Poll of the Day > It makes my blood boil when ppl claim fat shaming is done to benefit the target

(+) Yeah! (+)

Was just watching a YouTube video on the topic and it just soured my mood. You know the type of person I'm sure.

And when pushed back for fat shaming they walk it back saying things like,

"It's to encourage people to lose weight"
or
"I just want people be more healthy"

No you fucking don't, because everyone knows shaming doesn't help. And if you did want to help you'd offer nonjudgmental advice instead of unsolicited mean and ultimately unhelpful remarks about how you're disgusted someone's body.

It's no more than bullying, and it seems to mostly be done by people who have never struggled with their weight. But not always, even some overweight people will rudely target others larger than they are.

A bully will be a bully will be a bully.

---

Clench281 posted...

No you fucking don't, because everyone knows shaming doesn't help.

No they don't, many people think being abusive is okay when a person needs help or can be perceived as lazy. I don't know how or why people come to this conclusion, my guess is because they are incredibly stupid and uneducated.

No amount of shaming or encouragement made me try to lose weight. I had to want to lose it for myself for it to actually happen

---

It sometimes is. It makes my blood when people pretend to know every single person's motivation, especially when that person making the claim about knowing everybody's motivation is generally fucking clueless and previously made a topic where he quadrupled down on the fact that he didn't understand that meathead had multiple negative connotations.

Clench281 posted...

No you fucking don't, because everyone knows shaming doesn't help.

Which is also patently wrong, because a lot of weight loss is driven by social pressure, making that the second (or third) ignorant blanket statement you've made in the topic.

Clench281 posted...

And if you did want to help you'd offer nonjudgmental advice instead of unsolicited mean and ultimately unhelpful remarks about how you're disgusted someone's body.

There seems to be a word missing in the sentence. That said, the point is stupid either way, since "offering nonjudgmental advice" about diet or weight is itself offensive, and often more obnoxious than outright criticizing somebody's weight.

Clench281 posted...

But not always, even some overweight people will rudely target others larger than they are.

Which is a completely separate stupid complaint. I fully imagine you must think anybody who drinks loses the right to criticize people for drinking to excess.

---

Zeus posted...

It makes my blood when people pretend to know every single person's motivation, especially when that person is generally fucking clueless.

There seems to be a word missing in the sentence.

I didn't read the rest


---

Amazing. It updated despite me quoting it before you fixed it. makes me wonder exactly how that works.

Oh lol it's still missing nvm

---

Clench281 posted...

There seems to be a word missing in the sentence.

I didn't read the rest

There wasn't a word missing, but I edited it for further clarity while you were posting to call out a very specific kind of clueless person.

Zeus posted...

It sometimes is. It makes my blood when people pretend to know every single person's motivation, especially when that person making the claim about knowing everybody's motivation is generally fucking clueless and previously made a topic where he quadrupled down on the fact that he didn't understand that meathead had multiple negative connotations.

---

Let me guess

Zeus came in to defend fat shaming

---

Zeus posted...

It sometimes is. It makes my blood when people pretend to know every single person's motivation

When well-intentioned efforts end up causing more harm than good because of preventable ignorance, any good intent behind them is nullified by not caring enough about the matter or the people involved to figure out how to do it properly. Good intentions that end up being harmful because of laziness are only marginally better than malice.

---

Zeus posted...

There wasn't a word missing

Zeus posted...

It makes my blood when

That could be the entirety of what you meant to say, but given your infatuation with trying to spin people's word choices against them and the fact that this really isn't a context where the manufacturing of blood is particularly relevant, I'm pretty comfortable assuming you left out a verb.

---

And if anyone here can speak to manufacturing blood, we know that's me.

---

Clench281 posted...

And if anyone here can speak to manufacturing blood, we know that's me.

Excuse you. I've manufactured way more blood than you. #straightdonorprivilege

---

adjl posted...

That could be the entirety of what you meant to say, but given your infatuation with trying to spin people's word choices against them and the fact that this really isn't a context where the manufacturing of blood is particularly relevant, I'm pretty comfortable assuming you left out a verb.

Oh shit, I guess there was. Whoops.

---

Also, Zeus, just fyi you forgot to log into your Kirby account before trying unsuccessfully with the meathead thing. Do try to pay attention to these things unless you're trying to lift the veil

---

Clench281 posted...

Was just watching a YouTube video on the topic

Bill Maher?

People forget that it's not always the individuals fault; our extensive use of DDT in the 20th century has had a permanent effect on our epigenetics, and causes (among other things) obesity in otherwise healthy individuals. You may have never been exposed yourself, but it's cumulative, so if your parents or grandparents were exposed, then you and your children, and their children, etc, will suffer from the effects of DDT poisoning.

---

No. But I do find Bill Maher to be obnoxious.

---

To my knowledge, the relationship between DDT and obesity has only been evaluated on animals fed ad libitum which is known to promote fat gain. And that diet style is atypical for wild animals. It would be interesting to see if DDT exposure retains any relationship to obesity on a time-restricted feeding schedule.

---

He's been on a tear about it the past couple of years but fails to understand the systemic nature that fuels the obesity epidemic in America. He is right about the correlation between obesity and poor overall health, but he seems to think it's entirely a matter of personal responsibility while ignoring that it's more profitable to sell junk food, that many people live in food deserts, and people have been brought up disconnected on how food works.

---

Quirks and Quarks did an episode on the long term effects of DDT recently:

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/quirks/jun-19-fish-out-of-water-get-smarter-a-star-s-disappearing-act-echidna-s-4-headed-penis-and-more-1.6070028/ sick-legacy-how-ddt-exposure-from-the-past-can-affect-many-generations-to-come-1.6070030

[remove the space before "sick"]

---

Clench281 posted...

Also, Zeus, just fyi you forgot to log into your Kirby account before trying unsuccessfully with the meathead thing. Do try to pay attention to these things unless you're trying to lift the veil

A heavily gimmicked alt account is accusing me of being another poster. Cute. Go back to the original topic -- Helly will help you find it -- and remind yourself who took you to task for your stupidity at the time.

CENSOR BYPASS POSTED...

People forget that it's not always the individuals fault; our extensive use of DDT in the 20th century has had a permanent effect on our epigenetics, and causes (among other things) obesity in otherwise healthy individuals. You may have never been exposed yourself, but it's cumulative, so if your parents or grandparents were exposed, then you and your children, and their children, etc, will suffer from the effects of DDT poisoning.

Do you have some additional reading for that? Because I'm not seeing reputable sources making those claims. The CDC article I checked doesn't list it, nor does the EPA. I even wound up checking the Canadian government's health system without any luck.

https://www.hss.gov.nt.ca/sites/hss/files/resources/contaminants-fact-sheets-ddt.pdf

Clench281 posted...

But I do find Bill Maher to be obnoxious.

Doesn't everybody? After all, he speaks in universal terms and sometimes says crap about his blood boiling over stuff. I mean, is there any more obnoxious behavior?

CENSOR BYPASS POSTED...

He's been on a tear about it the past couple of years but fails to understand the systemic nature that fuels the obesity epidemic in America. He is right about the correlation between obesity and poor overall health, but he seems to think it's entirely a matter of personal responsibility while ignoring that it's more profitable to sell junk food, that many people live in food deserts, and people have been brought up disconnected on how food works.

Even if your argument is "obesity is caused by junk food!" (which is kinda ignorant, but whatever), it overlooks the fact that people *choose* to eat junk food, etc. For the vast majority of people who are overweight, there's definitely a large amount of choice involved.

Beyond that, the nation's general approach to health vs weight is generally backward because we rely on metrics like BMI which were *never* intended to used the way we're using them, and in a best-case scenario the actual correlation is generally that people who are overweight tend to have other negative health habits rather than the weight being a direct issue although even there it's highly flawed because BMI was *never* a good predictor of fat level and we have actual technology for that which isn't being used.

---

If you're that upset over BMI because it classifies you as overweight, I'd be happy to offer you some dietary and fitness advice.

---

Zeus posted...

Do you have some additional reading for that?

https://cebp.aacrjournals.org/content/30/8/1480

The link above for quirks and quarks is basically it, (remove the space) but this is the study itself from Michele La Merrill of UC Davis, who can be reached here:

https://biology.ucdavis.edu/people/michele-la-merrill

Zeus posted...

it overlooks the fact that people *choose* to eat junk food,

Is it really a choice when junk food is all the local bodega, and only accessable grocery store, offers? Is it really a choice that children grew into adults eating only junk food? Yes there is a personal responsibility element, but there is also a systemic issue of denying poor people access to healthy food, and raising children on fast, quick, unhealthy meals.


---

Zeus posted...

because we rely on metrics like BMI which were *never* intended to used the way we're using them,

That I agree with. My body shape is not intended for use with the BMI, and why I was classed as obese even when I was Olympian quality athlete.

---

What I need is more self motivation. It gets hot outside and I dont want to do anything but just sit and chill

---

I mean telling a 600 pound person to maybe cut back on the triple cheeseburgers for lunch AND dinner so they don't die is a thing

---

I shame fat people because it's gross, but also I want to counteract enablers who are being actively unhelpful.
---

Zareth posted...

I mean telling a 600 pound person to maybe cut back on the triple cheeseburgers for lunch AND dinner so they don't die is a thing

nah not really. it doesn't affect you

---

Mead posted...

What I need is more self motivation. It gets hot outside and I dont want to do anything but just sit and chill

I use a treadmill in an air conditioned room while browsing Reddit or watching YouTube

---

Zareth posted...

I mean telling a 600 pound person to maybe cut back on the triple cheeseburgers for lunch AND dinner so they don't die is a thing

someone eating like that with that kind of weight has some serious issues going on and they need some real professional help to figure out what is wrong and what step are best to correct the mindset that has resulted in their lifestyle and poor health

making cruel statements or laughing at them are likely just going to make things worse

---

Kyuubi4269 posted...

I shame fat people because it's gross, but also I want to counteract enablers who are being actively unhelpful.

I think that you are simply awful most of the time and should be ashamed of who you have decided to be as a person. I think you are filled with an unhealthy amount of hatred.

---

Mead posted...

I think that you are simply awful most of the time and should be ashamed of who you have decided to be as a person. I think you are filled with an unhealthy amount of hatred.

Nobody cares what you think
---

Ive only blatantly fat shamed two people that I can remember and that was genuinely to help them as well as all of us around them, and it was more of last ditch Hail Mary attempt to convince them to lose weight.

generally, I try to treat a persons weight as their personal business until it starts to become my business.

Mead posted...

someone eating like that with that kind of weight has some serious issues going on and they need some real professional help to figure out what is wrong and what step are best to correct the mindset that has resulted in their lifestyle and poor health

making cruel statements or laughing at them are likely just going to make things worse

Pretty much. Nobody makes healthy weight loss decisions out of shame. Feelings of shame just promote eating disorders.

Kyuubi4269 posted...

I shame fat people because it's gross, but also I want to counteract enablers who are being actively unhelpful.

"I just enjoy making fun of people when I know they can't tell me I'm wrong."

---

Shaming can actually be a great way to motivate people. Not everyone is a big sensitive baby

OhhhJa posted...

Shaming can actually be a great way to motivate people. Not everyone is a big sensitive baby

If people find motivation in shaming, it's in spite of the feelings of shame you're trying to create, not because of it. That means you can provide that motivation without trying to create feelings of shame, presuming you're actually trying to motivate them and not just coming up with a flimsy justification for wanting to insult them.

---

Eh works in every other aspect of life.

OhhhJa posted...

Shaming can actually be a great way to motivate people.

Maybe, but there are still better ways to motivate that don't require making someone feel like garbage.

jiffdiff posted...

Maybe, but there are still better ways to motivate that don't require making someone feel like garbage.

Honestly, depends entirely on the person. Some people won't respond to anything else

I just don't want obese people to preach its healthy to be obese.


---

CarefreeDude posted...

I just don't want obese people to preach its healthy to be obese.

Do people actually do this though

CoorsLight posted...

Do people actually do this though

someone did on Twitter a couple times

and it has fueled a lifetime of outrage out of many wild gentlemen

---

As someone who did lose a lot of weight because of shaming it didn't really stick. And the methods I used have caused damage to my body that cannot be fixed.

It is unhealthy motivation and positive reinforcement is unilaterally better.

---

Being "healthy" is very complicated anyway. Lots of elite athletes do things that are actually terrible for their body in the long run, or just general people who try to get in shape. And plenty of people are "naturally" skinny even if they actually eat like crap.

Now of course regardless of what is healthy, it's pretty universal that obesity is unhealthy, but I think it's less about painting it as healthy and more about not overwhelming people with more negativity. And people also get fat shamed in much more marginal cases but it's debatable if being slightly overweight is all that unhealthy

In the distant past fat people were deeply respected and they could do some basic spells

---

If people were trying to be supportive they would actually be supportive and not shit on others.

Fat shaming hurts, but 'fat acceptance' isn't a good alternative. We need to have serious discussions in the US and elsewhere about obesity. It is a still-growing threat and a main risk factor and comorbidity of the biggest killers in the west: heart disease, cancer, respiratory illness, and diabetes.

It's literally the number 1 threat to your health in the west, and it's not something we should throw our hands in the air and accept. Our food is NOT optimal in any way shape or form. Watch the documentary "King Corn" or just look into how much we subsidize our farmland to make nutritionally useless corn that gets ground into corn syrup to fuel the low low prices of highly fattening foods and snacks.

---

but also, candy is good

---

Doe posted...

Watch the documentary "King Corn"

I've not seen it myself, but I assume it goes into how humans don't digest corn fully, in addition to the federal subsidies to big ag.

Mead posted...

but also, candy is good

Sure, but we don't have to use corn syrup to make it.

---

I love corn

I have tortilla chips basically every day

---

Clench281 posted...

I love corn

That's the sugar talking.

Clench281 posted...

I have tortilla chips basically every day

That's bad, can I interest you in a potato? Yukon Gold, great for chips.

---