Fat Chicks Rule

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
[email protected]

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.