take it to a whole new level and it's mind-boggling.

[MyBabyAngels]

Oh i see you were fat, so now that u slimmer u like to criticise other bigger women. Did u liked when people talked mess about u. Ok u lost weight good for you. But wait now u tell me u r curvy now n you dont want to be in the same category as fat lol. Damn you must run for supermodel. I just think is funny how everyone thinks they so much better, what the heck u fighting for. If dudes like em fir whatever their size is let em dont be hatin shut ur mouths stop ck blockin. Daaang!! Lol for real

[Takada]

Who said anything about insulting fat people? Just because you don't tell them they're beautiful or whatever, doesn't mean you have to insult them.

There's a difference between curvy and fat and you obviously don't know it. So let me spell it out for you: Before the fat acceptance movement, curvy meant small waist, big hips and/or big boobs. Curvy does not equal fat.

Funny thing is, guys don't like them "firm" and you're fucking delusional if you think guys like fat women. How insecure are you? Jeez

[MaskedSanity]

Logic and common sense is lost on this one, Takada. She's so deep in her butthurt over her obesity, she can't even type one coherent sentence.

[MyBabyAngels]

Is obvious that people writing articles like these an people who agree are the ones who are butthurt. What u trying to do? A movement to stop calling fat girls curvy? Please, how lame n low self esteem you guys must have. There is such a thing as been too fat ir been too skinny i didn't deny that. But you guys take ut too damn serious like it hurts your feelings or something. I seen articles where they post girls pics that are not even that big n people like you guys call her fat. N puting that to the side, why you guys dont want heavier set to be consider beautiful? Thats the shit that bothers me. This is you guys.." Why people call fat girls curvy, they are fat, they are not even beautiful, i mean i wouldn't call them fat to their face, but please dont gloryfy them." Isn't that sum hater? The way you guys talk i know health is not your big concern.

[Takada]

@MaskedSanity You're right. I don't even know why I bother.

[madispute]

The "Fat Acceptance Movement" isn't about glorifying obesity; it's about accepting bigger people because society says it's wrong to look a certain way.

Healthy foods are quite expensive, and unhealthy foods are cheap because of subsidization and mass production. When people have a low food budget, buying healthy foods isn't always an option. Yes, people can garden, but it's quite time-consuming to do so--especially in the winter months. When so many people have low income, the option to buy healthy food all but disappears.

Going to the gym isn't an option for everybody either. Many gyms require people to have memberships which can be pretty pricey. And, if they can afford the membership, they may not want to go out of fear of being ridiculed by fit people. Also, losing weight is mostly about diet.

Binge eating is a legitimate eating disorder, and I don't think a lot of people understand that because, when they think "eating disorder", they think anorexia or bulimia. But, it is an eating disorder, and, like all eating disorders, it's not a choice because eating disorders are mental disorders.

Instead of saying "this type of body isn't okay", we need to start saying "all bodies are okay and beautiful" because people have the right to love themselves regardless of their weight.

Do I think it's okay to be extremely underweight or overweight? No, but I'm not in any place to judge, and neither is anybody else. You're not really addressing things you don't understand, you're just ranting about bigger people, so what's the point? Their lifestyle and weight have absolutely nothing to do with you and they don't affect you.

[sugarchateau]

The movement is to accept how they look to get happy and get healthy, not remain unhealthy. If someone really wants something they will go after it, not come up with excuses. Going to the gym is only one of a million options and we only need to take 30 min out of our day to do something active. Dieting is the most important and healthy food CAN be expensive. Fresh produce is cheaper than a deluxe healthy meal and over time if we considered looking at hospital bills as we remain unhealthy... It's way more expensive than choosing to spend some extra money on healthy food. just saying. We choose how we live, as hard as it is to believe... There are no excuses to get in the way of what we want. We go get it and don't wait for it. We just need to change our priorities.

[bluehairgirl21]

We here is my opinion and personal experience
I have always wanted to be a size zero and look like the skinny girls that always wore the cute little skirts and shorts in the summer, the ones that could wear strappy dresses and look flawless and for that reason I would throw up everything I consume for almost 4 years yep, in my search of beauty I almost killed myself and became and unhealthy 00 and well was even more unhappy than before. Due to my genetics (my father is 6'11 and a big set man and my mother is 5'3 and slim) I inherit a 5'7 height and a big butt and wide hips which have been the constant source of my woes. Because in my country anything that isn't miss universe body standard was consider ugly I was extremely depress, then the trigger happen
Even when I was hurting myself and my health people would call me pretty and thats what made him become interested in me and sexually assaults me for 5 years on which instead of not eating I eat too much thinking that if I would turn fat he would stop which wasn't the case my metabolism and digestive system weren't used to that much food so I would throw up involuntary. I was finally able to get away an come to America I feelt relief but also anger and disgust so i would eat way too much and them throw up, i guess my mother realized and put one and one together so she would force me to stay in the table for an hour after meals so i could do my digestion. She got me help and poof my eating disorder was gone, but then i discover that when i eat i felt good so i gain binge eating disorder and my depression got worse to the point of 14 suicide attempts and 6 months in a mental institution, finally two years ago i decided it needed to stop, i lost 10 jean sizes, i have 36% body fat and guess what i weight 210 but wear a size 10 in jeans, i work out 4 times a week, my health is in excellent condition according to my last check up in January 2015 and i eat healthy and drink my supplements.

[bluehairgirl21]

Please don't judge people if you don't know their story, how about instead of bitching about what the media has to say, we grab that "chubby" friend and we go take a walk with them, a bike ride a dance class and invite them over for a healthy cook it yourself night. Is easy to spit judgment around but not to approach the person ask them why and offer your honest help is

[lemonlimetime]

I agree with this. One of the biggest things that hit me is people calling shaming skinny girls. I'm a bit on the skinny side, but maybe a bit more muscular, and people call me scrawny and anorexic all the time. Like why? I actually do eat quite a lot for someone my size. I just don't understand. Also I think to answer your question about why som obese people don't go to the gym-most obese adults I know do go to the gym or work out. My mother was obese for awhile and she always went to the gym or did workouts at home. I think some other people are just intimidated for no reason. Another thing is being an emotional eater. I'm actually an emotional eater, and it's weird. I don't eat a whole ton to where im about to throw up, but I still do chow down things I shouldn't. It's because I'm literally in love with junk food, but try to avoid it, but when im having an awful day I feel as though I need this to get by, even though I dont. And yes the other thing is we should really quit glorifying obesity. I'm not saying that you should hate yourself because your obese, but you shouldn't be happy with being obese. And then a lot of people again shame girls for being skinny, even if they work hard to stay thin. Of course for some people it comes more naturally, but even I have to stay active or I'll grow a little chubby. there's a big difference between anorexic and skinny. I think some people like to label skinnier girls as anorexic to make them feel like they have to gain weight and make them feel bad. My cousin is extremely obese, and he told me that it is not something you want to play around with, because it's just cruel. Anyways all in all I think I agree with your statement.

[Anonymous]

Ok, you don't understand because you have never been.. Granted, the people that don't do anything... That's there problem... I'm naturally huge!! In every aspect of my body.. I 6'5" I wear a size 15 shoe. And 2 years ago... I weighed 427 lbs😳😁 but... As of right now I have lost 120 lbs. and being as big as I am.. The weight that I am is a ok weight.. My goal is 280. And there I will be lean Abe very fit.. But you stated (Th gym is really not scary) I was a gym rat.. Long before.. I was huge!! Benching 400 lbs curling 100 lb dumb bells and not just 2 or 3 I was doing 3 sets of 5.. I had huge muscle!! And now I think of goi g to the gym... And it freeks me out... Untill your excessively over weight and thinking about goi g to the gym. You won't understand... And, you most likely with never be. Over weight.. At least for your sake.. I hope not. Because it is not something to be taken lightly! The rest of the stuff you say.. Yeah most likely people can do something about it.. Some, true.. No matter what they do the can't loose weight... Because of a medical problem.. Or could be a physical problem preventing them from doing things.. So.. what ever it may be.. That's there problem.. And just like you are thin... And want to be accepted the way you are.. So does everyone else... That's why people want this "movement" to happen... No it's not healthy.. But this is a free country? At least I thought so! And with that comes the good and the bad!

[Prettykangaroos]

Honestly, I'm very tired of people shaming skinny people. I posted an anonymous question here a few days ago about the shape of my body, and a girl actually said, "Go eat some food and get a fucking therapist."

Like, are you kidding me? Just because I'm skinny doesn't make me unhealthy. The majority of the answers I got (60+) were "you need to gain weight." Well you know what? NO I DON'T!

Sorry, I just had to rant. (:

[Aroura]

i don't understand all this hate! YES America has a skewed idea of proper wight, but that is not to say that obesity is not an issue! @OP, you are severely underweight, you need to see your doctor and a dietitian and get to a healthy weight. (this was calculated at this site: www.mayoclinic.org/bmi-calculator/itt-20084938 feel free to take it for yourself, i added a random age that was over 18.) now, saying that, these points are valid for the morbidly obese for sure... the overweight are not the issue here. but when you have a culture that says that you have to be underweight, or skinny shame everyone at a healthy weight, there is a problem.

[bananatossing]

I was overweight when I was a kid and most of my high school years. It all changed as soon as I started liking running and go to the gym. Of course, growth helped but I noticed that as soon as I stop eating correctly or get lazy I develop a double chin and the side of my hips turn fat. So I never quit the lifestyle. I know what is like to be fat and went through all of the insults and rejection a fat kid can get so I refuse to get back to that. Sure, all metabolisms are different, but mine sucks so I have to put a little bit more o effort. It all comes down to attitude and will to change things.

[Kshppatel]

I used to eat when I was unhappy but it something I'm working on. It may sound stupid but I did that. Well not necessarily eat when unhappy but more like I would eat more than I would normally eat when I was unhappy (which was a lot of the time). What people don't understand is that losing weight and going from obese to healthy requires a complete change in your lifestyle. Its not just exercise and diet. You have to want it bad enough. Those that say they go to they gym but aren't losing weight simply aren't going hard enough in the gym. Every day in the gym on that treadmill/bike/elliptical needs to be a challenge. You need to push your limits every single workout. Once you do that you will want to push your limits even more. For those who say they can't stay motivated, I can find some motivation for your ass trust me on that lol

[AdamThomas]

People are lazy these days, the ones you're aiming this at won't even bother trying to understand, and rather than do anything about it they'll just tell you what a horrible person you are for hurting their feelings, and probably go and cry into a tub of ice cream.

[Noboddy]

Stereotypes are funny. Did you even care to do an ounce of research before making this post?

Americas average womens measurements 5'4 162 lbs
Europe average womens measurements 5'4 153 lbs
Canada average womens measurements 5'4 152 lbs

I guess ~10lbs difference is obese right?

It's like saying everyone in the UK has messed up yellow teeth. Which we all know is untrue...

[Tokana]

All your post told is that on average:

American women are overweight
Canadian women are overweight
European women are overweight

[Noboddy]

No my post showed that in the main places this argument comes up we are all around the same average weight.

[dartmaul15]

truth is, arround 35% of American adults are MEDICALLY obese.

If that's not a problem, then i don't know what it is...

[SpicedPumpkin]

Those are all fat.

[Noboddy]

@dartmaul15 can you supply the link to that? i would like to read it.

[dartmaul15]

@noboddy i have many sources for that.
firstly BMI development in USA. 1999 compared with 2008.
25-29.9 is considered overweight, and above 30 is considered obese. I don't see a problem at all (sarcasm)
jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=185235
As you see, a CONSIDERABLE portion of it gives an unhealthy BMI

another source for you: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/.../full
another: https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html
here's even a wikipedia article about it: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obesity_in_the_United_States

So, it's clearly not a problem at all, right? Right?

[MikkyLachae]

I agree with this. I'm fat and I exercise and eat less to lose weight and I def do NOT glorify an unhealthy lifestyle. The only reason I was fat was because my stay-at-home parent fed me til I was super obese and I had to listen being a little kid. So since I was able to make my own decisions at like 17, I started losing weight really fast. The skinnier I get, the more she hates me but I don't give a damn.

[Deft_maiden]

Is all because of lack of will power to keep the spoon away from the mouth!
I agree 100%. I take this a but further and challenge the idea of 3 Small meals and two snacks.
You eat when hungry ( real, not imaginary). Eat until you feel comfortably full and then stop. Lastly, Move, move, move. Done!
Eat simply and minimally processed.
Our own obsession with various " hi tech" weight loss diets, " super foods", newest workout fad, is contributing to obesity crisis.

[AshleyMD]

I think the movement might have started to get people to stop bullying people who are overweight or obese but I think it's turned into a movement that says being overweight or obese is ok while ignoring the health risks.

[Illusive_Man]

Trust her.
She's a "doctor"
😜

[AshleyMD]

@Illusive_Man
I've already said I'm not and my username is my first name with my middle and last initials.

[Illusive_Man]

Just teasing.

[BelleGirl21]

This is certainly not a politically correct post, but I agree with what you're saying. I also feel that losing weight and changing lifestyle is one of the most difficult things to do. People have to do it for themselves, not society, family, friends or even spouses.

[Watermelonoma]

honestly, I've given up trying to advise these people. Let them live they want to live and suffer the consequences for it. I'm just so glad that i have free will, and get to choose who I want to date or not date. If i was forced to date someone who was like this, then i'd be pretty depressed yeah. But just the thought alone that I have so much free choice is enough for me to not bother myself with what they are doing.

[Tokana]

I agree with your take:
To add to #1.

People that are out of shape have more to gain from going to the gym and when I see them do nothing but nod my head in approval.