Why does everyone say they love being fat until they get their hands on skinny jabs?

[Holmints]

I’m seeing this so much on social media. People screaming from the rooftops how they love their bodies. Hate comments come and they combat them with body positivity, I admired them so much.

Lately though, the very people who were oh-so-body-positive are popping back up five stone lighter. Some comment on it and some don’t, as if they’re waiting for people to ask. Hang on a minute, I thought you loved your big body? Did you love being fat or not?

I wonder this too. I am half tempted but then read about constipation, diarrhoea, nausea, exhaustion, headaches and think I just need to eat less, cut out sugar and processed foods and get back to lots of training. Injections with side effects like that can't be good for you.

This is insanely naive. If you think people who have turned to WLI dont know the formula for weight loss, you’re completely missing the point. As I’ve already said I lost 7 stone “naturally” years ago (and regained it all). Theres nothing I don’t know about weight loss. What I couldn’t do was find a way to stick to it without becoming obsessive, until now.

As an aside, I’ve had no negative side effects whatsoever. But plenty of medications that help people give nasty side effects - chemotherapy being the first that comes to mind. Not sure anyone would be going up to a cancer patient and saying “it’s making your hair fall out that can’t be good for you”

WLI don't cause fat to magically melt off your body. You still have to make significant effort, the WLI just make it possible. It's fine to be proud of losing weight with the help of WLI.

That I lost the weight with a healthy balanced diet, while increasing my exercise even more? That while losing fat, I have significantly increased my muscle mass percentage? I look and feel incredible. Why shouldn't I be proud? You think this all happened magically while I was sitting on the sofa and stuffing my face?

Just because WLI helped me with constant food obsession, so losing weight was now as hard (or as easy) as for normal people, I should feel what, ashamed? Don't worry, I have been fighting my weight every single hour of every day since I was about 13, (generally more or less successfully, so most of my life I was not categorised as that lazy stupid fattie who should just try to eat less), so I think I have suffered sufficiently.

Oh dear, you're really not a special as you clearly think you are. I don't know anyone who gleefully necks medication without giving it a second's thought. Neither do they just blindly accept prescriptions from their GP, either.

Like most people, then.
I took WLI. I researched carefully and weighed up the risks of the medication vs the risks of remaining obese.
If, like you, I wasn’t obese and wouldn’t actually be eligible for the medication under the current prescribing rules, I imagine my conclusion would have been different. I don’t think there’s any glory in deciding against taking a medication that you aren’t eligible for anyway.

I don't see how having a particular approach to how we engage with medicine makes us special or not special.

I do know people who take anything the doctor wants to give them. Even requests particular medications which the doctor tends to give them. They are very intelligent and I think their value of it comes from their own scientific background, but you'd think that would also make them aware of some of the terrible things that have happened in the name of medicine. It's enough to make me wary.

When I was pregnant I'd learned about some of these things like thalidomide and DES during my university studies. I puked for months rather than take anything as a result. It just wasn't worth the risk. Not because I'm special but because I thought it was best for my baby. I know other people who took medication (without problem as a result) and didn't particularly care what their decision is. If it goes wrong or right for them, it has no impact on my own life.

Medicine most definitely has it's place but it's not perfect either, so I think questioning things is a very reasonable thing to do.

It probably wouldn't take too much for me to cross over to a BMI of 30 and qualify. Though I know I could get them anyway. Yes, that's what any normal person will do - evaluate the risks for themselves and decide whether it's right for them.

There are other factors though, such as where the weight is distributed. You can be skinny and have unhealthy fat around your organs, or heavier and have the fat in less risky places. I think I fall into the latter category. Yes, I'd like to lose a bit. My body doesn't want to co-operate easily, so I try to accept myself as I am. I know I am fit and my medical tests are all good, so I'm listening to that. Like I said, if I suddenly became pre-diabetic and had high blood pressure, I might consider it worth a short course to get on top of thing. The benefits may outweigh my concerns then.

It's actually a WLI user I know who told me all about the possible risks and made it sound scary. At least they're informed though and have made the decision it's worth it for them. The only side effect I'm aware they've had, other than weight loss, is extreme nausea, though maybe that has stopped now, I haven't asked.

You’d know why if you tried them!

Though I know I could get them anyway

Yes, but the risk vs reward calculation is very different if you’re not actually obese, whether you can get hold of them or not.

So if I got my BMI up 1 or 2 points, qualify properly, wouldn't I stay on them till I'm back at BMI 25 anyway? I know what you're saying though and get how that works.

I think my family member plans to be on them for life.

Yes, you could stay on til your BMI is 25 and some places will prescribe a maintenance dose at that point too.

@bigyawn Do you think the people taking WLI haven't gone through the exact same thought process as you? You say you might consider them if you had weight-related ill health... that's going to be the case for a lot of people! Your BMI is close to but under 30 - when mine was that low I wouldn't have considered them either. The risk doesn't outweigh the benefit.

Of course some people take them when they shouldn't. You can't stop people if they want to and don't understand or care about the risks. But from what I've read extensively around the subject, most people are taking them for obesity and weight-related ill health, not vanity. There are many medications with side effects which people take because it's worth it overall.

The way things stand, I also plan on being on them for life, if I'm able to. I have absolutely 0 desire to go back to a life controlled by food - whether that's restricting what I'm eating or overconsuming.

My point is really that you keep saying you wouldn’t take them as you like to assess the risks/take minimal medication etc, when actually your risk vs reward calculation is very different to those of us who are (were) actually obese. It’s like me saying that I wouldn’t take the risk of taking anti depressants, when I’m not clinically depressed.

Yeah, this. Of course noone should be shamed for their body and its noone else's business how much anyone else weighs but the glorifying and crowing about "curvy" when really it was being morbidly obese was a flat out dangerous lie.

Having worked in healthcare I have seen first hand the health issues that come with severe obesity and it's nothing to be glorified. It has made many people's lives unbearable. In my opinion, it's no different to glorifying and shouting about how wonderful smoking is. It just isnt.

You can love your body and be happy with your appearance as an overweight person but also see the health benefits of losing weight, and love you appearance just as much as a slimmer person. Body positivity isn't about loving 'being fat' it's about seeing your body in a positive way, focusing on its positive points (aesthetically and functionally) whatever size it is.

Yes, that's fair. For me the consideration is more social than anything, but that's another matter. My health parameters haven't crossed into a zone where I have to give them serious attention, though I know it would be ideal healthwise to weigh a bit less. My only actual issue is the number on the scale not being what says 'ideal'.

Disagree. I actually like the aesthetics of being fat and the curves etc. I’ve got a big belly, not just t&a. My partner loves it also. You are not in a position to know what everyone likes. I do not however like the breathlessness being fat brings.

I really enjoyed being "fat".

I found that I had more strength. I felt better. I felt happier. I felt more cosy and warm as I had more padding.

I lost the weight as i got scared by the media telling me that being overweight - causes weight related illnesses.

Now I feel physically worse. I feel weak , cold and I feel that i don' t have as much strength. I think that fat can actually help the body in many ways. Similiar to how an overweight baby is much healthier than an underweight baby.

I think that people can be healthy at many different weights. I dont think that we have to be thin to be healthy.

I am a bit "question" the system type of person

I think maybe the system keeps telling us to be thin, to keep people in a constant cycle of dieting.

The stress of this makes people more mentally weak And stressed. And it makes them easier to control.

You could just put the weight back on if you felt better and want to question the system?

That’s some wild conspiracy theory! Do you feel overly paranoid about other things?

It’s a scientific fact, unfortunately, that fat isn’t healthy. And obesity does increase one’s chance of developing diabetes, high blood pressure and certain cancers, among other things.

Who says I am not?

You didn't ask.

I've noticed the breathlessness, for example on a radio phone in you can tell who is overweight because they are out of breath just from the effort of talking!

I tip into pre-diabetes at 11 stone and 5'7. That's how dangerous being even slightly overweight is for some people. My GP is not trying to control me by giving me the data.