Fat Shaming-Why it will never motivate obese people to lose weight.



 

 

 

 

The average American woman is a size 12 or over, the most common size being a size 16/18. A doctor whose name I don't think is worth mentioning (as he's gotten enough press already) has advised that doctors "put heavy social pressure" on their overweight patients to lose weight. He believe that social shaming will motivate people to live healthier lives and modify habits similar to what the anti-smoking campaigns did in the 1990's. Yes those campaigns were effective and got the message across.  However, a person can choose to never smoke again, unfortunately I will still have to eat dinner tonight, it might be a salad or pizza depending on my mood, but guess what I going to pick if I feel bad about myself, think other people hate me because of my weight and I feel isolated and ridiculed by my doctors "shaming" their patients.

 

Let me be perfectly clear being morbidly obese is a chronic condition, it's something that needs constant attention and work. You don't have to be 125 to be healthy but someone as heavy as me (322 pounds thank you) does need to work on cleaning up fitness and nutrition habits to prevent diabetes, heart disease all those things but the way to do that is through encouragement not fat shaming.

 

 Fat shaming is bullying under the guise of "tough love" and it doesn't work. Why would anyone take advice from someone who makes them feel bad about themselves. If your true motivation is to help someone lead a healthier life, then as a physician maybe you should undergo actual training in nutrition instead of the cursory overview you had to do in medical school. Also stop assuming that I'm lazy, I actually once had a doctor ask me "So, do you just stay home all day?" I think he truly imagined me sitting around my house eating bon bons all day.  Stop trying to equate me as a person with the size of my jeans, I'm a hard working independent woman who can and always will stand on her own merit, just because I literally don't fit into the mold you want me too does not make me an irrelevant or unimportant part of society, it just makes me someone with excess fat to lose.

 

 

Plus Model Magazine did an excellent job on discussing the stupid and moronic twitter taunts directed  actress Gabby Sidibe when she had a scene on her show that involved a sex scene. BIG surprise bigger women have sex too and guess what there's nothing wrong with that! I can't believe that in this age women are having to not only defend their reproductive rights but now you're supposed to be ashamed of your sexual desires if you're overweight? Again I have issues with the so-called "Fat Acceptance" movement, but what I cannot abide is actual medical professionals supporting that idea that bullying their patients is a good idea. What about having better nutrition in schools? Bringing back P.E. and Dance and Sports, what about giving tax incentives to everyone for joining a gym? Healthcare costs related to obesity are soaring but every study shows that positive reinforcement coupled with slow sustained weight loss is the key to lifestyle change. Let's focus on making every person better, help those who are struggling and be the support of those who need it, let's make positive changes in ourselves, in our families and in our communities.

-Chubby Girl In The World

Stefanie Gomez (5 Feet tall, 322 pounds and working on it.)