Fatshaming

[travelinterest]

After a conversation with friends, and with obesity (especially in young people) becoming a bigger crisis than smoking in our society, am I unreasonable to think that as we villanise smoking and drinking, should we fat shame more to encourage people to change their lifestyles. It's certainly worked with reducing smoking rates. Don't attack me (I've lost 2 stone). Just wondering why we target smoking more than fast food?

[BalthazarImpresario]

You don't need cigarettes and alcohol to survive but you do need food, it's a much harder addiction to treat, it's like telling an addict they mustn't continue consuming their vice but at the same time, keep consuming it to stay alive.

The sugar tax is balls, if I want full fat coke I still buy it those extra few pence mean nothing.
Shaming rarely works, people are not obese because they are greedy or 'never feel full'. (this is what my sister said). They do, it's the psychological reasons behind that need addressing. My friend had a gastric bypass, became an alcoholic because she hadn't addressed why she needed the crutch.

I say this as someone who is obese themselves, I'm well aware of why I eat and also how I only lose weight when my mindset it correct.... We need to offer therapy before surgery/shaming.

[Gwenhwyfar]

"Shaming someone is unkind and just leaves them needing comfort - probably in the form of food."

I agree that you shouldn't shame a person, but the problem itself should be shamed if you see what I mean. Shame 'fatness' in general while acknowledging that it's not necessarily the person's fault.

[Hoppinggreen]

I’m overweight, I know this
I also know how to lose weight, I’m just not motivated enough
Calling me fat makes no difference ( believe me I know) and is more likely to make me eat a large “fuck you” cake.
I know the health risks and I try to be healthy in other ways to mitigate my weight which may or may not work.
Being nasty to people isn’t the answer

[Prettysureitsnotok]

I also don’t see the point in getting wound up over plus sized models. There are plenty of people far bigger than Tess Holliday for example, who wouldn’t seen the point in aspiring to Gigi Hadid’s body, but seeing Tess looking pretty or working out on her Instagram could motivate and inspire them. A simply be model or whatever is someone’s attainable aspiration of a body. Some models being fat doesn’t mean that anyone’s saying that’s the best way to be.

[LagunaBubbles]

Anyone that wants to or actually shames another fellow human being for how they look is a nasty disgusting individual.

[Gwenhwyfar]

"We need to offer therapy before surgery/shaming."

I agree. Therapy should be more easily available on the NHS.

[PeasAreGreat]

@GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat your over-eating has an impact on the NHS and therefore mine and others health and bank accounts (tax)

[Gwenhwyfar]

"Some models being fat doesn’t mean that anyone’s saying that’s the best way to be."

It glamorises fatness though. I've been looking at Simply Be clothes and I'm not even overweight (yet).

Also, if that's the case, why do we now have minimum weight requirements for models? They're not allowed to be underweight.

[RickOShay]

I think people who are overweight ARE ashamed anyway, so how is making them feel even worse going to help?
More therapy and kindness is what’s needed.

[Puzzledandpissedoff]

My overeating doesn’t have an impact on anyone else’s health, only mine

Not directly perhaps, but if we accept that the NHS is "creaking at the seams" then surely the colossal amount it spends on obesity has the potential to impact everyone else?

[Frosty66611]

I see what you’re saying but it wouldn’t work. Also I knew a very obese woman who had to take steroids since childhood which made her balloon. She actually used to eat a fairly average diet (wasn’t overly healthy but wasn’t enough food to warrant being so large either).
I think the best way to tackle it is to really raise the price of all foods high in calories in the supermarkets, restaurants and takeaways. And then lower the cost of the foods that are more nutritious. Although, saying that, I doubt the farmers who grow all the fruit and veg etc would be chuffed with their prices having to be dropped right down.
I used to be 5 stone overweight and I would binge on food because I felt lonely, anxious and bored. It wasn’t until I spent a long time sorting out my mental health and getting away from an unhappy relationship that my mindset shifted and I was finally ready to lose the weight, exercise and look after myself better. It took a few years to get to that point though and some people are never able to get there because of individual circumstances

[MsLexic]

I don't think yelling 'Fatty' at people will help.

[Birdsgottafly]

""Are the poorer people in France as fat as the poorer people here though""

Yes they are.

There are ongoing studies into obesity and the conclusion is poverty is the main factor.

We, as humans need something to enjoy, look forward to etc. Cheap food does that. Pizzas are £1, multi packs of crips/chocolate £1. All of these things make us feel good and like we've had a treat.

Every scheme etc that counter-acts dpoverty has been cut. Its a battle to keep green space.

The benefit system shames poor people enough. We don't need to throw in fat shaming on top.

[ShotsFired]

You can inspire and help and encourage and support without needing to shame.

What a shame (pun intended) that you only thought of the latter.

[OftenHangry]

Fat shaming is bit harsh term, but I know what you mean. And agree with pp that lots are in denial. I really wish someone was straightforward with me when I started putting weight on and went into dipped so deep i needed a scuba diving equipment.
No going around finding polite way. Just simple
"You are getting fat Hangry. Do something about it because my dining chairs are tested only up to 100kg..."

But yeah. Everyone is different and same thing could send someone else into downward spirale.

[Satsumaeater]

every overweight person should be 'prescribed' a rescue dog

Gosh that threat would definitely keep me thin, as a non-dog person.

[RandomlyChosenName]

1. My overeating doesn’t have an impact on anyone else’s health, only mine.

Until you drop dead suddenly one day of a heart attack because of it. Then it will affect your children, partner, siblings, parents, friends...

[Birdsgottafly]

Should we shame Women who don't weight lift and end up with low bone density?

Should we shame thin people who end up with diabetes because they've over indulged Carbs?

Should we shame thin people who've eaten their way into Heart disease?

Why pick on fat people, is it because you can our run them ?

[TwitterQueen1]

"Anyone that wants to or actually shames another fellow human being for how they look is a nasty disgusting individual."

This ^. You should be ashamed of yourself OP.

[Ninoo25]

YABVVU

[Satsumaeater]

My overeating doesn’t have an impact on anyone else’s health, only mine

it also has an impact on other people if you use public transport and are too big for the seats. Not that you have to be that big to encroach on other people's space. While people are getting bigger, seats are getting smaller.

[CherryPavlova]

Perhaps it would be better to ban parking within a mile of schools, introduce an 8 am start at primary with an hour of hard, physical exercise each day. As the primary moved into secondary, it could be introduced for older children too.
Compulsory school lunches without puddings and none of the fussy eater stuff. Missing eating something they genuinely don’t like won’t kill them.
Repurchase the school playing fields that were sold off and much higher fuel tax. Invest tax from fuels in the building of proper cycle routes that are separated from motorised traffic.
Sports club and swimming vouchers as an add on to benefit payments for families with under 12s.

[Woodifer]

My overeating doesn’t have an impact on anyone else’s health, only mine.

Until you are taking up the hospital bed/ surgery space that could have gone to someone else

[AuntBeastie]

Fat shaming literally ruins people’s lives, you have to be a shitty kind of bastard to want to actively encourage dehumanising people on the basis of their weight.

[Lovelygiraffe]

Cherrypavlova I'm not sure how you'd enforce banning parking within a mile of a school? I live next door to a school, do you suggest I'm not allowed to park outside my own house?