What are your thoughts on fat acceptance?

[Foxaèr]

Of course, some of those reality shows to the effect of Fat and Proud, does not help matters.

[brewer]

Of course, some of those reality shows to the effect of Fat and Proud, does not help matters.

If you're proud of being fat/obese you need to find something else in your life, besides food. And shut up, keep your fat pride to yourself. It's a false justification.

[Jackalope]

My thoughts? We can address the public health issue of obesity without making it personal by shaming fat people. The former is compassionate, the latter is just a fucking dick move.

The fact that government nutrition recommendations encouraged people to load up on an unhealthy amount of carbohydrates is at least partially responsible for this as a public health problem. Treating it as an individual moral issue isn't helping.

Our HR here was "threatening" to impose a surcharge on anyone who was above a certain BMI. Completely aside from the fact that a person's medical issues are really none of their business, I'm not going to be OK with that unless they also don't same for other actuarial risks. Hello, tobacco use, what about you? They went so far as to try and require employees to participate in a wellness program that included weigh-ins, tracking vitals, etc. Sorry, no. Those things are between myself and my physician, and they are none of my employer's business.

[Jackalope]

*the surcharge above is on the employee's share of the premium for the health plan offered by my employer.

[Shell B]

I think it's none of anyone's fucking business. If people are accepting of fatness, good for them. If they're not and aren't condescending fucking pricks about it, good for them too. My bottom line is that people aren't made to feel like shit about themselves. Believe me, obese people don't have an internal dialogue you would want to live with. Leave them alone.

[Mermaid]

Someone else's body condition is none of my fucking business. Full stop.

Not shaming fat people is not going to make more fat people.

[J a c k]

When I see an obese child holding a can of soda or a bag of chips, my heart breaks. I do consider child obesity (if caused by excess food or junk food) child abuse. I don't stop and say how cute their legs with rolls are, or how cute their hidden eyes look. No. It just seems so sad and I break a little inside.

Regarding everythig else fat related: I can't look at people and assume the worst. I personally know at least three people (I've lived in many places) that are not overweight because of their eating habits. They have illnesses that combined with their medication and intolerance for certain treatments, they just keep gaining weight. I have seen them eat. They don't abuse food. Yes, I also know overweight people who abuse food. So, what then? Would we tax them all equally? Would we have them bring a doctor note excusing or not excusing their weight, in order to determine taxability? I'm sorry, but I rather walk around life overlooking their obesity that doesn't hurt me, giving everyone the benefit of the doubt as if none have fault of their own, if that means I spare 1 in 20 people unfair judgement. I have enough reasons to be bitter, and adding people's body weight to it just seems ridiculous. And I'm not being a hypocrite, before anyone goes there. Just as I have dated fit people, ripped people, thin women... I have also dated overweight humans. I watch my body and make sure I'm healthy, but damn. When I look at you, I can't see your medical records. It's none of my business. Just don't feed your child excess junk food when they're obese, and we're good.

---

I think it's none of anyone's fucking business. If people are accepting of fatness, good for them. If they're not and aren't condescending fucking pricks about it, good for them too. My bottom line is that people aren't made to feel like shit about themselves. Believe me, obese people don't have an internal dialogue you would want to live with. Leave them alone.

Oh my god, this. ^^^

[brewer]

My thoughts?   We can address the public health issue of obesity without making it personal by shaming fat people.   The former is compassionate, the latter is just a fucking dick move.

The fact that government nutrition recommendations encouraged people to load up on an unhealthy amount of carbohydrates is at least partially responsible for this as a public health problem.  Treating it as an individual moral issue isn't helping.

Our HR here was "threatening" to impose a surcharge on anyone who was above a certain BMI.  Completely aside from the fact that a person's medical issues are really none of their business, I'm not going to be OK with that unless they also don't same for other actuarial risks.  Hello, tobacco use, what about you?  They went so far as to try and require employees to participate in a wellness program that included weigh-ins, tracking vitals, etc.  Sorry, no.  Those things are between myself and my physician, and they are none of my employer's business.

The last company that I worked for did impose that on employees that smoked. I didn't argue, I paid up.

I don't care what other peoples weight is as long as I'm not being told that I need to accept it and make sacrifices for it in my personal life.

[Jackalope]

How about the guy - while not being significantly overweight - who has a horrible diet, 300+ cholesterol level, and had a heart attack at 45?

[Neo-Scholastic]

The notion that the state should by force of law compel and "encourage" by taxation people to do things it, the state, thinks is "for their own good" is very dangerous. It starts with smoking and drinking, then moves to eating, then to dancing, then violent video games, then chewing gum...and then who should and shouldn't be having children or allowed to live.