Well, actually, it's not okay. It's not even close to being okay.
The gorgeous Fat Heffalump couldn't have tweeted this any better:
Anyone that says fat women aren't treated differently by society in general can go fuck themselves too.
But I digress - le sigh - from the main reason I'm writing this post. I've spent most of this morning reading articles that the wonderful people on twitter have linked and/or posted. The amount of money that's going into all these scientific studies only for the results to be corrupted and twisted to fit a biased, and downright prejudiced, view is insane. Seriously, it's insane. Instead of spending all this bloody money on why are fat people so disgusting? shouldn't they - the founders, CEO's, managers, scientists, others - be spending that money on something actually beneficial? Like say all forms of cancer research or mental health programs or perhaps better equipment in hospitals and increasing staff levels?
Perhaps I'm being unfair since I am apparently the stereotypical fat chick. You know the kind, childhood abuse leading to obesity blah blah blah. However, putting that stereotypical crap aside, I still fail to see why being fat must be such a big deal.
Now let's take a little look at the study, exactly how many people were surveyed? Oh only 150 you say? I don't claim to be of a science background or mind, but isn't only 150 people a bit small to gather real evidence or proof or results? And aren't the parameters of the study a bit too narrow - fat people with no surgery vs. fat people after having surgery? Have they taken into consideration the medications the people were on, if any? I know from personal experience that some medications make me as dumb as fuck.
Now wait a minute that article/study is actually discriminating and there's a link to discrimination making our waist circumference incline. So on one hand we're being told that we're fat and therefore - obviously - stupid and on the other hand we're being told that discrimination is adding to our fatness. For fuck sake, could you all just go meet someplace and spend twenty years, or more, debating all your stupid hypothesis and once you've finally agreed on the majority of your bullshit, come back and explain it to us dumb fat people? kthanxbai.
Hey man - fuck you - fat people are not lazy.
Okay, let's move right along before I have a panic attack from all this discrimination, which could result in social anxiety because of my weight. Oh, that's just another little study called Obese individuals can suffer from social anxiety disorder from weight alone. I won't rant about this one because I'm not entirely sure why it pisses me off so much. Maybe it's because I have anxiety and largely based on social situations? Maybe because I don't like the way they talk about fat people? Or maybe because I have a strange love/hate relationship with the DSM IV and, shortly, 5? Whatever it is, it bugs me.
That leaves me with one final article. This one got my attention because I was shocked to learn this:
Jenny Craig is owned by Nestle, and Weight Watchers is owned by the same multinational conglomerate that owns Keebler Foods. So who is really in denial here?
Are you fucking kidding me? These weight loss bastards are actually owned by the very companies and conglomerates that advertise the unhealthy shit we're not supposed to eat?! Are you fucking kidding me?
Oh right, link to the article Behind the Anti-Obesity Veil: Fat Bashing as 'Science' by Liz Snyder.
Despite this being aimed for American readers and talking about stuff in America, this article still applies to those of us Down Under or anywhere really. I mean just look at this:
Acknowledging the emotional harm caused to real people by our words and beliefs is not denial. Acknowledging that the focus on fatness does NOT help anyone get healthier – and that this has been quantified over and over again – is not denial.
Because of course showing counter arguments against their "science" is always met with the comment "you're in denial". * Insert eye rolling here * And, of course, there is absolutely no proof of science supporting us.
Nope.
None.
Not one single study.
Oh, except for those mentioned in Liz Snyder's article - smacks head - but that's just denial! My stupid fat addled brain keeps forgetting that anything remotely true can't actually be true!
So I'm stupid for being fat and fat because I'm discriminated and I suffer from social anxiety because I'm fat and discriminated and after all that I learn that the weight loss companies that people pay more moolah than it's worth are actually owned by the companies that make the "bad" food that I supposedly eat too much of. Does that about cover it?
Phew!
After that amazing discovery I think I need some chocolate cake, deep fried food stuffs and potato chips to deal with the shock. Or not.
5 comments:
Ick.
That one about discrimination leading to comfort eating - to which the response is of course always 'how can we stop them from eating so much?' - bugs me big time. Reason being, bullying means stress, stress means raised cortisol, and cortisol has been shown in good, controlled studies to be linked to abdominal weight gain and/or insulin resistance - so there is a clear, physical reason for weight gain in the bullied, one which has nothing to do with their food intake and one which can only be stopped by stopping the damn bullying already.
(Unless, of course, some bright spark starts to advocate that fat people should have their adrenals removed so the cortisol can't make them any fatter. Oh, wait, but that'll kill them, right? Yes, but so much better than being fat. And so much easier than, you know, stopping hating on fat people. Sigh.)
Wow, a very eye-opening article. Thanks so much for posting it. When I wrote on Facebook about how I was excited to participate in the #thingsfatpeoplearetold hashtag, I received THREE comments about how, actually, being thin is just as bad. I was so mad at first, but I get the spirit in which it was stated. Yet, it astounds me the sheer denial of fat prejudice that those who haven't experienced it can have...
I'm so enjoying your important blog. I'm glad you started it. :)
@Emerald - Thank you for explaining the biological things that happen when we are upset, discriminated and hurt.
That's exactly the stuff I am so terrible at retaining!! Be careful! Some silly fool probably has, or will, start advocating for the removal of our adrenals. Oh, die you say? That's just a side effect, you'll be fine though. -_-
@Robin - I can understand that thin people find their weight hard too. For those who are very thin, they get almost as many nasty comments - only on the other end of the spectrum. For those that are "normal" there is a lot of pressure for them to remain thin and "healthy" - scoff.
However, it does shock me that these same people can be just as cruel as the trolls.
I'm truly sorry your experience on Facebook wasn't as positive as it could - SHOULD - have been.
Thank you both so much for your lovely comments. <3
Ahh the old "studies". The first thing I like to do when people quote "studies" at me is ask them who paid for the study. Where did the money come from. If they can go away, and prove to me that it wasn't funded by someone or a group of someones who have a vested interest in fat stigma, I'll then consider their study.
Because sadly, most of the studies that have anything at all negative to say about fat people are funded by the likes of Allergan (makers of the lap band), Nestle (owners of Jenny Craig) and various other organisations who have a vested industry in keeping the $60billion in the US only diet industry thriving.
Thanks for the shout out too love - it cracks me up that people love when I get all obnoxious!
EXACTLY!!!!! I might not be able to determine the exact why I don't agree with or like the idea of some of these studies, but I damn well know it's not right.
I mean seriously, studies funded by the very bums that create the torturous lap band or the bullshit programs of Jenny Craig should have no bearing at all.
But of course they do. It's a huge industry this "Weight Loss" thing. It's huge here too and that's what frightens the bejeebus out of me!
As for shout outs, ALWAYS! xxx
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