"A Fat Rant"

9th Engineer · 06-13-2007, 10:48 PM

I guess this isn't entirely new, but since it's made circulation on Dateline and a few other spots I think it's fair game for some rekindled discussion. First off, watch the video on YouTube, just search for "A Fat Rant" or wait until someone eventually embeds it here in a later post. It's not too bad, definitely one of the more articulated entries on the subject that I've encountered. However, I'd like to hear what people have to say about her bit on dieting. Even though she never says "so don't bother!", she digs into it pretty strongly without differentiating between fad diets, crash diets, or other alternatives to just relegating certain foods to the 'once in a blue moon' bin.
My personal take? Weight is sometimes a reflection of how well you treat yourself, other times it is not. There is no universal truth to be gained about someone by noticing that they are 30lbs heavier then average.
It should also be said that I find those who try to mark slim people as unhealthy (slim, not emaciated), as insulting as those who say that all overweight people are disgusting. I used to know someone who would insinuate that all skinny people have eating disorders. The last time I saw her was with a group of friends having dinner at Fridays, when she made an extremely insulting comment about how my choosing greek salad was an indication of low self esteem and other problems I 'had yet to come to grips with'. Just raising an example of the flip side to the problem.
That being said I agree with what I think is the main crux of her 'rant', that being overweight is not in and of itself as evil as certain people seem to think it is. I'll hand her the fact that she's pretty clear in who she attacks on this. The fashion industry and people who seem to have nothing better to do then to comment about other people's weight and their own anxiety. I feel this way myself, weight is not, was never, nor will ever be an interesting or engaging conversational topic unless it is being used only as part of a larger topic. For example, if you weighed 135lbs 6 months ago and are now breaking 200lb, then people are going to be interested in whatever it was that caused it. People with IQ's larger then 70 will not be interested in 5lbs gained over the holidays. </own rant>

Flint · 06-13-2007, 10:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 9th Engineer

I used to know someone who would insinuate that all skinny people have eating disorders. The last time I saw her was with a group of friends having dinner at Fridays, when she made an extremely insulting comment about how my choosing greek salad was an indication of low self esteem and other problems I 'had yet to come to grips with'.

What a bitch. I hope you punched her right in her stupid face.

Aliantha · 06-14-2007, 06:03 AM

OK, my IQ is over 70 and if I gain 5lbs over the holidays I think there's a lot to be interested in. lol

Usually I get over it though.

9th Engineer · 06-14-2007, 11:51 PM

I would assume you don't expect to make it the only topic of interest though.

Think I found a new rule of thumb for 'way too skinny', at least for women. If you can see ribs between the boobs, that's just gross.

Keira Knightley's been in the news for this so I'll use her as an example:
Not gross -> http://images.eonline.com/eol_images...ira.091906.jpg

Gross -> http://www.americansuperstarmag.com/...knightley1.jpg

Actually, ribs showing when your arms aren't above your head is still within the 'eat a sandwich' range.
Before she decided that her body was capable of running entirely on oxygen without the need for all that messy food she was, in my book, far and away the most attractive woman in Hollywood. Now she's a case study.

Aliantha · 06-15-2007, 01:15 AM

Really, if someone's happy then who gives a shit what size they are? What's it to anyone else?

If anyone has a problem with someone else's size, they should be looking inwardly not outwardly unless they have a vested interest and concerns about the persons health.

I've got friends at both ends of the scale. One in particular has been at both ends. Sometimes we talk about it, but I know it only makes things worse for her when other people try to suggest what she should do with her body.

The point is, by confronting people about their weight, you make yourself look like an arsehole, and you make them feel like one (in most cases).

You just don't do it. About anyone. Even celebrities. Who cares?

Flint · 06-15-2007, 10:25 AM

I consider anything to do with "celebrities" to be one of the least interesting subjects (professional sports are a close contender), but there is an even less interesting subset of this very uninteresting subject: how much celebrities weigh.

The only reason I know it is a "subject" is I see it on magazine covers at the grocery store, etc. ...highlighting how out of touch I must be with what other people are fretting over. Either that or it's a conspiracy to turn us off to the media as a provider of actual information.

TheMercenary · 06-15-2007, 10:37 AM

Obesity is a huge problem in today's society, more so as we have become more affluent and the priorities among people have shifted towards the "me" generation as well as the belief that immediate gratification is a "Right" of all people. Childhood obesity is a very big problem and sets the stage for problems later in life. Morbid obesity is another extreme altogether. Morbid obesity is an extreme example of the larger problem (no pun intended). There are well documented studies which look at the severe physiological toll that obesity will extract from your health status. These effects are often glossed over by "heavyweights" in an effort to support self-esteem issues and ego protection. The problem is that even with as much confidence they extrude, deep down inside they are bothered by and prejudiced by society for their overweight status. My 2 cents.

Flint · 06-15-2007, 10:41 AM

I saw a show on PBS where this guy, a medical doctor, who was a triathlete and biked 10 miles every day as a part of his training regimen, was officially "overweight" ...he was shortish and weighed like 250 pounds, and it wasn't muscle mass either, it was chub.

He reasoned that his ancestors must have selected for extreme calorie retention as a result of surviving through famine.

TheMercenary · 06-15-2007, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flint

I saw a show on PBS where this guy, a medical doctor, who was a triathlete and biked 10 miles every day as a part of his training regimen, was officially "overweight" ...he was shortish and weighed like 250 pounds, and it wasn't muscle mass either, it was chub.

He reasoned that his ancestors must have selected for extreme calorie retention as a result of surviving through famine.

Genes play a big part. As does extercise. Most "fat" tables do not accurately reflect either your level of obesity or your health status. I know some awsome athletes that smoke. I have known people throughout my career who were rock solid muscle that were off the scales on the Military Weight Charts. I was off the scale during most of my career and few would call me overweight. But there I was getting tapped with the rest of the folks who had serious weight problems. The difference is that I ran my 2 miles in 15 minutes at 40+years old, while they couldn't finish the test.

glatt · 06-15-2007, 11:09 AM

Genes play a big part. And eating/exercising habits do too. But don't forget the strains of germs in your gut as discussed in this thread.

They apparently play a part too.

SamIam · 06-15-2007, 12:32 PM

I was slender all my life up until three years ago when I had some major life changes that contributed to my gaining 70 pounds - going from 130 pounds to almost 200 (ugh!). I am now cutting back on the alcohol, starting an exercise plan and trying to become more aware of calories.

I feel that there is an unfortunate tendency among some to make an over-weight person well aware of their extra pounds. When I weighed 130, no one ever commented on my weight. Now, people seem to feel quite free to comment on my 200. ( I'm 5'6" and female, BTW.)

I guess there always will be some folks who try to make themselves feel better at someone else's expense. I consider the source and let the comments go. I KNOW I'm gonna lose the weight, and its my own concern, thank you very much!

Shawnee123 · 06-15-2007, 12:52 PM

Welcome SamIam. Very nice post!

Aliantha · 06-15-2007, 05:15 PM

The problem is that even with as much confidence they extrude, deep down inside they are bothered by and prejudiced by society for their overweight status. My 2 cents.

And they feel this way because society puts so much emphasis on how much people weigh. It's a self fulfilling prophesy. ie 'I want to look good and be fit because then I'll look better and feel better (but that's because I've been brought up in a society that tells me what those standards are)'

The point is, health issues are a concern, but there are plenty of people who are very far from either over or under weight and yet they feel bad about themselves because they don't fit the mold. It's a terrible situation for our kids to be growing into. (no pun intended)

xoxoxoBruce · 06-15-2007, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

snip~ Childhood obesity is a very big problem and sets the stage for problems later in life. Morbid obesity is another extreme altogether.

Well if they live long enough to pay into Social Security, but not long enough to collect, then it's a good thing, right?

9th Engineer · 06-15-2007, 05:28 PM

I rarely care about other people's weight, but I've been the target of attention in situations like in my first post because of my own motivation for losing weight. I'm at a reasonable weight right now, 167 for a 6'1'' guy. No abs, but I can tuck in a shirt without sucking in my gut. However, as I move forward in my education and career I can see that I'd definitely reap benefits from losing the extra 10lbs or so. It would allow me to move to a leaner cut of suit and slim my facial profile (I have a slightly wider head then normal). Apparently this is not acceptable for some people who take it upon themselves to let me know that I am helping to perpetuate a stereotype, and that I should be ashamed of the harm I am supposedly causing.
The studies have been done, an increase in physical attractiveness has professional repercussions, and I'm not pretending that getting a leaner torso would make me a better person, just more competitive in the workplace. Why do some people find this offensive still? I have no clue.
That's really the only reason why I tend to keep an antenna out for people saying that weight loss is bad.

06-13-2007, 10:48 PM	#1
9th Engineer Bioengineer and aspiring lawer Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Pittsburgh Posts: 872	"A Fat Rant" I guess this isn't entirely new, but since it's made circulation on Dateline and a few other spots I think it's fair game for some rekindled discussion. First off, watch the video on YouTube, just search for "A Fat Rant" or wait until someone eventually embeds it here in a later post. It's not too bad, definitely one of the more articulated entries on the subject that I've encountered. However, I'd like to hear what people have to say about her bit on dieting. Even though she never says "so don't bother!", she digs into it pretty strongly without differentiating between fad diets, crash diets, or other alternatives to just relegating certain foods to the 'once in a blue moon' bin. My personal take? Weight is sometimes a reflection of how well you treat yourself, other times it is not. There is no universal truth to be gained about someone by noticing that they are 30lbs heavier then average. It should also be said that I find those who try to mark slim people as unhealthy (slim, not emaciated), as insulting as those who say that all overweight people are disgusting. I used to know someone who would insinuate that all skinny people have eating disorders. The last time I saw her was with a group of friends having dinner at Fridays, when she made an extremely insulting comment about how my choosing greek salad was an indication of low self esteem and other problems I 'had yet to come to grips with'. Just raising an example of the flip side to the problem. That being said I agree with what I think is the main crux of her 'rant', that being overweight is not in and of itself as evil as certain people seem to think it is. I'll hand her the fact that she's pretty clear in who she attacks on this. The fashion industry and people who seem to have nothing better to do then to comment about other people's weight and their own anxiety. I feel this way myself, weight is not, was never, nor will ever be an interesting or engaging conversational topic unless it is being used only as part of a larger topic. For example, if you weighed 135lbs 6 months ago and are now breaking 200lb, then people are going to be interested in whatever it was that caused it. People with IQ's larger then 70 will not be interested in 5lbs gained over the holidays. </own rant> __________________ The most valuable renewable resource is stupidity.

06-14-2007, 06:03 AM	#3
Aliantha trying hard to be a better person Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 16,493	OK, my IQ is over 70 and if I gain 5lbs over the holidays I think there's a lot to be interested in. lol Usually I get over it though. __________________ Kind words are the music of the world. F. W. Faber

06-14-2007, 11:51 PM	#4
9th Engineer Bioengineer and aspiring lawer Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Pittsburgh Posts: 872	I would assume you don't expect to make it the only topic of interest though. Think I found a new rule of thumb for 'way too skinny', at least for women. If you can see ribs between the boobs, that's just gross. Keira Knightley's been in the news for this so I'll use her as an example: Not gross -> http://images.eonline.com/eol_images...ira.091906.jpg Gross -> http://www.americansuperstarmag.com/...knightley1.jpg Actually, ribs showing when your arms aren't above your head is still within the 'eat a sandwich' range. Before she decided that her body was capable of running entirely on oxygen without the need for all that messy food she was, in my book, far and away the most attractive woman in Hollywood. Now she's a case study. __________________ The most valuable renewable resource is stupidity.

06-15-2007, 01:15 AM	#5
Aliantha trying hard to be a better person Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 16,493	Really, if someone's happy then who gives a shit what size they are? What's it to anyone else? If anyone has a problem with someone else's size, they should be looking inwardly not outwardly unless they have a vested interest and concerns about the persons health. I've got friends at both ends of the scale. One in particular has been at both ends. Sometimes we talk about it, but I know it only makes things worse for her when other people try to suggest what she should do with her body. The point is, by confronting people about their weight, you make yourself look like an arsehole, and you make them feel like one (in most cases). You just don't do it. About anyone. Even celebrities. Who cares? __________________ Kind words are the music of the world. F. W. Faber

06-15-2007, 10:25 AM	#6
Flint Snowflake Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Dystopia Posts: 13,136	I consider anything to do with "celebrities" to be one of the least interesting subjects (professional sports are a close contender), but there is an even less interesting subset of this very uninteresting subject: how much celebrities weigh. The only reason I know it is a "subject" is I see it on magazine covers at the grocery store, etc. ...highlighting how out of touch I must be with what other people are fretting over. Either that or it's a conspiracy to turn us off to the media as a provider of actual information. __________________ **************** There's a level of facility that everyone needs to accomplish, and from there it's a matter of deciding for yourself how important ultra-facility is to your expression. ... I found, like Joseph Campbell said, if you just follow whatever gives you a little joy or excitement or awe, then you're on the right track. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terry Bozzio**

06-15-2007, 10:37 AM	#7
TheMercenary “Hypocrisy: prejudice with a halo” Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Savannah, Georgia Posts: 21,393	Obesity is a huge problem in today's society, more so as we have become more affluent and the priorities among people have shifted towards the "me" generation as well as the belief that immediate gratification is a "Right" of all people. Childhood obesity is a very big problem and sets the stage for problems later in life. Morbid obesity is another extreme altogether. Morbid obesity is an extreme example of the larger problem (no pun intended). There are well documented studies which look at the severe physiological toll that obesity will extract from your health status. These effects are often glossed over by "heavyweights" in an effort to support self-esteem issues and ego protection. The problem is that even with as much confidence they extrude, deep down inside they are bothered by and prejudiced by society for their overweight status. My 2 cents. __________________ Anyone but the this most fuked up President in History in 2012!

06-15-2007, 10:41 AM	#8
Flint Snowflake Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Dystopia Posts: 13,136	I saw a show on PBS where this guy, a medical doctor, who was a triathlete and biked 10 miles every day as a part of his training regimen, was officially "overweight" ...he was shortish and weighed like 250 pounds, and it wasn't muscle mass either, it was chub. He reasoned that his ancestors must have selected for extreme calorie retention as a result of surviving through famine. __________________ **************** There's a level of facility that everyone needs to accomplish, and from there it's a matter of deciding for yourself how important ultra-facility is to your expression. ... I found, like Joseph Campbell said, if you just follow whatever gives you a little joy or excitement or awe, then you're on the right track. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terry Bozzio**

06-15-2007, 11:09 AM	#10
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	Genes play a big part. And eating/exercising habits do too. But don't forget the strains of germs in your gut as discussed in this thread. They apparently play a part too. Last edited by glatt; 06-15-2007 at 11:14 AM.

06-15-2007, 12:32 PM	#11
SamIam Registered User Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Not here Posts: 2,655	I was slender all my life up until three years ago when I had some major life changes that contributed to my gaining 70 pounds - going from 130 pounds to almost 200 (ugh!). I am now cutting back on the alcohol, starting an exercise plan and trying to become more aware of calories. I feel that there is an unfortunate tendency among some to make an over-weight person well aware of their extra pounds. When I weighed 130, no one ever commented on my weight. Now, people seem to feel quite free to comment on my 200. ( I'm 5'6" and female, BTW.) I guess there always will be some folks who try to make themselves feel better at someone else's expense. I consider the source and let the comments go. I KNOW I'm gonna lose the weight, and its my own concern, thank you very much!

06-15-2007, 12:52 PM	#12
Shawnee123 Why, you're a regular Alfred E Einstein, ain't ya? Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 21,206	Welcome SamIam. Very nice post! __________________ A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones who need the advice. --Bill Cosby

06-15-2007, 05:15 PM	#13
Aliantha trying hard to be a better person Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 16,493	The problem is that even with as much confidence they extrude, deep down inside they are bothered by and prejudiced by society for their overweight status. My 2 cents. And they feel this way because society puts so much emphasis on how much people weigh. It's a self fulfilling prophesy. ie 'I want to look good and be fit because then I'll look better and feel better (but that's because I've been brought up in a society that tells me what those standards are)' The point is, health issues are a concern, but there are plenty of people who are very far from either over or under weight and yet they feel bad about themselves because they don't fit the mold. It's a terrible situation for our kids to be growing into. (no pun intended) __________________ Kind words are the music of the world. F. W. Faber

06-15-2007, 05:28 PM	#15
9th Engineer Bioengineer and aspiring lawer Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Pittsburgh Posts: 872	I rarely care about other people's weight, but I've been the target of attention in situations like in my first post because of my own motivation for losing weight. I'm at a reasonable weight right now, 167 for a 6'1'' guy. No abs, but I can tuck in a shirt without sucking in my gut. However, as I move forward in my education and career I can see that I'd definitely reap benefits from losing the extra 10lbs or so. It would allow me to move to a leaner cut of suit and slim my facial profile (I have a slightly wider head then normal). Apparently this is not acceptable for some people who take it upon themselves to let me know that I am helping to perpetuate a stereotype, and that I should be ashamed of the harm I am supposedly causing. The studies have been done, an increase in physical attractiveness has professional repercussions, and I'm not pretending that getting a leaner torso would make me a better person, just more competitive in the workplace. Why do some people find this offensive still? I have no clue. That's really the only reason why I tend to keep an antenna out for people saying that weight loss is bad. __________________ The most valuable renewable resource is stupidity.

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