Fat Chicks Rule

The Cookie Cutter

Remember last week about the Japanese study that overweight people lived longer that those who weren't?  Well another study came out from Canada stated the same thing. 

How many studies do we need before it's okay to have meat on our bones or understand that being fat isn't evil.  Another study from last year said that being fat didn't necessarily mean being unhealthy, and thin doesn't always mean healthy.

To me a dangerous message is sent when fat is associated with unhealthy and thin is associated with health.  A fat person might resort to dangerous diets and surgery just to lose weight (say the author of this blog), even if that fat person has no health issues.  A thin person may think "It's okay, I'm thin" to not engage in healthy habits.  

However that being said.  If you are 'normal' or 'underweight please don't try to gain.   We live in a world (especially America) that says we must all come out of the same flawless cookie cutter.  No one is flawless.  Beauty is what society makes it.  For example another fat "venus" statue was found. She is about 35000 years ago.  She was the image of beauty back then.

So beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  Health as well.  I don't want thin to be the image of health and beauty. However I don't want fat to be that, either.  I want us to stop looking at a person and judging them.

The Good, The Bad and the Funny

The Good

It seems that Japan has done a study that shows that people in the "overweight" BMI category live the longest. And that it is more dangerous to be underweight than obese.This study was done on Japanese people between the ages of 40 to 79.  So much for dropping dead before 60.  This study was similar to ones done by the CDC which also said that people in the overweight category lived the longest.

But I say eat well and move and don't worry about your size whether it be big or small.

Check out fellow members of the Fatosphere Marianne Kirby of the Rotund and Gabrielle Gregg of Young, Fat and Fabulous on Good Morning America.  Many shots were filmed at my favorite store: Re/Dress. While Marianne and Gabrielle rock, there are some negatives aspects of the segment including the unflattering belly shots.

The Bad

Study Finds Higher Suicide Risk in Teens Who See Themselves as Overweight. This disturbs me because it's not just fat kids who are at risk but kids who think they are fat.  We keep saying we must make our kids thin, this is the result.

The Funny. (I decided to change this to give a more upbeat end).

I don't really like giving opportunist MeMe Roth any airtime.  However I just had a chuckle reading about her crusade against junk food at her children's school.  
"Her extreme methods have earned her attention before: The police were called to a Y.M.C.A. in 2007 when she absconded with the sprinkles and syrups on a table where members were being served ice cream."

MeMe Roth, sprinkle thief. Madame, if you must resort to theft, be bold: steal an ice cream truck.

Barbaric surgery

I've decided to blog today on a growing concern I'm having about the glamorization of Weight Loss Surgery. The message coming across by those who perform this life changing (although not necessarily changed for the better) procedure is "You'll get your life back!" It will cure diabetes, Sleep apnea, High BP, and even do your dishes (okay that last one isn't true).  It doesn't help that pressure comes from everywhere to lose weight or else you will die a horrible painful death. 

In the end WLS is nothing but enforced anorexia and bulimia if you eat too much.  You are forced to eat a lesser volume of food. Unlike other starvation diets, bingeing can't happen because it will probably result in vomiting (and that's not bulimia how?)  

It's toted as a cure all but what you get in exchange for the possible remission of certain diseases (the surgery has no guarantees regarding permanent remission) are higher incidences of new diseases such as malnutrition, vitamin deficiency, supplements for life, gallstones, repeat surgeries, and a new one: a double risk of fracture (although this study needs to be repeated with a larger group). Oh and weight regain and death. 

MSNBC reports that risks of getting this hack-and-slash gut reduction are often underreported.

Yet many people get the surgery knowing that it could kill them.  Is it the new lease on life they are looking for or is it freedom from a fat hating world?  Is it really health or just the appearance of it?  There is so much pressure to be thin.  And I will be honest with you.  For my entire 17 years dietitng, I said I wanted to be healthy, but really I wanted to be "pretty". 

I can't stop anyone from getting it, but please at least ignore celebrity endorsements, pushy doctors and medical companies.  Read everything about the side effects before you do it. Please remember that your stomach and intestines are major organs, the side effects may be worse than whatever medical issues you have now.

Where my money will go.

Last Saturday I went to Torrid and had a blast. This Friday I went to Re/Dress for shopping and a book reading and had a wonderful time.  A few days ago I found out some retailers were going to stop carrying plus sizes.  Ann Taylor would stop selling their size 16 in stores (BFD, They practically out of business anyway), Bloomies would carry less in their store and so on and blah blah blah.  Department stores have been having less and less plus sizes in their store. For the costs savings? Probably not.  Stores such as Macy's started removing plus sizes long before the recession. I think a lot of fat people don't shop at many of these stores because they have no idea they ever even had plus sizes.

Truth is, I think they don't want fat people in their stores.  Fatties are for the discount stores, they aren't chic.  And retailers aren't interested in changing.

So I say, don't cater to us.  That's right, Bloomies, Old Navy, Macy's, Ann Taylor, please continue to cater to the small (pun intended) supermodel population.  I'll be at Re/dress, Torrid, Lane Bryant, Marshalls, Igigi, Lee Lee's Valise.  They can have all my hard earn money.   

I'll sit back and laugh while I watch the stores that won't cater to 66% of the population struggle to survive. 

Adequate medical care.

Since I started yoyo dieting, I've suffered chronic fatigue (Which was significantly worse while losing weight).  I've seen *many* doctors about it and nothing has help me a lot.  So last week I finally saw an endocrinology to see if this fatigue issue was adrenal, thyroid or metabolism in nature.  It took me 20 minutes to make the appt and two months to see her.  In the meantime, I practiced my "I'm okay with being fat" speech.

When she came in, she asked what's wrong.  I started my speech about being fat and okay. She interrupted me.  Her eventual answer to why I am tired was disappointingly typical of medical professionals: because I am depressed and my body is working harder than it should be because I'm fat.

I think that is funny.  If my body is working harder because I'm fat, wouldn't I lose weight just from all that hard work?  Hard exercise produces endorphins which make you feel *great*, not tired. I think about fat aerobic instructors, I think of weight lifter Cheryl Haworth, I think of my fat friends who seem to have boundless energy.  I thought she was ridiculous and won't ever see her again.  

The problem is, she seems to be the rule, not the exception.  I have long had trouble finding an effective doctor who looks beyond my fat.  I've also heard horror stories of doctor's refusing to operate on fat patients (And I'm not talking about knees, I'm talking about life threatening illnesses).  There is a lot of bias in medical care.  Being treated like dirt will not want to make a person return to the doctor.  And being refused to treatment can lead to worsen conditions that would blamed on being fat rather than being refused treatment. 

We need bias removed from the medical care.  Just because someone is fat, doesn't mean they are ill. 

Also in the news, things fat are good for: Protecting you after heart surgery and from Osteoporosis.  So if you're thin and have these ailments, gain weight.  Gain it right now.  What's the matter? No will power?

Or perhaps we need to not dictate a person's size but their general health and well being. 

Lessons from the Fat-o-sphere: The bad day.

Short post tonight as I just spend the day BBQing and I'm exhausted. 

I just finished Lessons from the Fatosphere by fellow bloggers Marianne Kirby from the Rotund, and Kate Harding of Shapely Pose. We should all be reading this book, not only as an affirmation of size acceptance but its practical views on life.  I am not surprised by how much we and many other fat women have the same issues with our bodies. Many of them are mentioned in this book. 

In one of the last sections of the book, the authors talks about a basic point: no matter how much are into size acceptance you, you will still have good and bad body days.  Including myself.  Seven years after I gave up dieting, I do still occasionally think about weight loss.

When I have these thoughts, I read size positive books such as this one or Fat! So? by Marilyn Wann and even my own book or blogs or lists.  Accept that we have bad days, but reaffirm ourselves of our size positives ideals. 

Will someone please think of the children?

We often use fat children as the reason we must do something about this Great Obesity Epidemic (I'm not using the word American today as I have international stories to share as well).  When you promote size acceptance, someone, usually opportunist MeMe Roth will complain about those poor fat children who will all die of heart disease, diabetes and will be forever be a couch potato. And that even encouraging them to accept and love themselves (like offering them hip clothing that fits) will make them superfat.

If they only had good food and exercise, they would be fine.  Growing up I had terrible food but lots of exercise (Not in school, I was uncoordinated and hated gym class.  I rode my bike everywhere)   My food was highly processed, most of it came out of a box.  I also ate pizza, coke and candy.  Naysayers will say I would be super svelte had I not eaten pizza, coke and candy.  Except that my classmates all ate the same crap. Most of them stayed slim while a handful of us got fat. 

So we judge our children as on flawed numbers, not taking into account  genetics, growth spurts (My niece was chubby when she was nine, hit puberty and now very curvy.  And yes, I am ready to buy shotgun) This insanity is shown in this article about a thin child in the UK who got a letter stating he was at risk for horrible diseases because he was an entire one pound over the acceptable range for his age.  In Australia, a study has discovered that eating disorders are even hitting children as young as five.  We need to stop this crazy neurotic ways with our kids and occasionally have a cupcake sale. 

Kids of all sizes need healthy whole meals (that includes fats, protein and carbs) and fun movement.  (Also we aren't moving less now than the 1980's, what we are doing is dieting more).  Telling fat kids they are too fat or scaring thin kids that being fat will cause them to die of horrible diseases will cause eating disorders.  Sure we can remove candy and soda from schools (how about processed food as well?), but children need to trust their own intitive eating and movement.  They need simple advice: Eat your vegetables and go out to play.

Belated Happy No Diet Day

May 6th marks international no-diet day.  It is a day we cast off food plans, points, fads, and celebrate our bodies as is.  I think a lot of people confuse the idea of giving up dieting as meaning we are going to give up being healthy.  But for me and many other people, giving up dieting was the first step towards health.  We no longer allowed the diet, drug, and Weight loss industry dictate how we should feel on any given day. 

Another reason not to diet is the fact none of them work in the long term.  Low fat/low carb/etc are ALL reduced calories diets.  Diet pill or supplement don't work in the long term and can have bad side effects.  Weight loss surgery includes fatigue, vitamin deficiency, weight regain, and death.  (it doesn't matter where you have the surgery, the death rates are the sameno matter how much expertise the bariatric center has.)

Dieting and weight obsession causes eating disorders which are high even among children. It fosters self-hate and low self-esteem.

So for this INND, I share with you a poem I wrote a while back.  It deals with my last diet which was marred with vomiting, heart palpitations, terrible fatigue and stomach ailments.  These are my thoughts after vomiting and experience extreme pain of burning from my stomach to my throat.

Dieting
On the cold floor,
My stomach is empty,
I can’t eat anymore.
I try to remember
Every time I want to lose a few pounds
The burning inside.
Five years later,
I still recover.
I resist--
Don’t eat carbs.
Don’t eat fat.
Don’t eat white.
Don’t eat when you are hungry.
Don’t eat if you are fat.
I try to remember
The cold floor
And the purging that never stopped.

Petition is back, more about United and trolls.

My Petition is back! No explanation for why it was gone. On Friday, I will close the petition, edit it for trolls and send it to United.

Until then please CONTACT United first then sign the petition.

United Airlines
PO Box 66100
Chicago, IL 60666
Tel: (877) 228-1327 (toll-free) or (847) 700-6796
Fax: (877) 406-1059 (toll-free) or (847) 700-2214
customer.relations@united.com

Be sure to also sign this petition too.

There is also a site out run by a victim of United Airlines to register complaints .  If you are treated poorly by United due to your size, complain to United but also register it here at Untied.  If you read this site you will see United is a poorly run company who doesn't give a damn about their customers.

Here is a positives story about the United debacle.

Cassandra: What constitutes fat is subjective Good article on the psychology damage this policy can do to people.

Finally, after a couple of complaints from users, I have decided to close commenting after one month and remove nasty posts.  Debates and disagreements will remain unless they include name calling.

Hullaballoo in 3 parts

Part 1 The Petition, supporters, dissenters, idiots.

Let's start with my petition.  Before the petition was removed, we were approaching 800 legitimate signatures and that was in 4 days.   I thank you so much for all the people who signed.  Now I am asking you to sign again here.  This is also very important.  PLEASE COMPLAIN DIRECTLY TO UNITED AS WELL.

Contact United Airlines at
Tel: (877) 228-1327
customer.relations@united.com

For those who have been asking what happen to the petition.  On Wednesday night, I was attacked by a troll (or maybe more) who repeated signed the petition with stupid names.  I had decided that on Friday morning, I would close and edit the petition and send it off to United.  Well, the next morning (Thursday), I went to approve new signatures and found that my petition removed supposedly by the author.  As the author I did not approve of this.  I emailed petitiononline that they may have been hacked or spoofed.  When I did not hear from them in 24 hours, I then emailed the CEO of their parent company. I don't know if the troll had anything to do with the removal of the petition but I do know he/she/it was repeatedly signing.

Believe or not, the trolls didn't bother me as much, as I expected it.   The trolls on this blog range from hatred to stupidity.  What I didn't expect was being ignored by petitiononline.  I understand that I was was using this service for free, so I get what I pay for (which was utter crap).  I finally got a response from them on Saturday.  Apparently when I sent them the response, it did not include the URL of my petition (Despite using their form) and that if I please email them the petition id and consider giving them "a donation".   I emailed them the id, told them nicely to cram their donation.   I have yet to hear back.   And people feel up to it, please complain to their parent company.  Artifice@artifice.com. 

Part II Trolls and posters

I have a fairly laid back rule on posting to this blog.  I will delete your post if it's spam, vulgar or excessively trolling (A troll is a person who incites purely to do it).  I will keep posts that debate and disagree with my points and I keep nasty comments.   I need people to see how fat people are treated.

Part III Comfortable flying and why United sucks.
Some of the biggest complainers I get are from people who are forced to sit next a fat person on their trip.  No one (Except the airline industry) wants anyone fat or thin to have an uncomfortable flight.  In fact in my book I encourage people who do not fit in the seat to contact the airline to try to arrange to be next to an empty seat and if they can afford it upgrade to first or business class.   Deregulation and a poor way of business means that United need cram as many people as possible into a plane in order for that flight to make profit.   In the end, United may charge fat people double but it won't save their business from either being bailed out or go belly up.   If United was a company that really cared about their customers and not the bottom line, they would make it their priority that all their passengers are relatively comfortable.