is fat acceptance a good thing?

[rokc]

obese people try to convince themselves that they're okay the way they are. society seems to increasingly agree. mental wellness is an important aspect of health. if they'd be devastated by viewing their obesity as a problem but feeling unable to resolve it, is it better that society propagates their ignorance or denial?

or is it simply okay to be obese even when it could have been avoided and can still be amended?

[Poe-Sensei]

Obesity however, is a health problem, largely because of how people get obese in the first place. It is not a relatively hard problem to fix. You don't even need to exercise.

However, the problem is a bit larger than this. It's not necessarily that there's a problem with fat, or having excessive amounts of it. It's about health. One can be lean, with their six pack, and still be unhealthy.

[Latopazora]

(be forwarned: WALL OF TEXT)
Fat acceptance is an extreme response to another opposing extreme: fat shaming and the promotion of the unhealthy skinny body. Really, both extremes are not good. Obesity, as a whole, should not be accepted as healthy and ok, but neither should fat shaming being a motivating method to get people to lose weight- since it doesn't work. And we all the know the sad stories of girls being affected by the overwhelming image of photoshopped models in magazines.
But we also can't generalize all obese people either, not all obese people are fat and lazy. A lot of them get obese because of medication, and try like hell to lose the weight with very little pay out, but are unable to get off the meds.

That being said, while I feel for people who are obese via meds, I do not feel for the people who are obese because no excuse. Obesity is a huge problem, because its extra weight that gets put on the joints and feet that makes being active difficult, and you need to be active to live a quality life. Obesity doesn't cause heart disease or diabetes in everyone, it didn't for me, I just had a problem with my knees and feet- and that was reason enough.
But there's nothing wrong with being overweight, there are a lot of people who are healthy, active and look good being overweight. The difference is, they're only 10-30lbs over weight as opposed to being 50+ lbs overweight. The problem is, a lot of fat-acceptance obese people, try to put themselves in the same category as people who are only a little overweight- when they're not in the same category.

So, to answer your question: if the obesity can be fixed, then no, society should not have to accept their obesity. But on the same token, should not be shaming them either and shoving anorexias in their faces.
But don't generalize and assume either.

[NUCLEAR NIGHTSTORM]

rokc

obese people try to convince themselves that they're okay the way they are. society seems to increasingly agree. mental wellness is an important aspect of health. if they'd be devastated by viewing their obesity as a problem but feeling unable to resolve it, is it better that society propagates their ignorance or denial?

or is it simply okay to be obese even when it could have been avoided and can still be amended?

I used to be over 380 lbs and I lost 225 lbs and am now 160 lbs. I lost weight naturally for my overall health. but I have nothing against Obesity. I like everyone for who they are. I just lost weight so I could feel better and run and walk around faster without running out of breath just eating healthy and drinking pleanty of water and exercising does the body a lot of good.

[piparminttukaramelli]

Treating people like dirt because of the shape of their body is unacceptable, but what is labeled as "fat shaming" has become pretty ridiculous. Telling someone to lose weight for their health is not fat shaming. That a person maintains a healthy weight is a completely valid and scientifically-based (see the Framingham Heart Study, among others) suggestion. Whether or not it's "okay to be obese" delves into some convoluted and highly relative morality, and you'd have to factor in things like how the obese population negatively impacts health insurance costs (in the US, at least) and the detriments done to the workforce because of obesity-related illnesses. But in some cases - certainly not the majority - it's not a choice; a person gains weight because of hormonal issues or medications. At which point it becomes like asking "is it okay to have blonde hair?" or perhaps a better question "is it okay to have cancer?"

[X of Castigation]

Fat acceptance isn't saying "you should be fat; it's great!" Fat acceptance is saying "you're a human being so I shouldn't insult you."

[X of Castigation]

Wraiem

Obesity however, is a health problem, largely because of how people get obese in the first place. It is not a relatively hard problem to fix. You don't even need to exercise.

A looooot of psychological factors are in place, though. I should know, I used to be extremely fat. Depression, anxiety, eating disorders, etc.

Losing weight isn't tremendously difficult if you ignore addictive aspects of food and human psychology, you're right.

[Pusays]

Senator Armstrong

Fat acceptance isn't saying "you should be fat; it's great!" Fat acceptance is saying "you're a human being so I shouldn't insult you."

Oh really? From all the fat acceptance & thinprivilege stuff I happen to read it's mostly overweight people overexaggerating and reading too much into things. I remember someone bashing hospitals because they were too overweight to fit into a regular sized MRI and when the Doctor told them where they could receive an MRI to accommodate their size because it's their JOB to take care of people medically they got all offended thinking the doctor was making fun of them.
The worst part is, they expect people to accept them yet as soon as someone posts a picture of progress losing weight or getting buff (something that person happens to enjoy) it's disgusting and unnatural and shouldn't be allowed.

[Fresh2Heck]

rokc

obese people try to convince themselves that they're okay the way they are. society seems to increasingly agree. mental wellness is an important aspect of health. if they'd be devastated by viewing their obesity as a problem but feeling unable to resolve it, is it better that society propagates their ignorance or denial?

or is it simply okay to be obese even when it could have been avoided and can still be amended?

yes and no. it IS important to feel okay about your appearance but being obese has serious health risks. i'd say always think of urself as smokin hot but take care of ur health

[l leaf l]

mostly its family members making other family members fat if you got a mother and father who is fat probably have a child whos fat because they just eat the same as their parents. For example my friend lived with me for about 1 month and he lost loads of weight because he was eating the same as me. He was more happy in himself plus he even got a girlfriend his acne cleared up in just 1 month of living without his parents. once he went back home he put the weight back on lost his girlfriend got his acne back and went back to his old self.

[Vlll]

If you are healthy and just have some fat on your body, then yes, accepting it is perfectly wonderful.

The obese, however...
Obesity is not healthy in any way, and in my opinion, it should not ever be socially or mentally acceptable for someone to be okay with weighing 500 lbs.

[X of Castigation]

Pusays

Senator Armstrong

Fat acceptance isn't saying "you should be fat; it's great!" Fat acceptance is saying "you're a human being so I shouldn't insult you."

Oh really? From all the fat acceptance & thinprivilege stuff I happen to read it's mostly overweight people overexaggerating and reading too much into things. I remember someone bashing hospitals because they were too overweight to fit into a regular sized MRI and when the Doctor told them where they could receive an MRI to accommodate their size because it's their JOB to take care of people medically they got all offended thinking the doctor was making fun of them.
The worst part is, they expect people to accept them yet as soon as someone posts a picture of progress losing weight or getting buff (something that person happens to enjoy) it's disgusting and unnatural and shouldn't be allowed.

I don't think it's a sizable group that says those things.

[Milkylita]

Someone said what I would say, so my add in to everything that has been said:

I notice there seems to be a crossing of paths between the fat acceptance movement and loving yourself. The two come up frequently together. My take on it, if someone says they love themselves I am going to have a hard time taking it seriously with the way you treat your body. That is your temple, and if you loved yourself you would respect yourself enough to take care of it, by general terms.
I feel like what really needs to be the movement in place is 'body acceptance' - that people respect you, regardless of how your body looks.
Fat acceptance, as stated by Latopazora, is just a response to one extreme by another. It's an emotional response by a need to be accepted by the public.

Edit: Side noting, I can also understand it being difficult to loose weight. We have been barraged with advertisements and a lot of our foods having things in them they ought not to, even things we consider to be healthy. Unless the parents raised their child to know better, the (now) adult will not know better and in the beginning finding information can be a little tricky. There are many many gimmicks out there that slap themselves with the label "healthy" and mislead. Top it off with the withdrawals your body will be faced when trying to make the lifestyle changes you are trying to make later in life.

[bittersweetlove22]

rokc

obese people try to convince themselves that they're okay the way they are. society seems to increasingly agree. mental wellness is an important aspect of health. if they'd be devastated by viewing their obesity as a problem but feeling unable to resolve it, is it better that society propagates their ignorance or denial?

or is it simply okay to be obese even when it could have been avoided and can still be amended?

Doctors say anyone over 100 pounds is obsessed ....
Even if its all just muscle!

If you are a little over weight well to me it's okay it's not like the worlds ganna end because you have a little muffin top...
Society today believe that obesity is okay to have and I for one agree