Fat activists protest diet industry

http://www.cnn.com/2004/HEALTH/diet.fitness/08/02/fat.activism.ap/index.html

Interesting issue.

I know that some people have health reasons for their weight. I know that some people will never be able to be thin--it's just not the body God gave them. I know that even if someone is heavy, obese, or morbidly obese, it isn't MY place or anyone's to make fun of them or treat them with disrespect.

However, I know that most people do not have an excuse for their weight. That most Americans eat crap and way too much of it. That most Americans are not active in the least. I do not think it is a bad thing for society to say that poor eating habits and lack of activity are bad. I know that I was heavy because of these very things. And, our grandparents' generation wasn't this heavy.

An example: I get people all the time who complain that a particularly theatre's seats are too small. The lobby is too small. Or, that there are too many stairs--how dare there not be an elevator??!! Well, the theatre was built when people didn't have these problems.

So, where do we go from here on this issue?

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Dismayed that Medicare has finally classified obesity as a disease??? Oh, please. I'm all for people having self-esteem, but my guess is, that when push comes to shove, not many of the activists will refuse coverage of their medical tests and bills by Medicare or other insurance when obesity is the qualifying diagnosis that permits payment.

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Did I read it right that they are getting upset that an airline makes them pay for two seats if they are too big to fit into just one? Now, I am not the skinniest person around, but I am siding with the airline on this one.

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Look- there are "overweight" people who are perfectly healthy and at their ideal weight. But at the point when you take up two airline seats, I think there's a problem. In some cases, it might be not entirely the person's fault- they might have hypothyroidism, for instance- but it's not good for anyone.

As someone who enjoys eating crap and LOVES diet coke (ice, please!), I also side with the airlines. Yes, I could stand some more exercise and to cut down a bit - I could stand to lose a few, no question. However, my weight is my problem. If it ever got to the point where it inconvenienced others, then I would have to pay for it, and not expect others to accommodate me.
The majority of overweight people are in that position because they put themselves there. The people who are overweight for medical reasons are few and far between.

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papa - you don't think that the 'codification' has anything to do with the pharmaceutical or insurance industries, do you?

Oh shut UP. You are not born with the curse of obseity. It's not a case of discrimination. Very very very very VERY few of the people who are morbidly obese can claim they are that way through no fault of their own, and for those few it's a different matter, like I said in my previous post. For people who got to the morbidly obese stage through laziness and overeating, well stop blaming everyone else, stop eating and start exercising. It worked for me.

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Papa, some of your sarcasm just dripped on me. I licked it off and it tasted good. Maybe I'll order a whole pint!

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Nice rant, papa, but you missed the point. The activists are saying that obesity is NOT a medical condition. They appear to be taking exception with obesity being accepted as a medical diagnosis which impacts on what tests and procedures are covered. Call me crazy, but this seem a lot like shooting yourself in the foot. Now, I'm the first (or at least the second) in line to agree that people should be judged on substance, not form. And I think it's terrific that someone who looks aberrant to the accepted cultural standards of looks still feels good about him/herself. But, in most cases, people also have to accept responsiblity for their "state of being". To be sure, there are many acceptions where medical conditions and/or medications make it difficult, if not impossible, to lose weight(...I'm thinking of some of the immunosuppressive drugs, prednisone, things like that...), but *these* aren't the people who are arguing that obesity is not a health issue. Bottom line: the majority of people packing extra pounds do so because of things which are ultimately a choice issue...food choices and exercise. In my case, my unwanted pounds may be directly attributed to chocolate, in many forms, and the Dunkin'Donuts" seasonal special, the very fabulous Lemon Burst donut.

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Actually I don't, SOMMS. According to the official US guidelines, I'm overweight. My bodyfat levels are really low, but muscle is heavier than fat, so that puts me in the fatty-fatty-bo-batty category. Waist size = 30 and I'm overweight. Go figure.

By the way, I went to get a pint of the best stuff, but Star Jones was there and bought out the place.

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Updated On: 8/3/04 at 10:16 AM

good lord, flit, you can't blame them for their warped thinking! all that fat clouds the logic circuits of the brain! which is the fault of mcdonald's and the other members of the fast food industrial complex. you should watch super size me and you'd understand the peril in which our society finds itself in its war against the corporations.

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papa - Slight disagreement on the addictive qualities of food. While alcohol and drugs have proven chemical addictive qualities, food I see as purely psychological. Bit of a difference to me.

But I absolutely agree about the 'natural progression of things' in a society that has abandoned personal resposibility.

Wasn't there some guy who sued McDonalds because it made him fat?

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