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big_lefty · Jul 24, 2008, 09:53 pm

What do you think of the size acceptance movement?

I believe they have a legitimate cause for complaint in the areas of job discrimination and the social stigma attached to being obese.

However, some of their other claims are nonsense. One of the most common ones is that diets do not work. Indeed, most dieters do not succeed, but the reason for this is not because it is impossible to lose weight. The reason is because the dieters do not adhere to the program strictly enough or for long enough and they fail to include enough physical activity. A properly designed, sensible diet, if strictly followed and combined with frequent and sufficiently vigorous activity, will induce weight loss in all but the most extreme cases of endocrine disorders, such as hypothyroidism and polycystic ovary syndrome.

Often, size acceptance people will even try to deny the health risks of obesity, which are inarguable.
It would seem to me that if they, themselves, were truly comfortable with their size, they would not need to be dishonest. They would not need excuses about diets being inherently useless and the health risks of obesity being overblown. So they are expecting society to accept that which they cannot even accept themselves.

I feel that a revulsion towards obesity is natural, since the sight of a body in such an unhealthy state makes people uncomfortable. We feel the same way when we see an unhealthily thin person or somebody with an obvious illness. This does not mean one hates fat people.
So, while I think it's foolish to expect people to ever accept obesity as normal and desirable, this does not excuse discrimination or cruelty towards the obese.

Jul 24, 2008, 09:53 pm	#1 (permalink)
big_lefty weary pragmatist Location: Canada Posts: 659	Size Acceptance What do you think of the size acceptance movement? I believe they have a legitimate cause for complaint in the areas of job discrimination and the social stigma attached to being obese. However, some of their other claims are nonsense. One of the most common ones is that diets do not work. Indeed, most dieters do not succeed, but the reason for this is not because it is impossible to lose weight. The reason is because the dieters do not adhere to the program strictly enough or for long enough and they fail to include enough physical activity. A properly designed, sensible diet, if strictly followed and combined with frequent and sufficiently vigorous activity, will induce weight loss in all but the most extreme cases of endocrine disorders, such as hypothyroidism and polycystic ovary syndrome. Often, size acceptance people will even try to deny the health risks of obesity, which are inarguable. It would seem to me that if they, themselves, were truly comfortable with their size, they would not need to be dishonest. They would not need excuses about diets being inherently useless and the health risks of obesity being overblown. So they are expecting society to accept that which they cannot even accept themselves. I feel that a revulsion towards obesity is natural, since the sight of a body in such an unhealthy state makes people uncomfortable. We feel the same way when we see an unhealthily thin person or somebody with an obvious illness. This does not mean one hates fat people. So, while I think it's foolish to expect people to ever accept obesity as normal and desirable, this does not excuse discrimination or cruelty towards the obese.