Is it okay to be fat?
http://www.hulu.com/embed/gpabQ23QRCHrDSAA80er1g
I just came across this Nightline Face-off episode on the concept of "fatness" as it relates to health, government policy, and cultural ideals of beauty. It was really interesting and especially relevant to conversations that have arisen in several different threads on the forums recently. Above you can watch a sort of 20 minute summary with a whole bunch of excerpts from the debate. You can watch the full debate on ABC's website, but it's quite a bit longer and I wanted to post something brief enough that people will have time to watch it and share their thoughts.
So, vegwebbers, what do you think? Is it true, as one panelist claims, that the notion of a person being fat and healthy is an oxymoron? Who (if anyone) should decide where we draw the line that distinguishes "healthy" bodies from "fat" bodies? What do you think about this idea of reclaiming the word fat so it's no longer a dirty word? What's your reaction to the panelists arguments about biological determinism (i.e. you're fat because your genes make you so) versus behavioral control (i.e. your eating habits determine how your body looks)?
One thing that struck me was that it was a debate amongst women. The moderator was female, as well as all four panelists. Uh huh. That's all I'm going to say about that.
There's a video at the link site and in it they show the Victoria Secret ad next to the Lane Bryant ad and they were pretty much exactly the same shots. So, it definitely wasn't overly provocative to air.
that was definitely not that provocative. ive seen commercials 20 times that racy. ugh. just when i thought we were making progress, stuff like that happens. ayayayyy
While I'd prefer not to see scantally clad women on TV, the VS ad is way more racy than the LB one. It is clear that the only reason the add was refused was because of the size of the model. To allow the one and not the other makes no sense to me. The VS ad really reduced the women to nothing more than sex objects. The LB ad is in much better taste. I don't think this is a case of Americans being prudish. The networks obviously are assuming that people would be offended by larger models. Sad.
HHhahahaaaahhaa. Um, are you serious? Please tell me this is some inside joke with other posters. I'm not even going to address the inherent cruelty in your remark. However, I would just like to point out that people DO publicly humiliate, alienate and ignore overweight people. It's called SCHOOL. Not only that but this has proven to be a very ineffective method--people who attract a significant amount of embarrassment and rejection due to (or percieved to be due to) their weight they usually end up more overweight or with an eating disorder. Your post reeks of ignorance in many ways.
No joke. It's my opinion, which I am more than allowed to have. I'm also a social darwinist. So, feel free to disagree with me, but at least be respectful while doing it.
social darwinsim......a completely unscientific, racist, and untrue "idea" outdated by many years of real scientific study
As far as the topic I didn't really think people would be saying these kinds of things but just had to look, and really? Like Really? In a group of vegans I would think people would have a little more compassion. I don't think anyone enjoys being overweight and having all the health and self-esteem lowering effects it has....and shaming them is not going to make it any eaiser to loose weight. Reinforcement for working out and eating healthy is something that can help people. Some insurance compaines offer discounts for going to the health club 8 times a month, this is a good example of reinforcement to change behavior. I would like to be respectful of your opinion, but I can never get behind shaming or causing harm to any living creature, overweight people included.
So I think I'm onboard with most of the people on here, I don't think fat = healthy, and skinny doesn't neccesarily either. But helping people is more important than shaming them into changing
The most recent Second City Network is about public shaming.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-rWjrgaDek&playnext_from=TL&videos=I-q_O5vxncA&feature=sub
that video is jacked up... that would be really sad :(
Reusable cloth bags! Come on! :)
No really, that was mean.
sad :(
My tought was does this mean that the skinny person who buys the same trash or more is fine. Hmm. Work in a grocery store for a while. People, skinny, fat, or otherwise, mostly buy trash and not real food. There is a lot more going on here that meets the eye.
wow, i just saw the VS ad...ummmm WAY more racy than the LB one. AND they're called the fucking nakeds!!! wtf???!!!
Santa Clara county just outlawed toys in kids meals. So many people are upset about it. They don't want people policing their kids. The county council sited that over a quarter of the children in the county are already overweight. They feel that the toys entise children to eat unhealthy foods.
Santa Clara county just outlawed toys in kids meals. So many people are upset about it. They don't want people policing their kids. The county council sited that over a quarter of the children in the county are already overweight. They feel that the toys entise children to eat unhealthy foods.
i think that's pretty awesome! i know we always went to mc donalds as children for the toys in happy meals
Santa Clara county just outlawed toys in kids meals. So many people are upset about it. They don't want people policing their kids. The county council sited that over a quarter of the children in the county are already overweight. They feel that the toys entise children to eat unhealthy foods.
i think that's pretty awesome! i know we always went to mc donalds as children for the toys in happy meals
Same here. Growing up, though, going to fast food restaurants (or really any restaurant) was a special occasion. I think this is great. Kids don't need a "prize" for eating, especially for eating junk food.
i think that's pretty awesome! i know we always went to mc donalds as children for the toys in happy meals
That's kinda funny too - my oldest boy made us get him the happy meals JUST to get the toy. He would throw the food away, he hated it all.
Hahaha, I did this. I remember when I was 7, my dad made me eat the hamburger, and I hated it so much I CRIED. that was the only burger i've ever tried in my life.
As for this thread, it's hard for me to answer without offending anyone, but i think that asking if it's ok to be fat is like asking, "is it ok to have diabetes/ have a broken leg/ have emphysema?"
in general, I think it's not "okay" because it's just not healthy, and I want people to take care of themselves. I don't blame or ridicule anyone for being overweight, I just feel sympathy and concern for them, and would like to see them get down to a healthy weight and add a few years to thier lifespans. Is that so wrong?
Another thing, I am concerned about the weight of both men and women. It's absolutely a standard of health for me, not of beauty. I also think the line between chubby and FAT is quite clear. Most people I see on the street (up north, anyway) are just chubby, not unhealthy looking. It becomes a problem when you're, say, five feet tall and weigh 180 pounds or more.
Obese But Healthy? Gray Area Confounds Science
Is it possible to be fat and fit? Perhaps, researchers say, but losing weight may make you even better off.
A new study, published in the September issue of the journal Diabetes Care, finds that people who are obese but metabolically healthy (meaning they have healthy cholesterol and blood sugar levels as well as normal blood pressure), can still improve their health profile by dropping a few pounds.
The study contradicts an earlier finding that people who are obese and yet healthy may actually be worse off if they lose weight. What the new study can't do is explain why some people manage to be both obese and healthy - or whether there's really such a thing.
I just wanna put it out there that I am technically obese for my height, but my blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar are all fine. As a matter of fact, I was in worse health when I was thinner, and the health problems are what led to the weight gain... so no. Skinny does not equal healthy, but I don't think fat has to equal unhealthy. Often times weight is an indicator that something health wise (such as thyroid, pituitary gland, insulin levels) may be off kilter, but that by no means inducates that the weight caused the problems. Perhaps the problems caused the weight.
It is HIGHLY inappropriate to publicly ridicule people. We do not live in middle school. We are big boys and girls now and I think that we should implement what our mommies and daddies taught us about "playing nice" and "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all".
i agree
Public ridicule of anyone, for any reason, just makes the mocker look bad. You can't be taller by cutting someone else's head off.
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