Normalisation of 'plus-size' risks hidden danger of obesity, study finds (Read OP)

Dust · Jun 23, 2018

SolVanderlyn said:
It's so easy to completely fail to realize that, most of the time, being overweight is completely your fault. People who have been overweight most of their lives and have eaten a certain way that entire time are at risk of having a complete lack of self-awareness regarding the issue. All it takes is a real effort to eat healthy and exercise, and it's amazing how quickly your mindset can change.

Being healthy is a choice. Not eating healthy or moving your body is a choice. Anything else is an excuse. No time after work? Hate cooking? It's too hard? Too busy in general? Hate working out? Too bad. Make time. Push through the gym. Work up to a good routine.

Precisely this.
Generally it's your life, you can do whatever you want. But don't expect cuddling or constant approval when it comes to making excuses. I assure you if people properly counted calories and cut them down hard while exercising on regular basis they would be shocked by results.
They don't want to though, effort is hard.
There are cases when it's actually medical condition due to body not functioning properly and then I do feel really bad because losing weight is a herculean task, but most of the cases it's just "large meat pizza and wings" for dinner every day.

I remember girl who was overweight and depressed, with her jolt to come to the gym being some kids calling her "hamplanet" at a shop. She pulled through in about 6 months and told me with tears in her eyes she likes to leave home now and in some twisted way is thankful to the kids (they were still little shits).

My best advice would be this, aside cutting soda from you life (shit is killer).

A Fish Aficionado · Jun 23, 2018

"effort" isn't an RPG stat you can +1 coldly.

Deleted member 18347 · Jun 23, 2018

SolVanderlyn said:
I used to get angry at people for judging me when I was fat. Thought of being fat as similar to being a certain height or having certain color eyes or what have you.

It's so easy to completely fail to realize that, most of the time, being overweight is completely your fault. People who have been overweight most of their lives and have eaten a certain way that entire time are at risk of having a complete lack of self-awareness regarding the issue. All it takes is a real effort to eat healthy and exercise, and it's amazing how quickly your mindset can change.

Being healthy is a choice. Not eating healthy or moving your body is a choice. Anything else is an excuse. No time after work? Hate cooking? It's too hard? Too busy in general? Hate working out? Too bad. Make time. Push through the gym. Work up to a good routine.

If I went from being a fat guy who couldn't jog for three minutes without nearly dying to a guy who runs for an hour every single day even though I hate every second of it, anyone can.

Also, I still love food. Not eating good tasting food all the time sucks. Healthy food simply doesn't taste as good. But you know what? The happiness that comes from discipline is so much better and more worth it. And it's not like healthy food tastes bad. Learn to love water and black coffee. Portion control. Good habits. Then go crazy with a cheat day once or twice a week and have a guilt-free pizza. Do you know how good that feels? It's awesome to earn a good cheat meal and eat pizza as a skinny person.

My heart does go out to those with poor metabolisms and limiting environmental factors, such as living with families that eat like shit and make you feel bad for being healthy, because misery loves company. That sucks and definitely makes it way harder to be and look and feel healthy. But there's never an excuse not to make an effort and at least try to be healthy.

I have no real feelings on "plus-size" either way, but I do take issue with people not taking responsibility for their own life choices, and acting like victims. Especially because I was a fat guy too, once, who would have gotten very angry at this post for hitting too close to home and being exactly what I didn't want to hear.

And it's the small choices you have to make every single day that make a huge difference in the long run.

Instead of that ice shaken white caramel mocha, why not a black coffee or a small latte?

Instead of that large meal with large fries and large soda, why not only the sandwich and some water/juice?

You don't even need to follow any arbitrary diet. You don't need to only be eating salads, which is a bad idea in the first place because the rebound is going to be vicious.

Deleted member 9237 · Jun 23, 2018

Artdayne said:
6'0 and 185 lbs to be overweight? Tells you how faulty BMI can be. I was 6'0 and 175 lbs with 5% body fat in my early 20s, and I wasn't even that muscular, I was fairly athletic but that's surprising to me. Anything less than 5% body fat is considered unhealthy/dangerous in most cases

5% body fat is something only body builders achieve for limited periods under extremely controlled dieting. I'm a bit sceptical you had such a low BFP tbh. Regardless, it's an extreme outlier case and doesn't speak to the general applicability of BMI. Yes, if you're very muscular then the numbers are wrong, but that's also common knowledge.

DukeBlue · Jun 23, 2018

Gah. My good friend from college (who is obese) has been on a journey to lose weight for about 2 years now. He exercises regularly and does a lot of cardio. But he hasn't lost a single pound of weight because of the horrible eating habits he learned growing up, as well as the fact that he rewards himself after a workout.

I told him once in the dining hall that he really should try to eat less sweets and have a fruit for dessert instead of cake. He got hella offended and accused me of shaming his size. I have not brought it up since then, and realized that some people just don't truly care

Deleted member 20296 · Jun 23, 2018

Cyanity said:
So what's the solution? Body-positivity culture allows people feel better about themselves on a day to day basis. Who are we to go back to fat-shaming? There must be a way to curb the obesity epidemic without making people feel like shit.

There is, governments need to regulate the utter trash on the market.

Tax the balls of sugar drinks, take a cigarette approach to junk food

Deleted member 888 · Jun 23, 2018

Syder said:
I don't really know what a practical solution is BUT I think it's crazy that we teach our children calculus but not how to care for their bodies.

Schools need far more "common sense" teaching. Yes it's great to know how to do algebra, which most of us never use, but what I'd probably dub "social skills" needs more teaching. Some schools are doing a lot more, that has to be said. Cooking classes or home economics have been going for a while.

Life skills and sex ed are the building blocks to trying to tackle lots of future anti social and problematic behaviour.

Parents play a big role in how they socialize their kids through nursery and primary. Many just throw every possible combination of sugar and soda at them that exists. As crude as this comparison is, part of bringing up children is like training a pet. If you don't offer your dog a balanced diet young, chances are it will become a fussy eater or prone to wanting junk food. Then it will get overweight. The amount of children that are overweight or obese these days is apalling.

Not necessarily any fault of the child when they are young as they are quite dependent on the parent(s). Portion control is massively important for children. Everyone knows it's hard and expensive trying to raise kids, but at least get portion control "correct".

Dr. Mario · Jun 23, 2018

I think it's a problem we've started seeing fat-shaming completely as bullying, when in a way, being fat should be shameful, it's a lack of self-control that leads to an unhealthy state of being. If my son wants candy I can hardly go, sure have all the candy you can get and become fat, it's normal and I shouldn't speak bad of that. He needs to learn to be able to enact self-restraint with what he eats. It's not that different from alcoholism. You can enjoy alcohol, but with restraint. Don't habitually go drinking at seven in the morning, that's shameful and it should be. Don't eat lots of sugary and fatty foods every day.

However, you shouldn't bully someone who's overweight. You don't go under a bridge to make fun of the drunk hobos. That's something different. Don't make fun of someone who's overweight. The negative stereotypes someone else posted about pizza faces are harmful I think and should be combatted. But fat-shaming has been conflated too much with bullying, instead of how I read it: your habits are not good.

It's a "disease" and people should be helped in learning to deal with it (and no, telling someone to lay off the booze is not immediately bullying either). But like any habitual addiction it's also a social disease. The more people around you drink, the more likely you are to drink; the more people around you smoke, the more likely you are to smoke; the more people around you are fat, the more likely you are going to be fat. Normalizing plus size will only lead to more people being overweight.

Artdayne · Jun 23, 2018

eot said:
5% body fat is something only body builders achieve for limited periods under extremely controlled dieting. I'm a bit sceptical you had such a low BFP tbh. Regardless, it's an extreme outlier case and doesn't speak to the general applicability of BMI. Yes, if you're very muscular then the numbers are wrong, but that's also common knowledge.

Yes, I was told it was an extreme outlier and I had the lowest BFP among anyone else that I tested with, including those more athletic. I'd been tested using the skin flap technique and then that hand held electronic machine that people use now, I don't know what it's called, and it was a consistent 5% over a few years. I probably gained a bit more in my early to mid 20s but then my metabolism tanked like crazy and in my mid 30s now I'd be considered on the low end of the obese scale of the BMI index. My diet sucks, though it's getting a bit better but I don't think it's changed much since my early 20s when I had a sky high metabolism.

pleaseinsertdisctwo · Jun 23, 2018

As someone who used to be fat:

losing weight is hard. Very, very fucking hard and it requires a complete lifestyle change and a transformation of mind, body, soul, etc. etc. etc.

But the benefits are so worth it. I'm more productive, more attractive, I have more faith in myself, I smell good, I actually like shopping for clothes, I'm flexible, etc.

P.S. people shaming me didn't do anything other than make me depressed

LastCaress · Jun 23, 2018

Artdayne said:
Yes, I was told it was an extreme outlier and I had the lowest BFP among anyone else that I tested with, including those more athletic. I'd been tested using the skin flap technique and then that hand held electronic machine that people use now, I don't know what it's called, and it was a consistent 5% over a few years. I probably gained a bit more in my early to mid 20s but then my metabolism tanked like crazy and in my mid 30s now I'd be considered on the low end of the obese scale of the BMI index. My diet sucks, though it's getting a bit better but I don't think it's changed much since my early 20s when I had a sky high metabolism.

Yeah 5% over a few years without really being that athletic is probably an error in measurement.

water_wendi · Jun 23, 2018

Years ago shaming was an acceptable tactic for change. Someone in the community is shamed and they have to either conform to society or live in isolation. Nowadays there is the internet where anyone that is shamed can just meet up with others similarly treated and support each other in a new community.

Bashteee · Jun 23, 2018

Artdayne · Jun 23, 2018

LastCaress said:
Yeah 5% over a few years without really being that athletic is probably an error in measurement.

Yeah, different people using different measurements came to the same result but it must have been an error in measurement, LOL.

Whompa · Jun 23, 2018

America has absolutely terrible portion control...

Deleted member 25108 · Jun 23, 2018

It's always hilarious when people say they are 5% bodyfat when elite bodybuilders spend months trying to get close to that for one day with any manner of unhealthy dehydration and calorie restrictions.

Sorry dude, but I'm calling ducktails. Do you have one picture of yourself when you were supposedly 5% body fat?

NotVeryFriendly · Jun 23, 2018

Artdayne said:
Yeah, different people using different measurements came to the same result but it must have been an error in measurement, LOL.

It's not unreasonable or "LOL" worthy to suggest an error in measurement. Getting to 5% body fat is very challenging and it would be incredibly noticeable when somebody achieves that physique. It is difficult to achieve that level of body fat with a lot of effort, let alone without even trying when one isn't particularly muscular (as you described). That doesn't mean it's impossible, but it would be highly unusual and an incredibly unlikely thing to achieve.

Edit:

Karateka said:
All this is great but I get water for free at my house from my tap. Paying for it more than a couple cents per bottle is a massive rip off.

I feel like simultaneously the point was gotten but also somewhat missed with this. Whether you get water or soda with the combo is not altering the price of the combo meal for you. The feeling that you're being 'ripped off' if you get water but you're 'saving' money (or suddenly getting a good deal) if you get a soda isn't a healthy attitude, just as it isn't a healthy attitude to look at getting a medium burger for €0.90 and large burger for €1 and think "well of course I should get the large burger, it's better value for money and I'd be ripped off getting the smaller one".

Wackamole · Jun 23, 2018

Normalization of shit food is worse i think.

Nuclearaddict · Jun 23, 2018

Artdayne said:
Yeah, different people using different measurements came to the same result but it must have been an error in measurement, LOL.

I'm also calling b.s. on this. Elite bodybuilders suffer immensely to even get close to 5% body fat for a day and you did it without trying or intense cutting? There was definitely an error somewhere.

You would have looked absolutely shredded. Even if you didn't work out at all, your muscles would be bulging out of your skin.

Nerokis · Jun 23, 2018

My gut instinct is that it's ridiculous to blame body positivity movements for this. The obesity epidemic long precedes such movements reaching any sort of critical mass, and relates to a variety of forces that would obviously seem much more influential than the message that your body shouldn't be a source of deep shame. It transcends culture, as we've seen countries ranging from the US to China struggle with it; in the US, at least, it's been strongly correlated with poverty; increasing sedentariness, sugar becoming deeply embedded in our diets, etc., etc. are highly relevant lifestyle points that no one could lay at the feet of body positivity.

In addition to being more influential, all of those things are also much more nefarious. Body positivity is a necessary movement in light of systemic forces that trend toward ridiculously narrow beauty standards, in light of the fact that people do indeed come with tendencies toward different shapes and sizes, and in light of the fact that people's sense of self-worth shouldn't be overly tied to this single aspect of who they are.

This article didn't make a convincing case that bringing up body positivity was justifiable, anyway. It seems quite random.

Yoshi · Jun 23, 2018

Bishop89 said:
Ban everything except vegetables.

I challenge you to become obese by eating low fat quark and chicken breast filet.

DryCreek · Jun 23, 2018

A Fish Aficionado · Jun 23, 2018

Hodgy said:
body positivity is about making not feel shit for being fat, that doesnt mean you can also encourage people to eat healthier and do more exercise.

I used to be 260lbs and now Im 170lbs according to bmi I am just about an okay weight i could loose a couple more pounds but im happy im not obese anymore.

I lost weight by taking control over my life after many previous attempts and making decisions for myself with friends and family supporting me.

You know why I failed at the previous attempts? Because there was always some shitheel judging me either being a twat and calling me fat or having a go at me because I would run out of breath quickly or because i wouldnt keep up. or they were judging what I ate with "eating that won't make you thinner", even though I understand they were good intentioned. its the approach of making fun or a joke out of it for "bantz" an an attempt to shame me into losing weight that in fact made me comfort eat.

so yeah fuck people that body shame, it helps no one, you are sinking the person being shamed further into depression and self confidence issues likely resulting in them going off to eat something to make them feel good.

And you're goddam right.

Deleted member 835 · Jun 23, 2018

Shaming dudes who are overweight hardly ever works, it just makes them worse. I see a hell of a lot of dodgy posts in here sadly

Digital Dinosaur · Jun 23, 2018

Beefy said:
Shaming dudes who are overweight hardly ever works, it just makes them worse. I see a hell of a lot of dodgy posts in here sadly

Typically you get a lot of comments that are either "tough love, people should hate themselves for the greater good" or "I lost weight and it was easy once I realized I was a lazy slob - no excuses!"

The problem is that statistically, it's not easy. The underlying principle might be simple, sure; but evidence has shown that some people will have a far easier time getting results than others, and this does skew expectations from testimonials.

I've listened to actual doctors. The ones who aren't complete assholes very simply recognize that 1. well of course losing weight is the ideal and everyone should do it, and 2. the reason there is an obesity epidemic isn't because 70% of the population suddenly developed "bad character and self-denial" at the same time.

As one doctor said, the problem with eating is that it isn't optional. People are biologically compelled to eat. Therefore, eating is incredibly vulnerable to a range of factors that can cause problems besides "self control". This is why actual good doctors, when giving advice, even if they're insistent and firm also tell people they're going up against an entire world designed to fuck up what food even is. And also abuse and stress them into eating. And also keep them from being physically active.

Dr. Mario · Jun 23, 2018

water_wendi said:
Years ago shaming was an acceptable tactic for change. Someone in the community is shamed and they have to either conform to society or live in isolation. Nowadays there is the internet where anyone that is shamed can just meet up with others similarly treated and support each other in a new community.

Good point.

Wackamole said:
Normalization of shit food is worse i think.

This too.

Nerokis said:
My gut instinct is that it's ridiculous to blame body positivity movements for this. The obesity epidemic long precedes such movements reaching any sort of critical mass, and relates to a variety of forces that would obviously seem much more influential than the message that your body shouldn't be a source of deep shame. It transcends culture, as we've seen countries ranging from the US to China struggle with it; in the US, at least, it's been strongly correlated with poverty; increasing sedentariness, sugar becoming deeply embedded in our diets, etc., etc. are highly relevant lifestyle points that no one could lay at the feet of body positivity.

Indeed all parts of the world have increased incidence of obesity, due to sedentary lifestyles and whatnot, but the extent to which it proliferates is very variable (also within a country). For a pretty significant part it is also a social disease of changing standards.

A person's chances of becoming obese increased by 57% (95% confidence interval [CI], 6 to 123) if he or she had a friend who became obese in a given interval. Among pairs of adult siblings, if one sibling became obese, the chance that the other would become obese increased by 40% (95% CI, 21 to 60). If one spouse became obese, the likelihood that the other spouse would become obese increased by 37% (95% CI, 7 to 73). These effects were not seen among neighbors in the immediate geographic location. Persons of the same sex had relatively greater influence on each other than those of the opposite sex.

Christakis, N. A., & Fowler, J. H. (2007). The spread of obesity in a large social network over 32 years. New England journal of medicine, 357(4), 370-379.

I would hazard a guess these percentages are at least as high or even higher than whether you work seated or standing up.

Deleted member 176 · Jun 23, 2018

Nuclearaddict said:
I have a hard time believing people don't live near any grocery store that doesn't sell fruits, veggies and other perfectly normal items like canned kidney beans.

Exercise equipment is not how you lose weight. Weight gain and weight loss is entirely calories in, calories out. You eat more than you burn, you gain weight, you eat less than burn and you lose weight. It's not even that difficult really. I had a knee injury, had to have surgery and have been couch ridden for months on end. I've barely gained any weight, because I adjusted my intake to account for the fact that I won't be burning as many calories as I normally would be. I don't keep a diet journal, I don't jump through mental hoops to maintain my healthy weight, I just stop eating when I'm full and drink plenty of water. Loose leaf and satchet bagged teas instead of soda.

Edit: and I keep seeing "healthy alternatives are too costly". The opposite seems true in my experience. Bags of chips, sodas, candies, sugary drinks and snacks. Those things add up to cost a ton. I can take all that money I would've spent on pure junk and buy a load of veggies, cans of beans and other plant based proteins. I can eat healthy at a fraction of the cost of what I'd pay to eat like shit.

I don't care if you have a hard time believing it, it's a thing. Look up "food desert". Calories in calories out doesn't mean much if you've never been properly educated on basic nutrition and you're surrounded by food companies trying to get you to buy as much junk as possible.

A Fish Aficionado · Jun 23, 2018

water_wendi said:
Years ago shaming was an acceptable tactic for change. Someone in the community is shamed and they have to either conform to society or live in isolation. Nowadays there is the internet where anyone that is shamed can just meet up with others similarly treated and support each other in a new community.

Shaming is not an equivalence to acceptance.

Newt · Jun 23, 2018

Fat tax actually sounds like a good idea.

Deleted member 6230 · Jun 23, 2018

I find it interesting that people who otherwise seem to grasp systemic issues on these forums like poverty, racism, etc. think the solution to the obesity epidemic is all bootstraps.

Fudgepuppy · Jun 23, 2018

I'm not for body-positivity, but person positivity.

When I compared myself to all the adverts, I hated myself and had a hard time finding the energy to actually do something about it.

Then I started working on myself, going to therapy and overcoming my fears, and suddenly I started feeling more and more proud over myself. This led to me finding the strength to actually take care of my diet and star working out.

The obsession we have with perfection today is bad, but I really don't like people just swallowing the whole "love yourself" concept without taking any of the nuances in consideration.

gigaslash · Jun 23, 2018

People can be as fat as they wan't to be, as long as I'm not paying for their healthcare.

Luchashaq · Jun 23, 2018

Wackamole said:
Normalization of shit food is worse i think.

I mean it's one in the same, you can be at a healthy weight even if you are super lazy and never exercise as long as you aren't shoveling trash into your mouth constantly.

It's close impossible to out exercise a trash diet unless you are training like 5-6 hours a day.

A Fish Aficionado · Jun 23, 2018

gigaslash said:
People can be as fat as they wan't to be, as long as I'm not paying for their healthcare.

Uh...
This is such conservative viewpoint.

Deleted member 835 · Jun 23, 2018

gigaslash said:
People can be as fat as they wan't to be, as long as I'm not paying for their healthcare.

Not all overweight people are there from overeating. Certain illnesses and way more prescribed drugs than people think can make people overweight and make it even harder for them to lose weight

Socrates · Jun 23, 2018

Koo said:
Thanks for letting me know. All the pains I experience being fat; thought that was just something everyone went through. Seriously you don't have to point and yell fatty-fatty why so fatty at fat people. We know being fat is bad health wise. Any fat/obese person who claims they are somehow healthy and feel fine are truly delusional and no amount of plus-size clothing can be blamed for that.

Also in terms of clothes, what's the solution for fat people. Dress us in rags and dirty newspaper and throw rocks at us as we walk down the street? I can't see how a fat person can walk into a plus-size clothing store, pick out a 3x, 4x, 5x shirt and be like; okay this is fine and normal now; don't need to lose weight.

Like c'mon there is no normalization of being obese as our bodies tell us otherwise. Also this article/study doesn't mention how much people are under representing their weight. But you know what leads to that? No access to accurate scales over a certain weight. Most people can't look in the mirror and tell exactly how much they weigh on any given day. But you probably have scales at home, the gym, dr. office that tell you. So you get weighed every week, or month or so and you kinda go from there.

You know who doesn't have that luxury? Fat people. So yeah a fat person may go years without knowing their weight; but what's in a number? Like I said our aches and pains and clothing sizes tell us the story. So people may not know their accurate weight but they sure as shit can tell you the last time they bought a shirt they went up a size, or their pants are fitting more snug than usual, or their knees started giving them trouble last month.

People really just need to admit they want to actively fat shame people, or at least look down on someone so they can feel superior. You don't care about some stranger's health. Worry about your own lives and let us worry about our weight without the constant harassment of; 'Well you know; being fat is bad for your health. *tut-tut*' We. Fucking. Know! Get off your high horse and let us buy some damn clothes in peace.

Obesity affects everyone in society. Try sitting next to a fat person on the bus, metro, train, plane etc obese people can take up a ridiculous amount of space. They also often smell bad (cheesy) , because temperature control is harder with excess insulation, and I assume it is hard to reach all parts of the body when washing.

Deleted member 29676 · Jun 23, 2018

i noticed weight shaming was far more common when living in guangzhou than US or EU. Also, the shaming was traditionally done by family members and teachers compared to random internet strangers. Parents matter of factly telling kids "no you're already fat you shouldn't have seconds" and teachers laughing at a students gut were really common. It was a strange situation coming from a western country.

Socrates · Jun 23, 2018

Hodgy said:
. its the approach of making fun or a joke out of it for "bantz" an an attempt to shame me into losing weight that in fact made me comfort eat.

They didn't "make" you comfort eat, you chose to.
Sounds like now you have the resilience to avoid doing that - Congrats on losing the weight.

WaffleTaco · Jun 23, 2018

The amount of people coming after plus-size people in this thread is ridiculous. Certainly almost all the people doing so have never had a weight issue otherwise you would be more sympathetic. Grow up.

Artdayne · Jun 23, 2018

NotVeryFriendly said:
It's not unreasonable or "LOL" worthy to suggest an error in measurement. Getting to 5% body fat is very challenging and it would be incredibly noticeable when somebody achieves that physique. It is difficult to achieve that level of body fat with a lot of effort, let alone without even trying when one isn't particularly muscular (as you described). That doesn't mean it's impossible, but it would be highly unusual and an incredibly unlikely thing to achieve.

Sure, it's possible there was an error but what I'm saying is I've had my body fat measured 4 different times during that span by three different people using two different methods and the results were mostly the same, with that in mind the probability of there being any significant error should drop considerably. Three times it measured sub 6%, and one other time it was 7% but I was in middle school at the time, going through high school and early college it was measured at 5%. So again, sure anything is possible but the chances of repeated error by multiple different testers and testing methods is less likely.

Deleted member 835 · Jun 23, 2018

Socrates said:
They didn't "make" you comfort eat, you chose to.
Sounds like now you have the resilience to avoid doing that - Congrats on losing the weight.

Stop with this bullshit

Bullying a person into comfort eating is a clear sign of putting down a person with some mental health issues

CrunchyFrog · Jun 23, 2018

Cyanity said:
So what's the solution? Body-positivity culture allows people feel better about themselves on a day to day basis. Who are we to go back to fat-shaming? There must be a way to curb the obesity epidemic without making people feel like shit.

The problem is people conflate "being obese is not good" with "obese people are not good."

If one is obese, one is absolutely still entitled to the same human dignities as any other person but also seriously worsening their health and limiting their lifespan and so should be encouraged to change habits wherever possible.

Scarecrow · Jun 23, 2018

CrunchyFrog said:
The problem is people conflate "being obese is not good" with "obese people are not good."

If one is obese, one is absolutely still entitled to the same human dignities as any other person but also seriously worsening their health and limiting their lifespan and so should be encouraged to change habits wherever possible.

I see it like, if you see someone who's an alcoholic, or someone who's incredibly strung out on some bad drugs, you want them to get better. Not to mention how healthier a society would be in general if people didn't overindulge in their vices. One of my overweight friends absolutely transformed himself over the course of a few years I barely recognized him. To all those here who are working at weight loss, good luck.

drink water

LastCaress · Jun 23, 2018

Artdayne said:
Sure, it's possible there was an error but what I'm saying is I've had my body fat measured 4 different times during that span by three different people using two different methods and the results were mostly the same, with that in mind the probability of there being any significant error should drop considerably. Three times it measured sub 6%, and one other time it was 7% but I was in middle school at the time, going through high school and early college it was measured at 5%. So again, sure anything is possible but the chances of repeated error by multiple different testers and testing methods is less likely.

No, if it's 5% for several years without effort and without being really athletic, the most likely cause is error in measurement. Google 5% bodies, it's really not an easy (and probably not healthy either) body type to have. Also, even if you are already moving the goalposts by 40%, 7% is still not easy to casually achieve.

Lentic · Jun 23, 2018

A large problem is that people often have the wrong view of exercise. They think the only way to stay healthy is waking up at 4am, running on a treadmill for hours at a time and guzzling down kale smoothies. As a result, they conflate being healthy with asceticism. It's important to understand that our bodies were meant to be active, so exercising isn't meant to be a painful activity. There are a variety of ways to burn calories. Personally, I can't stand cardio, but love lifting weights. It can actually be quite stress relieving and therapeutic. It's the same with eating healthy. There are a variety of healthy and nutritious foods out there that are delicious. You don't have to go on strict fad diets.

The "no pain, no gain" mentality really trips people up.

Dook's Revenge · Jun 23, 2018

We need to acknowledge that raising a fat child is a form of abuse.

Artdayne · Jun 23, 2018

LastCaress said:
No, if it's 5% for several years without effort and without being really athletic, the most likely cause is error in measurement. Google 5% bodies, it's really not an easy (and probably not healthy either) body type to have. Also, even if you are already moving the goalposts by 40%, 7% is still not easy to casually achieve.

I didn't move goalposts, you just fail at reading comprehension.

Deleted member 6230 · Jun 23, 2018

Dook's Revenge said:
We need to acknowledge that raising a fat child is a form of abuse.

This will create more problems then it will solve. We don't even acknowledge actual child abuse too well.

chicken_pasta · Jun 23, 2018

You can tell people they look super beautiful and they should accept themselves, but you'll be an accomplice to their potential death. Obesity, as opposed to things like height, muscle mass, or facial features, is not a physical trait, but instead a disease that comes as a result of poor choices, especially when it comes to eating habits.

Normalizing obesity is another way of normalizing self harm. Just as we try to help people who, for example, cut their wrists and thighs instead of providing them with clothes with Velcro patches for easy access to the mentioned areas, we should make an effort to help fat and obese people, instead of pampering them and even going as far as grouping them with people with physical disabilities like missing limbs and other.

The fact obesity has become the norm in some countries doesn't mean the condition is any less dangerous.

LastCaress · Jun 23, 2018

Artdayne said:
I didn't move goalposts, you just fail at reading comprehension.

You are probably right as I'm not a native english speaker. Still, you are wrong about having 5% for several years.

Normalisation of 'plus-size' risks hidden danger of obesity, study finds (Read OP)

C H A O S

User requested account closure

User requested account closure

User requested account closure

User requested account closure

User requested account closure

User requested account deletion

User requested account closure

User-requested account closure

User requested ban

User requested account deletion

User Requested Account Closure

Community Resettler

User requested account deletion

User-requested account closure