What's your opinion? I'm sure a lot of you have heard of Mo'nique's "FAT CHANCE" show and many other overweight women saying that their fat and happy. I think that teaching young women to be proud of who they are and not to let weight hold them back from their goals is a beautiful thing. Then again is it healthy to tell women that not caring about their weight okay? Is the "Proud to be Big" movement promoting unhealthy life styles?

I'm more comfortable with the Proud Fat movement than I am with all the self-insulting screen names I see on this site, to be honest.

Is it healthy? Depends on how you look at it. Stress kills, and being told by virtually everyone that you're not good enough (and may never be) is pretty stressful, and emotionally damaging?

There aren't enough voices in the fat acceptance movement to shout over our society's contempt of fat people. Repeated studies show that a large percentage of college women say they would abort a child destined to be fat (some studies show the percentage to be higher than for a physically or mentally handicapped child).

I've been fat all my life, and I have always wanted to be "normal," but cannot say I'd rather not be here. Most people in the fat acceptance movement acknowledge that obesity is, or at least, may be a health risk. Some argue that the biggest risks come from yoyo dieting and the emotional stress of being discriminated against and disdained by society. Personally, I know that my health is adversely affected by my weight, I also know that I am a fantastic, intelligent, sexy woman exactly as I am, and I don't need to lose weight to feel good about myself. I do however need to lose weight to feel good. When I was younger, my weight barely slowed me down. Even at 275 and even higher, I did what I want, when I wanted. I didn't really date, because the men I met interested in fat women, were ONLY interested in fat women, and the guys I met were pretty crude about it.

I met my husband through a personal ad. He was the only guy I met that I even considered dating, because his first preference was not "fat chicks." This was important to me, because I didn't want a guy to dump me for losing weight, anymore than I would want a guy to dump me for gaining a few pounds. My husband is a big guy, and has health problems too. We both need to lose weight, but because we love each other, we find each other sexy.

I think the point isn't that fat is healthy, but that "fat and happy" is healthier than "fat and unhappy," and possibly in some cases healthier than "thin and unhappy." And while none of us can instantly choose to be thin, we can start being happy anytime - or at least give it a damn good try.

Thank you. That is what I kept trying to say yesterday & finally had to give up on.

Wow, I was just thinking about this recently ... a friend criticized my weight-loss efforts as me "not loving and accepting myself" and "falling for society's fascist beauty standards". It took me a second to realize that I can love and accept my body and embrace my rubenesque sexiness, but I can also work towards a healthier body and lifestyle.

I've experienced the whole "fat acceptance"/dating thing, where men LIKE overweight women and want them to be more overweight than they are. It's just as much objectification as wanting women to be thin, and I dislike it. I'm with kaplods on this one - I just want a guy who likes me for me, regardless of whether I'm overweight or thin.

????

Pieter Pauwel (Peter Paul) Rubens painted during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He painted a lot of pictures of full figured women who were considered the beauty standard of that time.

I agree. Where as we all agree, being overweight isn't healthy, but at least if you love and accept yourself first and foremost, you can still work torwards being healthier. I think there is a lot of negativity in the world, too much! It's awful! And the worst is how we treat ourselves.

I don't necessarily agree with the whole barrage of big women wanting to stay big just for the sake of staying big, but I wholeheartedly agree that no one should be made to feel less than human for being overweight/obese. I also agree about "fat and unhappy" vs. "fat and happy." It is psychologcially healthier to accept yourself the way you are rather than despise yourself.

I also wonder how many of these "happy and fat" women are REALLY happy? Of course they can claim they are perfectly fine with their weight, but they just as easily could be lying.

And it is scientifically proven that even being a little overweight can be detrimental to your future health, so I don't know how they can use that argument. I've heard this somewhere before, but how many 90 year olds do you see that are fat? I have NEVER seen an overweight 90+ year old person. There may be a few, but there are definitely not any obese 90+ year olds.

I think the movement should focus on improving the psychological health of being overweight/obese and fighting weight discrimination, rather than promoting the mantra, "Are you fat? Well, stay fat then!! It's okay!!!"

Fat acceptance movement does not mean that you should not make an effort towards losing weight! It simply means accepting yourself and not being stressed out or depressed till you are fat. (some medical conditions like pcod make it very hard for women to lose weight).

I dread that if my kid ever is overweight/ not so good looking (according to the society) it will extremely hard for him/her to cope with herself during school etc.(just imagine).

Recently a lane byrant store was fined and sued just for being present amongst other highend stores in a sexy elite new york street. (thats discrimination imo)

the movement is to discourge discrimination and spread happiness. I think obesity is one thing but the social pressure that comes with it is more stressful and has lead to things like depression and even suicides. living a long life is important but living it happily and stressfree is even more imp.

I am for it!

I think we're mixing together two different concepts.

No one disputes that you are who you are and need to love and care for yourself. Self-esteem has no size limit. Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. A person has a life to live, functions, duties and should be proud of their families, accomplishments, work, skin, fabulous nails ... whatever.

Concept number two is that overweight is not healthy.

One thing to think of though, is that many of the people who decide to stop dieting, have done so because they believedieting is a primary CAUSE of weight gain. For some, refusing to diet, is a refusal to get any more obese.

Looking at my weight loss history, I never gain weight when I am not dieting. My weight stayed at whatever (too high) weight it was until I began to diet. Whenever I went off the diet, I gained it all back plus another 10% of what I had lost. I was thin until I went to school (about the same age I could cross the street to my Grandparents' house after supper, where they would encourage me eat a second supper with them. I was put on my first diet (when I was chubby, but not the fattest kid in the class) in kindergarten. In every grade after 1st, I was the fattest kid in the class.

If I had never dieted in my life, I would have been a much thinner person. Maybe not a skinny person, maybe not even an average sized person, but much smaller and much healthier.

If I had realized the dieting - obesity connection earlier, I may have decided to never diet again, but since I've "dieted" myself to an obscene weight, I no longer have the option. And this time it's sink or swim, and I'm truly doomed if I stop at least treading water (unlike in real life, where I couldn't sink to save my life - which luckily sinking rarely does).

I can honestly say that I like myself and I am happy at 261. I didn't always feel that way. I got a wake up call when I was about 17. Prior to that I didn't like myself, I tried every diet even starving myself to the point of passing out. I was determined so I got the weight off. (was sick and had no energy but I looked good) I wanted the name calling to stop. But then something happened. They picked on me because of my hair - saying it's frizzy etc. (which it is, very unruly and flyaway). Then it was my buck teeth. Then they teased me because I play the flute. I realized that it was always going to be something that they would tease me about. It was then that I stopped listening to other people, got that big mac and for the first time in my life, I felt free. No more worrying about what other people thought. Sure I gained weight again but that's ok - I was and am secure in myself. If people ripped on me because of my weight, I thought to myself that these people are really not that bright if they're going to rip on the obvious. I thought they had no imagination at all - even a cliche and I told them this. (they were stunned)

So here I am now trying to lose weight but it's not about public acceptance. It's about me wanting to go to an amusement park again, go swimming again, wear shorts and sleevless shirts again, to shop anywhere easily. It's about me and my health.

I think that learning to love and accept ourselves is part and parcel of losing weight and keeping it off. People binge diet because they do not like themselves. And they inevitable regain weight which leads to more self-hatred. But once you can learn to love and forgive yourself at whatever weight, then you can begin to make healthy decisions for love of your body and that could result in weight loss.

I could never say that I am proud to be fat but I do like who I am. And frankly, whatever it took to get me here and the lessons that I've learned, have been worth it. I was always a skinny minnie and having this weight gain after the birth opf my 4th child has given me compassion for those who struggle with losing weight. I never had to worry about it and thought that I'd melt it away when I decided to start trying. WRONG! Now I'm one of those who struggles but I'm learning self-control, stick-to-it-tiveness and dedication. Those were all lessons I needed to learn, believe me! So ultimately, I'll come out of it a better person - at least on the inside!

FWIW there is a huge difference between fat acceptance and being proud of being fat.