Holiday parties and food filled gatherings have gone, we've possibly traveled, and probably haven't exercised as much or even at all. But when it comes to “obesity” – which is not an illness (contrary to what the AMA might think!) After all, there are, indeed, diseases (like diabetes and heart disease) that are more common in heavier people. And just because both fat and disease are present does not mean that the former caused the latter. A liposuction study that controlled for behavioral change found absolutely no improvement in obesity-associated metabolic abnormalities, despite the weight loss that occurred. And if one just works hard enough to pull oneself out of their desperate situation, then they, too, can enjoy the privilege brought on by being thin. She laughs about it now with her friend. You’re hurting people. Let’s entertain that for a second (although, please let the record show that we are not of the evolutionary psychology camp – and don’t roll with feminists who are). And inflammation itself is actually a risk factor for many diseases that are typically blamed on “obesity,” like diabetes and heart disease. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. She smiles. Our purpose is rehabilitation, education and support. But evolutionary psychologists also believe in gender essentialism – and we threw that shit out because it’s sexist, cissexist, and transphobic! Her debut memoir will help those with eating disorders attain happiness and freedom. But it hasn’t been proven that weight loss does. And beyond the aforementioned social problem of fatphobia, there’s also the individual, one-on-one kind, wherein people take their socially constructed implicit anti-fat bias and actively use it to tear down another person’s self-esteem. Let’s just come out and say it: If you’re a concern troller, you’re a fat-shamer. So the way that you feel about your body (and in a fatphobic society, no one feels good about their body, least of all folks whose bodies are seen as worst case scenarios) has a much more significant impact on your overall wellness than the actual shape and size of your body itself. The world surrounds us with messages that an increase in body weight is a bad thing, something we should be ashamed of, and want to fix. Take the drowning-and-ice-cream scenario. But just like we don’t have much choice about our economic status, we don’t have much choice about our body types either. When people say that they’re worried about the health of others, we believe that they really do think that. or purported as a lifestyle choice, but rather, simply a state of being – what folks are calling “glorifying” can only be, in reality, normalization. More Radical Reads: 10 Ways to Be Fat (In a World That Wants to Destroy You). Get daily or weekly highlights from The 700 Club delivered to your inbox. She steps on the scale and it says XXX, 12 more pounds than her "normal" weight. But there are a few things wrong with that assertion. Think about what it must be like for larger people – that is, most people living in the United States – to confront daily in the papers, magazines, television shows, and commercials that their bodies are unattractive and constitute a horrifying public health crisis. And who do you think is more likely to have lived a life of constant dieting and weight cycling? Our world often teaches us to feel dissatisfied with our bodies, which might lead womxn into taking drastic measures in an attempt to change the way they look. In fact, even the CDC reports that our day-to-day health behaviors, like diet and exercise, only account for less than a quarter of differences in health outcomes. And if people of size want to take back the notion of glorifying obesity by saying “Fuck yeah, I am,” we’re all for that. I should get in shape this new year.". This is a societal promise that, as Sonya Renee Taylor explains in the documentary Fattitude, “one day I really can cash in my thin privilege.”. And okay. Probably not – considering over half of people report they’d rather be dead than fat. And if you’re really, truly concerned about someone’s well-being, it matters to not deteriorate their emotional and spiritual health. If evolutionary psychology is your jam, then you probably subscribe to the belief that deep down, our survival instinct-driven mid-brain fuels the cultural universal of species propagation. Her more recently released book, Body Respect: What Conventional Health Books Get Wrong, Leave Out, or Just Fail to Understand about Weight, co-authored with Dr. Lucy Aphramor, challenges mainstream assumptions and is transforming the weight discourse. And while we can try to change both, we will undoubtedly encounter more obstacles and impossibilities than opportunities and successes. Concern trolling – which is the act of a person participating “in a debate posing as an actual or potential ally who simply has concerns they need answered before they will ally themselves with a cause” – is something we see all too often, even on our very own Everyday Feminism Facebook page. Instead, we should recognize that none of us has control over the hand we’re dealt in life, and that we’re all deserving of respect, regardless. This article originally appeared in EverydayFeminism.com and is reprinted by permission. Everyone – fat or thin – is severely harmed by this message. Just because some factors, on the surface, seem related doesn’t mean that they have a causal relationship. Let’s entertain that for a second (although, please let the record show that we are, And is it even really appropriate to value health? She steps on the scale and it says XXX, 12 pounds more than her "normal" weight. This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. And, In reality, in the late 1940s and early 1950s, an epidemiologist named, When the US jumped on board in 1964, this led to, Third, the idea that pushing guilt and shame on people is effective in health behavior change has been proven wrong, So, while it’s likely true that people have used shaming tactics in, Popular belief would have you convinced that being fat –, And this fantasy – that the possibility of achieving thinness will then lead to happiness – is what motivates us all to participate in, But just like we don’t have much choice about our economic status, we don’t have much choice about our body types either. Well known for her provocative political and social commentary, Dr. Bacon has generated a large following on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook, health and nutrition But what if an increase in weight wasn't a problem, but a solution? To an extent. So if you used to think that fat was deadly and that’s what you were using to help “motivate” people to thinness, you can stop doing that now. Enter your email to add this item to cart, – which is the act of a person participating “in a debate posing as an actual or potential ally who simply has concerns they need answered before they will ally themselves with a cause” – is something we see all too often, even on our very own, And to be honest, it’s disheartening to see feminists – people who we generally trust to engage with content and have their status quo boundaries pushed – rush to quote, And yes, of course if you Google it, a bunch of health organizations will come up, quoting it as fact. But when we live in a world that so desperately hates people of size (um, hello, “War on Obesity”), we completely understand how these prejudices turn into truths in our minds. So the studies don’t prove that weight loss itself is improving health. It's great to want to look and feel your best, but keep in mind that how you feel about yourself, and your body, is more important than it "looks. And it makes sense that people think that fat, then, is the problem. To an extent. Because we’re implying that there’s a one-size-fits-all version of health and that anyone who falls outside of those parameters is unworthy of respect. Rather, both drowning and the sale of ice cream are more likely to happen at the beach. So if you really, truly care about someone’s health, maybe instead of suggesting that they diet, you just lay off the fatphobia instead. "Remember that time that I thought I was fat," she says, "and you told me I was just full of happy." email. She holds a B.S. For those with disordered eating or body image concerns, that version may sound more like, "You fat pig. And while we can. Please enter the valid Author, Actress, Fairytale dreamer. And this foundation pushes the idea that of course we should care about one another’s health! 10 Ways to Be Fat (In a World That Wants to Destroy You). But here’s why: because a, Right. behavior. People of size. You can unsubscribe at any time. At the house they took breaks from the real world, and remembered what it was like to play. But because fatphobic concern trolling is oppressive (and, on a more personal note, makes us cringe), it’s time for us – all of us, but especially feminists – to stop. Don’t those lead to death? And this idea fuels what Jes Baker has coined “body currency” – the idea that “we are taught as a society that if we achieve the ideal body that we see in traditional media…we will then obtain love, worthiness, success, and ultimately, happiness” and that our bodies, therefore, act as currency. If you need to flag this entry as abusive, Register to vote and apply for an absentee ballot today, The essential guide to taking care of your mind and body. And what happens if you omit behavioral changes from the results? And this fantasy – that the possibility of achieving thinness will then lead to happiness – is what motivates us all to participate in diet culture. The message whispers that skinny is better. And yes, of course if you Google it, a bunch of health organizations will come up, quoting it as fact. People aren’t drowning because of ice cream, although it might seem that way on the surface. But evolutionary psychologists also believe in, Does eating well and engaging in exercise improve health? In spite of other struggles, she was happy. © Copyright 2020 - Web Whispers.

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