Everyone just hates fat people

[mamabeeboo]

Yes I'm fat and yes I'm taking the WLI.

I've had it out with a friend of a friend during a catch up dinner yesterday and I'm fuming.

I've lost some weight and still have a good 5 or so stone more to go before I'm anywhere near the 'normal' BMI category. So no, I'm not wasting away or disappearing, or losing weight too fast.

The mistake I made was being honest about the jabs. But I stand by it, I think it's important to get healthy, regardless of how you do it, just get there.

ANYWAY, this person has suddenly decided to feel concerned for my health, now that the loss has become noticeable. With some silent nods from others about how you should 'just eat less and move more'. No shit is that what was supposed to do?!

A big discussion about:
just have willpower
just have smaller portions
do it the normal way, you don't know what you're putting into your body
it's not healthy
just put down the fork
it's about dicipline
it's not really losing weight though, is it (huhh??)
it's more rewarding to do it the normal way so you can feel achievement

It's gotten me thinking of how so many people just hate fat people. You want us to pay for being fat, to suffer at the gym doing workouts we don't like or can't do with joint pain and back pain etc. You want us to 'just have willpower' like it's that easy. You want us to try all the diets and fail so you can feel superior with your 'discipline' and that you 'look after your body'.

You hate the fact that these WLI have levelled the playing field.

I said all this yesterday and it became very frosty. These aren't my friends, I was there for the birthday girl, but I won't sit there and take it.

I'm posting because I'd love to hear what you might have heard when talking about WLI. (Or if anyone agrees with the above 🤔)

It’s like getting an A for an exam when someone else takes the paper for you.

This encapsulates the anti WLI attitude for me - the only acceptable way to be thin is to suffer for it. Work for it.
If anyone can become thin without the suffering then it’s not valuable. So what else do people who validate themselves through thinness have?
The faux concern about health implications, and dangers and whataboutery is all a very thin front for what is actually anger that fat people can become thin people without ‘earning’ it.

@Over40Overdating I agree entirely with your post.

Have you taken medications like biologicals?
Because that’s a good example of meds that carry high level of risk for the hope of a better quality of life. Not even cure or health. Eg if you have rheumatoid arthritis.

All meds have very serious side effects. Some meds have very serious side effects on a more regular basis than others. There is nothing new about that!

Whether it’s worth to take the risk depends on many factors. All individual.
Being overweight, let alone obese, clearly has serious risk associated with it. It’s not a future risk. It is a CURRENT risk of heart issue or stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes etc….. . It’s not about the ‘future’. It’s about a health condition in the present time

Eg for me.
My weight stops me from accessing HRT
I also have high BP. That I can’t treat because ANY treatment impact one other condition I have.
The fat I carry has a hormonal impact on my other conditions too.

So it’s not about ‘being slim because I want a bikini beach body’. It’s about my health NOW.
(Also I won’t get a bikini beach body etc… anyway because I know I’ll have loose skin by the end of it…. So it’s a moot point anyway)

Because being obese isn't going to affect you instantly like other health complaints would if you didn't take the medication. Lets not forget people can lose weight without any risks through diet and exercise.

@MerlinsBeard1 Some people can and some can't - should the ones that have constantly failed at dieting and exercising just stay fat?

It's a fallacy to say people can't lose weight through diet and exercise. There are no fat people in a famine.

It's true that conditions can make it harder to lose weight (but not impossible) such as under active thyroid and PCOS. I have PCOS myself, trust me I know the struggle. I can't look at carbs or I will put on a stone due to insulin resistance. It took me 2 years to lose 2 stone some years ago, through dieting and going on daily walks.

This is a willpower issue IMO and WLI are a seemingly quick fix.

I think WLI should be regulated a lot more than they are and only offered to the morbidly obese and diabetics.

Read my post above you re ‘no immediate risk’

I think WLI should be regulated a lot more than they are and only offered to the morbidly obese and diabetics.

Is it an opinion based on biases and ‘in the middle of a famine no one is overweight’ (aka just starve yourself and you’ll be slim) or is it based on scientific facts?

there are plenty of health conditions that don't affect you instantly, but that are kept under control with medication.

A simple Google will help with your faux naïveté…

Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a medication primarily used for weight loss and managing type 2 diabetes. It works by mimicking two hormones, GLP-1 and GIP, which are naturally produced in the gut and play a role in regulating blood sugar, appetite, and digestion. By activating these hormone receptors, Mounjaro helps to:

Reduce appetite:
It suppresses appetite by signaling to the brain that you're full, making you feel less hungry and reducing cravings.

Slow down digestion:
It slows down the emptying of the stomach, leading to a feeling of fullness for a longer period.

Improve blood sugar control:
It increases insulin production when needed and reduces the amount of glucose produced by the liver, helping to lower blood sugar levels.

Enhance weight loss:
By reducing appetite, slowing digestion, and improving blood sugar control, Mounjaro can contribute to weight loss, according to the NHS

Yes it is a scientific fact if you are in a calorie deficit you lose weight.

Given most people are overweight, is OP saying almost everyone hates themselves?

@lljkk Isn't that part of the issue? That we are eating to self sooth- I know I eat to feel better.

"if you are in a calorie deficit you lose weight." - nearly every single overweight or obese person will know this. That is not in dispute. If "just eat less and move more" was helpful then no one would be obese or overweight. It is not simply a matter of willpower, as many people who have plenty of willpower in other areas struggle to maintain a calorie deficit long term in order to get and stay at a healthy weight. And even if it was a matter of willpower, these medications are an aide to those who are struggling, which is a positive outcome, not a criticism of these medications!

I agree that being in a calorie deficit means you will lose weight.

The problem for me is keeping that up for a sustained period. Plus PCOS. I’ve been trying to sustain it for 23 years and I was still fat. I feel so sorry for that young woman now. All those years of self loathing and shame, all those missed opportunities.

Whilst it works on paper, in reality for some people it doesn’t. Clearly. Or nobody would be fat. Once you add in all the complex layers as to why some people just can’t manage it then it’s pretty easy to understand why.

I’m very pleased to have my periods back monthly after not having one for 10 years. I look forward to staying on Mounjaro for the long term. No concerns from me. I’m happy with the choice I made.

Well it was in dispute with the other pp!

If "just eat less and move more" was helpful then no one would be obese or overweight. It is not simply a matter of willpower, as many people who have plenty of willpower in other areas struggle to maintain a calorie deficit long term in order to get and stay at a healthy weight.'

Erm, if you are struggling to stick at something it, it definitely is a matter of willpower.

Yes WLI are a weight loss aid, I have been debating this all along. The criticism of these medicines comes from the risks of health problems and death when they are not life saving medications that a person is required to take. They are a quick fix to weight loss. That is my whole point.

So unless are person is morbidly obese or has diabetes I don't believe these should be handed out so readily. I know of a size 14 woman taking these who has dropped to a size 10 because she want to be skinny in a few weeks rather than put the hard work in for a few months/years. That is the crux of it.

Like I said, people are free to make their own decisions but I would be worried if it were my family or friends taking on these.

I have PCOS too. I get it, really I do. It is difficult to lose wight with this condition and so easy to put it on. I said previously it took me two years to lose two stone. I'm currently fatter than I want to be right now and that is because I have been eating more carbs than I should be having PCOS.

At my slimmest 3 years ago I was down to 9.5st. But I was living a life of practical deprivation to just not get fat.

Maybe that is why I feel so strongly about WLI. I toyed with the idea but ultimately decided it isn't worth the risk and as I have managed weight loss naturally before, I can do it again! When I find my willpower which is lacking of late.

It's not just about people making their own decisions, as in your post you also say that you want them restricted to only those who are morbidly obese and/or T2 diabetic. So a BMI of 40 or higher only, because...? You think it's too risky for people with BMI 30 to 40 to access these, and disagree with the conclusions drawn by the MHRA about the possible risks because...?

And you're basing this off examples of people who are highly likely to be accessing this medication illegitimately, as a "size 14" seems to imply a BMI of less than 30 without any weight related health conditions. Of course, a short woman who wears a dress size 14 from some shops could easily be BMI 30 or higher. So, legitimate medication for people who meet the criteria needs to be removed and restricted because of people who illegitimately access it? People accessing prescription only medication illegitimately is not an argument to remove it from those who are accessing it legitimately and who are massively benefitting from it. It's an argument for enforcing the existing regulations more tightly, instead.

That's the whole blooming point, @Namerchangee , some people can not lose weight though diet and exercise alone. They literally are unable to without the support of a tool such as WLI.

I don’t really like the word willpower as it makes you feel like there is something inherently wrong with you when you inevitably ‘mess up’ again. You start comparing yourself to others thinking ‘why can’t I just do it!’.

You also can’t measure willpower. Your willpower will be different to mine. Maybe I have more willpower than you? Or you me? Then you start feeling bad all over again.

Now I know there is nothing wrong with me, it’s so liberating! I don’t have to be angry at myself anymore or shame myself. Or look in the mirror say ‘you are disgusting hans’. The body listens and never forgets.

It really doesn’t enter my head how other people lose weight; we all decide what is best for us, we weigh up the pros and cons, we look at our individual circumstances, and make an informed and educated choice.

What I never do though is use divisive language or make inflammatory comments. I’m not saying you have @MerlinsBeard1 , but it becomes tiresome on these threads and it is no wonder why some WLI become defensive. Nothing about this is black and white. Just like life.

Feels like we are damned if we stay fat ‘just eat less, move more and have some willpower’ or use WLI ‘you’re going to go blind and die’. I wish as women we could stop talking to each other like this. Empathy goes a long way and it is in short supply when it comes to women and weight.

Er… you were talking about how the jabs should be restricted to morbidly obese and those with diabetes…
So is that your opinion or based on research?

I couldn't give a damn what other people think. I don't let them ruin my day. If they don't shut up I'll just get up and go home or change the subject.
It's not for discussion.

Summarily , even fat people who are not on WLI for any reasons, hate other fat people who have decided to take WLI just because they want all of them to stay fat . Phew .what a hard life for fat people 😭

Lots of people access prescription medication illegitimately. Huge amounts of prescribed psychiatric medications sell on the street. Does this mean that people who need them should not be prescribed them?