This American Life Podcast
 

I listened to this today and thought the stories were interesting and relevant to this forum. Enjoy!

589: Tell Me I'm Fat
JUN 17, 2016
The way people talk about being fat is shifting. With one-third of Americans classified as overweight, and another third as obese, and almost none of us losing weight and keeping it off, maybe it’s time to rethink the way we see being fat. A show inspired by Lindy West’s book Shrill. ...

http://m.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/589/transcript

I listened to this too. What's your take on it?

It's interesting that -

1. There were no fat men interviewed - maybe the social stigma isn't as acute for men?

2. Most of the women interviewed ultimately seemed to embrace the fat acceptance movement, and stopped trying to diet after years of being on the dieting roller coaster.

3. The one woman who lost over 100 lbs seemed to regret her choice and feels she was happier and more authentic when she was overweight.

4. Roxane Gray talked about "Lane Bryant" fat (where as a larger woman you are still accepted as worthy of retail fashions) and the next level up into super morbid obesity (where she identifies) where there aren't even any accommodations - fashion or otherwise. The larger you become the more invisible and marginalized you become.

These are just a few things that stood out to me. How about you? What is your take?

I was really excited to listen to it but I realized that none of the women really stood up for fat acceptance and I found it disappointing. I think I liked the story where she stood up to Dan Savage the most. I was soooooo disappointed with the woman who continues to take dangerous drugs to continue being thin. It's such a bad message - she got everything she wanted but only when she lost 100lbs. Weak.

Here's what Virgie Tovar had to say about it and I agree with her http://www.ravishly.com/2016/06/23/t...form=hootsuite

Palestrina - I will read your link! Thanks for posting it. It's funny, I walked away thinking they all gave up dieting and were into fat acceptance except the one who takes weight loss pills - and she seemed miserable and indicated she was happier before she lost weight.

Then why does she continue to take weightloss pills?

Because despite all of the negatives, she still sees more positives in being thin. Everything she thought was possible as a thin woman, but impossible as a fat woman turned out to be true (for her). She doesn't want to give up her newfound thin privilege even though the pills are making her sick and she was more comfortable in her own skin before she lost the weight. Still, for her, the pros to being thin outweigh the cons of being fat.

My husband had come in late from working and rushed in to tell me to put it on because it was about overweight women accepting themselves and he said I might find it interesting. I have to say, I did not find it interesting. I found it to be the complete opposite of what I was expecting. I missed some at the beginning, but Lindy was talking and saying things about her boss. She hated how he treated her and things he said to her about being fat. She was saying that people shaming overweight people doesn't work because we have enough shame every day. We feel bad enough. And talking about fear of breaking a chair, Etc. To me, she sounded like someone who is opening her mouth and saying things to try to convince everyone around her, but didn't seem convinced herself. I did not get the feeling she accepts herself as fat. I got the feeling that for her, she just wanted everyone else to accept her as she is. Are you truly happy with yourself if you feel shame each day, or feel worried about breaking a chair, or feel like you are missing things in life because of your size?

The other one is stuffing herself with dangerous drugs to stay thin because she enjoys the "rewards" of being thin. How is that promoting fat acceptance?

I have been thin and I am now very heavy. I know how differently I was treated when I was smaller, compared to now. I get a lot of the things they said about how they are treated, etc. I face that every day. For anyone actually accepting themselves and feeling comfortable in their own skin regardless of their size, I am truly happy for them. I did not see that in the 2 that I heard.

Just my take :)

Maybe what I mean is that (some of them) are resigned to being fat. They want to be accepted by others, and they want to accept themselves, because their weight loss efforts haven't worked - so their only choice is either to continue to torture themselves into thinness or to accept that they are overweight - but either way - they shouldn't be shamed or bullied by others.

It sounds awful to be "resigned" to being fat. There is a huge body of evidence that suggests diets are harmful and cause weight gain in the long run, as is proved over and over again by those we know and love as well as the very people on this forum who lose and regain numerous times. For those of us who have quit dieting we not only have learned to love ourselves as who we are but are also involved in a powerful movement to help others embrace who they are and make society understand that being fat is indeed not a death sentence, that we can strive to be healthy without forcing our bodies into calorie suppression, and promote a world where fat people are not judged and ostracized. This is what I was hoping from this episode and instead we got whiny fat people and a girl on drugs complaining about her thin privilege.