Get Up, Stand Up

Damn, you know, I'm so glad she brought this up. I can hardly even read Feministe anymore because of the out-of-both-sides-of-the-mouth attitude of some of the posters there who are allegedly pro-SA (and in some cases are even fat themselves). One minute they're saying fat discrimination is wrong and on the other hand, they get mad when people advance the idea that permanent, significant weight loss isn't possible for most people -- it's all "calories in, calories out." So by implication, we fat chicks actually "do it to ourselves" and therefore deserve discrimination. This is "feminist"? Sigh. And I have to say, I think changing the attitudes of fat people towards themselves has to be where we start. I had an experience I can't shake the other day, in which a woman at a meeting was complaining after the meeting that since she'd been injured she'd gained weight and her doctor had told her she was "pre-diabetic," so she needed to go to a weight-loss program to get rid of it. "I used to be really thin!" she complained. I told her that I'd managed to fight off regular insulin with regular exercise without losing an ounce, and she just looked at me like I'd told her a spaceship from Planet Eek had just landed in the front yard. They don't want to hear it. They aren't just drinking the Kool-Aid, they're effin' marinating in it. She promptly turned to another fat woman there and announced her intention to get thin, and the other fat woman said, "Yay! Good for you!" When will it stop? When?

Er, that should be, "...fight off insulin resistance with regular exercise." Paul, can you fix that for me? (without the italics) Thanks!

Yes, it was a fine, fine post. Unfortunately, one of the links on her blog was to a blog (chubby sisters brigade) where there are a few women talking about how much weight they've lost or (sigh) what they used to weigh.. I think it's sort of nominally FA. ("I'm chubby and I'll laugh about it, but boy I wish I could lost those _____lbs." I am so grateful for places where people don't mention how much weight they've lost.

I deal with this every day at work. I tried asking if we couldn't just have one day where we don't talk about weight or diets or points or anything, and, so far, no takers. My antidote is to wake up in the morning and say, "I LOVE my body. All of it!" I also wear my headphones and listen to my iPod consistently at work, at least while other people are in the room.

Hi, Jenny The ipod spunds like a good idea, execpt that I'm one of the old folks who isn'ty into that ;^) .However, I applaud you saying, "I love my body". I also try to screen out non public TV or ads where I'm bombarded with this stuff. I'm not always succcessful but it feels good when I am.

"I LOVE my body! All of it!" I love it! I wonder what would happen if you said that out loud, to everyone who mentioned a diet, over and over again? I might just try that myself!

"I LOVE my body! All of it!" I love it! I wonder what would happen if you said that out loud, to everyone who mentioned a diet, over and over again? Easy. They'd look at you as if you'd just said another spaceship fom Eek landed in the back yard. The more attentive would say, "If you really loved your body, you'd do something about your weight." (I am imagining the robot from the old Lost in Space tv series waving its arms around and saying, "That does not compute.") Regarding the article quote above, I'd rather eat lunch with a bunch of congenial men. Even if they are on diets, they're way less likely to constantly yack about it.

LOL strawberry, I'd rather lunch w/guys at work over girls too. " changing the attitudes of fat people towards themselves has to be where we start" If people considered themselves beautiful for their inner qualities and loved their bodies as they are, we'd all be different but *equal*. As long as one size is more valued than another people think they have a chance to be "better" than others. All they have to do is...

Amen. I have so many fascinating interests, and it's such a wide world with so much to know, to talk about, to experience...and yet 90% of women are suffering anorexic ideation, body hatred, overexercise obsession, blah blah blah. I get SO bored with this (and talk about TV shows, which also bore me to catatonia). And men are getting worse, too, as the body dysmorphia crap starts to eat their souls, too. Poor them. Poor ME, for I'm bored out of my friggin' mind by most people, most of the time. I'd take a spaceship TO Eek to get away from this. Beam me up!

I work with a woman who I SWEAR has an eating disorder. She's rail thin, I mean, so thin that Kate Moss wants to know her diet secret. Her whole life involves food control and exercise. This is all she talks about. Waiters cringe when she goes to a restaurant, she only eats certain things, and it is nearly impossible for restaurants to accomodate her. She is very image concerned. It truly disturbs her that I love my body at size 22 when she considers a size 6 overweight. I taught karate 5 nights a week at a size 18. I ate very healthy and lost MAYBE 10 pounds. This confuses the living heck out of her as she can't wrap her head around fat and healthy. It is sad that women are controlled by body image. I think it keeps women from realizing their true potential when they are so worried about weight that they neglect their mind.

"As long as one size is more valued than another people think they have a chance to be "better" than others. All they have to do is..." So right, Kali. I have come to the conclusion that the conflict over weight stems from a confusion over "be" and "do." You cannot on a daily basis change your "being," but you can always evaluate and change what you are "doing." People who challenge fat people should be challenged to evaluate people, all people (especially themselves), based on their actions, which reflect their inner beauty, not their state of "being," which may well spring from lucky genes, or in worse situations from the kind of spirit-wasting obsession Midoryn describes in her co-worker. "I taught karate 5 nights a week at a size 18. I ate very healthy and lost MAYBE 10 pounds. This confuses the living heck out of her as she can't wrap her head around fat and healthy." Midoryn, you could not have sent a better message to the world than what you did with those actions. Screaming that we love our bodies will never get through. Showing it is everything. Live joyfully most of the time, eat healthfully most of the time and exercise a reasonable amount nearly every day. Then treasure whatever body happens. Most people in western culture don't "do" that. Instead they waste their time criticizing others on their state of "being" and suffering shame for their own, filling their time with actions that merely feed the capitalist machine. What a waste. What a waste.

i started a new job this past week and i noticed that trend almost immediately. 3 of 6 of us (female temp workers) were in the breakroom where a table full of fruits were there for us to eat. (the company provides different treats every day) the thinner woman commented on how happy she was that they put fruit out "to make up for how bad we feel about eating a cookie yesterday!" the bigger woman looked at her and said "who feels bad? I DON'T!" and walked away. i wanted to high five her and tell her she is awesome. next time i see her, i totally will.