Why such a black and white view about diets from the Fat Acceptance community?

[violetyoshi]

I understand they are against diets, because people will spend money on them, and most of the time they don't work. Fine, but why not say hey, you know weight loss doesn't have to be the ultimate goal of a diet plan, it might be wanting to eat healthier food. Or find a way of controlling what you eat. If your spending the money and enjoying what you get out of say Weight Watchers which I'm on, why should it matter?

I'm sure it's some sort of, "Well your giving in to the notion of fat discrimination by suggesting something is wrong with being fat, or giving money to those who believe that." You know, these diet companies don't give a damn what your agenda is as long as you keep paying them. You don't feel comfortable at meetings/don't want to weigh in, do it online. In fairness, to WW, how else are they going to track someone's progress outside of their weight?

The reality is that if you do eat more healthier foods, your more likely to weigh less than not. I feel torn between wanting to fight fat discrimination, but feeling like I'm not fully into it, cause I'm following Weight Watchers.

[Rapscallion]

I don't see any problem with fighting fat discrimination and trying to lose weight. The two are separate issues.

I'm overweight. I am trying (sort of) to eat better and exercise more (definitely the stronger part of my plan). I don't want people to think differently of me because of my weight. Used to happen - doesn't these days, since I'm fairly bulky with more mass than just weight. It's pretty obvious that I'm active despite being chunky.

I think it's reasonable to consider the state of being overweight as a bad thing, but not think worse of the person.

Rapscallion

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Well, I guess it depends on why you are in WW. If you are in it to improve your health, then why do you care about other people's agenda?

I mean, if you eat better and get healthier, yeah, you'll probably lose weight as a side effect. To suggest that you shouldn't do that is to suggest that you should remain unhealthy so as not to upset someone else, and that would just be foolish.

Your health is more important than any agenda.

[BlaqueKatt]

Fine, but why not say hey, you know weight loss doesn't have to be the ultimate goal of a diet plan, it might be wanting to eat healthier food. Or find a way of controlling what you eat.

My ex-MIL was on weight watchers(at a "normal" weight for 15 years+)-she pretty much described it not as a "diet" per se but as a way to make small changes toward a healthier lifestyle. Generally food choices are the easiest to start with as they're small but significant. For example choosing to have a 40 calorie apple over a 200 calorie candy bar for a midday snack-not so much about the calories as the vitamins and fiber that the apple has vs the candy bar.

Weight is a matter that should only be relevant when a doctor is discussing health issues*, it's no one else's business really.


*such as if the weight is directly a contributing factor to a known health issue of the patient, the doctor should let them know all options for treatment (and pros/cons of each) of said issue and let the patient decide.

[violetyoshi]

Well I have other people in my family who have issues to where they cannot loose weight, even through dieting & exercise, and I don't want them to be discriminated against.

Funny thing the blog I posted about this said a Jackie was banned, and I posted saying the banned Jackie should be made to change their screename not me. Then it hit me, I was the banned Jackie for not fully supporting the no diet agenda.

If they want to live high on the hog, and die fat, that's their agenda. I'm not buying into it anymore. They're completely immature, when it comes to understanding that everything isn't black and white in this world.

[AFPheonix]

It's partially denial on their part. They so desperately want to feel good about themselves that they have to lie to themselves and to other impressionable people about the very real health risks they're taking.
Now, if someone is fat, they know that they face an increased risk of an assortment of comorbidities and are cool with that, then great. If they are happy and comfortable with themselves, awesome!
Many in the FA movement have not achieved that. They are not comfortable with themselves secretly, and are threatened when others aren't like them. They cannot accept that everyone is free to be whatever they wish, fat or skinny.

They've wrapped themselves in a web of lies and deceit to feel better about themselves and are threatened when someone blows their notions out of the water simply by existing.

[violetyoshi]

It's partially denial on their part. They so desperately want to feel good about themselves that they have to lie to themselves and to other impressionable people about the very real health risks they're taking.
Now, if someone is fat, they know that they face an increased risk of an assortment of comorbidities and are cool with that, then great. If they are happy and comfortable with themselves, awesome!
Many in the FA movement have not achieved that. They are not comfortable with themselves secretly, and are threatened when others aren't like them. They cannot accept that everyone is free to be whatever they wish, fat or skinny.

They've wrapped themselves in a web of lies and deceit to feel better about themselves and are threatened when someone blows their notions out of the water simply by existing.

Yeah or bringing up the reality that they should be eating healthier.

[AFPheonix]

But some of them DO think they are eating healthy. They think that by eating to their body's set point that they're doing the right thing and not being "anorexic".
It's just another strand in their web of denial.

[BlaqueKatt]

I don't see any problem with fighting fat discrimination and trying to lose weight. The two are separate issues.

fighting any kind of discrimination does not require one to be a part of the marginalized group-just a desire to see all people treated as equal, and empathy for those being discriminated against. Some of the marchers in Birmingham were Caucasian, some people fighting for marriage equality are not gay(Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie for a high-profile example), people protesting for China to withdraw from Tibet aren't Tibetan, men were participants in womens' rights marches.

[violetyoshi]

Too bad the fat acceptance movement isn't willing to see things that way.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

That's exactly right. I am a pretty hardcore supporter of the idea that a certain dress or pants size is "acceptable" and a larger one is not. It absolutley disgusted me that Layne Bryant was selling clothes for larger size ladies but would not use photos of said larger size ladies in their catalogues. I boycott and send letters to companies that use photographs of sick (and by sick, I mean clearly anorexic)women in their catalogues and ads. (and nobody start in on me about how some women are naturally thin. I know that, so save it. )

I don't let people smacktalk big girls in front of me.

I am not overweight. And I am also the local low-carb guru, so I am a "lifestyle diet" advocate. Clearly, I do not suffer size discrimination...at least not aimed at me personally. However, I am a victim of that ridiculous mindset just like every other woman is. I have to hear it, I have to see it, I have to fight off, with varying success, the attempted brainwashing effect of it. Don't think I don't have to quiet that stupid, critical voice inside my own head, which was put there and fueled by the constant stream of media we are all subject to.

If you are happy and healthy, I don't care how big you are. It's your body, and no one has any right to make a judgement call on how God made you. If you are very large and you are unhappy and/or have health problems, I wish you all the luck in the world fixing that problem, and you SHOULD try to fix it. If you are very thin, same goes for you.

[AdminAssistant]

It absolutley disgusted me that Layne Bryant was selling clothes for larger size ladies but would not use photos of said larger size ladies in their catalogues.

I believe the average for 'plus-sized' models is somewhere around size 12. Yet another reason why I like Maurice's - some of their plus-sized models actually look like a size 16. That, and at least at my local one, they've got plus-sized girls on staff.

I've tried shopping at Lane Bryant so many times...and the clothes just fit weird. Always too big in the boobs. Always. So few places actually sell cute, fun clothes in my size. So. Frustrating!

[Rapscallion]

Too bad the fat acceptance movement isn't willing to see things that way.

Well, everyone loves the underdog, so you have to put yourself in the underdog position, right?

Also, humans are very tribal. The best way to drag people around is to convince them that someone else is against them and then tell them that your leadership is the solution to the problem.

Rapscallion

[Flyndaran]

Well, everyone loves the underdog, so you have to put yourself in the underdog position, right?

Also, humans are very tribal. The best way to drag people around is to convince them that someone else is against them and then tell them that your leadership is the solution to the problem.

Rapscallion

Darn straight. Look at the christian victimhood in the U.S. They can't stand being the major relgious group, so they drum up enemies that are putting them down.
We fatties make up a growing number, so why should we believe that everyone is out to get us? We are most of everyone.
I've changed my diet after fingding out that there are three green vegetables I love. I don't expect to lose much weight, but I do hope to live longer because of it.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I just realized I said "I was a supporter of 'sizism'" (to paraphrase) but what I meant to say was that I was an OPPONENT of same. Fortunately, you all seemed to understand what I meant anyways.