Some quick facts from the World Health Organization:

-Worldwide obesity has more than doubled since 1980.

-39% of adults aged 18 years and over (1.9 billion adults) were overweight in 2014, and 13% were obese (600 million).

-42 million children under the age of 5 were overweight or obese in 2013.

-Obesity is preventable.


It's an established fact that there's no such thing as "healthy fat", you can't be overweight without harming your health in some form or another.

Despite this, a "fat acceptance" movement has emerged in recent years in an attempt to spread the message that it's okay to be fat and no one should be shamed for it, but is this harmful to society? Should we not strive to be as healthy as possible even if it means making people feel bad for making poor life decisions? Or is it more important to accept people for who they are despite their unhealthy lifestyle?

I'm fat and I certainly think I should be accepted, even glamorized or sexualized by society.

On a serious note, childhood obesity is a serious issue. I was not overweight as a child, and only became so as an adult. I think children need to be forced into physical activity and keep them healthy, but I don't think the same can be applied to adults. If it is an adult's choice to be unhealthy, then you don't need to approve of it, but I don't think anyone has the right to take it upon themselves to set it right.

The same can be said of smokers or excessive drinkers. BUT, I am also vehemently against "fat acceptance". I don't think anyone at any point in life should be told that being fat is 'ok'. It should be along the lines of "Its fucking dangerous, but if you're going to do it, you're a big guy/girl, make your own choices and live with it". I find both fat acceptance AND fat shaming equally pointless to a society of adults.

Is there a line, though? Society is accepting of drinking and smoking in moderation but if you're abusing it to the point where it significantly impairs your health and well-being, it's no longer socially acceptable to defend that behavior. I don't see much of a difference between a serious alcoholic who drinks every single day and someone who's 300 pounds overweight and needs a motorized scooter just to heft it around. Sure I can respect their decision as a self-motivated adult to eat themselves halfway to death but obesity rates are absurd and place an extreme burden on the health care system which we all wind up paying for one way or another. Should this simply be tolerated or should we shame people for choosing to do these things to themselves like we do for drug addicts?

For me it's simple:
Don't be mean or a dick to a person because they're fat, but don't approve of it either. There's no need to "shame" them as in directly telling them that they suck, we should only constantly remind them of how they're basically ruining themselves with the facts and figures and raising awareness. There's more diseases and ailments than you can imagine that are linked to obesity in one way or the other. There's also the fact that the chances of a fat person getting a mate or partner are much lower due to the way we are hard wired to find a healthy body as attractive. I'm pretty sure all this should get to the mind of a sensible adult.

I think they already get shamed enough, people who are fat are not oblivious to it. Its always there, chairs don't fit, stairs are harder, the opposite gender is harder to get. There is a line, though in my opinion. You need to be able to walk 3 miles on your own two feet, non-stop. Every single day. If you are fit enough to do that, be as fat as you wish.

Healthcare is a good point, but we'll need to find a way to standardize it more. I think fat people (people who are chubby but who function like everyone else on the outset) should be on the same keel as smokers and drinkers. I think people who are obese enough to a point where they cannot perform a regular task should definitely be taken to drug addict level, and I think some kind of detox/rehab place should be instituted for extreme cases.

Its a touchy topic because eating and overeating is often a case of emotional withdrawal and shaming often only leads to even worse eating habits in the privacy of their home when no one is around. Because any fattening food can be made freely and legally at home, it can't be on the same level as shaming drug addicts.

I feel like most of the reason younger generations are experiencing an overweight issue is because their parents weren't properly educated in nutrition, they weren't exposed to as much physical activities as older generations were such as playing outside (I blame the growth in technology), and throw that into the mix with laziness and impatience and you will get an obesity issue. I'm a pretty big dude, probably somewhere around 195-200 pounds again since I've been back from deployment (American food kicks ass), but I can also do a lot of things physically that most people skinnier than me couldn't do. Honestly, I fucking loathe myself for getting this out of shape and seriously want to lose a good 15+ pounds by the end of the year. The reason I bring this up is because I feel as if most overweight people really want to be fit or lose enough weight to go down a few pant sizes because it makes you feel kick ass. Most people don't know how to lose weight, though. Everyone thinks shit like dieting for a few weeks and doing some cardio a few times a week is good enough but it really fucking isn't.

All in all, this pretty much sums up what I think is wrong with people and their weight control:

I believe wholeheartedly that people get addicted to sugar. I. fucking. love. Dr Pepper. This could also explain why people are so accepting of their weight. If you try taking alcohol away from an alcoholic, they're going to lash out against you. I think being addicted to sugar could lead to less drastic results as well. The American lifestyle is a perfect example of how a bunch of bad habits can make someone overweight fast. There's so much junk food, everyone owns a car, t.v is amazing, video games are better, and computers give us porn. Literally, people can fulfill the need for social interaction without even getting out of their seats. Elementary School kids have fucking smart phones. Sure, not all young people are overweight even if they have phones and play video games and shit. What they are subconsciously learning is very sedentary lifestyle which can be deadly at an older age. The reason I use the word deadly is because of complications and diseases such as Diabetes.

We were genetically engineered to be fucking hunters who killed saber tooth tigers for food, not some fat guy who gets Papa Johns delivered to his house from online. Obviously times have changed and that's why I feel like I agree more with Nish on this in some ways. I think the term "overweight" is too widely used and if you go off of weight alone it is very vague. Technically I was "overweight" in high school when I weighed 161 pounds (1 off). I was the same height as I am now and I'll fucking tell you that if I weighed 161 pounds right now I'd look fucking jacked. People's body fat percentage should be logged rather than their height and weight because I can be 5'7" at 220lbs and be ripped the same way I could be fat as shit working at Mcdonald's. Both are considered overweight but one is healthier than the other. I do not believe in shaming for being fat/obese. I feel pity for them if anything. To answer your question, I feel it is everyone's responsibility as a part of society to be able to man the emergency exit on any form of public transportation. Furthermore, I believe everyone should be able to save themselves from harm as well as helping others who otherwise couldn't due to injuries or such. It's like that 12 Rounds movie with John Cena when he's in the elevator that's about to crash with him and the overweight guy in it. The man couldn't save himself and neither could John Cena because the guy was way too obese to be able to climb/be pulled/hold on to the side of the wall. I don't think people need to be as healthy as possible and I don't think we can shame people for poor life decisions. My parents had no clue about nutrition when they were raising me and that's part of the reason I struggled with weight in my early adulthood. I remember not being able to run for fifteen fucking seconds without feeling winded and experiencing chest pain. Going from that to being able to run five miles non-stop makes you feel fucking amazing and it's something everyone struggling with weight and fitness should be able to experience.

this is also another good example of fucked up lifestyle habits: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUEl8KrMz14

Well, I decided to reply to this because I love to stay fit (unlike most of my relatives). I have a lot of puffy-duff genes to fight...
No one should be "shamed." This, however, applies to ordinary circumstances.
If you are within about 150 extra pounds, no big deal. Yeah, its unhealthy, but its not going to make you drop dead without some other issue being present.
Once you start getting over 200 pounds overweight, then I believe a moderate level of pressure should be placed on you. Now, this does not mean personally targeted but rather issue targeted. In other words, because you are obese does not make you a bad person. However, it is going to kill you sooner or later to be this obese. This is the method used by counselors for addictive behaviours (which included eating.)

Essentially, there are two things people need to know to stay fit. One, eat a NORMAL diet. This means you need to keep well supplied with the fruits, veggies, whole grains, and lean meats. This also means that you can stop by Chic-fil-a one day for lunch once or twice a week, have a latte in the mornings, and eat a big juicy bacon-and-blue burger for dinner. The key is activity. I have a weight/calisthenics routine I do every 2 days, plus doing 30-60 mins of aerobic exercise per day. I also do active pastimes such as archery, extreme Frisbee, freestyle fighting, etc. I also spend plenty of time in front of this laptop or reading or doing various sedentary activities as well.

"All things in moderation." -- Ben Franklin.

That is the key. Yes, obesity should not be tolerated. At the same time, shaming should not be done. Yes, you need to eat healthy foods (and I don't mean all this organic and all natural stuff. Certain "organic" foods are actually less healthy than the regular foods). At the same time, eating the wonderful, bad, wonderfully-bad foods won't kill you...in moderation. Yes, you need to keep yourself active. At the same time, you don't need to run ten miles a day or spend half your afternoon at the gym. According to Hippocrate's (the Greek medical guru), I have the "Olympian" height:bodyweight ratio (no fat), and this is the pattern that I follow. (College age Male.)

In conclusion, there is no need for extremes. Period.

So if being 5'6" and 160lbs is right at the overweight margin, you're saying you don't have anything wrong with doubling their weight to 310lbs? I would literally headbutt a knife if I weighed 310lbs.

Although I think obesity and being overweight are issues, I have to say, there's a lot of bullshit here. Exile, I looked up where you got the information, which is this page. A quick overview of the page, as well as this page by the same site as verification, shows that the calculation of obesity and being overweight is calculated through the Body-Mass Index (BMI). The reason I say this is bullshit is because the BMI is inherently flawed.

The BMI calculates the "proper weight" for individuals through a system of weight/height^3, and is nothing more than a rough guide versus a true judge on someone's health. Here are three sources of at least some relative credibility:

Source 1
Source 2
Source 3

Furthermore, some proof that it's possible to remain at an "unhealthy weight" without having an excess of fat:

Source 1
Source 2

Muscle, which has greater density than Fat but takes less space, can result in one losing fat while remaining the same weight. If necessary, I'll find more claims to back up that I think this doubling statistic is bullshit, but I will say that accepting people who actually have problems with their weight isn't for the best. Body shaming is no good, but I don't see why people shouldn't be able to voice their concerns about another's health, especially in the case of children who don't exactly have much control over their diets. Making more nutrition based classes available in schooling and making it a required course with a Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory grading system (rather than the Letter system which can allow some people to simply slip through without actually retaining the information) could help improve overall health.

Also, and I've made this statement in different classes at school and have brought it up with some friends going into the medical field, I think the BMI system should either be abolished or reworked since we have more accurate technology that can better help us understand someone's physical condition.

I totally agree with you, Azure. Well said, and an excellent point.

To address Arch's question, being 310 at 5'6" is not healthy, but it is also not leathal (necessarily). It is not within the range of obesity that would indicate a terminal condition (due to fat alone). I'm not saying I am fine with it (like I said, I am at my perfect weight, and would recommend and gladly help anyone to do the same), but I'm saying that I don't need to get in your face about it, so to speak. If you are 510 or 610 at that same height, yeah, (considering I'm on the local rescue squad) I'm gonna give you a serious talking to, especially considering I will probably be seeing you in my ambulance sooner or later.

This all stems from the PC (political correct) era we're currently living in. Every child is taught that they're a special little snowflake, and instead of addressing behavioural problems (or weight problems), they're just swept under the rug. Children are taught that "everyone is a winner, whether you actually won or not". This PC crap has spawned the special snowflakes we all know as SWJs. SWJs specialize in manufacturing new reasons to be offended. This is exactly where crap like fat acceptance comes from.

In all honesty, it seems like ridicule is the only factor encouraging people/kids to lose weight. Schools need to stop being so PC, and take a more active role educating as to why being overweight is not ok. I don't remember ever learning this in health class back when I was in primary/high school

I completely agree that fitness should be an important part of school curriculum and instilled at an early age.

However... you curiously threw in the word 'people' there along with kids. Do you think its anyone's business if a grown adult wants to be fat? Its the same as smoking or drinking or not reading books or being a slob. They're only harming themselves, but its no one else's business, is it?

Quote from Nish

I completely agree that fitness should be an important part of school curriculum and instilled at an early age.

However... you curiously threw in the word 'people' there along with kids. Do you think its anyone's business if a grown adult wants to be fat? Its the same as smoking or drinking or not reading books or being a slob. They're only harming themselves, but its no one else's business, is it?

Well what I wrote is pretty much what I meant. Ridicule is the primary factor encouraging adults and kids to lose weight. I wasn't making an implication that it was someone else's business whether or not an adult is overweight.

Granted, I can think of situations where others would feel compelled to encourage adults to lose weight. National pride for example. No one likes being part of a country with the highest rates of obesity ect. Or your family members, I certainly don't like the idea of my family members dying from complications resultant from their weight. Or even just the fact that overweight people aren't pleasant to look at, or setting a bad example for children. There's multiple reasons one could nitpick, and yes it could also apply to smoking/drinking/laziness ect.

But in general, I agree, if you're an adult, it's your own business whether or not you're ok with being overweight.

Quote from Nish

Healthcare is a good point, but we'll need to find a way to standardize it more. I think fat people (people who are chubby but who function like everyone else on the outset) should be on the same keel as smokers and drinkers. I think people who are obese enough to a point where they cannot perform a regular task should definitely be taken to drug addict level, and I think some kind of detox/rehab place should be instituted for extreme cases.

Its a touchy topic because eating and overeating is often a case of emotional withdrawal and shaming often only leads to even worse eating habits in the privacy of their home when no one is around. Because any fattening food can be made freely and legally at home, it can't be on the same level as shaming drug addicts.

there are surely a lot of cases where people become overweight or obese simply due to ignorance (of how to eat well) or lack of concern (failing to realize the health risks). in these cases i think education is enough; once they've been informed of the risks, and how to avoid them, it's up to them to do what's best for themselves. "fat acceptance" is a ridiculous concept to me. i don't think fat shaming is any better either, in the same way i disagree with the idea of shaming smokers or even drug addicts. education is where it's at; if everybody is aware of the health risks and aware of how to avoid them, then to the vast majority it becomes conscious decision to be unhealthy or not, and as adults they can live the consequences of their choice.

but you've mentioned emotional issues and addiction, and i think these are important points to consider, because that's where things really aren't so much in the control of the individual any more.

in a world where everybody is happy and educated, i don't think there would be any obese people or drug addicts. apart from cases born of ignorance, both are largely products of addiction (either to unhealthy foods or drugs), and both cases are a product of how miserable our society is. while it might be possible to one day educate everybody, it unfortunately isn't possible to simply eliminate unhappiness from the world. i'm pointing this out because i think that in most cases the model we use for treating drug addiction is not appropriate or helpful, so it probably wouldn't be an appropriate or helpful model for treating obesity (that isn't the result of ignorance) either.

i watched an excellent TED talk on this topic recently which posits the idea that addiction stems from a basic need for individuals to bond with something. a healthy, happy individual in ordinary circumstances has opportunities to bond with things - other people, pets, maybe their work, or a passion such as art or music. for such people, addictions don't seem to become a problem; occasional use of an addictive substance doesn't really pose any major threat of dependency for them. some people don't get those opportunities to bond, so they instead find something else to bond with, which might be drugs or food, or some other unhealthy habit.

in other words, people become dependent on something unhealthy when they don't have anything else to depend on.

i haven't really got a solution for this situation, but telling them that it's okay to be obese definitely isn't one.

Telling people its ok to be fat is definitely a stupid thing to do. Like you said, education needs to be tightened up on that aspect, and like Cronos mentioned, it should be instilled from an early age that fitness and nutrition is an important part of life.

I do not think its fine for people to be told that its ok to be fat, but I also don't think that shaming an adult for being fat is going to solve any problems, OR that it is anyone's business to do so. If you want to be fat and die young, do so.

But I also think that ignorance is a huge problem, as Scarecrow pointed out and that people who want to lose weight should have access to that information easily.

I'm more or less repeating my points, but over the last page, I think people who skim through the conversation might assume that I was in favour of obesity-acceptance, and that isn't the case at all. I just don't think fat-acceptance OR fat-shaming is the right way to do anything with legal adults. With kids, I think they absolutely should be forced into a proper exercise regimen of some sort to stay fit. Failing to teach children the value of fitness is like failing to teach them math or science.