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?

I think we are going round in circles really.

As said, absolving folks of personal responsibility doesn't help and many many cases of obesity are due to poor lifestyles choices, day in day out, eating too much and moving too little. We know this. It doesn't as said, mean some people don't have factors out with their control, like the drug addict or the alcoholic.

No one choses to be any of these things, be it a drug addict, obese or an alcoholic. Many factors may lead to it. But absolving people of personal responsibility does them no more favours than fat shaming does, or calling people dirty druggies, telling smokers they stink or shouting alkie at someone buying vodka at 9 am.

Nope, agreed. It's all a very sad state of affairs.

It is, and a complex one. I guess as we are human,,,😔

As an ex smoker I find the two subjects draw little to no parallel - I wasn’t shamed into quitting - I chose to. But funnily enough in my smoking days any “anti-smokers” who tried to shame me had little to no effect on my doing it, just irritated me because I had never been a heavy smoker, never walked in front of people in the street with a fag on blowing smoke into their faces, would never have dreamed about smoking near kids... but they treated me like trash regardless of this because they didn’t know me - yet felt it was okay to lecture me about life.

Same goes for fat shaming, you don’t know these people, their lives or their battles, so adding a dose of unsolicited shame on them only serves to make them feel worse and probably perpetuate the cycle for any who over-eat because of issues such as depression and low self esteem.

I do think, however that glamourising obesity is a dangerous idea, just as dangerous as glamourising anorexia.

Shame is toxic and behind so much dysfunctional self defeating behaviour, it's like fighting fire with fire. Perhaps the people who market junk to kids and lobby against health legislation should feel ashamed instead. It really helps them if we blame eachother. I don't want to live in a society like this but it seems that's what we're becoming

Well said cakemongee.

**please read this my daughter aged 11 was put on steroids as her body failled her and started to attack itself we nearly lost her she was injected and drip fed steroids then was put on high does oral tablets for the last 3 years she has put on weight side effect of steroids she beats herself up enough without nasty jibes from strangers you dont know everyones story so should keep ur opions to yourself !

The reason why there’s been a fall in smoking is because you can’t smoke in pubs /it’s become less acceptable to smoke on the streets, the cost has sky rocketed. It’s nothing to do with shaming. People suggesting fat shaming is a good idea can’t provide actual examples as to how that would manifest itself. What do we do? Point and stare ?!?! Ffs, get a grip. It’s disgusting even talking in these terms

I was shamed into giving up smoking, yes it benefitted me in the long run, medical issues aside folk do need to take responsibility for their weight. DP is heavy although he lost 3 Stone, his portions are twice the size of mine, he will have his 3 hearty meals a day. I don't have a huge appetite and could miss a meal, he couldn't, his body is trained to be hungry at every meal time. So yes he had weight on him but he definitely over eats.

@tomatoesrock - can you give an example as to how you were shamed? And would you suggest that level of shaming for people who are obese?

Strongmummy I gave an example up thread. No I would not suggest any level of shaming for anyone. I think it is awful that anyones weight makes them feel less of a person. I felt like less of a person for smoking if anything I understand.

@tomatoesrock - yes apologies. I think smoking is different in a way because the smell is obnoxious and I can understand why people don’t want to be subjected to it as per your example. Still humiliating however.

Yes strongmummy humiliating enough for me to take responsibility, look after my body, although I was very emotional involved with cigarettes, they cheered me up, made me brave, were a comfort to me similar reasons most folks eat to much. I know it is hard to image been a non smoker, similar how I find it hard that people eat so much and blame their weight on other factors.

Oh no @tomatoesrock, I’m an ex smoker and can totally understand the emotional reliance on it. Just as I understand how food is often an emotional crutch. It is about being accountable and working through that reliance. In my view others shaming you into it is not the preferred option

Yes I agree. Help and support is the answer.

Sorry to bring this thread up again but Had to mention this. I was at an event on Tuesday and was fat shamed twice.

To be honest, I came away thinking the person was a major twat rather than thinking I was going to have to do something about my weight. Said more about her than me.

@necromunda by an adult? To your face? Was it deliberate rudeness or some sort of faux pas? I struggle to understand the context in which an adult can be deliberately rude to I presume a stranger in what is (again I presume) a civilised sort of event.

thecatneuterer yep, to my face. A funeral. I went to the food table first to get the widow a plate of food as she was sitting and very unlikely to get anything and someone came alongside me and said: "oh yes, I should have known YOU'D be the first one up here".

"There's no such thing as "fat shaming" but there is such a thing as people not wanting to take responsibility for their lives."

I think overweight people are villanised quite enough already! Seen as a fair target by an awful lot of people. Perhaps support would be more useful because really, nobody wants to be overweight.

Fat people don't pay tax now? I wish someone had told me this before.

My mental health is the biggest barrier to losing weight. Diet wise we eat fairly well, but I also wave my ds off at 7.30 each morning then spend most lf my day in bed until he gets home at 5. I do the bare minimum.

I used to love being outdoors, I have a bike outside that keeps glaring at me and I know the answer is to.exercise which will boost endorphins and help my low mood.

But I just cant bring myself to do it. Even though the answer is so simple. It's like my feet are set in cement. It takes me hours just to muster up the enthusiasm to get a shower.

I currently weigh around 23 st........I can lose weight. Ive.done it before, I lost 8 st and.swore id never get in this state again. Then I hit a bump in the.road, the.first thing to stop was the exercise, with that went all my motivation, my dp gets snappy instead.of asking what's up. I can see why, id be fucked off living with.me too.

I just dont see a future for myself at this moment in time. Putting me down when im already massively down on myself would do fuck all.