I was reading
this blog today, and felt compelled to write about this myself. I wanted to ask some of these questions myself. If I've read the definition of fat acceptance correctly, its safe to assume that I am not fat accepting. However, I don't believe in weight discrimination.
Is it possible, that fat people are meant to be fat and there is nothing they can do about it? I highly disagree. I keep reading this argument over and over on fat acceptance blogs and on the Joy Nash Fat Rant, that fat people can live a healthy lifestyle and still be fat.
Is this true? Please introduce me to this fat person because I have yet to meet them. Everyone I know, myself included is fat because they eat too much of the wrong foods and they aren't active enough.
Every time that I've been consistent with exercise I've lost weight, even without trying to. Its true, 10th grade PE class? Lost weight. That one spring I was really into raquet ball? Lost weight. All of the walking when I first moved to NYC? Lost weight.
I like food in general, I like healthful foods, I like baked goods, I like fried foods. I just simply cannot get on the boat of "I'm fat and healthy" because I like healthy foods AND not so healthy ones too.
Growing up in WV, I've seen a vast array of fatness. I've seen a little fat, and I've seen middle fat and I've seen really fat. However, I've never met the super active/healthy eating fat person.
If you're out there, will you please send me an email and a video of yourself on the stair master for more than 5 minutes. Or hell, running up five flights or stairs?
To me, the danger of fat acceptance is that it seems to continue the trend of denial about weight. Diabetes runs in my family, but is it just some freak occurence or did lifestyle play a role in this?
Living in NYC has been great for my awakening, there are few fat people here. Is it just a mistake, is it something in the water? No. There is a higher standard of health (and appearance) here, as in most major cities. And in some European and Asian cities as well.
When I was in college I met a Chinese girl at work. I asked her millions of questions about what she ate because I was convinced that Asian people were genetically inclined to be thin. Yes, I'm aware at how stereotypical and incorrect that assumption is. However, she was blunt about it, she told me she didn't like sweets and most people in China only ate sweets/snacks on special occasions. She mentioned how sweet American desserts were in comparison and also that in China people typically regard fresh fruit as highly refreshing after meals.
I also heard this from a friend who visited France and lost 15 lbs without even trying. She wasn't even overweight by most standards at all. But, she said when she was there she noticed that people walk a lot and they never ate between meals. They even had signs in grocery stores suggesting to avoid snacking in between meals. Snacking is highly American. Did you know that most sodas made in Europe are sweetened with cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup? And that most people cook at home?
Josh also has a friend who visits Germany on a regular basis, he is not someone I would consider fat by American standards. I mean he could stand to lose 20 lbs, but I wouldn't think much about it. However, he always notes how fat he is in Germany and how much he stands out compared to everyone else.
I am very much for self-love, I've been working hard on improving my insides as much as my outsides lately and feeling good about my life in general at any weight. I believe anything can be accomplished regardless if we're at our goal weight or not, but I think its naive to assume that we are "healthy" if we can't even run (I know I can't) or because we sometimes eat healthful foods. I eat good-for-you foods all the time, even when I wasn't trying to lose weight.
Similarly, I don't believe all thin people are healthy. Its annoying when I hear someone say "they take care of themselves" regarding a thin person who doesn't eat well or exercise. I've watched some of those model shows where I seriously think I could outrun the girl that weights 100+ lbs less than me because she doesn't exercise and probably eats very little.
I guess for me, I don't believe you have to be stick thin to be healthy or happy, I just think its really harmful to believe that we are "destined to be fat" or "genetically inclined" to be fat when so many people who live totally different lifestyles aren't fat.