I'm so sick of hearing people talk trash about skinny girls and praise large and in charge women. Don't people realize that being obese is VERY unhealthy? Just as bad as anorexia?
I think it's ridiculous that this sort of unhealthy behavior is being condoned, even catered to. I mean plus-size avatars?! WTF?! Especially in light of the fact that america is the fattest country on earth and diseases like diabetes and heart disease are on the rise it seems really innapropriate to tell people that "big is beautiful".
It's so taboo to say anything against an overweight individual, but it's completely acceptable to say how obnoxious skinny girls are.
Tell me, how did this happen?
2006-08-07 18:56:09 · 14 answers · asked by Anonymous in Beauty & Style ➔ Skin & Body
I'm not trying to offend anyone. It just troubles me that unhealthy and dangerous behaviors like obesity are being condoned by society. We don't allow people to starve themselves to death, so why are we letting them eat themselves to death?
2006-08-07 19:05:33 · update #1
Okay..Okay. I understand. As an overweight person myself, I appreciate your comments. The answer is not a simple one.
Fat people are maligned every day. For instance, I hate shopping for jeans. The constant looks from everyone and the repeatedly trying to find your size (and often failing, or seeing you have gone up a size...or four) is very detrimental to a person's ego or self worth.
The term "big is beautiful" is a way for overweight people to psychologically deal with those types of stresses. It allows them to start to gain some semblance of self worth. You know the idea-if you say it enough times, you will start to believe it. Personally, I feel this is a cop-out and people are really lying to themselves so they feel they don't have to change the way they live their lives. However, the psychological boost could give a few people the empowerment they need to make those changes.
Do they believe it is healthy? No, I doubt it. Unfortunately, people again use the idea of "big is beautiful" as an excuse NOT to change their eating/exercise habits.
I understand the taboo about saying anything against overweight people as well. We don't want to hurt their feelings, and we...blah blah blah. We all know the story. What you are seeing is overweight people, or older people, or whomever being jealous and comparing themselves to skinny people. Again, self loathing. Putting people down, makes themselves feel better about themselves. However, we have to think about how overweight people are treated by skinny people. It is very similar to how non-smokers treat smokers. There is resentment there of some kind or another.
Should overweight people do this to skinny people. No. Does it happen. Unfortunately, yes. It is probably just a fact of life. My advice, ignore it, or if you have to put up with it from a friend, confront them with it and find other ways of complimenting them, and the snide comments should decrease.
2006-08-07 19:19:07 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
It's called backlash.
For years, only a few had a real problem with obesity, and they were subject to unapologetic and out and out ridicule, and even cruelty. The problem is that currently, the numbers of people are becoming obese.
With the numbers of overweight people increasing, they now have a voice.
Despite "political correctness", overweight individuals battle not only themselves in an effort to lose, but a society that is obsessed with unnatural and unattainable beauty.
Even though fashion magazines readily admit that their models have been enhanced not only surgically (sometimes) but with computers as well (constantly!!), average ordinary people still strive to match that ideal.
As a result, the average individual has been socialized to scorn overweight people, and to envy the slender, feeling negative feelings toward both.
An overweight person will struggle with self-esteem, body issues, and self-acceptance before ever dealing with the weight itself.
Some feel that building self-acceptance as they are will help them achieve their weight loss goals. So there is the "Big is Beautiful" theroy. As long as it is used as a weight loss tool and not as an excuse to damage someone else, it is acceptable.
You are correct. Obesity is just as harmful to health as smoking is.
But more often, an overweight person faces many more issues in their health dilemma, and to ridicule, shame, or humiliate such a person is cruel and just plain mean.
The same goes for those who suffer from eating disorders such as anorexia nervousa and bulemia.
American society and media thrive on human insecurities, and need to become more accepting of individuals and real problems, not CGI gloss.
Have a great day!
2006-08-08 02:35:29 · answer #2 · answered by mithril 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Overweight people are tired of being constantly made fun of. People are rude to us every minute of every day. No one wants to take the time to know or hire an overweight person. The only clothes made for us are ugly. Everyone assumes that we're lazy and we eat like pigs but it's not true. I work out 3 times a week for over an hour and half my meals are Slim-fast shakes.
The point of the "big is beautiful" movement isn't about health or trashing skinny people. It's about not judging people's inner self by their outer selves.
Personally I've never heard anyone "trash talking" skinny people in favor of overweight people--except those skinny people who hate and attack overweight people just because of what they look like.
2006-08-08 07:15:06 · answer #3 · answered by Rosie Young 5 · 3⤊ 1⤋
It's just empowerment for overweight people. It's not necessarily condoning obesity, just letting overweight people know they can be beautiful too. I think anorexia has been associated with skinny rich girls and models and it upsets an obese country to see people who are in their ideal size trying to get smaller.
2006-08-08 02:05:34 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
"It's so taboo to say anything against an overweight individual, but it's completely acceptable to say how obnoxious skinny girls are."
I agree - how does this make sense?
2006-08-08 16:02:46 · answer #5 · answered by Mary 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
People should be accepted just as they are even with their flaws. What ever they maybe...No one is perfect. It's up to them if they want to change or not. If they are happy with themselves the way they are then who is anyone to judge?
2006-08-08 02:02:26 · answer #6 · answered by ♥ jojo ♥ 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I totally agree with what you just said. I'm tired of "overweight" people at my school throwing food at me and saying I'm anorexic cause I'm not...It's called being healthy! The people who believe that big is beautiful are in denial of the fact that they're more unhealthy then thin people. I'm 5'5" and do track and cross country but at my lightest I'm 95 lbs. but at least I'm healthy and have muscle...People should concentrate on being healthy, not skinny or fat.
2006-08-08 02:03:26 · answer #7 · answered by SuperGurlie 3 · 3⤊ 2⤋
who says that skinny girls are abonoxious? who really cares? i think that people shoud feel good about themselves no matter what they look like. live and let live....i have more important things to worry about.
2006-08-08 02:07:02 · answer #8 · answered by bumblebee 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
beauty is in the eye of the beholder; some ppl like it skinny and some like it fat, but whatever their choices may be, we let them be.
2006-08-08 02:00:16 · answer #9 · answered by The Punisher 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I don't know, but i totally agree with you. I think people are just too lazy to actually do something about their obesity, so they force the majority of us normal sized people to cater to them. It pretty messed up if you ask me
2006-08-08 02:01:55 · answer #10 · answered by Mr. Mojo Rising 3 · 4⤊ 3⤋