Isn't about Fattism was added to the list of prohibited 'isms'?

[Fideliney]

I've read one too many rather squawky assertions recently on MN that 'skinny bashing' has the same socio-cultural connotations and (ahem) heft as fattism. It doesn't.

Isn't fattism the only socially widespread discrimination/ hatred NOT specifically banned on MN now? Have I got that right?

I've been mulling this overnight and things are routinely posted about overweight people on MN which, if the words 'asian' or 'gay' were substituted for 'fat' or 'obese', nobody would even attempt to defend.

I know haterz gotta hate or whatever the expression is but could we just leave them something insipid and harmless like nylon hating or persecution of cockroaches to get on with and make a clean sweep of the 'isms'?

[OwlCapone]

We talk to and about anorexics and bullimics in a respectful yet concerned way. How is this different?

Really? Have you never read a thread discussing the Duchess of Cambridge who is simply slim?

[DurhamDurham]

You can't claim to want to tackle 'ism's' and then insist that bashing people who are slim is more acceptable than doing the same to overweight people. Having suffered eating disorders in the past I can tell you that all the comments about looking ill, being a walking skeleton were less than helpful. Even now that I'm ok, a normal size ten, people still feel able to tell me to eat more, treat myself to a cake etc. I would not dream of telling them they could do with dropping a few pounds. If you want to tackle sizeism then you have to tackle the whole spectrum.

[OwlCapone]

I've read one too many rather squawky assertions recently on MN that 'skinny bashing' has the same socio-cultural connotations and (ahem) heft as fattism. It doesn't.

I've read one too many rather squawky assertions recently on MN that 'fat bashing' has the same socio-cultural connotations and (ahem) heft as racism. It doesn't.

[Fideliney]

Owl we don't know the DoC's vital statistics.

Are you deliberately avoiding engaging with the alternative comparison with addictions and eating disorders?

[Fideliney]

Durham when I compare the attitudes I experienced when I was skeletal to those when I was chubby, I draw rather shocking conclusions, I'm afraid.

[Fideliney]

But, yes, I'm thinking this through and refining as I type and I withdraw the 'ism' comparison, I think.

I think addiction, and eating disorder etc is a far better set of comparators.

[OwlCapone]

Owl we don't know the DoC's vital statistics.

Why is that relevant?

Are you deliberately avoiding engaging with the alternative comparison with addictions and eating disorders?

No.

[Fideliney]

Accidental avoidance then?

[ExcuseTypos]

My own DH became overweight about 7 years ago. At first I had no sympathy, tried to encourage dieting, healthy eating etc, and it took me a while to realise it was 100% related to childhood issues. I feel bad about it now, but I grew up in a family who were constantly commenting on weight/being greedy, so I had very skewed ideas about why people are over weight. (By the way because of my parents attitudes I'm never happy with my weight, I'm 8st4 and think I'm fat)

DH is in his third year of seeing a therapist and his whole attitude to food is changing, it's brilliant- he's losing weight but that's almost a side issue.
He's less stressed and much happier overall- not because he's lost weight but because he's had help with the childhood issues.

The majority of overweight people need far more than a diet sheet to solve their problems.

[ExcuseTypos]

Sorry meant to add, that yes I do think some kind of crack down on "fat ism" comments would be a good thing, if it encourages people to become more aware of why people overeat.

[TheCunkOfPhilomena]

MN is at risk of resembling the comments section of the Daily Fail with its posters allowed to indulge in such body fascism from both sides.

[Fideliney]

Actually that is very true.

[Whocares156]

I do agree though that being overweight seems to be normalised on MN, as does drinking huge amounts of wine and eating huge amounts of rubbish food

Wine is suggested as the answer to every issue almost

[StephenManganiseverywhere]

however, there are many people who disguise their disgust and condescension towards overweight people by claiming that they are "only concerned with health"

Absofuckinglutely

[Fideliney]

What Partridge Petula and Excuse said

[Whocares156]

*however, there are many people who disguise their disgust and condescension towards NORMAL WEIGHT people by claiming that they are only concerned with health"

This too

[Fideliney]

Eh? Normal weight people are being persecuted?!

[fanjoforthemammaries7850]

One persons "celebration of obesity" is another's not talking down to someone else and making them feel bad about themselves just because of what they weigh.

[Whocares156]

Eh? Normal weight people are being persecuted?!

Happens to me on a regular basis

[deadwitchproject]

We need to stop normalising it, not accept and protect it from criticism.

I agree, the predictions from the NHS are troubling -
www.nhs.uk/news/2013/02February/Pages/Latest-obesity-stats-for-England-are-alarming-reading.aspx

[PetulaGordino]

i don't agree that being overweight is "normalised" at all, at least not in the UK or most of Europe. the world is not a comfortable place for someone who is overweight - you only have to see comments on here from women who feel that they don't fit in with social groups, feel uncomfortable in public areas etc because of their weight

whether that is a good thing (because being overweight is seen as something that is undesirable, so people are discouraged from becoming or continuing to be so) or a bad thing (because people who are overweight feel unhappy with their lives, which makes it harder to lose weight) is very debatable. certainly i think the former hasn't shown itself to be very effective

however, i think it can be argued that much of this also comes down to the fact that it is seen as acceptable to comment on someone's appearance (often under the guise of being "concerned" for their health) whatever their weight, and judge someone's character accordingly. particularly for women, whose bodies seem to be publicly "owned"

i should probably add the disclaimer that i have a history of disordered eating. the positive comments i received when i lost weight (however thin i got) were incredibly damaging, as the weight loss was "achieved" through great unhappiness and self-denial

[BloominNora]

I think the difference is the very different meanings society attaches to underweight and overweight. There is a condemnatory value judgement on fat that has the weight of society behind it. The same is just not true of underweight.


Ahhh - ok - so the bullies who made my childhood and teen years a misery for being too thin ("anorexic", "stringy bogey", "skinny bitch") weren't being condemnatory over my weight then?

The fact that it continues even today albeit in a less overt manner (not being allowed to 'complain' about clothes not fitting properly, or looked at like I'm from out of space if I join in with conversations about diet or eating unhealthy food) isn't a sign that that society likes to demonise thin people as much as it does fat people.

Thanks for clearing that up

And for what it's worth - being overweight is very rarely genetic and someone's natural body shape so is usually controllable either via medication, counselling or eating better.

Being underweight is by contrast very often genetic and short of pumping ourselves full of protein drinks or doing an incredible amount of weight training, which can bring it's own medical or health issues further down the line, there is absolutely nothing genetically thin people can do about it - which makes it much more like the characteristics in the EA than being fat!

However - other than in reaction to threads like this, you rarely see think people whinging about it.

[Fideliney]

Bloomin there is a difference between bullies picking you for a genuine issue that you have and an imaginary issue you don't have, no?

[Whocares156]

And for what it's worth - being overweight is very rarely genetic and someone's natural body shape so is usually controllable either via medication, counselling or eating better

Well said

[Fideliney]

And for what it's worth - being overweight is very rarely genetic and someone's natural body shape so is usually controllable either via medication, counselling or eating better

Irrelevant. Entirely.