Glorifying obsesity

[Poppybob]

I find it bizarre that media and social platforms are glorifying obesity. Am not talking about people putting pictures of themselves on social media and living their lives in general, and am NOT saying overweight/obese people should be hiding.... but actual social media stars who are promoting obesity and how good/gorgeous they are etc etc. It's unhealthy!!! Takes 10-20years off your life! The Co - morbidities from being dangerously overweight alone can shorten your life. It's on par with smoking it's so bad for your health. And I worry about my kids looking at this and thinking that it will be OK for them to be very overweight.

So there’s a rule that models have to be a minimum BMI but there’s not an upper limit? But then I suppose we’re not really talking about models here. I think you’re right OP, I’ve definitely lost track of what healthy actually looks like. I’ve just finished having kids and I don’t know what I need to realistically aim for now.

Over 65% of the U.K. population are overweight or obese.

Being absolutely honest here, my mental state is better when I’m fatter.
I’ve been thinner, but the pressure to remain slimmer and wear nice clothes was part of the reason I regained weight - people (including family) were nicer to me because I was slimmer, which made me think less of them.
I don’t know one fat person who is happy about it, but the answer isn’t to shame us. There are usually psychological or physical reasons behind obesity which can make it very difficult to manage.

I didn't know there was a BMI limit for underweight models. This is great and I'm glad that's in place.

It should be in place for overweight / obese people too.

Lizzo is described in the media as being stunning.

Shes obese. That's a fact. That's not shaming her, that's just stating a fact.

She's not a role model.

She is promoting gluttony.

Fat shaming is wrong.

Including people of all shapes and sizes in adverts - I'm fine with that.

But I do agree that obesity is a risk factor for many diseases and is not to be celebrated.

A desire not to upset or stigmatise people who are obese or severely overweight shouldn't stop anyone from calling out the dangers to health.

I agree as well. I’m finding it very hard to navigate the right message with my children, about bodies come in all shapes and sizes, avoid shame etc, but also explaining why they shouldn’t eat whatever they wish/ become fat as it’s unhealthy.

Oh I agree, but the examples given of adverts all involve exercise, so surely that’s an excellent message to pass on? Healthier than not showing fat people at all?

Yes and funny it’s always women.

Have you understood what this thread is about? OP is not saying fat women are disgusting, it's a concern about the health implications of glorifying obesity.

As someone who is a little overweight myself, I'm in full agreement and I haven't taken this as a slur against me, so I'm unsure why you are reacting in this way.

No- one has said that. You're projecting on others what you think they think, rather than fairly interpreting what's been written, because it triggers you.

I think models outside of the healthy weight range should only be used where there is a need, such as to model clothing for people with obesity.

She’s still stunning though.
She’s also very, very talented.
It’s very sad that she can’t be celebrated for being an incredibly talented woman without it being seen as a promotion of greed.

Its not always women at all

The one for sanitary protection is going to be a woman of course

But there have been countless ads I can think of involving fat men, another car selling one where the bloke mimes along to the rap song, another one where the blokes were were dressed in bondage stuff, dancing, all obese, the man in the holiday ad with the overweight son, he was fat as well

Ian Botham as well, he's huge and hes advertising some leg or foot thing, not sure what it is.

The problem is obesity and smoking and drinking are quite different health issues.

Smoking and drinking are something you do, they are invisible unless you are doing them and once you stop, you are no longer a smoker or a drinker.

Obesity is something you are, it is visible every minute of every day. You can’t hide it. You will be judged on it at every job interview, every supermarket visit, every holiday.
if you decide you don’t want to be obese anymore then what can you do? You can’t just stop it. You can diet although we know that not only take a long time but it is not very effective.
You could pursue surgical options or medication but these are difficult to access, risky and have their own efficacy questions.

And by living your life, acting, working, being a nurse or a doctor you are ‘glorifying obesity’ as if it is something you chose and continue to choose.

We accept addiction is a complex issue, that alcoholics and drug addicts need support and high quality management. Obesity is just as complex, we know it’s not calories in, calories out, that like addiction it has complex psychosocial and physical factors and even more difficult that once you are obese it is a difficult road out.

If you actually cared about obesity you’d be asking where the services are. If an alcoholic, drug user or smoker becomes pregnant they are immediately offered referral to specialist services. If an obese woman becomes pregnant she’s told how her being fat js a terrible risk and that’s about it.

Obesity should be treated like the disability it is, treated and managed and given sympathy and support. At least unlike smoking, alcohol and drug addiction it is harmless to others around them,

I agree with the op.

Fat should not be promoted by the media, neither should uber skinny.

They should use healthy looking models.

Re: the bmi cut off for skinny models, being on the cusp of a bmi of 18, does not promote 'healthy' to me.

They should use models with a bmi bang in the middle of the healthy range, so what's that, a bmi of 22, 23?

It's ok, people constantly make you aware your body is unacceptable. It counters any notion we're allowed to live peacefully amongst you.
True
I am a size 20-22 and I haven't seen the adverts you are talking about, quite like Lizzo but don't think her weight is what's being lauded, don't particularly feel triggered by this thread but some of you are way off the mark.
Enjoy your Sunday.

But they don't want to be. That's why they spend so much money on trying to lose weight. They're not fat because they want to be.

Lizzo is described in the media as being stunning.

A. 'Stunning' doesn't only relate to physical appearance.

B. The media use language like that about women (usually) who are absolutely not conventionally attractive to get people like you frothing.

OK, then, you crack on with it. It triggers people with EDs on both extremes, but let's dress it all up as an intellectual argument by putting it into 'Ethical Dilemmas' rather than the customary AIBU.

How about the ethical dilemma of 'Is it ethical when a significant proportion of women and girls have eating disorders to start threads inviting criticism and comments based upon Western Christian morality (as per 'gluttony') every single week on a large social media forum, knowing that it is emotionally harmful to constantly read about how terrible less than perfect female bodies are and that they should not be permitted to be seen lest somebody thinks they might be sentient humans with intrinsic worth (and in the case of adverts, with money to spend) at all sizes?'

I loathe being overweight. It has limited my life in all kinds of ways and my knees hurt all the time. I dont understand the glorification of it at all.

It's 21.75. Though, many women are naturally at the lower end of the healthy weight range, particularly Asian women, so I don't see a problem with anything between 18.5 and 25.

There you go. Most people who are overweight would rather be thinner. No slim person is looking at Lizzo and thinking 'I want to look like her.'

I used to be 22 stone then I suddenly lost six stone very quickly with extreme symptons of thirst, peeing and tiredness. Diabetes type 2. I had gestional diabetes with one pregnancy and the extra weight which crept on over time was the clincher.
I'm now a healthy weight at 9st 8lb [average] and 100% better diet but I have neuropathy in right foot, inspite of massive life changes which will gradually get worse, circulation in my leg had been showing early problems but slowed down because of weight loss.
Obesity isn't great and there are millions of pre diabetics out their, they just don't know it yet. Diabetes is a time bomb waitting to explode.