Is it OK to be Fat?
I am using the term “fat” because that is the term being used in the clip below, and in the Fat Acceptance Movement. What I am really talking about is whether it is OK to be obese. That is what many men and women are now asking themselves, after many failed dieting attempts. According to the American Obesity Association (AOA), 64.5% of adult Americans (about 127 million) are categorized as being overweight or obese. What is the Fat Acceptance Movement? It is essentially a movement that began in the 1960s, and the rationale behind it is no different that the Civil Rights Movement, the Women’s Movement, or the Gay Rights Movement. The Fat Acceptance Movement is a movement to end discrimination against people because of their weight/size.
Young, Fat, and Fabulous. watch this 6 minute clip about supporting the Fat Acceptance Movement
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjdupnNZrYI
Fat Discrimination?
These women in the video are realizing what us health and fitness professionals have known all along; that diets do not work. I actually agree 100% with the two women in the video clip. They appeared to have given up on those fad diets that are unhealthy, and they were not giving up on being healthy. They stated that they are eating well-balanced diets, hopefully eating fewer calories that what their bodies require, they are beginning to become more active, and they are conscious of their health with getting regular physicals. It seems that if they continue down this path, the weight will come off, slowly, steadily, and naturally. I also agree that no one should be discriminated against because of his or her gender, race, ethnicity, sexual preference, or weight. However, there are some situations/occupations/privileges designated for some and not others. Some argue that this is discrimination. Sometimes it is, sometimes it is not. It is important to know the difference. I can go on and on with examples here, but I will just mention a few.
There are simply some things that people of a certain size, gender, etc. can do that others may be excluded from. I would have loved to be a fashion model when I was younger; I was thin, pretty, and very photogenic. However, I am only 5’2’’, a half a foot short of the height requirement to become a model. I went quite far in my education, but since I am Caucasian, I was not eligible for college scholarships awarded to African Americans. Being female, I am prohibited from entering a men’s locker room. Some occupations require one to be physically fit and have fitness requirements such as a physical education teacher or firefighter. There are certain criteria for particular occupations or situations, and some may or may not meet the physical requirements. Is this necessarily discrimination? No. Is this necessarily fair? That is up for debate. With that being said, it is important not to believe you are being discriminated against when really you are not. This can lead to self-esteem issues and self-hatred. One thing in the clip I did like is that those women did have love for themselves and for their bodies, whatever size they were. I think it is important that everyone have love for his or her bodies. When you do not love and respect your body, then that is when one begins to abuse their body with starvation, fad diets, dangerous supplements, eating disorders, etc.
Concern 1 with Fat Acceptance: Physical Disease
Although I do agree with accepting and loving your body, there are a couple of concerns I have with the Fat Acceptance Movement. One is being at risk for physical disease. I agree that people should stop those ridiculous diets, but instead begin a healthy lifestyle plan that they can adhere to forever. Although the women in the clip did not have any obvious health problems, as it is well known that obesity is directly correlated to various diseases, those women were also young. However, no one is young forever, and obese people are at risk of various diseases due to their weight. What troubles me is that people may think it is OK to be fat, and endure all of the health risks that go along with it. I fear that the Fat Acceptance Movement will cause people to throw in the towel on being healthy, and accept their obesity. In other words, people thinking it is OK to continue the lifestyle that made them and is keeping them obese, including a lack of physical activity, and eating high calorie refined foods with little nutritional value or fiber.
This lifestyle places them at risk for Type-2 diabetes, that is controlled with diet and medication, high cholesterol, which is controlled with mediation, high blood pressure, which is controlled with medication, thyroid problems, which is controlled with medication, heart disease, which is controlled with medication, cancer, which is fought and controlled with medication and other toxic treatments. I think you get the point here. You risk all of these life-threatening ailments and having to take a cocktail of medications daily. I am sure I do not have to into the financial cost of prescription medications, but how about the cost to the body. You risk flooding your bloodstream, kidneys, and liver with various chemicals and no medication is without side effects. Not the mention, any of those ailments can kill you!
So is it OK to life a lifestyle that leads to obesity and eventually one or more of the above health ailments? NO. Let me also point out that if you have some of the above health ailments, there are huge medical costs. The medical costs in testing, surgery, hospital visits, treatments, doctors’ visits, and prescription medications cost more per year that what you pay in your health insurance premium. Therefore, who pays for the rest? We do. The more the insurance companies have to pay out, they higher everyone else’s premiums are. If the obese person is on Medicaid or Medicare, it taxes these government systems, and the taxpayers. Therefore, if you think that being obese is your right and it does not affect anyone else, you are wrong, it does. It affects your family, loved ones, friends, co-workers, and society.
Concern 2 with Fat Acceptance: Degenerative Joint Disease
Another concern I have with obesity is the resulting degenerative diseases. The problem here is that being obese applies extra weight to the joints in the body. It is well known that obesity has many negative effects one’s physical health, but one that is not discussed is the effect the excess weight has on the joints. Our bodies were not designed to be 50, 100, or 200lbs overweight. According to Carlton G. Savory, MD, joint forces are approximately one and a half times one’s body weight when walking on level ground. This means that when a person weighing 200 pounds is walking along a level ground, the forces on the joint are the same as for a 300-pound person standing still. Other activities such as standing up out of a chair or going up and down stairs increases the force to approximately 2 to 3 times body weight. For those who are overweight or obese, this means dramatically increased force on the joints. That excess weight that is being carried around acts as a catalyst to degenerative disease in the joints called Degenerative Joint Disease and Degenerative Disc Disease. Obesity and being overweight are risk factors in these types of diseases.
Cartilage is a connective tissue located at the end of bones to protect and cushion the joints during movement. Osteoarthritis is a condition in which the cartilage breaks down over time. Eventually, the bones-formerly separated by the cartilage rub against each other, resulting in damage to the tissue and the underlying bones, causing pain in the joints, often leading to mobility impairments. According to the Rothman Institute, who specializes with working with obese patients, it is estimated that obesity is responsible for 200,000 joint replacements a year in the US. Not the mention the risks of surgery, even to healthy people, yet obese patients have higher risk of infection, blood clots, wound complication, and blood loss during surgery.
The spine is designed to carry the entire weight of the upper body. The bones that form the spine are cushioned by round, flat discs. When excess weight is carried, the spine is forced to absorb the burden; in which the consequence is that the spine can prematurely wear out. Consistent, excessive pressure on a disc can cause tearing, and the jellylike material in the center of the disc to squeeze through the tears in the capsule, causing the disc to rupture (herniate) into the space that surrounds a nerve root or the spinal canal. A herniated disc can interfere with nerve function, leading to weakness, numbness, or pain in a leg or arm, or sciatica.
Unfortunately, by the time these degenerative diseases occur, jumping into that exercise program to begin to loose weight may no longer be an option. This could result in permanent disability, and a diminished quality of life, again significantly affecting your family, loved ones, friends, coworkers, and society, as you go on Social Security Disability. You have an obligation to yourself, your family, your loved ones, your friends, and to society as a whole to be the best and most productive person you can be. This begins with love and respect of your body. The first thing to do is begin fueling the body with the nutrients it needs. If you have not already, check out Isabel Del los Rios’ website,
http://tinyurl.com/isabelthedietsolution/isabelthedietsolution
where on the bottom of the home page, she briefly discusses the dangers and why the following fad diets do not work.
This is what Isabel said about the following diets:
Atkins Diet/low Carb Diets
Low Fat Diet
Fat Burners & Supplements
Weight Watchers
Acai Berry Diets
The problem is that none of these diets was designed to be life-long, just temporary, and when you stop, you go back to your old eating and drinking habits, gain the weight back, that the cycle begins all over again. Remember former spokeswoman for Weight Watchers, Kristy Alley; gaining weight, then loosing 75 lbs on Jenny Craig, then gaining back 85 lbs. This is what is known as yo-yo dieting.
I do not believe that you should change your eating habits in a way that is either:
1. Unhealthy to the body
2. Cannot be done for the rest of your life
Remember, you have to eat for the rest of your life, so any change in eating must be a lifestyle change, a change forever. So make it a change that you like, so you can adhere to it.
Melanie Clark Mogavero, CSCS, RYT
