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Source: (consider it) Thread: Hell: Why not just have a siren go off? "FAT-so, FAT-so, FAT-so!"
Persephone Hazard

Ship's Wench
# 4648

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I heard this article on the BBC news this morning.

Basically, some think-tank or another (I'm not 100% sure if it's the Government or another organisation) has decided that it would be a really good idea for people to be handed advice about tacking obesity every time they shop in, say, Evans, or another so-called 'plus size' shop.

Fucking, fucking hell. And as if this idea wasn't patronising and degrading enough, they want "health checks, including waist and weight measurements, for all school leavers".

I dread to think what sort of an effect this would have had on me when I left secondary school, and I am sure that I am by no means alone in thinking that this is a Seriously Unhelpful idea.

All the charts, measurements etc are seriously screwed up anyway, though. According to my BMI I'm 'severely obese' (which is the random category they've chucked in between 'obese' and 'morbidly obese', seemingly just to make people feel like crap). Now, I know I'm not the universe's thinnest woman (18-20 on the top, 16-18 on the bottom) but I don't think I'm that big, all things considered.

It's almost as though they're trying to perpetrate a culture of low body image, poor self esteem, eating disorders and crash dieting.

Arrrrrrrrgh.

[EDIT-Preview Post is even more my friend when I'm this riled. Honest.]

[ 04. April 2007, 12:57: Message edited by: Sarkycow ]

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Mr Clingford
Shipmate
# 7961

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I think you just have [Biased]

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If only.

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Raspberry Rabbit

Will preach for food
# 3080

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Problem is that 'experts say' is a little bit like 'some people say' which could be anybody - speaking officially or unofficially - it's hard to glean from the article exactly who said that. This may be one of those media-magnified stories which is mostly hot air.

Unfortunately it's of a piece with a lot of stigmatising grumbling about fat people not being given access to services etc. There is a mean streak out there. No question.

I'm so upset I'm gonna have to have at least three chocolates.

RR

[ 15. December 2006, 13:34: Message edited by: Raspberry Rabbit ]

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...naked pirates not respecting boundaries...
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The Great Gumby

Ship's Brain Surgeon
# 10989

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If George Alberti's involved, you can be sure this is driven by the government. I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

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The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool. - Richard Feynman

A letter to my son about death

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Anselmina
Ship's barmaid
# 3032

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I can really see shops wanting to rush up to their fat customers more or less saying 'hey, you don't want to wear that, do you? Here's a way for you to wear normal clothes like real people.' That'll work.

The apologist on the tv news yesterday was quite sure that no-one would find it insulting, but that customers so approached would be grateful to know that there are approved ways of losing weight and so would not be tempted to follow faddish and potentially harmful diets, being fat and therefore unusually vulnerable to stupid scams.

Naturally it will not have occurred to seriously fat people that there are ways to lose weight, and naturally they will be too stupid - being fat - to know where to seek these methods without the help of the 'experts'.

I think it was the recommendation of a university department, so with the usual weight (haha!) that the government gives to educationally generated advice I suspect we'll hear nothing more about this.

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Benny Gee
Shipmate
# 5204

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quote:
Originally posted by Raspberry Rabbit:
I'm so upset I'm gonna have to have at least three chocolates.

They'd better have "dial 0800-FLABBY today, lardarse" etched into them somewhere. Who's going to phone a helpline found on clothes labels anyway?
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Jonathan Strange
Shipmate
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ISTM that SOME of the proposals laid out in the article would benefit everyone, such as:
  • Stricter planning regulations to only allow new housing complexes if they have sports facilities and green parks nearby
  • Tax processed food high in sugar and salt
  • Only allow new urban roads if they have cycle lanes
Not very hellworthy, but those things sound good to me.

The point "Health checks, including waist and weight measurements, for all school leavers" sounds a bit odd. What are they going to do, fail their A Levels for them because they're too big?

[ 15. December 2006, 13:55: Message edited by: PeaceFeet ]

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"Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight,
At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more,
When he bears his teeth, winter meets its death,
When he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again"

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Spiffy
Ship's WonderSheep
# 5267

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Wow. I shop at plus size stores because I'm a sturdy built gal. Anyone who came up to me at said store and told me I was fat, here's a pamphlet, would EAT the pamphlet. And possibly gag a little on my elbow.

Maybe there should be a counter-programme for those whom we can visually identify as having an underweight BMI? Like, chasing after anorexic girls with cupcakes in the mall?

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Looking for a simple solution to all life's problems? We are proud to present obstinate denial. Accept no substitute. Accept nothing.
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Caz...
Shipmate
# 3026

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quote:
Originally posted by Spiffy da WonderSheep:
Maybe there should be a counter-programme for those whom we can visually identify as having an underweight BMI? Like, chasing after anorexic girls with cupcakes in the mall?

Yes, yes, YES. I'm going down to my local shopping centre right now to stand outside all those shops you can't shop in if you have curves and throw blocks of lard at skinny people [Big Grin]

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"What have you been reading? The Gospel according to St. Bastard?" - Eddie Izzard

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Gill H

Shipmate
# 68

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Can I join you?

Gill H, a regular shopper at the Hefty Hideaway.

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- Lyda Rose

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Izzybee
Shipmate
# 10931

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Ugh!

I've haad to shop at "those" stores before, and it's not exactly a picnic walking in there to start with. Especially the first time you have to do it (personally after that I came to terms with the fat and decided to own it rather than pretend it wasn't there). How about they tell you just a bit more about how fat you are after you've plucked up the courage to go in there to start with?

Like Spiffy, I'm headed down to my local "1.3.5" right now to pass out cupcakes. And I don't want any of those "I'm just naturally like that" excuses. If you're just natually like that, then you won't mind the cupcake, just the same as if I'm just natually like that, I won't mind the condescending diet-guide-for-stupid-people. Yeah.

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Hate filled bitch musings...

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Amazing Grace

High Church Protestant
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quote:
Originally posted by Spiffy da WonderSheep:
Maybe there should be a counter-programme for those whom we can visually identify as having an underweight BMI? Like, chasing after anorexic girls with cupcakes in the mall?

This BMI 21 Busy Baker would like to sign up for such a program. Some of those gals just need a cookie. (It brings out the Italian/Jewish momma in me - "eat, eat!")

(Of course when I was a teen, I weighed 125 - I'm five-nine and biggish boned, so that's kinda skinny - and ate about everything in sight. I just had a wacky metabolism, thass all. Believe me, I would have scarfed that cupcake in nothing flat.)

What are the studiers smoking? What Fat Chick in the western world hasn't heard just about every sort of advice on how to lose weight?

Charlotte

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WTFWED? "Remember to always be yourself, unless you suck" - the Gator
Memory Eternal! Sheep 3, Phil the Wise Guy, and Jesus' Evil Twin in the SoF Nativity Play

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Otter
Shipmate
# 12020

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I might even brave the local mega-mall to do my part on this side of the pond!

Or maybe we should set up a series of fat-transplants from us that have it to those walking-skeletal "waifs" that don't? Be healthier for both sides...

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Rat
Ship's Rat
# 3373

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Like Peacefeet, I quite like the sound of the cycle paths and green spaces stuff. That's the sort of measure that might actually do some good, or at least make life pleasanter, which is no mean thing in itself.

quote:
Originally posted by Persephone Hazard:
Fucking, fucking hell. And as if this idea wasn't patronising and degrading enough, they want "health checks, including waist and weight measurements, for all school leavers".

Yes, very necessary. Because so many teenagers get through school without noticing that they're not Kate Moss! [Killing me] How different my life might have been if someone had only told me I was a fat git. Oh wait. They did. Even when I wasn't.

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It's a matter of food and available blood. If motherhood is sacred, put your money where your mouth is. Only then can you expect the coming down to the wrecked & shimmering earth of that miracle you sing about. [Margaret Atwood]

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babybear
Bear faced and cheeky with it
# 34

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quote:
From the article:
"So we need to think out of the box, nothing that has been looked at so far seem to have worked."

That is incorrect. There was a trial done at a GP surgery where the doctors were given the ability to prescribe exercise and treatment at a local gym. This proved to be a less costly way of reducing stress and weight than the standard treatments offered.
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duchess

Ship's Blue Blooded Lady
# 2764

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You know, I am tempted to come to the UK, go into one of those shops and just go off on somebody who dared to do that to me.

BTW, I am a size 18 USA, a little bigger than you, eyeliner (too lazy to write your new name).

Here, nobody says much about me being fat...and I am in California! I think it is because they can tell their words would fall on deaf ears...I honestly have been around too many sister-girls who have given me lectures on not accepting myself the way I am. They have brainwashed me, all those ladeez from EPA & Oaktown, & also my bestest friend, that I am beautiful just the way I am.

So even in California, land of the slim, I have built up a defensive wall to this kind of thinking.

Anyway, at work...so this post will be screwed up since too many people around...argh.

[edited to say BBWs rule the universe.]

[ 15. December 2006, 15:19: Message edited by: duchess ]

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♬♭ We're setting sail to the place on the map from which nobody has ever returned ♫♪♮
Ship of Fools-World Party

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Sine Nomine

Ship's backstabbing bastard
# 66

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I assume this is not the proper thread in which to insert the terribly unkind 'roll her in flour' comment.

Boys can be so cruel.

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Precious, Precious, Sweet, Sweet Daddy...

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duchess

Ship's Blue Blooded Lady
# 2764

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quote:
Originally posted by Sine Nomine:
I assume this is not the proper thread in which to insert the terribly unkind 'roll her in flour' comment.

Boys can be so cruel.

Yes, you can be, obviously.

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♬♭ We're setting sail to the place on the map from which nobody has ever returned ♫♪♮
Ship of Fools-World Party

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Raspberry Rabbit

Will preach for food
# 3080

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So Dmitri meets his Vassily at the Russian Bookstore - "Vassily, vot is?" he asks "Your eye it is all bleck and Blue"
"Got bleck eye in choorch"
"No! How come you is gettink bleck eye in choorch"?
"Well, is like this" says Vassily, "Em in choorch and meenister he says 'all you now stendink with me to sing please now the hym-na'. We all stendink to sing the hym-na and is enormous fet woman standink in front of me and I see that dress is all pinch-ed in creck of ess so for being helpful I pool out. She turn around and ponch me in eye which you see now is bleck"

Next week Dmitri and Vassily meet again at the Russian bookstore.

"Vassily, vot is? Now is two eyes all bleck. You get bleck eye in choorch again"

"Da. This time I am in choorch with friend Yuri. Meenister says please stendink with me to sing now the hym-na and again is still enormous fet woman stendink in front of us and dress still is pinch-ed between two hefs beckside. My friend Yuri reach forward and pool out for her but I remember problems of lest week so I poot back in."

RR

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...naked pirates not respecting boundaries...
(((BLOG)))

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starbelly
but you can call me Neil
# 25

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Where can I buy one of these sirens?

Neil

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Bean Sidhe
Shipmate
# 11823

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quote:
Originally posted by Spiffy da WonderSheep:
Wow. I shop at plus size stores because I'm a sturdy built gal.

It starts early Spiffy, our kids were sturdy built from day one, big boned and big muscled for whatever age they were. So, any time I took them to the clinic when they were babies/toddlers and had them weighed the people there would look at the graph and see them in that shaded area that says OVERWEIGHT CHILD OVERWEIGHT CHILD SIRENS BELLS KLAXONS and I'd say no, I don't feed them too much, just what they want, they're big kids, my nephew is 15 and six foot two, it's in the genes, will you FUCKING LEAVE IT! But no, we'd be referred, and of course if you don't go with that you're an unco-operative parent with all that implies, but as soon as we got to the level where people know what they're talking about they'd say no, you just have big children, no problem, take them away. So I'd take them away and the cycle would start all over again.

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How do you know when a politician is lying?
His lips are moving.


Danny DeVito

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Leetle Masha

Cantankerous Anchoress
# 8209

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Dmitri and Vassily, is outrage you are going to Church of England church where people are noticing who is fat and who is thin and who has wedgie!

In Orthodox Church if woman is fat she is good cook and has large family with plenty farmland. If woman is skinny she is either sick or starving and is not nice to make remarks about size of woman anyway. Why do you look at women? You should be looking at icons. For shame.

Come home to Orthodox Church where nobody notices things like that (and keep your hands to yourselves--you know better than that!).

Stand aright, stand with fear: Wisdom!

Masha
President
St. Dmitri's Babushka Brigade

[ 15. December 2006, 16:02: Message edited by: Leetle Masha ]

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duchess

Ship's Blue Blooded Lady
# 2764

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quote:
Originally posted by Leetle Masha:
Dmitri and Vassily, is outrage you are going to Church of England church where people are noticing who is fat and who is thin and who has wedgie!

In Orthodox Church if woman is fat she is good cook and has large family with plenty farmland. If woman is skinny she is either sick or starving and is not nice to make remarks about size of woman anyway. Why do you look at women? You should be looking at icons. For shame.

Come home to Orthodox Church where nobody notices things like that (and keep your hands to yourselves--you know better than that!).

Stand aright, stand with fear: Wisdom!

Masha
President
St. Dmitri's Babushka Brigade

Zdrastivitcha, Masha. It is refreshment for us all, that you post this. it was very good for us to hear your giftedness, I had hard time containing not to yell out loud, what I yell, I do not know but glory! Rejoice in your Salutations, I mean Salvation! - duchessnova, in-training for Russian Orthodoxy World Domination

[insert Russian Orthodoxy Icon here.] [Overused]

[ 15. December 2006, 16:20: Message edited by: duchess ]

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♬♭ We're setting sail to the place on the map from which nobody has ever returned ♫♪♮
Ship of Fools-World Party

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Sine Nomine

Ship's backstabbing bastard
# 66

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Have you ever noticed there always seem to be more big people than tall people in 'The Big and Tall Shop'? And I wonder how the tall people feel about being lumped in with the big people. Perhaps they would prefer their own separate shop.

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Precious, Precious, Sweet, Sweet Daddy...

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Leetle Masha

Cantankerous Anchoress
# 8209

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Tovarichina Duchessa, in my parish we are having three skinny women. One is on strict anti-cholesterol diet to keep her from dropping dead in middle of liturgy. Two others are cancer survivors.


I hope their old babusha beats Vassily and Dmitri with stick.

Masha
of St. Dmitri's Babushka Brigade

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eleison me, tin amartolin: have mercy on me, the sinner

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Rat
Ship's Rat
# 3373

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My mum's tall (well, comparatively, this is Scotland), very large breasted, and even when not overweight often had to buy stuff in Evans.

I can just imagine her reaction if some officious twit had started to lecture her about healthy eating when she was already pissed off at having trekked round the shops looking for something she could fit. They'd have been lucky to live.

So there.

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It's a matter of food and available blood. If motherhood is sacred, put your money where your mouth is. Only then can you expect the coming down to the wrecked & shimmering earth of that miracle you sing about. [Margaret Atwood]

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duchess

Ship's Blue Blooded Lady
# 2764

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Marsha, Is outrage! Vsyo pad kontrolem*.

duchessnova, in-training for Russian Orthodoxy World Domination

*Everything is under control

[ [Angel] ]

[ 15. December 2006, 16:33: Message edited by: duchess ]

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♬♭ We're setting sail to the place on the map from which nobody has ever returned ♫♪♮
Ship of Fools-World Party

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Leetle Masha

Cantankerous Anchoress
# 8209

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Duchessnova, if you are calling me Marsha one more time I am beating you with stick.

MAsha.
Furious Babushka Brigade of St. Dmitri who is riding on bay as opposed to St. Georgi who is on Lippizaner.

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eleison me, tin amartolin: have mercy on me, the sinner

Posts: 6351 | From: Hesychia, in Hyperdulia | Registered: Aug 2004  |  IP: Logged
The Atheist
Arrogant Bastard
# 12067

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What the fuck's with this? Which underfed, underbrained shithead started all this obesity shit.

"People are Getting Fatter!" Well surprise, fucking surprise!

Human metabolism has for our entire existence been geared toward preserving energy because food has never been plentiful enough - or fatty enough - to let large numbers of our populace turn into tubbies; until about 100 years ago. Now that food and fatty food is freely available, some people are going to get fat!

And if they're happy with being a bit tubby (and if they're women, they ought to be, because BBW are what women should look like, not some stick-figure with a heroin needle up her arse.) then who's to say otherwise?

It's one area where old prejudices are allowed to rule.

I'm a recruiter and recently had a customer turn a candidate down because she was "too fat"! While flabberagsted and disgusted, there was nothing I could do about it without slitting my own throat, so I had to let it pass, but it's a disgrace!

The government, the press, the bigoted filth in the boardrooms can all go fuck themselves! Let people be what they are happy being.

I possibly wouldn't be so cynical or disgusted about this business if there weren't a multi-billion dollar business out there which has as its only agenda to make people want to try to lose weight - the "slimming" industry. Possibly the second-least honest business in the world - after astrology.

BMIs? Joke. The entire All Blacks front row are classed, by BMI, as "morbidy obese"! Not bad for three blokes at the supreme peak of fitness.

As my avatar bloke once said - lies, damned lies and statistics...

The only stat here which matters is self-esteem. Hold it, keep it, cherish it. And be thankful that no poor sod's going to get cut by your bony body. Just remember to go for tall blokes. Tall blokes are usually the least slim-centric people - based upon my own experience as a tall bloke with lots of tall mates; it's those weedy little short-arse pricks who want to sleep with skeletons, big blokes need lots of woman!

Posts: 2044 | From: Auckland | Registered: Nov 2006  |  IP: Logged
RuthW

liberal "peace first" hankie squeezer
# 13

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quote:
Originally posted by Persephone Hazard:
All the charts, measurements etc are seriously screwed up anyway, though. According to my BMI I'm 'severely obese' (which is the random category they've chucked in between 'obese' and 'morbidly obese', seemingly just to make people feel like crap). Now, I know I'm not the universe's thinnest woman (18-20 on the top, 16-18 on the bottom) but I don't think I'm that big, all things considered.

Yeah, you're that big. So am I (or so was I -- slam the diet industry all you want, The Atheist, but make an exception for Weight Watchers). I sympathize with the feeling of "I'm not that big," but it's called denial. It's right behind the fatso siren in the list of things that aren't helpful in dealing with the problem of being fat.

quote:
Originally posted by PeaceFeet:
ISTM that SOME of the proposals laid out in the article would benefit everyone, such as:
  • Stricter planning regulations to only allow new housing complexes if they have sports facilities and green parks nearby
  • Tax processed food high in sugar and salt
  • Only allow new urban roads if they have cycle lanes
Not very hellworthy, but those things sound good to me.
I agree. But I think they should just get hydrogenated oils and high-fructose corn syrup out of the food industry entirely. We lived just fine without them for a long time, and they should simply be eliminated.
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dj_ordinaire
Host
# 4643

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quote:
Originally posted by PeaceFeet:
ISTM that SOME of the proposals laid out in the article would benefit everyone, such as:
  • Stricter planning regulations to only allow new housing complexes if they have sports facilities and green parks nearby
  • Tax processed food high in sugar and salt
  • Only allow new urban roads if they have cycle lanes
Not very hellworthy, but those things sound good to me.

The point "Health checks, including waist and weight measurements, for all school leavers" sounds a bit odd. What are they going to do, fail their A Levels for them because they're too big?

Yes, but this would require forward planning from the government and action to tackle Big Business. Let's be honest, if I were the Government, I'd be thinking how much easier it would be just to hand out a few leaflets pointing out to everyone that it's their fault.

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Flinging wide the gates...

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Flower Girl
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# 5111

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Hmmm....

Isn't it a little foot-shooting for Plus Size stores to advise people on losing weight?

FG

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Like one who seizes a dog by the ears is a passer-by who meddles in a quarrel not his own. Proverbs 26:17

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RuthW

liberal "peace first" hankie squeezer
# 13

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quote:
Originally posted by dj_ordinaire:
Yes, but this would require forward planning from the government and action to tackle Big Business. Let's be honest, if I were the Government, I'd be thinking how much easier it would be just to hand out a few leaflets pointing out to everyone that it's their fault.

O ye of little faith! New York City is going to ban trans fats from restaurants. Government taking on big business is not an impossibility. And consumers could boycott the crap food the food industry is pushing on us, if they weren't all such sheep.
Posts: 24453 | From: La La Land | Registered: Apr 2001  |  IP: Logged
Callan
Shipmate
# 525

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Originally posted by Anselmina:

quote:
I can really see shops wanting to rush up to their fat customers more or less saying 'hey, you don't want to wear that, do you? Here's a way for you to wear normal clothes like real people.' That'll work.
Great Fast Show sketch though: "So, sir, have we found it too difficult to say no to Mr Doughnut? Not so much a six pack as a barrel is it sir? Bit more salad and a few less Maccy D's for you sir, yes sir, no sir, suit you sir!"

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How easy it would be to live in England, if only one did not love her. - G.K. Chesterton

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duchess

Ship's Blue Blooded Lady
# 2764

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Dorogaya Masha, Please don't beat me with that stick. Whooo, just gives me chills thinking about it. [Hot and Hormonal]
-duchessnova, in-training for Russian Orthodoxy World Domination

[eta: head hangs in heavy shame.]

[ 15. December 2006, 17:24: Message edited by: duchess ]

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♬♭ We're setting sail to the place on the map from which nobody has ever returned ♫♪♮
Ship of Fools-World Party

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Leetle Masha

Cantankerous Anchoress
# 8209

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Is all right this time, Duchessnova. But watchit.

Babushka Masha

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Pax Romana
Shipmate
# 4653

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[Mad]

I am a genuine fat woman (US Size 22-24). Almost everyone in my immediate family has (or has had) a weight problem. So yes, it is at least partly genetic. My family would have survived very well in the Stone Age, and we would have passed our genes along to future generations of humans -- which is probably what happened to us.

If anyone came up to me in one of my favorite plus-size stores shoving literature at me, telling me I am too fat and suggesting ways to lose weight, said nuisance would shortly be fishing said literature out of a place where the sun doesn't shine.

So listen up, world --

  • "Fat" does NOT equal "stupid." It's not like I haven't thought of everything you are trying to tell me already!
  • In addition, the words '"fat" and "slob" do not necessarily go together. We can be just as neat and clean as anybody.
  • Some of the best looking people I have known have been fat people. And if you REALLY look at me, you might see that I am not all that bad looking.
  • SO MIND YOUR OWN DAMN BUSINESS!
So there! [Razz]

Pax Romana

[ 15. December 2006, 17:36: Message edited by: Pax Romana ]

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********************
I used to wake up at 4 A.M. and start sneezing, sometimes for five hours. I tried to find out what sort of allergy I had but finally came to the conclusion that it must be an allergy to consciousness.
James Thurber

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Gwai
Shipmate
# 11076

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Ruth, yes some people are definitely that big and in denial but I'd say that the problem is that our society tells them to hate themselves for it. If person X didn't think that being fat meant being horrible then maybe he or she could accept that they're fat and live with it or work on it.

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A master of men was the Goodly Fere,
A mate of the wind and sea.
If they think they ha’ slain our Goodly Fere
They are fools eternally.


Posts: 11914 | From: Chicago | Registered: Feb 2006  |  IP: Logged
Loquacious beachcomber
Shipmate
# 8783

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Actually, according to what I have - ummm - been told, been with a woman who is blessed with an enormous ass can be a real advantage while using leather sheets because it lifts one high enough to avoid chafing to the top of one's thighs during libidinous moments.
But of course, that is based only on what I have been told.
Is anyone able to clarify that a bit?

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TODAY'S SPECIAL - AND SO ARE YOU (Sign on beachfront fish & chips shop)

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RuthW

liberal "peace first" hankie squeezer
# 13

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quote:
Originally posted by Gwai:
Ruth, yes some people are definitely that big and in denial but I'd say that the problem is that our society tells them to hate themselves for it. If person X didn't think that being fat meant being horrible then maybe he or she could accept that they're fat and live with it or work on it.

The psychological factor in not being able to lose weight is that overeating and/or being fat is in some way doing something for the person -- what they need to face and accept are the feelings they're stuffing down beneath the food. They're only listening to society when it tells them to hate themselves because they already do think there's something wrong with them, one way or another. Getting all defensive about how fat people are picked on is just a good way to avoid the real issues.
Posts: 24453 | From: La La Land | Registered: Apr 2001  |  IP: Logged
Pants

Emergency underwear
# 999

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You'll all be welcome at 'Short Fat Siân' when the shop opens (the alternative to 'Long Tall Sally') and we won't tell you how fat you are.

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Many big thank yous to those who sponsored us.

I use £6m of military hardware to find hidden Tupperware in the woods.

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RooK

1 of 6
# 1852

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You know, I personally don't care about whether any particular person is fat - it doesn't fundamentally change them as a person. But as soon as you wind up with a retribution of "MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS", kindly do the rest of us the favour of not using any public health services for any ailments primarily contributed by your obesity. Ever.

You're people. Fine. But you're also people that consume more resources, literally, and create an additional element of burden on society. So it is clearly in society's favour to try to find a means to reduce unhealthy obesity. And, you know what you reactionary fatsos? It might even be good for you too.

Now, pardon me while I fend off the urge to play a violin whilst holding it behind myself; it's awkward and uncomfortable.

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comet

Snowball in Hell
# 10353

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RooK, I don't dissagree with you and I think RuthW is really speaking for me here, but...
quote:
Originally posted by RooK:
But you're also people that consume more resources, literally, and create an additional element of burden on society.

I think if we were to really measure all things out, this is a red herring.

yes to be overweight and maintain it you need to comsume more actual calories (though in my family, it's the skinny buggers who eat more, so I'm willing to be shouted down by science on this) and there is an arguement that, perhaps, more cloth is required for clothing...?

but I have heard of no correlation, for example, between overweight and SUV's or something. or more paper products? House heating fuel?

I'd bet solid money that if you could put together real statistics, there would be only negligible differences in resources.

Now medical costs - yes! I'll grant you that overweight costs medical resources. but remember, so does drinking alcohol and yet regular drinkers are not normally bad mouthed by strangers in the grocery store.

I think the only real answer here, as in an answer that will actually work, is a combination of banning HFCS and Transfats, building more bike paths and creating incestivies for those who get to work under their own power - making Phys Ed cumpulsory for all years in public school, taking the freaking soda pop out of the schools!

just some ideas.

for the record, I am medium sized with temporary medication induced fatness. it's been a huge education for me. lets remember that overweight does not necessarily equal lazy, out of shape, stupid, ugly, or depressed. or in need of publicly funded medicine.

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Evil Dragon Lady, Breaker of Men's Constitutions

"It's hard to be religious when certain people are never incinerated by bolts of lightning.” -Calvin

Posts: 17024 | From: halfway between Seduction and Peril | Registered: Sep 2005  |  IP: Logged
comet

Snowball in Hell
# 10353

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ooooooh the typoes.

mea culpa.

you may begin beating me with sticks now.

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Evil Dragon Lady, Breaker of Men's Constitutions

"It's hard to be religious when certain people are never incinerated by bolts of lightning.” -Calvin

Posts: 17024 | From: halfway between Seduction and Peril | Registered: Sep 2005  |  IP: Logged
Scot

Deck hand
# 2095

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quote:
Originally posted by Sine Nomine:
And I wonder how the tall people feel about being lumped in with the big people. Perhaps they would prefer their own separate shop.

We hate it. The only thing that fits tall-but-not-so-big people worse than the clothing in regular stores is the clothing in big and tall shops.

I've spent years eating little but doughnuts, cheeseburgers, and deep-fried food of all sorts in a futile attempt to conform to the body image forced on me by society. I really wish people would just mind their own business and accept me as I am. Shame on you all.

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“Here, we are not afraid to follow truth wherever it may lead, nor tolerate any error so long as reason is left free to combat it.” - Thomas Jefferson

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Gwai
Shipmate
# 11076

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Phys ed certainly won't help if it's like it was at my school. That was just where the jocks used to go to taunt everyone else. No one got excercise there at all. It was miserable for everyone, so no one tried.

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A master of men was the Goodly Fere,
A mate of the wind and sea.
If they think they ha’ slain our Goodly Fere
They are fools eternally.


Posts: 11914 | From: Chicago | Registered: Feb 2006  |  IP: Logged
comet

Snowball in Hell
# 10353

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Gwai - then that's not the helpful kind of phys ed, is it? it needs to actually teach people how to keep their bodies fit and healthy, and why that is necessary. My high school phys ed classes were pretty horrendous also. they were never taught by phys ed teachers, for one thing, and were usually just organized kickball games.

pointless.

but that doesn't negate the need to teach our children the importance of fitness to their overall well being. at the age they're in school, the little bastards are bulletproof - tell them those cheeseburgers will come back to haunt them and they laugh in your face.

There needs to be a curriculum with solid science so that when they're 30 and starting to notice a gut, they can go, "hey, I remember my teacher Mrs. Gwai telling me about kcals and aerobic heart rates. time to get running."

[ 15. December 2006, 19:24: Message edited by: comet ]

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Evil Dragon Lady, Breaker of Men's Constitutions

"It's hard to be religious when certain people are never incinerated by bolts of lightning.” -Calvin

Posts: 17024 | From: halfway between Seduction and Peril | Registered: Sep 2005  |  IP: Logged
RuthW

liberal "peace first" hankie squeezer
# 13

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quote:
Originally posted by RooK:
You're people. Fine. But you're also people that consume more resources, literally, and create an additional element of burden on society. So it is clearly in society's favour to try to find a means to reduce unhealthy obesity. And, you know what you reactionary fatsos? It might even be good for you too.

It would be good for us, if it were something that actually worked. Picking on people doesn't work when you're trying to change their behavior. It's a shame for both of us, Rook -- like you, I love picking on people -- but there it is. If you were truly concerned about the burden on society, you'd be advocating things that really help people lose weight instead of calling us names. But I don't think you're as interested in the burden on society as you are in holding fat people in contempt because it makes you feel good about your thin, fit self. Such a shame you can't feel good about your thin, fit self -- and it's certainly something to feel good about and proud of -- in a way that's really good.
Posts: 24453 | From: La La Land | Registered: Apr 2001  |  IP: Logged
Leetle Masha

Cantankerous Anchoress
# 8209

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I am not beating with sticks the intelligent Comet who is not staring at other people in church and pulling out wedgies.

I am thinking that removing the trans fats will solve many problems. What we want is to prevent heart attacks and strokes (very expensive for medical bills because of delicate surgery, extended hospital stays and long convalescences away from work) caused by clogged arteries, not just to make people look like Nicole Ritchie who is busted for driving wrong way on freeway, having overindulged when her booze capacity was lessened due to weighing only 85 lb.

Memo to bartenders: Do not sell so much booze to deliberately emaciated, self-absorbed starlets.

Memo to Orthodoxen: please mention to church authorities that it should be pig grease and not olive oil to be fasted away from. Olive oil very good for everybody. Pig fat not.

Masha
Babushka, etc.

[ 15. December 2006, 19:35: Message edited by: Leetle Masha ]

Posts: 6351 | From: Hesychia, in Hyperdulia | Registered: Aug 2004  |  IP: Logged
Sine Nomine

Ship's backstabbing bastard
# 66

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One of RooK's most endearing traits is his ability to see differences instead of similarities. Rather isolating for him one might suppose, but endearing nonetheless.

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Precious, Precious, Sweet, Sweet Daddy...

Posts: 16639 | From: lat. 36.24/lon. 86.84 | Registered: Dec 2002  |  IP: Logged



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