Do you look at obese people with a critical eye?

Of course the first remark should be that there are people who really can't help that they are obese but this isn't the majority. I'm talking about those that became obese simply by overfeeding. Food addicts.

Appearance shouldn't matter but why is it then that if you look at a crack addict you have a hard time being tolerant of their appearance but a food addict should be proud?

We, as a society, have actually succeeded in BS'ing ourselfs that obesity and how it looks it something to be proud of and that is not the same as, for people who actually have a condition, to be proud dispite of how they look.

This PC mentality is ridiculous.

Peace

a reply to: RifRAAF
I haven't had meat in more than a week. I am starting to crave. I'm not just going to eat my next piece of meat, I am going to eat the hell out of it.

No I don't, especially in a day and age were so much misinformation about diet is given on top of poverty. I grew up in a home that was completely ignorant when it came to a healthy diet amongst many other things. I was the odd person out and hated greasy food and liked vegetables. My family didn't get that.

10+ years ago I was on the WIC program. Every month I had to feel out a diet sheet for me and my kids and they would tell me what dietary changes to make. I wanted to learn about good nutrition and really cared about it, but following their advise caused me to gain weight. I was so confused. Also, due to being on food stamps, we often had to watch videos on good nutrition. I thought I was educated on nutrition at this point, yet it was failing me.

I was doing everything right! I followed the food pyramid and ate very small portions and avoided fatty foods. Since I was eating "healthy" I kept reducing the amount I was eating until I was literally consuming no more than 400 calories a day, because it is all about how much you eat right?

A few years later I was able to afford a computer and the internet again and started doing research and found out everything I was taught was a lie. A diet heavy in grains, rice and potatoes as the bulk of your diet and even a lot of fruit, even thought that is what is taught, is not healthy due to the sugar in all of those food. Those were supposed to be healthy foods so I never considered the sugar in them. Yet those are what the food pyramid tells you to eat the most of.

I reduced my intake of those foods and added more nutrient dense veggies, healthy fats such as nuts and protein rich foods. The weight melted off.

I was angry because I did everything right according to the books but it caused me to gain weight. I felt so betrayed by the nutritional advice put out there by the so called experts.

People on wic and food stamps are being lied to by the government. I would even go as far as to say they are purposely trying to cause obesity by giving the people bad information. On top of it all you have a food industry that is also giving people bad information. I would say that a decent amount of people who are overweight or obese do not have the proper knowledge to eat right.

What I know now to be the truth:

Sugar, not fat, causes weight gain.
Not all calories are created equal.
It is what you eat, not how much you eat.
Fruit juices are not healthy, despite being highly encouraged by the WIC and Foodstamp programs.
The number one thing you can do if you want to lose weight is cut out sugar, even from things like potatoes, rice and grains. Learn about all the hidden sources of sugars. And keep your sugar levels stable.

a reply to: skunkape23
I'm totally craving seafood--I didn't include it on the list I posted but I cut out seafood because of Fukushima, you dont know how much I am missing sushi.

I didnt include it in the list because seafood, if freshwater, is pretty healthy. Im not going to go into ocean food and radiation because this is not the thread. Im not going to put my politics into other peoples mouths (excuse the pun).

a reply to: droid56

Did you know that when you are obese your hormones which tell you to stop eating become less common and you can become depressed about your size which terribly leads to further eating.

I am uncertain why the hormone which stops people from feeling hungry hasn't been developed as an effective weight loss drug.

a reply to: DodgyDawg

I saw an interesting experiment recently where a group of people got to fill up a plate with as much food as they thought they could eat. When all were seated, half of the group was blindfolled and all were told to eat untill they were full.

The blindfolded group only ate half of what they put on the plate while the other group finished their plate.

Peace

a reply to: droid56

I think that all judgemental people who lack any kind of empathy are sub human and should be rounded up and..

oh, nuts

a reply to: operation mindcrime
I get how that might work. They say you eat less when you smell your food before eating it. With the blindfold on, they have no vision, so the the brain can focus more sense on the smell.

That might not actually be the case but I didnt get to read the study you mention... linky???

a reply to: RifRAAF
I believe it had more to do with signals your brain receives. You sight is dominant and it tells the brain to finish the plate. The stummick also gives signals about when it is full and when the eyes are not used people are more in tune with what their stummick tells them.

There is also the factor programming where we learn from early age to finish our plate or no desert...

Will look for the research.

Peace

a reply to: skalla

Was your post sarcastic? I'm usually a bit slow in detecting sarcasm but if it wasn't...

We all judge on appearance. It's hardwired in our brain and once was necessary for survival.

I mean if you see a drug addict, something like this:



You honestly do not judge this person?

Peace

...

You honestly do not judge this person?

Peace

I was that person and I broke free from the addiction, I am critical of people who use, but "judge" is not the right word. I think that distinction needs to be made. Its about framing the issue, if we "judge" it is only going to "vilify", if we "critique" we can then "change".

Sorry to pull you up on the use of a word, but having dealt with addictions its the beez with honey approach... treat it as a health issue not as a social issue. Please dont think I'm being overly pedantic on this point.

a reply to: operation mindcrime

Please, totally sarcasm.

And judging someone from a simple picture like that? Not for me, thanks. I prefer to work with a little more info and understanding when i'm not just taking the piss. Which i do enjoy.

originally posted by: skunkape23
It is a matter of self discipline. They are not stacking on fat from the air they breathe. I treat all humans as humans, but if you weigh 600+ freaking pounds and they have to cut a wall out to take you to the hospital...I have no more sympathy than I do for a skinny crack-head. Some people are naturally predisposed to be a little on the large side. That's fine with me as long as you are happy and healthy. There does come a point, however, that you need to lay off the junk food and get some exercise.

I don't care if people are fat or not, I never have, it's a neurosis of the present times we are in. Whipped up by the sensationalist media.

It's also a displacement for racist feelings which we all have.

People stand by and watch as millions of completely alien-looking/acting foreigners move into their countries and yet carry on with their lives as if nothing happened (god forbid they should be tagged as 'racists').

'Get the fatty' is a socially acceptable channeling of all that frustration.

See, I'm overweight by about 30 to 35 lbs, but my cholesterol and blood pressure are those of a person in their 20s. I cook most of my food, haven't had a soda in almost three years (I broke the soda rule a few times when pregnant), and I generally don't eat lots of processed junk although I do have some every now and then.

But, my mother is terribly overweight, obese even, with bad arthritis making it even harder for her to try to be active and shed some pounds.

This thread is awful. She didn't ask to be that way.

originally posted by: ketsuko
This thread is awful. She didn't ask to be that way.

And so because she didn't ask for it discussing the issue should be a no-no?

I think the OP asked a very valid question and the replies so far have been pretty on topic (from both sides of the fence).

I think the distinction has to be made between people who become obese through factors outside their control and people who become obese through personal choice and lifestyle.

Peace

At the end of the day their choice.
A good way to make people eat better tax the #e out of processed foods and crap we are bombarded with in ads and such.
Also education and when I was a kid I had home economics at school which taught us all how to cook healthy food not just out of a packet.
Some folk get fat even looking at food like me mum but she is poorly anyhow and can't get about as much and going through the change and such (me poor mum ) but I don't look at her any different way I look at my dead fit slim ninja like body lol.
So to sum up.

Education (it is the answer to so much)
Oh and the body bit is a fib .

a reply to: operation mindcrime

No the OP is about judgment period.

So my mother has arthritis that limits her activity level. What's she supposed to do about her weight; diet alone isn't doing it.

But the OP will judge her just the same.

a reply to: RifRAAF

Generally in my experience - it's wiser to wait until asked. Unsolisited advice is unwanted.

Had the OP opened with "I've got a problem and wonder what you do" or "how do I help a friend" or in any way asked for experience, strength and hope (as 12 step programs put it) it would have been appropriate.

The OP was not asking for advice or seeking solutions, the OP was seeking validation for a rank prejudice. I've done it and perhaps you as well. A small degree of maturity (I know it's considered a bad word) has allowed me to 1) see the behavior in myself and 2) to stop it before I inflect it on others.

I truly believe everyone at ATS, at least those who post, is here for selfish reasons and is seeking attention. I find it a wonderful venue for ferreting out character defects and working on their correction. To quote 12 step literature again "Progress not Perfection".

Have a great day.

Up to 80 pounds overweight on an adult male and 50 a female and I am in this category I dont judge, I blame foods such as sugar,white carbs,processed foods,processed meats,preservatives,additives hormones and chemicals these are the only foods most people can afford in their weekly food bill ever tried to eat organic or load up on fresh meat and veg thats an extra $100 dollars on your food bill; tptb want you fat so they can hook you for life on their toxins that even make you fatter such as diabetic medicine,antipsychotics and antidepressents,we are being engineered towards being fat unhealthy and docile so no I dont judge fat people but the scum that run our governments,food and pharmaceutical industries.