Fat Acceptance
Obesity is at an all time high in most of the developed world, with an average rate of about one in five people in OECD countries, and nearly one in six children being at least overweight. These disturbingly high rates of obesity are a result of not only our increasingly sedentary lifestyles, but our caloric rich diets (which incidentally involve an abundance of animal products, however it's still possible to be an obese vegan).
Despite not only conventional wisdom but also the scientific consensus making it abundantly clear that being obese is VERY bad for your health, there exists a movement that disputes the importance of weight on health, who refer to themselves as "Health at Every Size." Pointing out that being obese is not healthful and is a lifestyle that ought to be discouraged instead of encouraged tends to lead to accusations of being "fatphobic" and "sizeist."
Obesity is a side effect of a wealthy society; Calorie dense foods are becoming cheaper and more available (largely due to subsidies), and more sedentary occupations and activities take precedent in the lives of millions. As it stands right now, as desperate as the issue is, it does not seem as though the problem will be going anywhere any time soon, despite massive campaigns from governments and voluntary organizations alike. If anything, it will likely become more of a problem in the coming years (as it is projected to be), given how the only real solution currently to it is to have people change their lifestyles (and as Vegan activists, we know how damn hard that is).
https://www.oecd.org/els/health-systems/Obesity-Update-2017.pdf
Contents
Is it bad to be obese?
Yeah pretty much. Whether or not someone is obese is determined by their Body Mass Index (BMI), which takes the weight of an individual respective to his or her height, which can be useful in determining the effect of someone's weight on their health. Higher BMIs mean more overweight, with the healthiness threshold disspiating after the level of 25. While there is some debate to have over what BMI level is ideal (roughly 22-23), anything outside the healthy range (18.5-24.9) is cause for concern.
Obesity has been linked with many health issues, mainly heart problems such as atherosclerosis, but also diabetes, certain cancers, and even mental health problems such as depression. As science denial would have it, when people see that the scientific consenses conflicts with their worldview or is just not pleasant for them personally, they casually dismiss it along with all the evidence and experts that clearly demonstrate otherwise. Of course, denying reality doesn't make it go away, and as with any science denialism this has profoundly large negative effects on society at large.
BMI
As discussed, BMI is a very useful heuristic to use within the context of a person's weight and its effect on health, but there is a large crowd of people who decry using BMI, claiming that it's not a valid metric.
With a few exceptions, such as in the case of athletes and bodybuilders, BMI is incredibly useful for the general population. When the term "obese" is used in the medical context, it refers to when there is so much body fat on a person that it poses a significant threat to their health, and is very often used as a simple and quick heuristic by medical professionals in that respect.
Even gaining weight while staying within healthy BMI range can mean an increase in certain health problems (gaining just 11-22 pounds alone triples risk compared to those who only gain five or so pounds), and accordingly, even higher weight gains were associated with higher disease risk.
Is it genetic?
Yes and no. Very few people are born obese and have no real way of changing their weight, however for the overwhelming majority of people, gaining weight is primarily a choice.
Genetics certainly are a factor that plays into it, as it can determine things such as metabolism, cravings, and hormones, which all play a role in determine whether or not someone will gain weight faster. However, that does not mean that people are destined to gain weight if the genetic factors aren't in their favor, much in the same way that having all the necessary ingredients for a cake won't promise that you'll bake a proper cake if you screw up some of the steps along the way.
"Genetics loads the gun, lifestyle pulls the trigger."
Humans are naturally inclined to blame external factors (and anything but themselves) when something bad happens to them whenever possible since it helps protect our egos (known as the self-serving bias), but this only serves to make us feel better and not do anything to solve the problem.
It's a disappointing fact of reality. Some people are born smarter, faster, more talented than others, and less likely to gain weight. If you were unfortunate enough to be born with more genetic factors that increase the chance of weight gain, you'll need to work harder than someone who can eat ten thousand calories a day and not gain an ounce. Is that unfair? Yeah, of course it is. Does reality care about what we want? Sadly, no.
Ultimately, claiming that obesity is genetic is used as a post-hoc cop-out by people who don't want to change, and if there's anything to take away from 90% of the articles on this wiki, people will do anything they can to not change anything about themselves, even if it's better for the world, or in this case, their health.
https://medcraveonline.com/JNHFE/genetics-loads-the-gun-lifestyle-pulls-the-trigger.html
Is it society's fault?
Eh, maybe.
When someone is at an age where they can reason and actually think about the world about them more, they are able to reason enough that they DO have choices in the matter.
Yes, it's true that we're encouraged to live as unhealthfully as possible by the companies who would profit the most off of that. We constantly see advertisements for junk food, fast food resteraunts are on every other corner (and given the laziness and impatience of human beings, they're rather desirable dinner choices even if they taste like crap), and sitting down and watching a movie is much more attractive prospect than getting up and going for a run, and we seem to put more of an emphasis on WATCHING sports rather than PLAYING sports.
Most people, regardless of intellect, do some sort of thinking about the state of the world and how it affects them, and they can be sensible enough to deduce that, while unhealthy lifestyle choices are promoted by certain companies with things such as fast food and leisure activities (watching the telly, movies, playing video games) being promoted over nutrition and exercise, whether or not they partake in those things is up to them.
People who do not ever consider that they don't have to always go along with what society at large does are either incredibly stupid or suspiciously uninquisitive. Most people do consider this however, but that doesn't mean they will do much about it.
And of course there are fad diets out there that try to push easy solutions that prey on weak-willed people who want quick solutions to their problems, and while they certainly are scumbags, most people really ought to be mature enough to understand that in order to fix YOUR problems, YOU need to do something about it. There is no pill or special candy bar that will gauruntee you'll shed pounds within hours. There is nothing complicated about it; It's just consuming less calories than you're burning (or, alternatively, burning more calories than you're consuming). While it does take some effort, it's not a nigh-on impossible task. It's going to be a little difficult at first, but it's within your grasp. Quit being a baby, and start accepting some personal responsibility for your actions.
How it affects others
While we generally would prefer that people didn't, if someone wants to screw over their own lives, whether it'd be their health, finances, or career path, as long as they aren't harming anyone else and understand the consequences, they ought to have every right to do so. If someone wants to shoot up heroin or huff gasoline, they should have every right to do so (as long as they're willing to foot their own medical treatments).
Many point to obesity and claim thats another thing that's just a personal choice, but this is not correct, mainly in how it affects our medical system. Being fat is not healthy, and when people go to the doctor to treat health issues caused by their weight, they will be perscribed treatments and medicines that are paid for via tax dollars.
A study conducted a few years back demonstrated that if people were to eat healthier diets (not including other healthy lifestyle choices, such as not smoking, using drugs and alcohol, exercising, sunscreen), that would save tens of billions in healthcare in the United States, money that can be used for other medical problems, and of course things such as social programs, infrastructure, and scientific research. Regardless of your position on socialized medicine, this is certainly an important factor to take into consideration.
We are not claiming that obese people should be persecuted or anything like that, what we're saying is that being obese DOES affect others; If obese people were to pay for their own healthcare then fine, but that is not what happens.
There's also a concern amongst the fat positive movement that they feel discriminated against in the workplace, for example, by being less likely to be hired based on their body weight. This is not done out of a discriminatory standpoint, but a financial one. If an employer chooses to hire a skinnier person over an obese one, that does not automatically mean it is done based on a personal hatred or vendetta against obese people; Obese people tend to be less productive on average and require more time to complete tasks, especially if the position in question is related to physical labor, though office related work still tends to be inhibited. Not to mention that since obese people tend to be sicker, they also are likely to more take days off from work. If you were in the position of the employer, these are things you would take into account.
Blame capitalism if you want, but them's the breaks.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5770108/
Health At Every Size (BMI)
Good intentions be damned, they matter none if your movement is HURTING people for the sake of making them feel better mentally about their behavior. Enabling shitty lifestyles is not a noble or just thing to do, in actuality, it's a morally disgusting and monstrous thing to be engaging in. It's like saying that a drug addict should be okay with the fact that they are hastening their journeys into the grave, throwing away tens of thousands of dollars, and ruining familial and platonic relationships all the same.
Don't Weigh Me Cards
These might be too damn frustrating for the author of this article to address, however he will try his best.
OK, so, in case you aren't aware, there is a group spreading these cards around that people can take with them to the doctor's office that basically say they don't wanna be weighed. If you didn't know what they were, don't worry, I didn't know about them either until just a few days ago.
They're basically cards that obese people can carry around, so that when they get to the doctor's office for a check up, they can show it to the doctor in order to request not being weighed. They also cost five bucks a pop, since apparantly the demand got so high they had to start charging people, and so far they've printed nearly 80,000 of the things.
The cards make the following claims:
- Most health conditions can be addressed without knowing my weight.
- When you focus on my weight I get stressed (and that's not healthy)
- Weighing me every time I come in for an appointment and talking about my weight like it's a problem perpetuates weight stigma (a known and serious health risk)
- I pursue healthy behaviors regardless of my weight status
Hell, where to being with this? Perhaps we'll take each point one at a time.
- Most health conditions can be addressed without knowing my weight.
Which health conditions would those be exactly?
Even if it is "most" health conditions (which frankly is a dubious claim to make, at least as far as physical health goes), it's certainly a prime cause of the majority of INCREDIBLY LETHAL health conditions, as discussed before. There is a very good reason why doctors take your weight, and it's BECAUSE it's an incredibly important part in gauging someone's health, and it's the job of the doctors to be able to make the most accurate diagnoses possible in order to perscribe the proper medicine and treatments. When you inhibit them from doing this, you're not only making the job of your doctor much harder, but you're likely screwing yourself over in the process, since now you won't be properly diagnosed and won't get the treatments you need for any potential ailment you may have (and if you're obese, that's an almost definite certainty). If you aren't diagnosed for something, you can't be treated for it. See how that works?
Being weighed is not just about the health problems that come with that, it's also important to know for the medicine and potential dosages you will be perscribed (the incorrect medicine you received since your doctor had to make a SWAG (scientific wild-ass guess) since he was missing information).
- When you focus on my weight I get stressed (and that's not healthy)
Yeah honey look, put your big girl panties on, we all have to do stressful things in our lives, whether it'd be taking an exam, doing our finances, taking care of family problems, or simply just having a hard time at work. Or at the doctors, people are scared to go there in general, whether for a shot/blood test, surgery, or even just worried about a prognosis, but these are all vital things to face headon. Because NEWSFLASH, stress is a part of our day to day lives, and it's only unhealthy if it becomes a chronic problem in your life (in which case, it's probably something like anxiety that's the problem). You can't coddle yourself your whole life. It isn't everyone else's problem that you have a hard time coping with basic things like this.
And hold on a second, if you don't believe that your weight has any connection to your health, what are you stressed out about in the first place? If I were your doctor and you showed that piece of shit to me, I'd say toughen the fuck up for find a doctor who's willing to enable your behavior, because I wouldn't want any part in it.
Wanna know what's more stressful and unhealthy than being weighed at the doctor's office? Dying of a fucking coronary at age 40 because you insisted on eating eight buckets of ice cream and washing it down with three gallons of Pepsi a day while binge-watching (insert current relevant TV show here). It's also pretty stressful seeing someone you love and care so much about killing themselves and being told by "influencers" (yes, I hate that word just as much as you) that there isn't anything wrong with their weight.
- Weighing me every time I come in for an appointment and talking about my weight like it's a problem perpetuates weight stigma (a known and serious health risk)
I have no idea what this even means
- I pursue healthy behaviors regardless of my weight status
You obviously don't if you're using these cards. You're not only engaging in unhealthy eating habits and not exercising physically, you're also exercising a healthy dose of denialism and head up assery.
It's important to mention that there isn't any citation for these claims on the cards themselves (guess the source "Trust me bro" is believed to be sufficient). However, on the blog by the person who makes these cards, she explains her thought process behind the cards, and addresses any possible concerns. Fuck, here we go again...
Look I don't have the patience to break down the post point by point, so I'm going to try to just focus on the significant stuff.
When I recovered from an eating disorder being weighed was a major stressor for me. I started investigating whether you really have to be weighed every time you go to the doctor. And I found out that lots of times you don’t. Not being weighed unnecessarily helps me get less stressed when I go to the doctor, which supports my recovery and ultimately my health.
The only people who wouldn't need to be weighed every time they're at the doctor's are people who are already at a healthy weight, but once again, given how much of a role high levels of weight play in your health, getting weighed every time is basically a necessity.
I created the cards to provide something useful to the eating disorder recovery community, and they took off. I put them on More-Love.org in November 2019 and now there are thousands of these cards all over the world.
If by "useful" you mean "given people a way to live as shittily as possible and feel good about it" then you are absolutely correct.
People tell me they appreciate the empowerment and support the cards give them in questioning the assumption that we must be weighed before every doctor’s appointment.
Onoz, we believe that doctors know what they're doing without question! Literally 1984!
Given the huge demand for these cards, there’s clearly a need for resources to help people speak up if they are uncomfortable with being weighed – and there are a lot of us! What happens next is between each person and their doctor, but these cards are an effective vehicle to help people who feel overwhelmed to start advocating for their needs politely yet powerfully.
Or, instead of coddling them, we can tell them straight on that them being fat is not a good thing, and if they don't change their behavior, they are unlikely to live past the age of 60. I find that to be a somewhat more pressing issue than whether or not it makes them uncomfortable.
I think we all deserve the dignity of having a say in our own healthcare, and if something stresses us out, I don’t believe we should default to being obedient and compliant. We can speak up and at least find out what our options are.
Anti-vaxxers and fans of alternative medicine feel the same way. Doesn't mean you know what's best for your health.
These cards are a very polite way to open a conversation with healthcare providers about whether they really need our weight. And if they do, then we can make an informed choice about that. The difference is that now being weighed before an appointment can be a conversation rather than an assumption.
It's not polite, it's annoying, arrogant and dismissive of someone who objectively knows more about your health than you do, as well as being a huge waste of time. Most doctors can't be bothered explaining something that is so obvious if you take a little time to look at the evidence to someone who refuses to listen in the first place.
I’m not a doctor, and even if I were, this is a personal discussion between an individual and their doctor. The real purpose of the cards is to open up possibilities and start a conversation.
OK so you admit you have no authority to even speak on these matters?
Your doctor is not a friend to have a conversation with, your doctor is there to tell you what the best course of action for your health is. They have other patients to see too, and you're holding up the line when you waste time with this stupid bullshit.
Personally, no, I don’t think most of us need to be weighed before every doctor’s appointment, and this has been proven during COVID-19 when many healthcare appointments went virtual with no negative impact from a lack of weight information.
Uh, how the fuck do you know? It isn't like there is a source cited, so I guess I'll have to do the legwork. (two seconds later) OK I have returned from the far off land of Google, and this is what I found: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9351100/' (I'll expand later)
Huh, funny, as it turns out, if you aren't able to go in physically for your PHYSICAL, the results may not be up to snuff!
There are only 80,000 people who've printed these cards (out of the millions of people out there) so as it stands right now the damage is relatively minimal, but it doesn't change the fact that these cards are a symptom of something larger; Not only a growing desire to think that we can live our lives however we want without consequence, but it's a symptom of a science denialism that is plaguing humanity. The fact that we think we know more than experts, that the well-established, decades old consensus is wrong, and that we would rather go with our personal wishes than what the evidence says. From anti-vax, anti-nuclear, anti-GMO, climate change denial, flat earth, alternative medicine, parapsychology, creationism, and a thousand other things to list, despite our huge advancements in the world of science, there will always be people who simply don't like what it says, at society's peril.
Should fat people be shamed?
Being an asshole to someone obviously doesn't mean what youre saying incorrect, however it brings with it increased resistance from those being criticized.
When it comes to one on one conversations with obese people who refuse to acknowledge the problems with their condition, it's a good idea to be as civil and diplomatic as possible, since hostility tends to result in the backfire effect. Yes, yes, this article was very hostile overall, but it's more targeting the ideas themselves and the people who promote them, not necessarily the people who believe them.
Can Vegans be Obese?
Given that the term "Vegan" is incredibly vague in dietary terms, the answer to this is the same tried and true "it depends."
If this were like 30-40 years ago, the answer "No" would be correct 99% of the time, but in the modern age with vegan cookies, donuts, ice creams, pies, chocolate, cakes, burgers, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, gravy, butter, bacon, etc., it is in fact incredibly easy to get fat on a vegan diet.
We of strongly course encourage all vegans to at the very least eat somewhat healthy in order to be good representatives of veganism (eat whole plants such as beans, veggies, and nuts on a semi-regular basis), and vegans do tend to be skinnier on average even compared to people who simply eat less meat, but there will always be those who eat nothing but Impossible Meats and Ben & Jerry's non-dairy Ice creams all day (seriously one of those things is like over 1300 calories, even though they are delicious) and do little in the way of physical activity.
However, vegans tend to be much more health conscious than the average person, likely due to the healthfulness of vegan diets being one of the main perks if done right, especially how cutting out animal products tends to force people to try whole plant foods they otherwise wouldn't eat. Consequentially, as mentioned before, vegans have slightly lower BMIs than the averages for those eating any other diet, with an average of roughly 23.6 (which is about ideal), and an average of roughly 28.8 for someone eating a standard meat diet (which is in the overweight range).
Whole plant foods contain nutrients such as fiber, and also an abundance of water, both of which are linked to preventing the gaining of weight. Also, foods such as nuts are found to have properties that boost metabolism, so despite their incredibly high caloric content, they'll help you lose more weight instead of gain.
