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Normalisation of 'plus-size' risks hidden danger of obesity, study finds (Read OP)
- Thread starter Saya
- Start date
Education from a young age is key.
That said, I'd rather die than exist in the same space as some of the 'concerned' raging thunder cunts itt. Yeah, you care so much!
I'm not even fat.
That said, I'd rather die than exist in the same space as some of the 'concerned' raging thunder cunts itt. Yeah, you care so much!
I'm not even fat.
This is not an easy problem to solve. A person can know exactly what they should eat to be lean and healthy, what exercises they should do and how often, how processed food effects their body, the health risks of obesity, etc, and still not give a semblance of a shit.
We shouldn't shame overweight individuals, but the culture that has made them such a common occurence. Granted, I still believe it is up to family and close friends to talk to those that could stand to lose some pounds for health's sake. Even if not their fault, health risks will be present regardless after all.
Unless you're a professional athlete or a power lifter who squats 600lbs at the gym there is nothing normal about 4000 calories a day.
One thing I don't like is when someone who's clearly obese from over eating blames it on genetics.
No need to fat shame, but it's very healthy to comment on it even in the most casual of ways.
As we get older our metabolism gets worse. It's not hard to keep watch of our weights and adjust our portions accordingly.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution to gaining weight. Each person has to adjust their eating habits in accordance with how their body handles it.
No need to fat shame, but it's very healthy to comment on it even in the most casual of ways.
As we get older our metabolism gets worse. It's not hard to keep watch of our weights and adjust our portions accordingly.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution to gaining weight. Each person has to adjust their eating habits in accordance with how their body handles it.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
If people know HOW to cook and WHAT to cook for themselves, there's a lot less chances they become unwilling, unwitting pawns of the sugar industry.
The misinformation around diets is killing people.
If people know HOW to cook and WHAT to cook for themselves, there's a lot less chances they become unwilling, unwitting pawns of the sugar industry.
The misinformation around diets is killing people.
I mean, they won't feel good when they get all sorts of diseases?
Wearing a blind fold does nobody any good.
Here's what I would like to see, and it'll never happen but i would be cool if it did:
A gov't sponsored national meal program for a year, or even 6 months. A huge push by our government to get people to sign up, they give 6 months of recipes and if you sign up you get vouchers for discounts on the ingredients, all paid by tax money or take some from the military to reimburse companies who participate. I want a drastic thing to be done where we say look we're in the middle of a crisis here and we have to do better and we're gonna take your hand and give you the opportunity to do it. Take out commercials, take out radio ads, all of it.
I'm kind of late to these posts, but the perception that "those other options are so bad" and "I'm paying for water" are part of the problem. Normalising soda as a part of the eating experience, as you've pointed out, is a part of the problem. Normalising alternative and much healthier drinks such as water and tea and emphasising that they don't simply 'suck' (because as somebody who only drinks water and tea I'd honestly go in the opposite direction and say most drink choices available suck because they're generally all sodas) but can be pleasant and refreshing options is pretty important. Water is only a 'bad' option or one which sucks if you've become so used to the idea of soda being a 'default' or better drink; there's not anything inherently worse about water as an option.
The idea that one is simply 'throwing money away' but buying water is also indicative of another issue, and that is people's insistence on finishing meals even when portion sizes are ridiculous. Although perceptions about potion sizes are skewed, the idea that people are getting better value for money by getting large portions and that it's 'wasting money' not to finish the meal (or to order something simple like water over something which can be expensive like coke) is a contributing factor. It's not 'wasting money' by any stretch to simply eat until one is no longer hungry (which doesn't necessarily mean eatuntil full or stuffed) or to pick water over a carbonated beverage, you're getting your value's worth in what has already been eaten.
This doesn't mean it's easy to change these perceptions, and after years of portion sizes rising dramatically it's difficult for people to have an understanding of what a 'reasonable' portion should actually look like or what a 'normal' level of satisfaction after a meal should be like (particularly when as one you grows larger a normal sized meal is more likely to still leave you feeling hungry; which isn't necessarily a bad thing to feel). It can be difficult to accept that food can be left (particularly after food waste is so widely discouraged), but I don't think it's a good thing to suggest that money is being wasted if you're 'paying for water'; it's not being wasted, you're getting a drink which is refreshing and still getting value out of whatever you're eating in the meal.
(Note: This isn't aimed at 'you' in particular as you've already mentioned you don't tend to get combo meals, but I think you've touched on two things which certainly contribute to the obesity epidemic not just in America but also elsewhere)
I don't really know what a practical solution is BUT I think it's crazy that we teach our children calculus but not how to care for their bodies.
Isn't there a difference between some healthy amount of fat good for body and figure and just being obese?
There is naturally a range of body types and I feel that people hear this sort of thing and feel attacked. There is a limit to what would be considered a safe and healthy weight and that all depends on a variety of factors. That being said there is definitely a range that people should not be in if they wish to be healthy.
I think I would've been one of the people mentioned in the study who didn't think their weight was too much a few months back until I looked at myself in the mirror and realized how large I had become. My wife had brought back a shirt from Japan that was too small and when I saw the tag said 2XL, I knew it was a problem. I'm sure Japanese sizes are far different from American sizes but still, something had to change. I think I always knew it but I was lying to myself and rationalizing that I wasn't that large. The usual stuff. As others in this thread have mentioned, once you start counting calories and realize how much god damn food you've been eating, it's pretty shocking. Controlling portions and paying attention to your food works though. It takes some willpower and positive thinking, but it works. It really really does.
I don't have a scale so I don't know how much weight I've lost over the last few months but it's been noticeable. I'm still heavier than I want to be but I'm still slimming down and I feel better. That Japanese shirt fits now too.
I wish I would've have some sort of decent health and cooking education a long time ago. We need to someone educate people about it more than we have. The restaurant portions are far too large and people think it's the standard and that needs to change. Lots of stuff needs to change. How do you fix an incredibly broken system that is filled with people that don't want to fix it though? I don't think shaming people is the right option and it clearly doesn't work but on the other side of the coin, people don't want to hear about getting better. I know I didn't want to listen until recently. I wish there were an easy fix for everyone.
I don't have a scale so I don't know how much weight I've lost over the last few months but it's been noticeable. I'm still heavier than I want to be but I'm still slimming down and I feel better. That Japanese shirt fits now too.
I wish I would've have some sort of decent health and cooking education a long time ago. We need to someone educate people about it more than we have. The restaurant portions are far too large and people think it's the standard and that needs to change. Lots of stuff needs to change. How do you fix an incredibly broken system that is filled with people that don't want to fix it though? I don't think shaming people is the right option and it clearly doesn't work but on the other side of the coin, people don't want to hear about getting better. I know I didn't want to listen until recently. I wish there were an easy fix for everyone.
Yes, a person with body fat% that is 18 to 22 is considered normal, above 23 to 29% is considered overweight, and >30% is considered obese (these ranges are for men).
https://www.acefitness.org/educatio...he-guidelines-for-percentage-of-body-fat-loss
You should not feel like a bad person, but I don't get why people should feel good about being overweight, much less obese. It's objectively worse than the alternative, and seems like it is almost pretending that it's out of your control so you should learn to love it, when the fact is that weight is ENTIRELY within one's control.
What a productive addition to this debate.
I am 6 feet tall and weigh 320 pounds. I stopped caring long ago. I could stress about how tackling obesity is a complex issue but other people here have touched on that already.
Honestly at this point I am just sick of people assuming stuff about me and telling me how I should live. I am obese but I don't eat out at fast food restaurants every day (in fact I avoid such places when possible). I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables every day to balance out my meat heavy diet. Yet people have told me that I should "stop eating at the mickey dees" like they know me and my diet based on my weight. Oh and do not get me started on those fat stereotypes on mainstream media that depict big people as pizza-faced ogres with dirty clothes that hold cheeseburgers. I recently saw one while playing exploding kittens with my co-workers and it was hard for me to stay silent about it for the whole game.
Can those stereotypes at least go away? I know about the increased risk factors associated with obesity, but being treated as shit everyday by people and media for "the greater good" does not encourage me to lose weight at all.
Honestly at this point I am just sick of people assuming stuff about me and telling me how I should live. I am obese but I don't eat out at fast food restaurants every day (in fact I avoid such places when possible). I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables every day to balance out my meat heavy diet. Yet people have told me that I should "stop eating at the mickey dees" like they know me and my diet based on my weight. Oh and do not get me started on those fat stereotypes on mainstream media that depict big people as pizza-faced ogres with dirty clothes that hold cheeseburgers. I recently saw one while playing exploding kittens with my co-workers and it was hard for me to stay silent about it for the whole game.
Can those stereotypes at least go away? I know about the increased risk factors associated with obesity, but being treated as shit everyday by people and media for "the greater good" does not encourage me to lose weight at all.
All this is great but I get water for free at my house from my tap. Paying for it more than a couple cents per bottle is a massive rip off.
What is sad is that you can't, at least as far as I know order a salad on the side of your sandwich in a combo for the same price as the fries. If you can they should advertise it on their menu.
I do know that even a combo from Mcdonalds or Wednys or anywhere else isn't enough food for me especially if I have had a workout that day. Its because none of food is filling. And somehow they feel fine to charge me 30 cents if I want to put a tomato slice or a piece of lettuce on a burger that doesn't already have it.
OP
OP
I really do think governments around the world need to do more in battling the obesity epidemic.
I used to be obese as well and thought I was meant to be this way. I had accepted that and I didn't think much of it, but during a visit to a doctor I was strongly urged to lose weight and do more exercise. I found it really hard to do that by myself, but what helped me get motivated to lose weight and get in shape was seeing other people achieving results. If they could do it, why couldn't I? This subreddit helped me a lot.
https://www.reddit.com/r/progresspics/
I changed my diet, bought a couple of dumbbells and resistance bands, and also took up running. You will not believe how fast one can shed pounds and see some results. It's really quite remarkable once it happens and it's extra motivation. The hardest part for me was to keep going at it. It's rough, but worth the journey.
I used to be obese as well and thought I was meant to be this way. I had accepted that and I didn't think much of it, but during a visit to a doctor I was strongly urged to lose weight and do more exercise. I found it really hard to do that by myself, but what helped me get motivated to lose weight and get in shape was seeing other people achieving results. If they could do it, why couldn't I? This subreddit helped me a lot.
https://www.reddit.com/r/progresspics/
I changed my diet, bought a couple of dumbbells and resistance bands, and also took up running. You will not believe how fast one can shed pounds and see some results. It's really quite remarkable once it happens and it's extra motivation. The hardest part for me was to keep going at it. It's rough, but worth the journey.
Please don't be offended by me asking this, but how much meat are you eating in a day? Can you try eating half as much or three-fourths as much with each meal as you usually do? Just cutting back the portions a bit would do wonders.
Replacing some of that meat with a low-calorie option like a portobello mushroom can be just as filling and will be far better for you in the long run too. Have you considered any of the vegetarian meat alternatives too?
A government sponsored healthy fastfood chain would be cool. Imagine getting a super healthy meal from a drive through at the cost of junk food.
I think laziness is a bigger problem than price anyway. People cba to cook anymore, so they go for the easy option.
I think laziness is a bigger problem than price anyway. People cba to cook anymore, so they go for the easy option.
I have a hard time believing people don't live near any grocery store that doesn't sell fruits, veggies and other perfectly normal items like canned kidney beans.
Exercise equipment is not how you lose weight. Weight gain and weight loss is entirely calories in, calories out. You eat more than you burn, you gain weight, you eat less than burn and you lose weight. It's not even that difficult really. I had a knee injury, had to have surgery and have been couch ridden for months on end. I've barely gained any weight, because I adjusted my intake to account for the fact that I won't be burning as many calories as I normally would be. I don't keep a diet journal, I don't jump through mental hoops to maintain my healthy weight, I just stop eating when I'm full and drink plenty of water. Loose leaf and satchet bagged teas instead of soda.
Edit: and I keep seeing "healthy alternatives are too costly". The opposite seems true in my experience. Bags of chips, sodas, candies, sugary drinks and snacks. Those things add up to cost a ton. I can take all that money I would've spent on pure junk and buy a load of veggies, cans of beans and other plant based proteins. I can eat healthy at a fraction of the cost of what I'd pay to eat like shit.
Thanks for letting me know. All the pains I experience being fat; thought that was just something everyone went through. Seriously you don't have to point and yell fatty-fatty why so fatty at fat people. We know being fat is bad health wise. Any fat/obese person who claims they are somehow healthy and feel fine are truly delusional and no amount of plus-size clothing can be blamed for that.
Also in terms of clothes, what's the solution for fat people. Dress us in rags and dirty newspaper and throw rocks at us as we walk down the street? I can't see how a fat person can walk into a plus-size clothing store, pick out a 3x, 4x, 5x shirt and be like; okay this is fine and normal now; don't need to lose weight.
Like c'mon there is no normalization of being obese as our bodies tell us otherwise. Also this article/study doesn't mention how much people are under representing their weight. But you know what leads to that? No access to accurate scales over a certain weight. Most people can't look in the mirror and tell exactly how much they weigh on any given day. But you probably have scales at home, the gym, dr. office that tell you. So you get weighed every week, or month or so and you kinda go from there.
You know who doesn't have that luxury? Fat people. So yeah a fat person may go years without knowing their weight; but what's in a number? Like I said our aches and pains and clothing sizes tell us the story. So people may not know their accurate weight but they sure as shit can tell you the last time they bought a shirt they went up a size, or their pants are fitting more snug than usual, or their knees started giving them trouble last month.
People really just need to admit they want to actively fat shame people, or at least look down on someone so they can feel superior. You don't care about some stranger's health. Worry about your own lives and let us worry about our weight without the constant harassment of; 'Well you know; being fat is bad for your health. *tut-tut*' We. Fucking. Know! Get off your high horse and let us buy some damn clothes in peace.
The truth is obesity costs society. A lot. It is all our problem at this point and it's only getting worse. I'm personally not fat shaming anyone, but this is something we really need to get serious about.
I kinda have always done this, without realizing it. However, I almost always ate a tiny breakfast (just a banana or a bit of cereal).
After lunch, as a kid/teen, I would only eat until I was really "hungry." I wouldn't snack except maybe a small bit here and there late at night.
Lately, I've fallen into that old behavior after gaining some weight now in my 30s. I was, like, oh yeah. I didn't really eat this much before. :?
It is that easy, I've lost 25KG this year through calories in vs calories out.
I used to get angry at people for judging me when I was fat. Thought of being fat as similar to being a certain height or having certain color eyes or what have you.
It's so easy to completely fail to realize that, most of the time, being overweight is completely your fault. People who have been overweight most of their lives and have eaten a certain way that entire time are at risk of having a complete lack of self-awareness regarding the issue. All it takes is a real effort to eat healthy and exercise, and it's amazing how quickly your mindset can change.
Being healthy is a choice. Not eating healthy or moving your body is a choice. Anything else is an excuse. No time after work? Hate cooking? It's too hard? Too busy in general? Hate working out? Too bad. Make time. Push through the gym. Work up to a good routine.
If I went from being a fat guy who couldn't jog for three minutes without nearly dying to a guy who runs for an hour every single day even though I hate every second of it, anyone can.
Also, I still love food. Not eating good tasting food all the time sucks. Healthy food simply doesn't taste as good. But you know what? The happiness that comes from discipline is so much better and more worth it. And it's not like healthy food tastes bad. Learn to love water and black coffee. Portion control. Good habits. Then go crazy with a cheat day once or twice a week and have a guilt-free pizza. Do you know how good that feels? It's awesome to earn a good cheat meal and eat pizza as a skinny person.
My heart does go out to those with poor metabolisms and limiting environmental factors, such as living with families that eat like shit and make you feel bad for being healthy, because misery loves company. That sucks and definitely makes it way harder to be and look and feel healthy. But there's never an excuse not to make an effort and at least try to be healthy.
I have no real feelings on "plus-size" either way, but I do take issue with people not taking responsibility for their own life choices, and acting like victims. Especially because I was a fat guy too, once, who would have gotten very angry at this post for hitting too close to home and being exactly what I didn't want to hear.
It's so easy to completely fail to realize that, most of the time, being overweight is completely your fault. People who have been overweight most of their lives and have eaten a certain way that entire time are at risk of having a complete lack of self-awareness regarding the issue. All it takes is a real effort to eat healthy and exercise, and it's amazing how quickly your mindset can change.
Being healthy is a choice. Not eating healthy or moving your body is a choice. Anything else is an excuse. No time after work? Hate cooking? It's too hard? Too busy in general? Hate working out? Too bad. Make time. Push through the gym. Work up to a good routine.
If I went from being a fat guy who couldn't jog for three minutes without nearly dying to a guy who runs for an hour every single day even though I hate every second of it, anyone can.
Also, I still love food. Not eating good tasting food all the time sucks. Healthy food simply doesn't taste as good. But you know what? The happiness that comes from discipline is so much better and more worth it. And it's not like healthy food tastes bad. Learn to love water and black coffee. Portion control. Good habits. Then go crazy with a cheat day once or twice a week and have a guilt-free pizza. Do you know how good that feels? It's awesome to earn a good cheat meal and eat pizza as a skinny person.
My heart does go out to those with poor metabolisms and limiting environmental factors, such as living with families that eat like shit and make you feel bad for being healthy, because misery loves company. That sucks and definitely makes it way harder to be and look and feel healthy. But there's never an excuse not to make an effort and at least try to be healthy.
I have no real feelings on "plus-size" either way, but I do take issue with people not taking responsibility for their own life choices, and acting like victims. Especially because I was a fat guy too, once, who would have gotten very angry at this post for hitting too close to home and being exactly what I didn't want to hear.
Do you have a source to back up that exercise is essential to weight loss?
6'0 and 185 lbs to be overweight? Tells you how faulty BMI can be. I was 6'0 and 175 lbs with 5% body fat in my early 20s, and I wasn't even that muscular, I was fairly athletic but that's surprising to me. Anything less than 5% body fat is considered unhealthy/dangerous in most cases.
I feel like I have a good perspective on this subject as someone who has both had a metabolism that allowed me to eat anything and everything I wanted and not suffer any consequences and then in my late 20s and 30s, struggling with my weight to the point where I'd probably be considered obese on the BMI scale. I know that being fat is unhealthy and I also know that I wish I wasn't fat but people who have never struggled with it don't quite realize how difficult it is. It's very easy to say, "it's really simple, create a calorie deficit." While that is obviously true, people have pretty wildly different metabolisms and there are all the addiction related symptoms where people really struggle to stay away from food or drinks that have a lot of calories.
I don't think people should celebrate being overweight though, it is a health risk and while people should never be insulted for it, they need to know the health risks.
It depends on the day. Like on Mondays I eat about two slabs of grilled sirloin steak or churrasco, on Wednesdays I eat five grilled chicken thighs (you can see a pattern here lol), and on Saturdays I eat some pork ribs. The other days are usually pretty random (anything but fried chicken, that's way too greasy and tastes nasty.)
And about healthier alternatives.. eating is part of enjoying my life. It's one of the reasons why I wake up every day and deal with the shittier aspects of society (being vague here because I'm ridiculed everyday and discussing it makes me angry.) When I was self conscious about my shape, I tried limiting my diet your way, but I didn't enjoy it at all. A mushroom can never taste like a steak. And it's not like I can't enjoy vegetables (I eat them like I mentioned in my first post, steamed asparagus is the best). I dunno, sometimes I feel like others assume all big people are blind to their health and stuff themselves every day with nasty stuff like fast food burgers. I just wish that association went away.
Well, coming from Europe, when I was in North America I was mostly shocked by the choice of food in supermarkets. Terrible, terrible and terrible.
There definitely is something to do in this area, you shouldn't have to read blogs and watch videos in order to get the knowledge to eat healthy food.
There definitely is something to do in this area, you shouldn't have to read blogs and watch videos in order to get the knowledge to eat healthy food.
obviously physiologically that's how it works lol
I meant mentally. Changing a lifestyle you've likely had your whole life isn't really as easy as flipping a switch
My family are always honest enough to tell me when I get overweight! They will tell me bluntly that I am getting fat, and will sometimes tease me about it.
To be honest, it is a good thing. If I had family doing the opposite:
Me: I feel fat
Fam: no, you look great
Then I would be much more likely to let my weight slide up!
To be honest, it is a really good thing. I do think fat acceptance definitely has a role in the the obesity epidemic. Family and friends being supportive of obese people, when they need a bit of brutal honesty.
People are afraid to bring up the subject to friends. However, I will have a discrete word with friends who are piling on the pounds. I think guys tend to be more honest with each other anyhow.
To be honest, it is a good thing. If I had family doing the opposite:
Me: I feel fat
Fam: no, you look great
Then I would be much more likely to let my weight slide up!
To be honest, it is a really good thing. I do think fat acceptance definitely has a role in the the obesity epidemic. Family and friends being supportive of obese people, when they need a bit of brutal honesty.
People are afraid to bring up the subject to friends. However, I will have a discrete word with friends who are piling on the pounds. I think guys tend to be more honest with each other anyhow.
Interesting. I will look into it more later in the day (past midnight here in Los Angeles hahah). I don't really think they're talking extreme exercise routines, though. Something as simple as walking a little more could help wonders.
Nobody's day is too busy to not take just 15-30 minutes, or preferably an hour out of it to exercise. Before my surgery, I was working 12+ hours a day as a mailman. I'd walk 10-15 miles a day, get home, grab my gym clothes, hit the treadmill, deadlift and squat for an hour then come home and compose music. Repeat. I just had to make a concious effort to make smart, informed decisions and choose my health over staring at my smart phone for an hour. What exercise did for my mental health was worth it alone.
I'd say it really isn't, but I'd recommend it anyway. To lose weight you need a calorie deficit. Full stop. But there is other stuff that can affect weight loss like the quality of your sleep. Bad sleep and not sleeping long enough can affect your body in negative ways and hold back your progress. Generally speaking, doing exercise will help you feel tired at the end of the day and make you go to bed earlier, which is good for you. Furthermore, most people feel good after a sport session of any kind, which is another plus. People at gyms are usually nice and helpful, as opposed to what pop-culture make it look at times, and a lot of them will be happy to help since they've had similar problems in the past.
And once you're back on your ideal level, doing exercise will surely help you stay there.
You can star with something light, like walking 30/60 minutes a day, and slowly go up from there. Just need to be careful, because heavy cardio can make you feel fuzzy due to your calorie deficit.
I think there's a reasonable distinction between fat shaming to try and hurt someone because of their appearance, compared with recommendation of weight loss, or rather reduction in visceral fat to prevent health complications, and avoiding the perception that being morbidly overweight or obese should be something that people accept and don't try to change to improve their health prospects. In a health system like the UK, which actually has a public system, this also becomes a burden on tax revenue.
I recognise there are a range of factors associated with weight control.
Also, I think a range of literature has shown that while calorie restriction is pretty essential for weight loss, the effect of exercise can be negligible, or negative on the amount of weight lost compared to control groups.
People overestimate the amount of energy burn that comes from exercise, and engage in compensatory behaviours such as eating more or becoming more sedentary post-exercise. Essentially, if you are engaging in weight loss and include exercise in that regimen, you should essentially ignore any putative calorie burn it provides.
Exercise is important for other health reasons though.
I recognise there are a range of factors associated with weight control.
Also, I think a range of literature has shown that while calorie restriction is pretty essential for weight loss, the effect of exercise can be negligible, or negative on the amount of weight lost compared to control groups.
People overestimate the amount of energy burn that comes from exercise, and engage in compensatory behaviours such as eating more or becoming more sedentary post-exercise. Essentially, if you are engaging in weight loss and include exercise in that regimen, you should essentially ignore any putative calorie burn it provides.
Exercise is important for other health reasons though.
Survey based study says something controversial and gets media attention.
This is laughable.
We already know that people underestimate weight and food intake. It's why survey based food studies and clinical based ones differ.
This is laughable.
We already know that people underestimate weight and food intake. It's why survey based food studies and clinical based ones differ.
Agreeing with all of this.
And on the topic of people at the gym. 99% of them are kind hearted and encouraging. I went to a "boutique" gym and it was like a family. Only two insecure dudes out of the thousands of people who came through those doors. I've had the biggest dude in the gym come up to me, selflessly take me under his wing to ensure I wouldn't injure myself lifting when I started out. He didn't need to, but he did it anyway and I always try to pay it forward each and every day.
Those planet fitness commercials are so slimy.