Fatphobia

[GutsyShark]

My Instagram algorithm keeps showing me “plus sized travel” etc clips saying things like it’s not my body that’s wrong it’s the airlines whose seats are too small, claiming this is an example of fatphobia.

Mostly Americans so we are talking about people who are severely obese, not just slightly heavier than they should be (like me!).

Im not looking to judge, I get that this a complex issue but AIBU to think this is such a dangerous mentality?

It’s the same as Iif there was a pro smoking or pro sunbathing without suncream movement is it not?

But there are some overweight people who don't how to cook, who do lack knowledge then it comes to food preparation and nutrition. I'm not saying they don't realise that broccoli is healthier than cake. It's more that they don't know tasty ways to incorporate vegetables into meals. You won't convince me I'm wrong on this because I know several families like this.
A childhood friend of mine never had home cooked meals growing up. Everything came from a packet, a tin or the takeaway. All her family were obese because I don't think they ever are meals that involved chopping vegetables and cooking. Her parents died young, and now my friend is raising her children on the same foods she was raised on. She feeds the whole family on take aways and ready meals and says "Well I don't know how to cook". She knows vegetables are healthier than chicken and chips but has never actually tried to create a tasty meal with vegetables because to her it's "rabbit food and the kids won't eat it".
This can go on for generations.
No they're not stupid but they've been raised with bad eating habits and it's a continual cycle.
Obviously this is only a minority of fat people. My fattest friend is a brilliant cook and understands nutrition, but she's addicted to unhealthy foods. She's only 40, has type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. No knowledge gap in her case.

There are… some. But that wasn’t what was being implied. Lazy and stupid were being implied. I 100% agree with your post.

She means heavier regular riders. People who have ridden for years but then put on some weight will ride lighter than a raw beginner would, as they know how to work with the horse and keep their weight off their horse during higher impact activities. Beginners are usually unbalanced and a dead weight.

Like when you pick up your kid and they wrap their arms round you and use their muscles to support themselves on your hip. But a sack of potatoes at the same weight would be harder to carry as there is no cooperation iyswim.

She means heavier regular riders. People who have ridden for years but then put on some weight will ride lighter than a raw beginner would, as they know how to work with the horse and keep their weight off their horse during higher impact activities. Beginners are usually unbalanced and a dead weight.

Thank you, you phrased that far more clearly than I did, but yes that is what I meant!

No, those insults came straight from you.

They certainly weren't implied by the OP.

the fact that healthy food is expensive (although I think there is a knowledge and skills gap here, you can eat healthy on a budget but some people don’t know how).

Some people absolutely don't know how, and YOU were the one who leapt to 'Stupid' and 'Uneducated'.

Most people i know who are overweight/obese know that

fat, sugar, refined carbs = unhealthy
Fruit, veg, complex carbs = healthy
Calorie surplus = weight gain
Calorie deficit = weight loss.

Their difficulty is adherence for an abundance of reasons

Yes people seek advice about healthy meal prep, getting ideas for healthy and quick meals to try. But that's not an uneducated person educating themselves, they know what they need to do, they are asking on guidance on ways to execute it, as its likely theyve tried and failed before. No one comes out of those threads thinking 'wow I never knew i could have a healthy chicken stir fry for dinner' or 'omg who knew i could have an apple as a snack as opposed to a bag of crisps ' they might just be more inspired to explore recipes that are outside their norm and break their current bad habits.

I agree that normalising obesity is an issue. I was obese and unhealthy. I was "only" a size 18 and when I walked around our local town I didn't feel that big. I would say i was pretty average.

I lost some weight, was a size 14 and went to Asia for a while. I felt so embarrassed. None of the clothing shops I visited had anything that would have fit me. Everyone was far smaller than me. I lost weight and continued to do so once I came home.

As for the plane issue I think they should put a weight limit on the seats. If you go over you should have to purchase another. I've seen multiple threads on here where someone is a size 20+ and all the posters say it will be fine, and you might just need a seat belt extender. But I doubt they would be happy if another person was spilling over onto their seat.

No… I wasn’t. They were strongly implied. The whole thread is goady. It’s not hard to see. Unless you chose not to.

Being shitty to and about overweight people really is one of the few biases completely accepted still - some people love to run with it.
I tell my kids that anyone who needs to make themselves feel better by criticising someone’s else’s looks or physical appearance should be pitied more than the people they’re attempting to belittle.
Happy & self confident people don’t do that.

‘As for the plane issue I think they should put a weight limit on the seats. If you go over you should have to purchase another’

’Comfort seats’ should be one the norm but airlines don’t always give the option or will sell 2 seats but then fill one anyway.
I’m sure there are people who would buy 2 seats if they could but it’s not an option most of the time.

Gender was not mentioned

No matter which way you cut it, being morbidly obese is unhealthy

it will be filled with people telling us to eat fewer calories, and exercise … but don’t use injections to lose weight it’s cheating.

…and how long until someone tells us what a drain we are on the NH

^

But if someone mentions they have a salad for lunch then all bets are off?? Slim shaming

@ohnocarlben

I totally agree.

I guess some people just like to feel superior and weight is one way they can do it.

@coxesorangepippin

Respectfully, how does it affect you?

I was very overweight and believed I was healthy - and for a while I was. Then I got older and life got difficult due to my weight. My knees and hips hurt, I was tired all the time and I had problems with type 2 diabetes. High blood pressure and a ruptured gall bladder.

years of eating the wrong things led me to pay £12000 for a gastric sleeve and now I can finally say I’m much healthier. It’s fine to be happy with the body you’re in - it’s not sensible to kid yourself that things won’t go wrong. Even now it’s unlikely I’ll ever be able to eat normal amounts of food again but I know I’m much happier now.

Nothing was implied, not intended to be a goady thread. Other more sensible people don’t agree with your interpretation either. You’ve chosen to put your own spin on it in an attempt to display some faux outrage.

Jesus, you’ve added 2 and 2 and got 547 there.

And very possibly put people off asking advice, since this poster has used words like 'stupid' and 'uneducated'.

Literally no-one else made an insulting connection like that.

You simply telling me something doesn’t make it true. I noticed you didn’t answer my question as to whether or not you were suggesting there was something wrong with my mental health… you said I didn’t sound sane, that’s quite a statement … again… are you implying there is something wrong with my mental health?

It’s not just me, others have too, you just want to pick a fight. I’m done talking to you now.

Couldn't agree more. There will be the eat less and move more trotted out shortly.

It does if you're squashed into a plane seat as someone is spilling over into yours to be fair.

The poster is obviously out for a fight for what ever ridiculous reason he or she has and can't seem to believe that what she thinks isn't true or that others can have an opinion. Gutsy in the username is really ironic... I bet you're one of those people who say "I don't mean to be rude but..." and then insult someone!

You’re very aggressive, OP hit an nerve?

What pisses me off is I have to weigh my bloody luggage so it doesn’t go over the weight limit but any morbidly obese person can get on the flight and they weigh twice as much as me plus my luggage. It’s not fat phobia but it is bloody unfair.