AMEN to this. Trolls and pigs exist in all corners of the Internet, and probably a good number of them have weight problems themselves and are projecting their own self-loathing.

I'm not sure how different media coverage on obesity issues in Oz is to the U.S. (I suspect it's probably really similar) but I haven't noticed any trends in either direction of extra prejudice toward fat people. It may just be that you are more conscious of that kind of news coverage because you've joined 3FC and committed to getting healthy. Don't let it discourage you - you know you're doing the right thing, just keep doing it and you are out of the line of fire.

That is so true, you know. It still seems like it's perfectly acceptable for people to judge others based on their weight, and to almost police what they eat or even what they buy at the grocery store because of it.

I'm not sure why people feel the need to make other peoples' weight their business, but it makes me sick. Why is it okay to bash someone just because they're heavy? And how come it's still societally acceptable? Gross.

Do you ever go to the grocery store and see healthy food on sale? Its always the chips, cookies, and candy. I am feeding my family on a limited budget and it is hard to eat all fresh food cheaply. My parents did not have money when I was a kid either. No wonder my food choices are bad.

If you're on a limited budget, then you'll really appreciate the savings that simple tweaks can make.

I find great deals for produce, herbs, and tofu at Asian markets, produce at farmer's markets/stands, Aldi, Shoprite, Pricerite and other discount markets have canned tomatoes, frozen veggies, bags of dried beans and brown rice, eggs, whole grain breads/pastas, oats, lowfat dairy and more.

Buying flour and sugar and making your own cookies is SO MUCH cheaper than buying them in a package (not to mention the preservatives and additives you wouldn't be eating and the nutrition you can add by mixing in dried fruits, nuts, and/or oats and scaling back on the sugar), and a bag of potatoes is a lot more filling than a bag of chips, and it's dirt cheap. If you're eating smaller portion sizes, that is saving money in itself, and I find that a bag of apples (depending on the size of the bag, it's 10-15 individual snacks) is a lot cheaper than a box of little portions of 100-calorie packs or the latest sugar free/fat free miracle food. Going meatless a few times a week even just for dinner is a huge money saver too.

I don't spend too much on groceries, but it seems to be higher only when I'm purposely buying organic or convenience foods.

LARUSSA....

I respectfully disagree that it's easy. This morning, I got up at 4:50 to exercise. I worked my butt off and it was HARD. It's hard every day. Not just the exercise but it is HARD to stay on plan when your 5 year old wants to eat at a pizza buffet for her birthday. It is HARD to not eat the HUGE piece of chocolate cake that someone plopped on my desk without asking.

It's not the most difficult thing in life (i.e.- fighting cancer) but it is still HARD. I think we have to be careful because for those who need to loose weight, telling them that it should be "EASY" may set them back when they realize that you have to dig deep sometimes and just push on.

The funny thing is that I have slimmer friends that are in shape and they tell me that maintaining a healthy body weight is also HARD. They tell me it's hard for them on a 5-7 mile run but they do it anyway because they want to stay at their goal weight.

I agree with a poster on another thread....losing weight is hard but so is being fat. I've just chosen my hard.

while I'd agree the theory of losing weight is pretty easy, the actual implementation of it isn't. Otherwise it wouldn't be a billion dollar industry.

and being fat isn't as unhealthy as the media would like us to believe. The problem is that fat people tend to be eating unhealthy diets and not exercising. Though it is entirely possible to eat a well balanced diet, get sufficient exercise and still be overweight. btw, the woman in your avvy is likely just as unhealthy as a lot of overweight people. Too skinny is just as unhealthy as too heavy.

Yes, I did say it was easy. I'm sorry, I should have clarified the relativity of this ease. Is this easier than rocket science? Yes. Is this easier than.. say.. getting into a top business school? Yes. Is this easier than living without someone you love? YES.

No, it's not as easy as eating cake per se... but it's easy in the way that it takes determination, willpower, blood sweat and tears..... but ANYTHING worth fighting for, anything worth having, does not come without effort! And that is why we are on here, and that is why I make it a point to post on this site with my weight in plain view for strangers to scrutinize. Life is not a walk in the park and if you want to get anywhere you have to work for it. But it is easy int he sense that there are a few simple rules to follow. No complex formulas, and you get all the customization you want based on the diet you want to follow. In my mind that is easy!!!! Youve got all the tools you need. Most peoples diets (including mine, in the past) fail because people give up. the simple rule? Don't!

There is a difference between "without any effort" and "not easy". Losing weight is easy - just requires effort.

I just clarified about my "easy" comment and I wanted to adress this one too. Malnourished is unhealthy. Skinny does not mean malnourished. That's a VS model and they have an intense training routine to upkeep their bodies. One of them - alessandra lima, i think? Had a baby some time back, and was back to modeling in no time. Skinny does not prevent people from having children the way fat does.. (of course, malnourished would, but like I said, one is not equal to the other)

I just wanted to post my opinion here, didn't mean to offend anyone but just to state my point. I guess I see things differently because I am European, and there is a big difference in the way fat is viewed by us. Maybe it is a good thing to be nice like you all, accepting of all different sizes, but I prefer the cold hard truth anytime instead of sugarcoating something, so that's why I think the way I do.

but the cold hard truth is fat does not always mean unhealthy and skinny does not always mean healthy.

and too low a body fat most certainly does keep a lot of people from concieving.

This is just about right. Replace "easy" with "simple" & it is totally correct. Always remember ... EASY and SIMPLE are TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.

But let's expand a bit. It's not "totally correct" for every single person out there who is struggling to lose weight, because of personal circumstances, some of which are completely out of a person's control (disabilities, medical reasons, etc.)

But in general, yes, proper diet + exercise = weight loss. This is the only PROVEN scientific equation to work. The nitty gritty is WHAT IS proper diet and HOW MUCH and WHAT KIND of exercise, etc. We all know this. Yet we continue to get bent out of shape when someone says something that doesn't resonate with our beliefs, or something that "pinches us" in our own personal situation. People tend to take things personally because they personalize every single thing in the world. You can only see something thru your own eyes. You cannot see it thru anyone else's eyes. You can sympathize and empathize, but you can only see it using your own experiences and your own understanding. THIS IS WHAT MAKES US INDIVIDUALS.

POINT IN CASE: I don't understand how anyone can ever become addicted to smoking. Cigarettes gross me out 100%. I've never had a desire to smoke. I don't know why anyone EVER picks up the first one, it's just so gross!!!!! It stinks, it's unhealthy, and it's just so gross, so you see? I don't get how a person can become addicted to that. And yet, many people do.

So maybe the media sensationalizes the obesity epidemic. Of course they do - it's what they do. I don't understand why people get bent out of shape about it because I ignore it. But some people DO get very bothered by the extremist news stories about weight loss, diets, celebrities, what's acceptable by the norm of society & what's not. I get that, even if I don't "get that" ... ya know what I mean?

Even if weight loss is "easy," how does that justify discrimination of obese people?

Is it really anyone's business what other people weigh?

I totally agree that simple =/= easy. Empirically, it's obviously not easy, at least not under the circumstances that many people find themselves in the US (and increasingly in other countries as well).

The "simple" thermodynamics of the situation mean that if you kept a bunch of heavy folks in concentration camp conditions, they would all lose weight (and possible contract severe health issues and possibly die, depending on the severity of weight loss etc).

But the simplicity vaporizes when people have to live real lives... in control of their own eating, needing to constantly make food choices, often cooking for other family members, sedentary jobs, exposed to misinformation, ingrained habits/food addiction, possibly living with IR/carb sensitivity/other metabolic issues, depression, stress, other priorities in life (which other people would be quick to criticize if they prioritized their own weight loss instead), different genetics, intestinal fauna, eating traditions, strict budgets, working multiple jobs to make ends meet, etc etc etc.

For some people, losing weight is relatively easy and simple.

For others, it is a huge undertaking which takes resources (will / time / money / self-love) that they do not necessarily have in abundance and may be absorbed by other really important priorities (raising kids, making ends meet).

If it is easy, or even simple, for you -- count yourself lucky.

For everyone else, it is hard and it isn't simple. But the only way to succeed is to keep trying and despite the complexity of individual situations, find things that work.

You're obviously entitled to your opinion but I think you're going to continue to find a great deal of disagreement, especially here. People may fail at diets because they give up, but it's not as simple as "Don't!" More and more professionals and experts believe and recognize that food addition is very real. Do you think it's just that simple for an alcoholic or drug addict to get clean? They don't give up because they just don't?

People don't just get fat because they choose to. It's emotional, hormonal, it has to do with our environment, how we were raised, our culture. Put all the right factors together for someone and overeating isn't just because they want to. And obviously people don't lose weight just because they want to.

I saw a program a while back that was about gastric bypass and one of the doctors that was on it studies the gut. He talked about the gut and how it is almost like a second brain, how the nerves and chemicals in our gut can effect us and control our thoughts and actions just like the nerves and chemicals in our brains. He talked about how for some people gastric bypass isn't just making your stomach smaller, it's cutting you off from the control the gut can have over you.

It's not a cut and dry decision. I've been trying to actively lose weight for more than half my life. If it was as simple as not giving up, I would have chosen to not give up a long time ago. I had to find what works for me, I think I had to mature, there are a lot of factors that have added up to get me to the point where I'm finally losing the weight.

I think there is a good chance you just don't really understand where we're coming from. Considering your starting weight is not far into the overweight range, I'd guess you've never really had a problem with food addiction. So your personal journey might be easier then some of ours, but I think if you were 100+ lbs overweight, you'd understand more and think a great deal differently.

Thanks for taking the time and effort to clarify your position!

I see your point definitely, as well. I respect that it is different for various people. Thanks for responding, it really does help me get another perspective!