Why are people criticized for their body types? [Archive]

GoldMutant

04-25-2015, 08:26 PM

(Cracks knuckles)

I feel it's because society has turn more apathetic instead of sympathetic and understanding. No matter where we go, everyone that isn't a sheep (majority) following a shepherd (leader or most popular decision) will be judged. Whether it be religion, race, etc., it's a cruel world nowadays. It really angers me on how society has begun to morph into something it dislikes. Granted, not everyone is like this, but it still generally upsets me.

For this issue, I think it's both the apathetic nature and us as humans being judgmental. While not everyone, some look for the negatives in a person to bully them into hurting themselves. It's a psychological environment of destruction in a way, to shatter emotions to better our lives. By doing that, it makes people feel superior to those who have disadvantages. That's what I believe in why that happens.

Also, quick quote because Rocky Balboa perfectly summarizes it: "The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows, it's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are, it'll beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it." Rocky Balboa (movie)

*NormalGamer*

04-25-2015, 08:52 PM

Cure

04-25-2015, 09:04 PM

I'm not one to make someone feel bad over their body, but I'm not gonna feel bad over preferring a certain type, either.

Slade

04-25-2015, 09:12 PM

People are shallow... Not much else to it.

pennydreadful

04-25-2015, 09:37 PM

:x There's either too much body shaming in the world. I would like for it to stop.

There's too much trolling in these forums. I would like for it to stop.

IndigoErth

04-25-2015, 09:50 PM

:x There's either too much body shaming in the world. I would like for it to stop.
I just pictured someone handing out fliers to every single person on the planet.

There may be plenty of nice people, but collectively we're a mean species. You don't get to the top on this planet by being a nice species. (Or individual for that matter - how many executives will gladly step on others to get there?) Nice ones get/got eaten.

Best anyone can do it ignore it and find self acceptance.

senpai

04-25-2015, 11:54 PM

Best anyone can do it ignore it and find self acceptance.

Yes. Acceptance with yourself and with things that are out of your control. Purple Kraken, I'm not sure how old you are but when I was in my late teens/early twenties I hated how our society has shaped people and their values. I'd like to say the situation gets better as you age, what with the whole "body shaming" but it doesn't. I worked with a bunch of ladies from 37-late 50s and I actually got picked on for being "too skinny." Or that I'm told I need to eat more. The best thing you can do for yourself is to not let it bother you. If you are unhappy with your weight, then do something for yourself to gain more self-confidence. I wish I could say that it doesn't hurt my feelings when other girls at work talk about me, but sometimes it does. I'm not ashamed of my body at all. I rather like mine. It's just disappointing that some people could be so rude.

Sahtori

04-26-2015, 01:07 AM

*NormalGamer*

04-26-2015, 01:16 AM

Yes. Acceptance with yourself and with things that are out of your control. Purple Kraken, I'm not sure how old you are but when I was in my late teens/early twenties I hated how our society has shaped people and their values. I'd like to say the situation gets better as you age, what with the whole "body shaming" but it doesn't. I worked with a bunch of ladies from 37-late 50s and I actually got picked on for being "too skinny." Or that I'm told I need to eat more. The best thing you can do for yourself is to not let it bother you. If you are unhappy with your weight, then do something for yourself to gain more self-confidence. I wish I could say that it doesn't hurt my feelings when other girls at work talk about me, but sometimes it does. I'm not ashamed of my body at all. I rather like mine. It's just disappointing that some people could be so rude.

@ *referring to bold*

It all comes back to people fearing what they don't understand.

***First of Two Latin Kings***

04-26-2015, 01:25 AM

I worked with a bunch of ladies from 37-late 50s and I actually got picked on for being "too skinny." Or that I'm told I need to eat more. The best thing you can do for yourself is to not let it bother you. If you are unhappy with your weight, then do something for yourself to gain more self-confidence. I wish I could say that it doesn't hurt my feelings when other girls at work talk about me, but sometimes it does. I'm not ashamed of my body at all. I rather like mine. It's just disappointing that some people could be so rude.

This makes me wonder how old you are-- are you much younger than these women? I know women LOVE to hate on other women when they're jealous, so if you're super-model skinny, you might take it as a compliment that they hate you so much. Which is stupid in and of itself of them since that is NOT the ONLY body type men like.

I try to accept people for who they are, si I guess you could say I'm anti-body-shaming, but I can see where others would criticize people who are very heavy or sickly skinny if it is a result of poor nutrition. At that point it isn't anything personal, facts are just facts.

shuriken

04-26-2015, 01:28 AM

:x There's either too much body shaming in the world. I would like for it to stop.

Mmmhmm
There's also too much greed, poverty, murder and war, as well as inequality.
There are a lot of things I don't like, but I can't control how a collective of people feel or act because I believe in, ya know free will.
Also People are criticised because people can be @ssholes. Hell I'm an @sshole sometimes.
But if I have a friend that's overweight for example I won't shame them, but I'll let em know that I can help if they need a workout buddy or some diet/ exercise advice. And I have, but only if they want/feel they need help. If I see that they're happy just the way they are then so be it. Although to be honest some of my friends and I just insult each other cuz that's how we roll but that's besides the point.
Point is you gotta be comfortable with yourself, screw everyone else. If someone tries to body shame me I'll just smile and nod. Trying to shame me into something I'm not and don't want to be is futile and only shows lack of understanding and empathy.
I'll try to be the example of tolerance that not everyone else is willing to be. This thread has that victim mentality that doesn't really help and just points fingers. It's stupid.
I can only speak from me personally or from experience but that's the jist of it.
phew that was more than I though I would write

Amaranthus

04-26-2015, 03:40 AM

If I met you in real life I'd probably punch you in the mouth.

Mayhem

04-26-2015, 06:43 AM

I don't point fingers, no-one is perfect, inside or outside. I don't look at someone and complain how they look like. If I should complain about looks, I first look in the mirror. Never believe what they say about your looks. I've seen people who looked "different" and yet, I'm proud to call them my friends. It's the inside that counts
^this.

However, it doesn't stop me from worrying about a few of my friends, especially if they are on the quite heavier side, and for good reason. When a friend of mine who was only 29 and about 330 pounds died in his sleep partly due to his weight and lack of exercise, that's when you think it's a tragedy he was taken too soon :-?

Whatswiththeheadbands?

04-26-2015, 07:03 AM

Why do you keep making the same thread over & over?

Don't fix what ain't broken?

Wait, that's not right...

senpai

04-26-2015, 10:39 AM

This makes me wonder how old you are-- are you much younger than these women? I know women LOVE to hate on other women when they're jealous, so if you're super-model skinny, you might take it as a compliment that they hate you so much. Which is stupid in and of itself of them since that is NOT the ONLY body type men like.

I try to accept people for who they are, si I guess you could say I'm anti-body-shaming, but I can see where others would criticize people who are very heavy or sickly skinny if it is a result of poor nutrition. At that point it isn't anything personal, facts are just facts.

xD I'm 28. I definitely don't think they "hate" me, they just... *shrug* Idk. People are weird.

We'll be the anti-body-shaming squad! Go go go!

shuriken

04-26-2015, 02:27 PM

If I met you in real life I'd probably punch you in the mouth.

:lol:
This directed towards me or Purple Kraken? Either way hella amusing.

Amaranthus

04-26-2015, 02:29 PM

:lol:
This directed towards me or Purple Kraken? Either way hella amusing.

Purple Kraken.
I'd do some different things to you, mah boy.

shuriken

04-26-2015, 02:48 PM

^^ Mah boy ehh
jvVe6oT0z0Q
Just for discussion's sake why would you punch the poor ol' Purple Kraken in the face? She seems like a nice, albeit nuanced and sometimes whiny individual.

IndigoErth

04-26-2015, 04:41 PM

Doesn't matter who anyone is, no one is ever going to be entirely perfect. And ever see some of the people who try too hard to strive for perfection? Sometimes the results just seem to end up coming out worse in one way or another because opinions of "perfect" varies and they very well may have a warped view of it. :ohwell: I'd rather just be ok with me than mutilate myself to try to achieve something that might not be quite possible.

pennydreadful

04-26-2015, 05:15 PM

I'm a big believer in "beauty comes in all shapes and sizes", I'm just sick of the same thread from PK over and over. The incessant repetition just makes the whole thing seem insincere.

End of the day - not my body, not my business. As long as someone's happy with who they are, I'll stay in my own lane. Industries make billions of dollars from deliberately feeding people's insecurities about how they look/telling them that X is unattractive, and then claiming that they can sell them the cure for whatever it is.

Nobody has "the perfect body" - even supermodels or Hollywood stars who have all day (not to mention thousands of dollars) to work on their appearance. Corporations have a vested interest in making people feel bad about themselves, otherwise they wouldn't make any profit. They spend their time creating non-existent problems so they can sell us crap like knee and elbow lightening cream.

If someone's happy being thin or wearing makeup or having fantastic muscle tone, that's awesome - I just reject the idea that it has to be compulsory in order for someone to be worthwhile or attractive. Which is not to say that you're obligated to find certain body types attractive - but by the same token, nobody (man or woman) owes attractiveness to the world as some sort of public service either.

Whatswiththeheadbands?

04-26-2015, 05:34 PM

^^ Mah boy ehh
jvVe6oT0z0Q

The greatest video in the history of Humanity:lol:

shuriken

04-26-2015, 07:34 PM

Papenbrook

04-26-2015, 08:50 PM

I am honestly not trying to be insincere. I just want people to notice the equalities of our society more often. If they don't, it might become ingrained into our culture.

pennydreadful

04-26-2015, 09:48 PM

Ok - but at the end of the day, you do realize that this is a TMNT forum, right? I mean, I have issues that are important to me too, but I try to limit how often I mention them on the forums because at the end of the day, this isn't really the place for it and bringing it up here isn't going to change anything. Inequality is already thoroughly engrained in our culture - you have to choose your battles or you're going to wear yourself out battering yourself against people's indifference. Trust me - there's a crapload of things I'd like to change about society, but given the nature of our social structure and the vested capitalist interest in concern-trolling the obese about their health, campaigning on a TMNT forum isn't going to bring about sweeping social reform. You're better off sticking with fat-positive groups online and joining some of their movements to promote body positivity.

I appreciate your honesty and that you care about the topic, and if I've been a bit of a grump towards you and misread you as a troll, then I sincerely apologize and extend to you the proverbial olive branch of peace, and the ceremonial twig of friendship. But it does get frustrating reading the same thing over and over (not to mention the resulting sh*tfights that ensue, because let's face it, seeing people slag their fellows off over minor differences can tend to be somewhat depressing and lowering in one's faith in humanity as a whole).

Powder

04-26-2015, 10:04 PM

If I had a nickel for every looney toon who misguidedly tried to use this site as a venue for social change, I could probably buy a decent sandwich with that money.

I like how my mind went immediately to food. :tlol:

Don't criticize me, y'all.

:trazz:

IndigoErth

04-26-2015, 11:57 PM

Only social change campaigns that make sense here is a wish for TMNT to gain more respect similar to other well known hero/superhero characters and not forever be stuck in a stigma of only being a "kid's thing." :) (Ok, and maybe for film makers to understand it better and respect it enough to do right by it.)

As where body types, etc are concerned...

My sister and I are pretty much total opposites. I'm thin, she's chunky. She got great vision and strong teeth, mine suck. Both fair skinned, but she's lighter and we're lightly different tones side by side; she'll sunburn in a short time, I can withstand in quite a while longer. Add in other non-physical traits that are positives for her, negatives for me, and visa versa... everything's a give and take, you win some, you lose some.

Fortunately my sister has a pretty healthy mindset about her weight. She does try to keep tabs on it because yes there are health risks, esp weight related diabetes in our family and needs to try to avoid that, but she is fine with being who she is and the fact that she's just not meant to be a thin person.

She does occasionally worry me sometimes when she's been at her heavier weights, because I don't want any bad risks catching up to her... I have not ever said anything to her, but it doesn't keep me from worrying on occasion, and rightfully if I was underweight (I'm not) I would expect her to worry the same.

But weight does not make a person's value, only who you are otherwise can do that. Great people, attractive people, terrible people all come in different shapes and sizes and some of each. If my sister and I were made the same weight I think we'd look a good deal alike, but to be honest I think these features work better with her rounder face - I feel she's the better looking one because of it, her weight notwithstanding.

She's a pain in the ass in some ways (who isn't), but for the most part she's an awesome person and most people who come to know her love her.

And for all those who are a thin one like I am, well that's a whole different set of insecurities, social criticisms, judgements, comments and jokes people think are ok to make, and I totally understand that side of it.

People shouldn't focus on what areas they think they lost on; instead focus on what good traits you won.

shuriken

04-27-2015, 03:24 AM

I am honestly not trying to be insincere. I just want people to notice the equalities of our society more often. If they don't, it might become ingrained into our culture.

Hate to be the bearer of bad new but it kinda is already. Strangely enough songs about booty and all about the bass are sorta sending a positive message about self image (I'm stretching it I know) but then comes the skinny shaming and that's a whole other can of worms. But this is really not the place to reform society. It's a forum about mutant turtles that are master ninjas and sometimes fight crime or rival ninjas. Almost like going to a pokemon forum and speaking of the evils of dog fighting while completely ignoring the irony of it.

Katie

04-27-2015, 06:31 AM

The thing about this topic and a lot like it is that happiness doesn't come from people not commenting on something about you. It comes from inside.

I guarantee that if you are uncomfortable with yourself and people talk about you, you're still going to feel uncomfortable with yourself if people don't talk about you.

If you learn to love yourself and stop worrying what anyone else or society as a whole thinks about what you look like, or who you are, or where you came from, or who you love, or which belief system you adhere to.....if you learn to love yourself, that's what makes the world better. Your personal world. And really, that's the only one you can change.

ssjup81

04-27-2015, 06:55 AM

You know, I feel bad for skinny shaming, as you call it. Years ago, every time I saw Paris Hilton on TV, I couldn't understand why guys would be attracted to her because of her lack of curves. Does that count as "skinny-shaming"? I used to say she's a broomstick with hair with a boyish figure, and found it mind boggling that guys would find that sexy...but to each his own, right? My old bf was a "T&A" guy. No idea what he saw in me physically...I lack the stereotypical "A". lolDoesn't matter who anyone is, no one is ever going to be entirely perfect. And ever see some of the people who try too hard to strive for perfection? Sometimes the results just seem to end up coming out worse in one way or another because opinions of "perfect" varies and they very well may have a warped view of it. :ohwell: I'd rather just be ok with me than mutilate myself to try to achieve something that might not be quite possible.Adding on, there really is no such thing as the perfect body. Too many different ethnicities and races and stuff as well as body types. In other words, we're not like clothes. We don't have a one size fits all for bodies.

Refractive Reflections

04-28-2015, 01:27 AM

I think there needs to be a distinction between being healthy versus a body looking aesthetically pleasing. Typically (but not always) good health was reflected through visual appearance; for example malnutrition was shown in the quality of hair and nails, or looking "physically fit" implied that the person had the endurance for physical demands when having to resort to "flight or fight" dangers. This was especially important in ancient times when selecting a mate for offspring.

Nowadays in developed nations where nutrition is far more readily available (in some cases, not always affordable though) and cosmetic procedures and products are plentiful, it's more difficult to depend on the visual assessment our species has used for thousands of years (when famines were frequent, and ancient society would consider the obese "well off" or wealthy since they could afford and have access to food).

Everyone has their own unique, genetic physiological makeup in which their weight and metabolism is different. But generally the medical community uses the body mass index (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_mass_index) calculation to determine an individual's proper weight, but it does have its limitations (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_mass_index#Limitations) (i.e. such as not differentiating between muscle mass and fat mass). In fact, it's been applied toward legislation of the fashion industry in Spain, France, Italy, and Israel to ban underweight fashion models (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_mass_index#Legislation).

Interesting thing is, is for some women who are trying to be too skinny to look sexually appealing, it actually contradicts the subconscious biological procreative drive of sexual appeal, when it leads to amenorrhoea (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amenorrhoea#Insufficient_eating_and_excessive_exer cise) since the adipose tissue (body fat) is too low to support childbearing (http://www.acefitness.org/acefit/healthy-living-article/60/112/what-are-the-guidelines-for-percentage-of/), which is why women's essential (bare minimum) body fat (10-13%) is far greater than men's (2-5%).

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7a/Obesity_state_level_estimates_1985-2010.gifhttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/82/USObesityRate1960-2004.svg/432px-USObesityRate1960-2004.svg.png
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obesity_in_the_United_States#Prevalence_by_state

With 2/3 of Americans now being overweight and obese (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obesity_in_the_United_States), and childhood obesity tripling in the last 30 years (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obesity_in_the_United_States#Children_and_teens), our country's weight issue is something to address and take action on, but primarily focusing on aesthetic image above health (i.e. "fat-shaming" leading to anorexia and other health problems) is certainly not the best way to approach it. ...Besides society's views have fluctuated with body aesthetics, and it's shown throughout history with women:
Xrp0zJZu0a4

Metalwolf

04-28-2015, 11:52 PM

'Fat Shaming?'

Unless somebody is actively being nasty about that person's weight and appearance to their face, I just wonder where the idea of 'fat shaming' even came from. It sounds to me like a term made up by people who don't want others to criticize them for their bad decisions, preferring instead to hide in a first world nation's ever-expanding fuzzy notion of 'victimhood,' instead of realizing that their condition is ultimately, inherently, unhealthy.

As such, I used to be fat.

Very fat.

I got that way through meds I had to take when I was a teen, the kinds that love to make you unable to feel full (allowing you to eat multiple servings of everything at one sitting) while also slowing down your metabolism. I became almost morbidly obese, and by then it was hard to move about, my knees hurt, and I was chronically unmotivated and often hungry (even after stopping the medication.)

No amount of 'fat positivity' would have ameliorated the eventual issues I would have if I didn't get it off, nor does it disguise the fact that it's no fun to sweat at even the slightest exercise, get heavier periods, or being tired a lot.

I wouldn't have wanted somebody to say 'oink oink oink' to my face or call me 'fat pig.' But I would not want people to try and sell me the false idea that somehow all of that is beautiful, that it's positive to eventually risk type 2 diabetes, or having to get a toilet paper on a stick to wipe one's butt should I get so big I can't reach back there anymore. Eventually reality trumps feel-goodism, and obesity is one place it does so with a vengeance.

Cure

04-29-2015, 12:05 AM

or having to get a toilet paper on a stick to wipe one's butt should I get so big I can't reach back there anymore.

Damn, yo. That's real.

Leo656

04-29-2015, 12:06 AM

Metalwolf: You're a pretty good egg.

Powder

04-29-2015, 12:14 AM

shuriken

04-29-2015, 11:11 AM

^^ I agree that's pretty intense. There is definitely a point of being slightly overweight but still ya know healthy, and what MetaWolf was talking about, the morbid obesity that just straight up ruins your life.

ssjup81

04-29-2015, 01:30 PM

My new coworker, like me, is fat but she has no health problems...so you can't really go by that either. I do have a health issue, but there's a strong chance I would've had it with or without the weight anyway because of family history.

IndigoErth

04-29-2015, 02:29 PM

Mmhmm... Nothing wrong with being a bit, as my sister would put it, fluffy. But there is an appropriate level of fluff for an individual that isn't doing them harm and a risky level for them that could, would, or will.

Not trying to judge or anything, we all make our own choices and the same is equally true for the polar opposite and everyone knows that someone in denial to the fact that they're starving themselves to death is likely to end badly... as such, denial of the extreme opposite isn't helping people either.

Should be noted that it isn't even always a person's state of health that is the immediate risk. I remember a guy back in high school who unfortunately died indirectly due to his weight. (Was on the morbidly obese side.) His family had a house fire one night, could not get out through his bedroom door and unfortunately, because of his weight, he could not escape through his window either.

Very sad, particularly for my shop/major because he was a fellow graphics arts student. Was a year ahead of me, but we'd see students from his class in there sometimes if it was their lunch period or they needed to stop in for something.

plastroncafe

04-29-2015, 02:54 PM

Eventually reality trumps feel-goodism, and obesity is one place it does so with a vengeance.

And thankfully until reality does that we can all count on arm-chair physicians, shrinks, and naysayers to remind us of how terrible we are because we dare to be a certain size...whether by choice or not.

If anyone needs me I'll be over here working three jobs, biking at minimum six miles a day, performing ten minutes of daily yoga....all while fat.

CyberCubed

04-29-2015, 02:56 PM

I can't relate to this thread since I've been thin my whole life.

Mayhem

04-29-2015, 03:39 PM

If anyone needs me I'll be over here working three jobs, biking at minimum six miles a day, performing ten minutes of daily yoga....all while fat.
See, that's something, and activity/exercise is more than just about getting fit(ter) and burning calories, it raises endorphins and improves your metabolism. Being overweight can increase the likelihood of certain diseases or conditions later in life. Being overweight AND sedentary AND eating a ton of crap food really adds up however, and I suspect that's not the case here without yourself.

plastroncafe

04-29-2015, 03:46 PM

See, that's something, and activity/exercise is more than just about getting fit(ter) and burning calories, it raises endorphins and improves your metabolism. Being overweight can increase the likelihood of certain diseases or conditions later in life. Being overweight AND sedentary AND eating a ton of crap food really adds up however, and I suspect that's not the case here without yourself.

If that's what you need to tell yourself to feel better about you, then do it.
You have my full support.

If only fat people could get the same level of consideration oh what a better world we'd live in.

Jephael

04-29-2015, 05:43 PM

I hear that! I've been yo-yo dieting for the last few years, and it ain't easy. For a while in the summer of 2013 I was doing really good laying off sugar, but then the holidays rolled around and I went back to shoving cookies down my throat. Soda's my biggest weakness, and it's tough as hell trying to kick the habit. The funny thing is I don't feel ashamed of my body. Sure I could stand to lose a couple dozen pounds, but at the same time I'm only around 200 pounds or so. It could be way worse. Sure I'm not the thinnest dude around, but atleast I'm not some fat slob rolling around in a motorized cart.

My biggest motivator is the memory of my dear cousin Michael who passed away seven years ago. He had a serious eating habit (I dunno if it was a disorder or not, but it was pretty bad). He got sick and tired of being fat and decided to take the easy way out by getting a gastric bypass. It didn't go well. We laid him to rest Valentines Day 2008. Whenever I hear about fat shaming, I friggin lose it because for all I know that's what lead my poor cousin to his early grave.

Mew

04-29-2015, 05:52 PM

Soda's my biggest weakness
Do you drink diet? I do. Normal soda is WAY too sweet, at least to me.

Ninturtle

04-29-2015, 06:20 PM

Being fat isn't a good life style to have and as a society we shouldn't embrace it. I don't think we should demonize fat people or bully them but we definitely shouldn't embrace it. It can lead to non communical diseases and eventually death. It's kinda like how people don't embrace smoking but we don't hate smokers we just want them to quit to improve their health. A lot of times we judge other body type because we wan't them to live healthier longer lives. There's a difference between showing concerns for ones health and making fun of someone because of their weight ( which I don't aprove of ).

IndigoErth

04-29-2015, 06:35 PM

Do you drink diet? I do. Normal soda is WAY too sweet, at least to me.
Diet soda is just a wolf in sheep's clothing for some people though, gotta watch it with that stuff.

Mew

04-29-2015, 06:43 PM

Diet soda is just a wolf in sheep's clothing for some people though, gotta watch it with that stuff.
I agree. :ohwell:

Mayhem

04-29-2015, 06:59 PM

Diet technically is worse for you, especially in the long run or if you drink several cans of the stuff per day. And I'm not talking about the debated evidence that certain sweeteners (I'm looking at you here, aspartame, even though Pepsi are abandoning you) can increase your chances of getting cancer.

Like a number of other chemicals you can introduce to your body (nicotine is an obvious example here), it gets used to a new way you subject it to. In this case, a sweet taste but none of the calories. No calories means no need to produce much insulin to break down those sugars and carbs, because there aren't any in diet drinks. So when you do consume genuine sugars and carbs, your blood sugar levels spike severely because your body is slow to react due to being "tricked" by the sweeteners. From what I've read, it's more likely to trigger diabetes in general than just consuming tons of sugars in the first place.

TL;DR = just don't drink much soda of any kind at all, and stick to water instead.

Jester

04-29-2015, 07:08 PM

This thread needs more Weird Al:
t2mU6USTBRE

senpai

04-29-2015, 07:56 PM

TL;DR = just don't drink much soda of any kind at all, and stick to water instead.

Or better yet, indulge in some tea! (Any chance to promote my favorite drink, by golly I take it!) Can never get sick of tea!

http://i.imgur.com/h1PkQ.png?1

pennydreadful

04-29-2015, 08:37 PM

Using the BMI to calculate whether you have a "healthy" weight or not is complete BS. It's a system which was created by a mathematician in the early 19th century to assist the government in calculating population statistics in order to allocate resources.

For starters, as has previously been mentioned, it doesn't take into account muscle mass or bone density - and as we all know, muscle weighs more than fat and bone is denser than fat. You can easily have a muscular person with little body fat and good bone density who then fits into the "obese" category in the BMI. It doesn't take into account racial differences either.

When you get to the point where you're relying on decimal points in the Body Mass Index and numbers on sizing tags to determine whether you're healthy or worthwhile, you've completely lost the plot, IMO. You can be skinny and unhealthy, you can be fat and healthy. As long as someone takes some exercise and does things in moderation, that, to me, is healthy - the number on the scale or the size tag in the back of your shirt isn't the sole gauge for what is and isn't healthy.

If someone's fat and they're not happy and not feeling healthy or comfortable, they can lose the weight and good for them. But it's unfair to assume that every fat person is filled with self-loathing and unable to climb a flight of stairs without collapsing.

If you're at the point where you can't wipe your own ass properly, then yeah, obviously you've got a problem. By the same token, I cannot for the life of me understand why people are so nosy when it comes to the bodies of others - and the hypocrisy of people saying that it's because they're concerned about people's "health". I mean, do we run around slapping cigarettes out of the hands of thin people, Diet Coke out of the hands of women (because hey, aspartame can give you cancer!), hurl bottles of suntan lotion at dudes who walk around on hot days with no shirts on? Do you go to bars and lecture dudes with a beer gut on why they shouldn't be sinking that pint of lager? Why not? Those are health concerns, right? It's like only fat people get to be put under some special spotlight where the world pretends that they're super-concerned about the person's wellbeing, when in reality, I think it just has more to do with people being disgusted by fat - to the point that it's automatically thought of as a bad word.

Be happy, be healthy, if you want to eat a hamburger, eat the bloody hamburger. Don't get so fixated on numbers and as I said - if it ain't your body, butt out unless the person's asking for your opinion or your help. It's not your body. It's not your life. You have no idea what exercise they do/don't do and they could well be perfectly happy just the way they are.

Fat people don't need you to tell them that they're fat. They know they are. And if being a douche to fat people was all it took to make everyone decide to live on only 500 calories per day so they can be a size 4 or whatever, then there would be no fat people. All being nasty to fat people does is make them feel bad about themselves. And there's enough misery in the world already - if someone's biggest crime is that their body size/shape doesn't tickle your taint, it's really not a big deal.

plastroncafe

04-29-2015, 08:43 PM

It's really pretty simple:

If someone hasn't asked you specifically for health advice, don't give them any.

shuriken

04-29-2015, 09:22 PM

And thankfully until reality does that we can all count on arm-chair physicians, shrinks, and naysayers to remind us of how terrible we are because we dare to be a certain size...whether by choice or not.

If anyone needs me I'll be over here working three jobs, biking at minimum six miles a day, performing ten minutes of daily yoga....all while fat.

And there's nothing wrong with that. :)
I'm sure you're a lot healthier than a lot of skinny people that partake in a sedentary lifestyle with little to no exercise and eat a bunch of crap food.

http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/teen-eats-ramen-noodles-13-years-article-1.1312782

Like the Ramen Girl above. Yeah she's pretty thin and seems to be fairly happy. But her health is apparently terrible according to her doctor.
Either way its her choice, not really our job to tell her to live her life differently. I dunno man for me it's all in moderation. Even though I'm not fat according to the BMI scale I am overweight. 5'8" 165 is overweight apparently. I bike everywhere eat 3 meals a day with a variety of different meats veggies and fruits with either juice water milk or soda. I would say lack of a firm sleeping schedule is my worst health habit.

Powder

04-29-2015, 09:40 PM

Or better yet, indulge in some tea!

I indulged in tea to the point that it gave me a kidney stone. :(

Great drink, but you gotta watch out with all brown liquids, yo.

Cure

04-29-2015, 09:46 PM

I guess I should lay off the chocolate milk, then. ****.

IndigoErth

04-29-2015, 09:48 PM

http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/teen-eats-ramen-noodles-13-years-article-1.1312782

Like the Ramen Girl above. Yeah she's pretty thin and seems to be fairly happy. But her health is apparently terrible according to her doctor.
:teek: Glad I've become more conscious in my age about stuff that's better for me vs. the cheap stuff that doesn't really do much for you. I mean I'm rather picky and I do like the cheap noodles and love pasta in general, but Ramen and whatnot - even though I'm addicted to the Nissin Beef Teriyaki - I could not overdo that stuff knowing what little good it does really. If nothing else that girl is gonna hurt herself with that salt content after a while. :ohwell:

And as such, no, strangers really shouldn't be saying much about people's weight, etc., and should butt out. Only close family really should have any place to express their concerns if they have them - but gently, NOT in any kind of judgmental, insulting, or bullying way.

Tea... Just don't go way overboard. I'm not sure how this guy could even drink so much.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/01/us-tea-overdose-kidney-damage-idUSKBN0MS5FT20150401
he was drinking 16 nine-ounce glasses of iced tea each day
And peed for 12 hours a day maybe?

Though they don't really say what kind of tea. Regular old tea I guess. (Personally I like peppermint.)

Leo656

04-30-2015, 12:35 AM

My entire livelihood is based around people feeling bad about themselves, really. But I get to take that and put it in a positive direction. A lot of people really just need a push and they're not sure how to do it on their own. Y'know what's weird, too? A decent amount of people I train are at a point where they're pretty capable, but I get the feeling they're mostly paying me for camaraderie. Some folks just need a "buddy" to keep them focused on why they put themselves through the whole ordeal of getting and staying in better shape.

Some people work hard as hell but just can't change what they eat. That's tough, because there's no routine I can give them to outrun their diet. But even in those cases, they feel better just by being more active. Some people are more healthy inside than they actually appear to be on the outside, but it still takes a good amount of work to keep things on the positive side.

Our gym has actually started working with a team of nutritional science experts on introducing a new meal plan system to our clients. It's amazing how well it works, honestly. SO many people have been coming to us for years, working their asses off, and seeing slight but minimal progress because of their eating habits, and those same people, in the last 6 weeks since we put them on the program, are down an average 25 lbs each. We've been working closely with them and monitoring their progress, and so long as everyone sticks to the program, even the ones on the low end of progress are down about 10. The science behind it is pretty amazing; it basically replaces certain foods you eat with things that are almost identical, but removes most of the empty carbohydrates and replaces them with an abundance of nutrients that most people don't get since they don't get enough vegetables. It puts your body into a hyper-aggressive fat burning mode while keeping your energy levels high by eating six times a day. Then when they cycle off the program, statistically, most people have successfully "detoxed" themselves of the foods and things that got them in trouble in the first place, and are better able to follow a more balanced meal plan than they were before. The way the whole thing is structured has really made things easy for people, since it takes a lot of the guesswork out of it. It's also great for people with food allergies, or diabetes, cholesterol problems. It's been slowly growing on a regional basis for about ten years now, and it's at a point where people all over the country are getting involved with it.

I'll actually be coaching people and getting them enrolled in the program soon, and I'm pretty excited about it. True story, once it's up and running, if anybody here wants to get involved with it, feel free to PM me. I'll be setting up my Health Coach website and everything for it, to make the information and products and stuff like that available.

Jester

04-30-2015, 12:45 AM

SPAM!!!!!

Just kidding Leo.

Leo656

04-30-2015, 12:53 AM

Ha. Seriously, though, if I didn't know it was legit I wouldn't say anything. Soooo it's relevant. :tgrin:

AT-Man

04-30-2015, 05:24 AM

The science behind it is pretty amazing; it basically replaces certain foods you eat with things that are almost identical, but removes most of the empty carbohydrates and replaces them with an abundance of nutrients that most people don't get since they don't get enough vegetables. It puts your body into a hyper-aggressive fat burning mode while keeping your energy levels high by eating six times a day.

This is exactly what I need in my life.

Mayhem

04-30-2015, 05:35 AM

Or better yet, indulge in some tea! (Any chance to promote my favorite drink, by golly I take it!) Can never get sick of tea!
I was going to mention something, but IndigoErth got there first heh. I drink tea during the day at work, but "only" 3-4 cups of the stuff. And by cups, that's about 12fl oz each.

Mew

04-30-2015, 05:45 AM

Or better yet, indulge in some tea! (Any chance to promote my favorite drink, by golly I take it!) Can never get sick of tea!
That explains your avatar, then.

Refractive Reflections

05-02-2015, 12:24 PM

http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/teen-eats-ramen-noodles-13-years-article-1.1312782

Like the Ramen Girl above. Yeah she's pretty thin and seems to be fairly happy. But her health is apparently terrible according to her doctor.

After reading through it quickly, I think it more has to do with malnutrition (i.e. lack of a proper amount of vitamins, minerals, etc.) because as the article states, of her "aversion" to fruits and vegetables and what her doctors state of her being malnourished, because that type of processed food is grossly deficient in nutrition and it's simply a matter of time where bodily functioning starts to deteriorate (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malnutrition#Effects).

If you're at the point where you can't wipe your own ass properly, then yeah, obviously you've got a problem. By the same token, I cannot for the life of me understand why people are so nosy when it comes to the bodies of others - and the hypocrisy of people saying that it's because they're concerned about people's "health". I mean, do we run around slapping cigarettes out of the hands of thin people, Diet Coke out of the hands of women (because hey, aspartame can give you cancer!), hurl bottles of suntan lotion at dudes who walk around on hot days with no shirts on? Do you go to bars and lecture dudes with a beer gut on why they shouldn't be sinking that pint of lager? Why not? Those are health concerns, right? It's like only fat people get to be put under some special spotlight where the world pretends that they're super-concerned about the person's wellbeing, when in reality, I think it just has more to do with people being disgusted by fat - to the point that it's automatically thought of as a bad word.

The big debate though, at least here in the United States, is that with cardiovascular disease being the biggest health problem for men and women, is the skyrocketing cost of healthcare and insurance in dealing with the effects of obesity, diabetes, etc. In which some are becoming enraged that their premiums are consistently increasing, because they reason that instead of the overweight population using cheaper preventative approaches (exercise, diet, etc.) in which there is more stringent discipline involved, the overweight use more "quick-fix" expensive treatments (i.e. expensive cholesterol lowering medications, diabetic medication, lifestyle adaptations around their weight gain) to "push away" the consequences of unhealthy living, making everyone's healthcare costs increase dramatically.

One could apply this same dilemma to tobacco smoking, alcohol, and recreational drug use, but I think since obesity has risen so sharply in the past 30 years is why it's getting so much attention, especially with children getting Type 2 diabetes nowadays, which was previously called "Adult-onset diabetes". Then again, the negative effects of tobacco smoking were known since the 50s & 60s and news of this information didn't make much a dent against its use within the public, only since the late 90s-early 2000s has there has been a strong, cultural aversion toward tobacco smoking.

Though unlike tobacco smoking, alcohol, and recreational drug use which can be avoided completely, with food, it's a necessity, and it becomes a big question over how much blame is placed on the personally uncontrollable (access/cost to nutritious foods, genetics, etc.) and controllable (portion sizes, food choices, time management, etc.) factors in contributing toward obesity.

Mayhem

05-02-2015, 02:13 PM

^ this.

Smoking has decreased over the last 20-30 years (partly due to better information, people quitting in general, and the prices of cigarettes skyrocketing, especially in NYC). People are better at protecting themselves from the sun in general, there's more information out there about the harm. Aspartame and other sweeteners, you're talking a LOT of consumption per day for them to have any noticeable effect.

Having a drink doesn't really harm you much. Neither does having a burger. But repeatedly consuming either WILL harm your health in the long run. That and portion size. Oh my God... I'm an atheist and I'm going to use that phrase... the size of portions in the US are stupidly large. I'm considered to eat fairly well here in the UK, and I'll admit I'm a little overweight, and could probably lose 10-15 pounds still. But I can get by on about 1.5 meals when I'm on holiday in the US! Normally have a decent late breakfast to keep me going, and then something large-ish in the early evening. That's it. That does me. And even then, I feel like I've put a few pounds on every time I come back.

Ready availability of cheap, high calorie food, loaded with HFCS, has done for American health over the last 20-30 years, increasing levels of diabetes, and coupled with a general decrease in exercise and activity. This generation is in danger of living shorter lives than their parents.

MsMarvelDuckie

05-02-2015, 11:36 PM

The big debate though, at least here in the United States, is that with cardiovascular disease being the biggest health problem for men and women, is the skyrocketing cost of healthcare and insurance in dealing with the effects of obesity, diabetes, etc. In which some are becoming enraged that their premiums are consistently increasing, because they reason that instead of the overweight population using cheaper preventative approaches (exercise, diet, etc.) in which there is more stringent discipline involved, the overweight use more "quick-fix" expensive treatments (i.e. expensive cholesterol lowering medications, diabetic medication, lifestyle adaptations around their weight gain) to "push away" the consequences of unhealthy living, making everyone's healthcare costs increase dramatically.

Ready availability of cheap, high calorie food, loaded with HFCS, has done for American health over the last 20-30 years, increasing levels of diabetes, and coupled with a general decrease in exercise and activity. This generation is in danger of living shorter lives than their parents.

Ugh, I REALLY wish people would stop automatically associating diabetes with diet and obesity. YES, the most common factor with TYPE 2 diabetes is diet and high-carb foods, but diabetes is, at it's most BASIC LEVEL, a GENETIC DISORDER!! It is passed down in families, or can crop up completely without any KNOWN history, in ANYONE. And even very YOUNG children can have it, often without ANY dietary issues. TYPE I, or "Juvenile" diabetes, has NOTHING to do with diet or carb consumption, and I wish people would acknowledge that fact. It's sad and aggravating to see people talk about diabetes as if it's a cold or something that can be "cured" or will go away on its own if they just change what/how they eat. Reality check- it DOESN'T. Once you have it, that's it. It's a loss of pancreatic function, causing glucose levels in the blood to rise to the point of basically poisoning the body.

Having spent the past 17+ years with a Type I diabetic, who has had it from the age of 3, this automatic assumption that it's root cause is dietary annoys the heck out of me. Diet can contribute, of course, but people who are diabetic usually have a predisposition or family history of it somewhere. And it doesn't matter how old you are, it can strike at ANY time. In the old days, it was known as "Dropsy", because people could literally drop dead of it without warning or explanation.

pennydreadful

05-03-2015, 02:34 AM

That and portion size. Oh my God... I'm an atheist and I'm going to use that phrase... the size of portions in the US are stupidly large. I'm considered to eat fairly well here in the UK, and I'll admit I'm a little overweight, and could probably lose 10-15 pounds still. But I can get by on about 1.5 meals when I'm on holiday in the US! Normally have a decent late breakfast to keep me going, and then something large-ish in the early evening. That's it. That does me. And even then, I feel like I've put a few pounds on every time I come back.

I'm in total agreement on this - when I went to America, I was amazed by the enormous portion sizes, both with drinks and food.

I think it's also worth looking at how food is made these days - there's so much extra carbs and sugar in them that you really have to work hard to make the "right" food choices - if you go for something which has "fat free" on the label, it usually has more carbs. People can think that they're going for healthy options but unless you spend time examining the back of the boxes and calculating carb and fat ratios, it's difficult - and you have to have a working knowledge of both nutrition and what works for you personally. There's not a "one size fits all" approach to maintaining a certain weight.

Like Marvel, I've got two Type 1 diabetics in my extended family and they're both skinny - they were born with it; it never had anything to do with what they ate.

To me, the weight thing is a multi-faceted problem; it's not quite as simple as "just putting the fork down". People have different metabolisms, different lifestyles, different levels of income and different awareness of nutritional information. Some people have a genetic predisposition to gain weight. Some people have to be on medication, which causes weight gain. Most diet programs will result in some short-term weight loss but usually fail in the long term.

It's a complex issue which too many people simply dismiss as some type of moral failing on the part of the overweight.

Mayhem

05-03-2015, 06:07 AM

And on a related note, this isn't too much of a surprise to me either: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-32543176

Ugh, I REALLY wish people would stop automatically associating diabetes with diet and obesity. YES, the most common factor with TYPE 2 diabetes is diet and high-carb foods, but diabetes is, at it's most BASIC LEVEL, a GENETIC DISORDER!! It is passed down in families, or can crop up completely without any KNOWN history, in ANYONE. And even very YOUNG children can have it, often without ANY dietary issues. TYPE I, or "Juvenile" diabetes, has NOTHING to do with diet or carb consumption, and I wish people would acknowledge that fact. It's sad and aggravating to see people talk about diabetes as if it's a cold or something that can be "cured" or will go away on its own if they just change what/how they eat. Reality check- it DOESN'T. Once you have it, that's it. It's a loss of pancreatic function, causing glucose levels in the blood to rise to the point of basically poisoning the body.
Sorry, I probably should have put diabetes type 2 there in my sentence, as I'm well aware that type 1 has nothing to do with diet. Although I didn't actually mention "obesity" in my last post, just diet itself. I know you can have diabetes type 2 and not be fat, one of my American ex-girlfriend's fathers developed it in his 40s and he was normal weight.

And it wasn't directly a follow-on statement from the previous arguments, more a statement in itself. Diabetes incidents ARE going up, so whichever way you cut it, something should be done to look at why and bring it back under control.

There is a correlation between the introduction and greater use of HFCS into foods/drinks and incident cases of diabetes increasing (I'll have to try and find again the graph I saw), so it probably does account for something there.

And I know of "dropsy" and the causes, it killed the second son of George III (yes, the mad one), which is why after his first son George (IV) died, his third son William (IV) inherited the throne itself. None of them had any children, which is why Victoria came to the throne from Germany, because she was the close living relative to the line here.

Amaranthus

05-03-2015, 07:57 AM

I can't relate to this thread since I've been thin my whole life.

Same for me. When I get take-away with my friends I eat way more than them while I'm the skinniest person in the group.

Ninturtle

05-03-2015, 08:08 AM

Same for me. When I get take-away with my friends I eat way more than them while I'm the skinniest person in the group.

I hate a ton of un healthy food until recently and I'm a pretty normal weight. I guess I just have a good metabolism.

snake

05-03-2015, 08:43 AM

As someone who used to be fat, but started going to the gym and now I'm thin, I can say being fat is unhealthy eating and not "MUH GENETICS".

shuriken

05-03-2015, 11:30 AM

Everybody's different so you can't really say. I think it's a combination of what you eat, how much activity you do, and genetics. Life isn't fair, and neither are genetics.

Leo656

05-03-2015, 03:45 PM

This is going to sound like an ad again, but it's really interesting to see/hear these things since I work with these kind of issues every day, and the nutritional program we have set up at our gym now is specifically set up to be of extra benefit from people with diabetes and cholesterol issues and things like that. It's been in development over a period of like 15 years or something like that, specifically to ensure that anyone and everyone can benefit from it, regardless of whatever limitations they have. It's crazy to see people who've been coming to us for 5 years or whatever and mostly stayed the same, make very minimal changes to their routine and suddenly start losing all this body fat just by getting on this program. I mean, the science behind it is all mostly common sense, but the fact that it does all the work for you seems to be the "trick" with most people. I'm excited to be getting my certification for it.

I'm not on it yet, but I've been trying to get better in the meantime by having huge salads with most meals and cutting out most of the bread and stuff. That actually dropped my body fat down about 3% in 2 weeks, just from that. My wife had a blood pressure scare recently so we're both trying to eat a lot better.

pennydreadful

05-03-2015, 05:35 PM

As shuriken said, I think everybody's different. I've been bigger than I am now, and I've been thinner than I am now. What I will say is that even when I was eating less than 20g of carbs per day and mostly just existing on protein and vegetables, as well as working out for several hours every single day (and mixing up my exercise routine), I still was not able to push myself down to a certain size. I was thin enough that you could see the bones in my chest, but I still could not get to an Australian size 8 (which I believe is a US size 6).

Everyone's bodies are different - some people drop weight easily, others don't. Some people don't have to watch what they eat, others do. People's bodies and metabolisms change as they get older. It's not always as cut-and-dry as "calories in, calories out". Some people do have to work twice as hard for half the results.

While health is important, I also feel it's important to not obsess over counting calories and to realize that having a "bikini body" is not the most important thing in life. Western society has a very warped ideal of beauty and I think people put far too much value on whether someone is thin and attractive than whether they're compassionate or intelligent or friendly. We've all known some "hotties" with pretty puke-worthy personalities. Being fat or ugly is far from the worst thing that someone can be.

Also, Quasimodo approves this message.

http://i.imgur.com/h0vubmc.jpg?1

IndigoErth

05-03-2015, 06:42 PM

Doesn't matter who you are, be it weight or something else, there is probably something society does or would "shame," I'm not sure anyone can get away from it.

Sure, I get the smaller waistline, but I also don't get the breast size society clearly prefers... and most any heavier woman next to me gets the reverse, boobs yes, stomach no. Nobody can win this game, you just have to work with what you have. And if you're going to try to change it... at least be safe/healthy/smart about it.

Refractive Reflections

05-04-2015, 02:53 AM

Ugh, I REALLY wish people would stop automatically associating diabetes with diet and obesity. YES, the most common factor with TYPE 2 diabetes is diet and high-carb foods, but diabetes is, at it's most BASIC LEVEL, a GENETIC DISORDER!! It is passed down in families, or can crop up completely without any KNOWN history, in ANYONE. And even very YOUNG children can have it, often without ANY dietary issues. TYPE I, or "Juvenile" diabetes, has NOTHING to do with diet or carb consumption, and I wish people would acknowledge that fact. It's sad and aggravating to see people talk about diabetes as if it's a cold or something that can be "cured" or will go away on its own if they just change what/how they eat. Reality check- it DOESN'T. Once you have it, that's it. It's a loss of pancreatic function, causing glucose levels in the blood to rise to the point of basically poisoning the body.

Having spent the past 17+ years with a Type I diabetic, who has had it from the age of 3, this automatic assumption that it's root cause is dietary annoys the heck out of me. Diet can contribute, of course, but people who are diabetic usually have a predisposition or family history of it somewhere. And it doesn't matter how old you are, it can strike at ANY time. In the old days, it was known as "Dropsy", because people could literally drop dead of it without warning or explanation.

Uh... I was insinuating Type 2 diabetes ("adult-onset") was associated with obesity, and not Type 1 diabetes ("juvenile-onset"), which is genetic (since the body cannot produce insulin properly) and cannot be changed with diet and exercise:

One could apply this same dilemma to tobacco smoking, alcohol, and recreational drug use, but I think since obesity has risen so sharply in the past 30 years is why it's getting so much attention, especially with children getting Type 2 diabetes nowadays, which was previously called "Adult-onset diabetes". Then again, the negative effects of tobacco smoking were known since the 50s & 60s and news of this information didn't make much a dent against its use within the public, only since the late 90s-early 2000s has there has been a strong, cultural aversion toward tobacco smoking.

Besides... The majority of people (which is 90%) with diabetes have Type 2 diabetes, which was the reason for the concern in the first place:

Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes (formerly called non-insulin-dependent or adult-onset) results from the body’s ineffective use of insulin. Type 2 diabetes comprises 90% of people with diabetes around the world (5), and is largely the result of excess body weight and physical inactivity.

Symptoms may be similar to those of Type 1 diabetes, but are often less marked. As a result, the disease may be diagnosed several years after onset, once complications have already arisen.

Until recently, this type of diabetes was seen only in adults but it is now also occurring in children.
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs312/en/

plastroncafe

05-04-2015, 08:35 AM

Battle of the concern trolls!

Refractive Reflections

05-06-2015, 02:49 PM

Battle of the concern trolls!

Good to see you're just as concerned too considering it's your fourth post here ;)

Shiro Kame

05-06-2015, 03:02 PM

I'm overweight, but I don't feel critized...until I want some cool clothes and they don't have my size...That makes me depressed like heck.

IndigoErth

05-06-2015, 03:44 PM

So that stinks - speaking of clothes, my sister used to shop a bit at Deb stores in this region, who carried good current styles including in sizes to fit and flatter her, but looking it up just now it appears they closed in March after 80 years. :ohwell: Used to get her gift cards there, so that sucks. Any suggestions of other trendy plus size shops (with maybe an online store if not a common chain)?

Mayhem

05-06-2015, 06:15 PM

Trying to recall the name of the plus size store/chain that one of my American ex-girlfriends told me she sometimes shopped at. She wasn't horrendously large, but when you're 5'11" and 210 pounds (and reasonably fit), a lot of clothes in most shops aren't in your size! If it comes to me, I'll let you know.

(and that's the thing, she was three inches taller and 25 pounds heavier than me, and I didn't care a jot)

BubblyShell22

05-12-2015, 01:23 PM

Bodies come in all shapes and sizes. I think though that we do have to be conscious of our bodies and if they're telling us something is wrong, then we need to do something about it before it gets worse. Health problems can occur with anyone of any body type, and the best thing to do is to at least monitor it and see if there's a problem. If there is, go to the doctor and see what the problem is and if there's anything to help correct it. My mom was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and it had to do with her weight, so she put herself on a diet and lost the weight. Mind you, she's not morbidly obese or anything but she is on the chubby side and has been this way for as long as I can remember. But she's doing great even though she has to take high blood pressure pills for the rest of her life and is in her sixties.

My boyfriend developed high blood pressure due to weight, and he's not morbidly obese either, but he had to lose a few pounds to get off the meds they put him on. He did that, and he's been better about things. I told him to cut out the pop (that's how we say it in the Midwest) and to do some of the diet things my mom did. He took my advice, and it worked.

My grandpa also has diabetes, but we think it's because of his pancreatic cysts which makes sense. He has to check his blood sugar every day, but he doesn't have to give himself any shots. He just has to eat more, and he sometimes won't eat before bed, which has become a problem. Mom keeps telling him to eat, but he just doesn't do it even though he should because he's nauseous. And for the record, my grandpa is not obese or anything.

My point to all of this is that problems can happen with any body type and so all of us should monitor our bodies and listen for the signs of something being wrong because you never know what can happen. That doesn't mean that we should be ashamed of ourselves or who we are but that we should just take better care of ourselves.

PK, I'm sorry you feel the way you do, but remember that only you can love yourself for who you are, and if you want to change yourself, do it in a productive and healthy way.

Jephael

05-14-2015, 05:41 PM

http://www.quotehd.com/imagequotes/authors5/rodney-dangerfield-quote-i-found-there-was-only-one-way-to-look-thin-h.jpg

Thought this would lighten the mood.

BubblyShell22

05-16-2015, 05:16 PM

Ha, that's a pretty funny quote, Jeph, and so true. Best advice I can give anyone is that as long as you love who you are, that's all that matters.

Mayhem

05-31-2015, 07:02 AM

Slight bump on this topic... this article pretty much sums up how I see things...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-32923466

xbennoda

05-31-2015, 07:23 AM

Shark_Blade

05-31-2015, 08:11 AM

You know those big size guys and girls, they could possibly lift something heavy for you, or even bear punch an enemy threat for you, even body shield you. But instead you're gonna make fun of them? Your loss.

And the small thin guys/girls, they can easily slip in tiny or small spaces, making spy missions beyond easy. I mean, think people! Think of the possibilities by friending all of them!

And I was only just talking about sizes. Think of their other talents! Maybe they can cook, hack, sabotage and such. But no, you're just gonna criticize them cause they're different? Your loss.

Amaranthus

05-31-2015, 08:23 AM

Shark_Blade

05-31-2015, 09:11 AM

Those are rough examples. Friendship is helping each other out. What the heck are you blabbering about?

Amaranthus

05-31-2015, 09:18 AM

Those are rough examples. Friendship is helping each other out. What the heck are you blabbering about?

"punch an enemy threat near you"
You don't get friends because they'll be useful to you in one way or another.
Friends help each other out but you don't become friends for the sole purpose of helping each other out.

snake

05-31-2015, 09:50 AM

Leo656

05-31-2015, 01:18 PM

No, no, anyone CAN at the very least make an IMPROVEMENT. These things like "Some people CAN'T" are what makes some people throw up their hands and not even want to try.

Some people have obstacles or limiting factors. But in my experience I've seen everyone from amputees to seniors to people who were hundreds (note the plural "s") of pounds overweight make a change in themselves. Sometimes it's small, sometimes it's dramatic, but if you're not trying, you're failing.

The first step to failing is believing that "Some people can't". No, everyone CAN, but maybe not to the same degree. Someone with a genetic predisposition to being heavier may never be less than 130lbs. That's perfectly fine. But she absolutely CAN go from, say, 200lbs to a much healthier 150, simply by making some moderate lifestyle changes, and deciding that Health is more important than fast food, soda, alcohol, etc.

I see it every single day. People who WANT to, CAN. The ones who decide that it's important, see a change. The ones who'd rather make excuses and whine, stay the same. But everyone can change. If everyone could only see it for themselves like I have, they'd believe it, too. I have seen *miracles*.

But nobody "simply can't". That's poisonous. Have realistic goals, sure. But you CAN. If you really care, you will.

BubblyShell22

05-31-2015, 05:26 PM

Well said, Leo. That's the whole point. That doesn't mean we should judge people for who they are, but if someone wants to change themselves, they have the power to do it.

Shark_Blade

05-31-2015, 05:49 PM

"punch an enemy threat near you"
You don't get friends because they'll be useful to you in one way or another.
Friends help each other out but you don't become friends for the sole purpose of helping each other out.

Who says that's the sole purpose?

pennydreadful

05-31-2015, 05:55 PM

http://i2.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/710/153/1f2.gif

BubblyShell22

06-01-2015, 08:18 AM

Um, okay.

And, SB, I get what you're saying. It's not about picking friends for the sole purpose that they do things for you. It's about accepting that people of all shapes and sizes can do different things.

Amaranthus

06-01-2015, 01:16 PM

http://i2.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/710/153/1f2.gif

You better not be talking about me, m8.

BubblyShell22

06-02-2015, 07:27 AM

I think Penny's just joking, okay? It's not directed at anyone in particular.

Metalwolf

06-02-2015, 06:37 PM

I don't know, honestly. From what I've seen, society has been putting up too many standards towards "how the human body should really look" and that's not the way to go. Not everyone can control their 'obesity' and not everyone can control how skinny they are. I'm generalizing everyone, since it's mostly towards women. Some people can't lose weight and others can't gain weight; I've met people like this. People who shame others by how they look have an inner, psychological problem that they need to work on. Judging someone else doesn't make you a better person but a horrible person in everyone else's eyes. There are more problems around the world, and this one needs to stop ASAP. God bless you all, my friends. Have a lovely day/night. ;)Years ago I was very near morbidly obese almost entirely because of meds, and even then I wouldn't agree with this.

There's a point between not being harsh on someone because of of minor physical flaws (big nose on a woman, dainty fingers on a man) and then trying to brush away a potentially dangerous body condition as a mere perception problem. It's telling people to stick their heads in the sand in regards to their condition by pretty much (and I might be a bit harsh here) using pithy feel-goodism language and 'don't judge' speak saying that if people just think happy thoughts about it, all the problems will magically disappear.

In all honesty, many people don't start out saying 'I want to be fat." It's mainly you get resigned to it at the end because often stress, using food or booze to self medicate misery of modern life, and the easy (and scientifically developed) addictiveness of over-processed food filled with trans fats and high fructose corn syrup is not easy to break.

I'm not saying to be mean to fat people, but it's not healthy for them to pretend that their obesity is not a problem. Telling people to feel good about themselves is not bad, but it depends on what that thing is. There are tons of people who think there is nothing with their state of being, even when it is making them sick. It's what used to be called 'denial.' We don't need to be encouraging it in fat people, as they are the ones who'll end up paying the ultimate price for their condition.