Who are you calling fat?

[cushioncovers]

Anyone watching?

Lessthanzero

I believe you are right. It is such a toxic attitude.

I thought it was really interesting. Loads of different view points and some experts that were good to listen to as well. However Victoria got right on my wick. I would consider myself to be fairly body positive but she was just spouting rubbish. You can't be body positive and lose weight? I managed it just fine!

Really interesting programme.

Whilst there were some views i really didn't agree with there were some good points that made me think. The geneticist was particularly fascinating especially when he was discussing genes linked to obesity and product placements.

Personal responsibility is important but its easy to put all the emphasis on this and forget the other underlying factors at play - this was clearly apparent for some of the housemates.

I'd like to see a follow up a few months down the line and see if participating influenced/changed any of their perspectives.

Interesting tonight. I hope Babs gets the help with her eating disorder, I think things will click for her when she does.

Victoria and her political fat grading system....Tragic.

@SLB37 I am watching episode two at the moment. You are a voice of sanity.

Del and Jack are very sensible too.

Having a positive body image is good but it's important to be realistic about the impact on your health.

I am saying this as an overweight person.

Thank you everyone for your kind messages. Glad you enjoyed the shows. X

@SLB37 my obesity is linked to having OCD and having a form of impulsive eating. I'm having counselling for this. I guess I'd be relatively small in relation to the people on the programme but because I am not very tall, my BMI is high.

I think there is often a psychological link to overeating which is why counselling and that kind of CBT or whatever approach can help.

Del was lovely too.

"because I am not very tall, my BMI is high" sorry that sounds like a total excuse! What I mean is I don't weigh a huge amount but because of my height my BMI is high! Hope that makes sense. Eating is a kind of compulsion and in my fifties I really feel the excess weight.

The thing is Victoria's career is built on body positively, she'd do herself out of a job to consider that her weight could be bad for any reason so they'll be no changing her mind!

She is not intelligent enough to form a balanced argument so she's sticking to what she has told herself for years.
I agree that she 'identifies' as a healthy person. Her career depends on it.

I would be interested to see just how much of a 'career' Victoria has actually made out of her absurd, ignorant theories. Is she planning to franchise a series of body positive clubs, like Weight Watchers in reverse? Good luck with that Vic.

My DH made the point that being body positive and being healthy are two different things. I’d like to think everyone can be body positive, wear what they like and feel no shame. This should be the case for everyone (speaking as someone who’s currently being “skinny shamed” by some women I work with). Looking after your mental and physical health is a different matter entirely and is nothing to do with being “good” or “bad” it’s just a non negotiable thing.
@SLB37 I totally agreed with all your comments and thought you came across so well, I don’t know how you managed around Victoria!

I found these programmes interesting but was totally irritated by Victoria. She was so smug and bossy so quick to call out anyone who didn't agree with her as being judgemental, when she was the most judgemental of all.
I thought Courteney looked much nicer with out all the make up and if she was so body positive and loved herself then why would she want that mask? I must be getting old but I really don't get the style these days of plastering on foundation that doesn't match your skin tone and drawing on two slugs crawling across your forehead.

This is a really interesting programme.
Victoria is so bloody annoying. Have your own opinions and thoughts but also respect other people's. This is sometimes where positivity goes wrong. It's not about pushing your thoughts and opinions on others and disregarding their own, everyone's thoughts and feelings are valid. After watching the second episode there's also an element of stirring, Victoria didn't need to tell Courtney what Babs had said. She knew it would upset her.

I think be happy with how you are by all means but don't deny health implications that you could be at risk by. Not just obesity related but there are things we do as humans than elevate our health risks.

I have a friend who is probably classed as obese she undergoes personal training and attends a gym regularly and has for 20 years. She eats well and doesn't over eat, I have never known her to be slim all through school. However she is very fit (and healthy according to her doctor and the exercise helps her asthma.) so I do feel some people can be larger and healthy.

@SLB37 You come across well and more balanced than some. Your baby is gorgeous too.

Victoria was constantly assessing where she was in terms of size, compared to the others. Calling herself "Small/Medium fat", and saying her body was less discriminatory than someone else's.

It's almost like she associates and works with large people in order to feel thinner.

I don't usually watch this type of programme (or much tv at all), but I was hooked by this. Sarah, Victoria, Babs, Del, Jack and the HGV driver whose name I forget, all came across very well.

Victoria's behaviour was shockingly rude and unpleasant. I suspect this might have been tied up with her own issues, evidenced by her repeated favourable comparison of her body with the others'. I was particularly incensed when she told Courtney that Babs had described Courtney's body as "disgusting". Babs had said nothing of the sort; she had said she did not think fat was beautiful, which is very different.

Oops- didn't mean to say that Victoria came across well, obvs....

Such a fascinating programme. I follow a few female personal trainers on Instagram for ideas, inspiration, etc for going to the gym, and some have got onto the body positive and intuitive eating bandwagon. It's all very well and good to be a beautiful shapely size 10 and say "eat what you like, no shame, don't calorie count, just love your size whatever size you are" but it's a dangerous ideology for those who could do with losing weight for health reasons. I see it all over Instagram, and I unfollow anyone who talks like that now - it's like a cult talking against "diet culture". It's all very well and good these young people on the show being body positive, without the ill effects on their health showing yet, but all the older people were quite rightly concerned. I found the genetic stuff fascinating - I wonder what advice can be given to those who have those genetic predispositions? I guess be active, have a calorie deficit, don't surround yourself with high calorie foods? But don't beat yourself up if you can't get to a size 10? @SLB37 I think you're fantastic campaigning for it to be seen as a disease - especially with a genetic component, how can people just say that it's down to people making bad food and activity choices?

Intuitive eating? Made me the woman I am, 2 stones overweight. My intuition would have me chained to Greggs. I never set foot in there as I 'intuitively' know I'd be leaving with a box of doughnuts and copious amounts of other stuff I'd best avoid.

Victoria has a lot of growing up to do. The first thing she did after Babs opened up was to run to Courtney and twist what Babs had said. Making Victoria the king pin, looking after and nursing the wounded Courtney and turning Babs into the enemy. Teenage playground behaviour. Nasty.

Victoria was sooooooo defensive when Del was talking about his bariatric surgery. She sat eating a huge slice of cake, sunglasses on inside and then put her hood up! She may as well have sat with her back to him!

Also when the last lady came in on the second day she said that someone was "missing" when in fact he had gone for a run. Also stated that he had had his stomach amputated! WTF she couldn't even use the proper terminology. All rather struck me a massive jealousy on her part.

Sarah you were fabulous and your baby is so cute.

I hope when Courtney watches this back she sees how poisonous Victoria was.

From what I can understand, Victoria has set up a whole categorisation system where she gets the be the thinnest and the most privileged.
This is exactly it with Victoria. The only person slimmer than her in the house was the man who had baratric surgery, as he was the one she was most dismissive of. She was extremely supportive of those who agreed with her views and were far fatter than her. It smacks to me of her wanting to be surrounded by people fatter than her that she can 'help' accept their own fatness, to make her feel better.

Intuitive eating? Made me the woman I am, 2 stones overweight.

I actually thought intuitive eating was about eating only when your hungry and stopping eating when your full or not eating somthing you don't like and letting yourself have treats. But it's used in conjunction with a healthy diet. I don't think it is as Victoria has interpreted it as, eat what you want and fuck the consequences, there's always someone fatter than you to make you feel better than yourself.

@SLB37 you were fantastic on the show. Friend of mine is journalist & wrote review for Telegraph (sure you've seen it) & I had to share his article as that Victoria is a dangerous voice in the program. I am overweight (actually obese by BMI if I can admit it) and she (& others) don't speak for me. You do. I hope you got more out of doing the show - it seems so far to be a difficult watch. Sending you & your baby girl a huge hug!!!

Just watched the second programme. I think lots of overweight people suffer from a form of food addiction/eating disorder like Babs described. Food is lovely, comforting and pleasurable. If you’re brought up to clear your plate and are given food as a reward/love, those habits are well nigh impossible to break. And if you have any of the genetic predispositions, you’re pushing water uphill. Babs also made a very good point about the constant availability of food, if 24/7 shops didn’t exist, she wouldn’t be able to binge.