Is Fat Acceptance and Weight Loss Surgery at Odds? Can the Slimosphere and Fatosphere Share Space?

Big Fat Blog is an interesting place to visit. . . .

Shame on anyone for thinking that WLS patients or advocates are sizists. I will always be that fat woman.  Always. Unfortunately she was not working for me and I am a hell of a lot more content with a light body to carry around with my degenerative arthritis, Lupus, intermittent brain swelling and joints that are too flexible . . .but most of all I am happy to have lost the burden of shame and ridicule -most of which is disguised in everyday interaction. 

Unless you have a hidden camera or recording device you'll have no idea what they say about you behind your back! 

A few years back I sat on a committee where we interviewed applicant for a therapist position.  
Joyce was big, really big but by far she was the best choice- as fora as I was concerned.  The group met on a Sunday over breakfast while we went though the applications.  No one in the group knew me as the 300-pounder I once was or they wouldn't have said what they did that morning.

"Joyce obviously can't handle anyone with an eating disorder," giggled Sandy.  I knew Sandy did have an eating disorder, bulimia, one she kept hidden form our group but I smelled when she left the bathroom with puke on her breath.

"Oh my God, can you imagine going out to lunch with her," laughed Terry. I ate lunch with terry for years; she was a cheap bitch who never paid her share, ate of my plate and then had the nerve to sneak money from the tip.

As they went around the table I had time to search my purse for my business card, the one i use when i run weight groups.  I keep them on me, one side shows me at in underwear, topping the scales at 300+ and the other side half of me.  Under the pictures is the sentence: Which Woman Would You Hire as Your Therapist? 

I flipped the picture-card out, threw down a $20 and left.
Joyce was hired. The truth and the saddest fact is that FAT ME was just as good in every way as THIN ME.  I wasn't as big a woman as Joyce to shoulder what society dished out.

I admire all of you for holding up that banner some of us couldn't.

By-the-way, I left the practice and so did Joyce.  We remain wonderful friends.    

Al Rocker, Chris Christie and FAT Politics: STOP the Blame!

Today Show host,  Al Roker, debuted his memoir Never Goin' Back: Winning the Weight-Loss Battle For Good,  he revealed two of the worst comments he has faced.  First, he cheated willpower by having weight loss surgery.  Second, people liked him better when he was fat.

In February 2013,  New Jersey Governor Chris Christie fired back at a former White House doctor who called attention to his weight. "It's almost a like a time bomb waiting to happen unless he addresses those issues before running for office," Connie Mariano said. 

Christie called her comment "out of line."

The Obese can't win!  They are damned if they do and damned if they don't.

Millions of opinions later the public is still divided—is it bullying to ask someone to shape up and get healthy?  The public says, "no!" Can it disqualify one from the Presidency?  They say, "yes!"  Does weight loss surgery cheat willpower and make one less of a person?  The public screams, "absolutely!"  Dieting is a solitary effort but few realize what the social world feeds the obese us.  Society vilifies the obese and reminiscent of the early AIDS epidemic, holds them directly accountable.  After all, you can choose what you put in your mouth.

How much do we vilify the obese?

In a study of attitudes on obesity Glen Gaesser revealed  that college students would chose to marry a criminal, embezzler, drug user, shoplifter, or blind person rather than a fat person.  Over half of young women would rather be run over by a truck than be obese and two-thirds would rather be stupid or mean than fat.

·         46% would give a year of life

·         30% would rather go through a divorce

·         35% would rather be severely depressed

·         24% would give up three years of life

64% of all Americans are overweight.  Shockingly even some of the overweight and obese derogate  each other.  There is always someone worse off.  

TIP: Is it any wonder why we self-loath when we gain weight?  YOU many not be the failure. Punch society for some of that contribution.