I absolutely do NOT look down on overweight people, or anyone for that matter. I know first hand how it feels to have people look down on me or shun me solely because of my weight. I know what it's like to not even be given a chance to show my intellect or skills because I'm heavy. It's horrible.

I never preach to anyone or offer any advice whatsoever unless asked. Even then, I help specifically with what the person asked and don't go on a tangent about weight loss or diet or exercise or anything health-related aside from the question they asked. I know people don't like feeling preached to or having info shoved down their throats.

I am always here to help if asked though! :)

hnmmmmmm, i'm interested....how is being big making life easier -- i know how it seems to make my life easier....but was wondering about you....since you said that : )

A great big NO here! Firstly, I don't look down on anyone, fat or thin! Sometimes I'll see someone struggling physically to get from A to B and wish I could help, but that's as far as it goes.

I certainly never feel sorry for anyone overweight, as when I was huge, I didn't need anyone's pity that's for sure LOL I was NOT miserable; I did NOT have an unhappy life, i was just fat!

If people ask me specifically what I did, I'm happy to share it. Most seem really put off when I say it was 99% mental, 1% physical. That i'd done weight loss the same way over and over and it always came back UNTIL i dealt with the WHY part of being so fat. But if they don't want to explore their own reasons I certainly don't force it, I just wish them well !

I remember when I first started 3FC and there was a member (who is no longer here) who PREACHED at me in particular and I loathed it - I always remembered that and promised myself I'd never be like that

Yep.... I was overweight - morbidly obese for most of my adulthood. I'm not a lightweight now by any means, but I know how it feels to feel totally out of control. I know how it feels to not care and even if I did care to feel so helpless.

I would be there for support - no way thinking, "Big fat slob, just DO IT." It's not that simple. No one would CHOOSE to be fat. There is so much more to it and most of it is mental.

I am still not thin, but I have lost a lot of weight and I do not judge those who are bigger than me. I know what it's like and I know just how hard it is to even get started on a weight loss journey.

I do feel some sympathy however and, I don't really know how to explain it... If I see someone who looks like they weigh close to my starting weight, it reminds me how grateful I am that I have changed and continue to change, because clearly not everyone does. I should be proud. I just hope others realize they can do it too!

Definitely NOT! Most of my relatives are obese (probably well into morbidly obese for some) and I haven't been at a healthy BMI for over 8 years!

I get very, very frustrated with governmental policies that are in place that perpetuate obesity. I get frustrated with companies that are allowed to take advantage of individuals who have not been given the proper information on how to deal with obesity and want to lose weight. I get frustrated with weight loss myths like weight lifting with bulk you up or you have to eat low fat to lose weight. THAT makes me upset. But to individuals? No.

I figure we're all doing the best we can with the game of life. I've been given the ability to research and that's helped significantly in my weight loss journey to help find what works for me. I know not everyone has the time and/or energy to do that. It certainly doesn't make me better than them.

I am curious as well about how being big makes your life easier?

I have been big and small throughout the years and always felt that life was much more difficult as a bigger person. Shopping for clothes is a nightmare, especially when you are short and round. I felt like people were constantly judging me on my appearance in a negative way. My knees hurt from the added weight and I didn't participate in many activities because I was embarrassed about my weight. I realize we all have different levels of what we find comfortable but I am really curious as to what the advantages of being heavier are.

I have seen discrimination first hand with being big when applying for a job. I applied for a job at a local university a few years back. I was near my highest weight. I sailed through the first phone interview and then I went to the in person interview. I literally saw the person's face deflate when I introduced myself. The rest of the interview went so well with the 3 hours of group and individual interviews, but I didn't get the job.

Sure, another person more qualified than me could have gotten it, but I saw how her face fell when she realized her interviewee was so overweight. I would be working with incoming freshman on their adventure/orientation week. She probably thought I was too fat to do it and yes, she was lean and fit.

So, easier to be fat? NO WAY. Now I have more confidence and I see people responding to me in a more friendly manner - less judgemental manner.

I'll be curious how the new wave of interviews go as I had back into the workforce after being a stay at home mom.

Man did this bring back a memory. I was heavily recruited for a job (wasn't looking for a new one) during a time that I was traveling for a living so interviews had to be by telephone and they had to hold the job open until I could get to their town for an interview so I know I was THE candidate. Walked into the interview not even thinking of my size because the people in this hospital's organization knew me and had been the ones that started the ball rolling to have the interviewer go after me in the first place. Apparently none of them had thought to mention my size but I knew I was out of the running as soon as I saw her face. Up to that point I had never noticed any negative reaction to my size so we both got quite a shock.

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This is one of the fundamental reasons I decided to lose weight. I have a great job and great resume now, but I always like to think about the what ifs. I'm terrified that if I get laid off I'll never be able to find something at my size.

As for the question, I hate to admit this, but I find myself thinking horrible things about obese people, despite everything I know and have been through. I don't ever SAY anything though. I don't want to think those things but I do, even about myself. I think 42 years of society's anti-obesity conditioning are just going to take me some time to get over.

I've seen this too. Last year when I finished grad school and started going on interviews, I always had interviews that seemed as if they were done before they started. The interviewers had probably already decided "no" and were just going through with it as a formality.

Lack of experience might have been it, but then why interview me in the first place?

I've only been on two interviews again thus far, but I had a very different vibe AT THE START of these two interviews. I could tell that the interviewers were interested right from the getgo (and some interesting things have come from my second interview, crossing my fingers here) and the same thing happened when I went to a job fair--people were interested.

It could have something to do with my increased confidence, but I was pretty darn confident in myself last year too. I do admit that this year I am much more confident in my abilities especially since I have a year of experience under my belt now, but not enough to justify such a drastic difference.