Militant Fat People

[randman]

A snippet from the "fat people article". Every time I read crap like this it pisses me off.

http://www.slate.com/id/2128999/?GT1=7407

What is clear is that not all fat citizens are obediently jumping on the diet bandwagon: A growing number are organizing to demand that society transform its bodily ideals, instead of agreeing that they should try to transform their bodies.

The best-known of the fat activist groups is the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA), but there are dozens of others, from the Fat Underground, which devotes itself to disrupting Weight Watchers meetings with pro-fat guerrilla theater, to rabble-rousing zines like Fat!So?, "for people who don't apologize for their size." Read though these Web sites and manifestos and you encounter a political movement in the making, one that a lot of us overfed Americans may soon be thinking about joining.

[Fahd]

I agree, the point is it IS their fault that they are fat. They don't count calories, have shitty diet and not exercise.

You can't solve the problem unless you admit there's a problem in the first place.

Fahd

[JaHolla42]

Why would it be cool to be fat? It goes back to the age old adage of "if Bobby jumped off of a bridge, would you jump too?

Top Ten Reasons why Fat is not Cool

1. You must wear a muumuu and shower curtain for clothes
2. No one will have sex with you
3. You waddle when you walk
4. You actually spend more money at McDonalds on a Super-Sized #5 than on a good steak
5. You know your ass smells terrible
6. Your hands and fingers look like small (or sometimes large) sausages
7. People make fun of you and point and laugh
8. Ankle fat lays over the tops of your shoes
9. You must buy a car you can fit into, the ol' Ford Escort won't work
10. YOU WILL NEVER BE COOL, WHOEVER TOLD YOU THAT YOU WERE WAS LYING TO YOU

Down with the fatasses of society...If we sent all of them to an deserted island, would they just sink? Or would the boat sink before it got there? Or does it really matter?

[Mowgli]

Well, it's not like these people have very long to live. I guess that's one positive note.

It's one thing to be fat, but it's another to try to stay fat or obese for the sake of it. I don't imagine these people are very bright or edumacated.

On the other hand, between now and the time they die (soon hopefully) I don't know why they should expect me to pay taxes that go into their health care.

I say no health care assitance to them until they lose some weight.

[alkamite]

"Doesn't wanting to lose weight mean giving into self-hatred? (Or, as the militant put it: Should blacks desire to be white and thus give into racism?)"

that statement's a little ballsy, don't you think? if you want to be fat, be fat. but don't expect any special treatment because of it.

[jsbrook]

I sort of understand their rationale to a degree. Not everyone is like most of the people on this site nor should they be. And it's one thing to rebel against these cookie cutter body images in the media. Not everyone wants to be or should be a hardbody. But take it past a certain point (and it's really not that big a point) and it's just unhealthy. Not to mention unattractive. And the genetics argument is bullshit too. Of course some people have to work harder to maintain a healthy weight than others. But that doesn't mean they shouldn't do it.

[jsbrook]

Mowgli wrote:
Well, it's not like these people have very long to live. I guess that's one positive note.

It's one thing to be fat, but it's another to try to stay fat or obese for the sake of it. I don't imagine these people are very bright or edumacated.

On the other hand, between now and the time they die (soon hopefully) I don't know why they should expect me to pay taxes that go into their health care.

I say no health care assitance to them until they lose some weight.

Exactly how are you paying into their health care? Although I suppose it's different in Canada. Here, people who are at unhealthy weights, smoke, have heart conditions, etc... pay higher premiums for health insurance

[Fahd]

Mowgli wrote:
Well, it's not like these people have very long to live. I guess that's one positive note.

It's one thing to be fat, but it's another to try to stay fat or obese for the sake of it. I don't imagine these people are very bright or edumacated.

On the other hand, between now and the time they die (soon hopefully) I don't know why they should expect me to pay taxes that go into their health care.

I say no health care assitance to them until they lose some weight.

Interesting point, I believe there should be taxation on junk food like tobacco and alcohol tax.

The social cost of junk food is just too great.

Fahd

[Lonnie123]

This is just rediculous. Its fat assholes that don't want to change their lifestyle trying to justify being a fat asshole. Thats all there is to it. Its like Shugart said: You have every right to be fat, and we have every right to point and laugh at your fat ass. If you're taking up two seats on an airplane, your ass is paying for two seats, literally.

Why do we try to cure cancer? Or any disease for that matter? Its not healthy, and it leads to a lower quality of life and even death. Why can't these people see that?

[etaco]

fahd wrote:

Interesting point, I believe there should be taxation on junk food like tobacco and alcohol tax.

The social cost of junk food is just too great.

Fahd

That point has come up before but it will never happen in this country. The packaged food industry (think Proctor & Gamble) may be the single most powerful lobbying force in the US. No congressman would dare touch this one unless they had a career death wish. We can all think of plenty of weaker industries and products with which they'll happily meddle though...

[Mowgli]

Yea, I forgot to point that out. We pay for free health care through high taxes.

Though I can't really related to being fat and wanting to lose weight (I've never been considered fat) I do sympathize with fat people who not only want to lose weight, but are willing to put in the effort.
The people in the article show no willingness to get healthy so I really don't sympathize with them.

[jsbrook]

fahd wrote:
Mowgli wrote:
Well, it's not like these people have very long to live. I guess that's one positive note.

It's one thing to be fat, but it's another to try to stay fat or obese for the sake of it. I don't imagine these people are very bright or edumacated.

On the other hand, between now and the time they die (soon hopefully) I don't know why they should expect me to pay taxes that go into their health care.

I say no health care assitance to them until they lose some weight.

Interesting point, I believe there should be taxation on junk food like tobacco and alcohol tax.

The social cost of junk food is just too great.

Fahd

Hail Hitler. Nice to know that facism is thriving.

[jsbrook]

Mowgli wrote:
Yea, I forgot to point that out. We pay for free health care through high taxes.

Though I can't really related to being fat and wanting to lose weight (I've never been considered fat) I do sympathize with fat people who not only want to lose weight, but are willing to put in the effort.
The people in the article show no willingness to get healthy so I really don't sympathize with them.

I don't sympathize with those particular people either. Because they are grossly and defiantly obese and trying to delude themselves into thinking it's admirable and they're just 'being who they are.' But then, they really don't want our sympathy.

[Fahd]

jsbrook wrote:

Hail Hitler. Nice to know that facism is thriving.

How is that facism? Anyone who studied economics know there is a thing called demerit goods, basically goods that would incur great social costs.

Taxing junk food would increase its price and hence reduce the amount of people consuming them. This would benefit the nation as a whole.

Fahd

[The3toedSloth]

How about not serving fat people in restaraunts? If you've had too much in the bar, the server is supposed to say, "I'm sorry sir, I think you've had enough......... "

Fat guy walks into the restaraunt, maitre d takes one look at him and says, "I'm sorry sir, I think you've had enough......."

\|/ 3Toes

[Mowgli]

jsbrook wrote:
Hail Hitler. Nice to know that facism is thriving.

I guess you didn't see it this way, but the part about people dying is a joke. Although I really don't have a lot of patience for these people.

When I used the word sympathize, I didn't mean feeling sorry for someone. I meant it more in a context of recognizing their cause as legitimate and worthy. Interpreted this way, they would like us to be sympathetic to their cause.

[frisbee]

Exactly how are you paying into their health care? Although I suppose it's different in Canada. Here, people who are at unhealthy weights, smoke, have heart conditions, etc... pay higher premiums for health insurance

A disportionate of poor people are overweight. Same group that does not have health care. So you have two things happen: More medicare and similar programs need money, and (2) They go to the hospital without insurance, hospital has to treat them, they don't get paid, and the cost gets passed on to you as higher costs and premiums.

[Lorisco]

randman wrote:
A snippet from the "fat people article". Every time I read crap like this it pisses me off.

http://www.slate.com/id/2128999/?GT1=7407

What is clear is that not all fat citizens are obediently jumping on the diet bandwagon: A growing number are organizing to demand that society transform its bodily ideals, instead of agreeing that they should try to transform their bodies.

The best-known of the fat activist groups is the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA), but there are dozens of others, from the Fat Underground, which devotes itself to disrupting Weight Watchers meetings with pro-fat guerrilla theater, to rabble-rousing zines like Fat!So?, "for people who don't apologize for their size." Read though these Web sites and manifestos and you encounter a political movement in the making, one that a lot of us overfed Americans may soon be thinking about joining.

Maybe we should form the National Association for Heat Disease Acceptance (NAHDA) to keep those dam doctors from telling us we are going to die. We need to be accepted and proud of our heart disease.

Maybe we should just keep silent and let the fat ass association be accepted and then let them die. Then they will all be dead and gone and we can go on with our meaningful lives that don't revolve around Big Macs and Twinkies.

[jsbrook]

fahd wrote:
jsbrook wrote:

Hail Hitler. Nice to know that facism is thriving.

How is that facism? Anyone who studied economics know there is a thing called demerit goods, basically goods that would incur great social costs.

Taxing junk food would increase its price and hence reduce the amount of people consuming them. This would benefit the nation as a whole.

Fahd

I can POSSIBILY (not necessarily) see taxing on stuff like chips and candy and snack foods. Not on things like Easy Mac and frozen pizza and the like. Certain foods that are very cheap to feed your family on and arguably not particularly healthy. Not everyone can afford to eat lots of fruit and vegetables, fish, olive oil, and lean protein. Poor people need to eat too.

[jsbrook]

Mowgli wrote:
jsbrook wrote:
Hail Hitler. Nice to know that facism is thriving.

I guess you didn't see it this way, but the part about people dying is a joke. Although I really don't have a lot of patience for these people.

When I used the word sympathize, I didn't mean feeling sorry for someone. I meant it more in a context of recognizing their cause as legitimate and worthy. Interpreted this way, they would like us to be sympathetic to their cause.

I was really talking about putting a 'sin' tax on junk food.