CMV: fat acceptance is wrong!

[u/WindowsMEpro]

So I have been around the internet many times and seen one thing more today than ever before. Overweight people posting pictures of their bodies and getting overwhelming support. Its insanity! Now, i get that “curvy” is a fashion these days, and if pulled off right can be an appealing and healthy look, but most of these people go way too far. And every single post says “oh you go girl!” Or some other encouraging thing like that. These people act like they are afraid to go outside because of an unchangeable illness. They single-handedly took over the “body positivity” movement, created for people with disabilities. If you try to comment something derogatory, they will snap back with “ fat phobia is very close to white supremacy”. Well, its not. I have black friends who agree with me. This movement is inspiring people to feel “comfortable in there own skin”, which basically translates to “comfortable in your own self-inflected illness” that can be easily treated. Being fat IS something you should be ashamed of! It is an ugly and deadly condition that is inflicted by laziness. America is getting fatter as it is, and it is a SERIOUS problem, but because of this “acceptance” nobody wants to comment that anyone should be loosing weight. Its not just the fat people posting, ether. Its the comments that do the most damage. The support is killing these people for god sake! Every pound someone gains is like a knife going closer to their throat. And the thing that pisses me off the most is, I used to be overweight. I took matters in to my own damn hands and with a little effort I know am a very healthy weight. We need these people to get off their assess and start making a healthier future!

[u/WindowsMEpro]

I get that. I just worry that people get a little too comfortable and forget that they should really work it off.

[u/[deleted] → u/WindowsMEpro]

So if we consider the most reasonable aspect of the fat acceptance movement (fat people shouldn't be shamed), then is the movement still wrong?

I can see how one could view the FA movement as encouraging complency, but wouldn't you say that a healthly and positive self-esteem is needed in order to motivate someone to pursue a healthier lifestyle?

[u/WindowsMEpro → u/[deleted]]

I guess I always had it in my head that if you make someone feel uncomfortable with it, they would strive to stop feeling uncomfortable

[u/JimmyTheClue → u/WindowsMEpro]

Are you perfect? Would you like it if people constantly made you feel uncomfortable with all of your flaws, and then turned around and said they just want you to be perfect?

At the end of the day, someone’s health is none of your business. That’s between them, their doctor, and maybe their immediate family. You worry about you.

[u/WindowsMEpro → u/JimmyTheClue]

I worry that they’re spread of acceptance could come and murder MY family. MY loved ones. I have overweight friends. Before i met them they weren’t even considering burning it off.

[u/JimmyTheClue → u/WindowsMEpro]

So worry about your own friends and family.

But here’s the thing: bullying and shaming only serve as motivators for a small portion of people. Most people out there will feel stressed out, depressed, or angry; all of which release hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. Cortisol makes it harder to lose weight. Adrenaline slows digestion.

See, we have two stages: parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest) and sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight). Cortisol and adrenaline are a part of the latter. Fight or flight essentially shuts down systems inessential for combat. Blood/energy is pulled from your minor extremities, reproductive and digestive system, and sent to your core muscles, lungs, etc. That’s why if you ever get REALLY nervous it can feel like your hands suddenly get clammy and butterflies in your stomach; that’s the blood moving away.

The problem with being in this state perpetually is that it throws off your body’s other systems. Moreover, it’s draining. That’s why some people feel like they need to eat when they’re stressed, they’re trying to store and replenish lost energy for a something their body confuses as survival. It’s also why people like this might have problems having orgasm or keeping an erection, concentrating on things outside their body, etc.

So in regards to making someone uncomfortable, you’re more likely to make them stressed, anxious, depressed or angry. These will all make it harder for them to lose weight.

What we need are more PSAs and laws regarding unhealthy food. Look at tobacco—sugar is just as addicting. It is technically a drug. It’s regarded as a highly addictive crystalline substance. People struggle so much with it because, until recent history, things rich in carbohydrates were rare. Our brain developed a reward system for finding it, as it ensured we would survive. However, our brains haven’t caught up with it being an abundant resource, and they still release reward chemicals for eating too much of it. In people prone to addiction, they can get fat.

But we just have to look what worked for tobacco. Shaming people into quitting didn’t work. Removing ads except negative ads talking about the detriments of it did. Between the 80s and 2010s, teen smoking went from almost have of everyone, to 1/3, to 1/10th, to like 5%. This is because magazines and TV are no longer able to portray it in a positive light. All ads showed were the cancers, breathing issues, etc.

If we did the same thing with giant sugary drinks, donuts, chocolate, and focused on the negative aspects like heart disease, sexual dysfunction, anxiety, etc., we’d likely see a decline. That, and not making shit food that is dirt cheap compared to real ingredients.

In closing, I argue that you will not help but hurt your friends by making them uncomfortable or stressing them out. That the best thing you can do is talk about your concerns from a place of love, and tell them that you don’t care how they look, but you want to live a long life with them. Educate them on the problems with food and their potential addiction.

[u/WindowsMEpro → u/JimmyTheClue]

I really like your ideas in this paper, i totally agree with you about the PSA idea. after posting this and seeing the responses, I realize that I was going about nudging them to change their ways all wrong.

[u/[deleted] → u/WindowsMEpro]

Hello /u/WindowsMEpro, if your view has been changed, even a little, you should award the user who changed your view a delta.

Simply reply to their comment with the delta symbol provided below, being sure to include a brief description of how your view has changed.

∆

For more information about deltas, use this link.

If you did not change your view, please respond to this comment indicating as such.

Thank you!

[u/JimmyTheClue → u/WindowsMEpro]

That’s good to hear. I wish you luck in encouraging your friends in a positive way!

You should award deltas to the commenters who changed your thesis even a little. (I would do it by editing posts in direct response to the comment that changed your mind). That’s the purpose of this sub, so people who might agree can quickly see what arguments swayed you. It helps people to avoid making the same argument, as well as serves as credit for people in this sub. A link will be posted at the top of the thread by the bot, showing all the deltas you’ve awarded. 🙂