Fat acceptance is about the idea that fat people deserve to be treated with just as much respect as thin people. It's not about how healthy the fat person is (quite frankly, it's no one's business but theirs how healthy they are). It's about unfair judgements people make based on outward appearances. It's a sociological conversation--it's about how people interact with each other and how they SHOULD interact with each other.
Health is a separate topic which can include weight and fat, but also includes personal habits, stress levels, genetics, diseases (ranging from the common cold to cancer or AIDS), injuries of all kinds, etc. etc. etc. It's a huge topic, and also a very personal one. It's up to the person in question (regardless of weight) and a trusted doctor to determine how that person could best pursue health, and only that person can decide what he or she is willing to do to improve health. It's NOT a society-wide conversation.
I think health doesn't have a place in discussions of fat acceptance--not because it's not worth discussing, but because they're two totally different topics, and mixing them up is unhelpful to everyone. Additionally, in the end, suffering widespread bigotry because of your appearance is pretty much always a civil rights issue. End of story.
Cathy S. - 11 years ago
I answered that it's a civil rights issue, but I find myself defensively arguing that fat does not equal unhealthy and that people can be fit and fat. I expect that has a lot to do with the way fat and health are attacked by the news media--I'm trying to fight that rather than insist on an acknowledgment that fat is a civil rights issue.
Dieting is needed if a person is on a upward spiral of weight gain, but fighting that slow natural weight gain is hard and often the diets used causes more weight gain. If possible exercise instead of dieting should be used to control natural weight.
Sallie - 11 years ago
I'm torn on this one because part of me wants to vote 'no its a civil rights issue' but part of me wants to vote yes because health is very important to me personally. I think discussions of health are ok as long as we take care not to exclude the unhealthy, if that makes sense.
Fat acceptance is about the idea that fat people deserve to be treated with just as much respect as thin people. It's not about how healthy the fat person is (quite frankly, it's no one's business but theirs how healthy they are). It's about unfair judgements people make based on outward appearances. It's a sociological conversation--it's about how people interact with each other and how they SHOULD interact with each other.
Health is a separate topic which can include weight and fat, but also includes personal habits, stress levels, genetics, diseases (ranging from the common cold to cancer or AIDS), injuries of all kinds, etc. etc. etc. It's a huge topic, and also a very personal one. It's up to the person in question (regardless of weight) and a trusted doctor to determine how that person could best pursue health, and only that person can decide what he or she is willing to do to improve health. It's NOT a society-wide conversation.
I think health doesn't have a place in discussions of fat acceptance--not because it's not worth discussing, but because they're two totally different topics, and mixing them up is unhelpful to everyone. Additionally, in the end, suffering widespread bigotry because of your appearance is pretty much always a civil rights issue. End of story.
I answered that it's a civil rights issue, but I find myself defensively arguing that fat does not equal unhealthy and that people can be fit and fat. I expect that has a lot to do with the way fat and health are attacked by the news media--I'm trying to fight that rather than insist on an acknowledgment that fat is a civil rights issue.
Fat Civil Rights are the primary Issue.
Dieting is needed if a person is on a upward spiral of weight gain, but fighting that slow natural weight gain is hard and often the diets used causes more weight gain. If possible exercise instead of dieting should be used to control natural weight.
I'm torn on this one because part of me wants to vote 'no its a civil rights issue' but part of me wants to vote yes because health is very important to me personally. I think discussions of health are ok as long as we take care not to exclude the unhealthy, if that makes sense.