Fat Bashing Again

[talon]

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/01/06/fat.acceptance/index.html


people who don't think they have a health problem may be less likely to exercise, visit a physician, or talk about dietary changes with their doctor.

This is far more likely to be the skinny people who think being thin protects them from health problems. The sickest people I know, the ones who waited so long they were in serious health jeopardy, are thin. Their immune systems are compromised because they are too thin so they catch every contagious ailment circulating. They are less likely to monitor blood pressure and cholesterol because those have been pushed as "fat diseases" for so long they genuinely believe being skinny is a preventive. They are also less likely to monitor blood sugar levels because "only fat people are diabetic", when the truth is, skinny people can also develop diabetes - Type II is diet related, not weight related.

The reason skinny people don't go to the doctor is because they have received - loud and clear and repeatedly - the message that it's fat people who are unhealthy. They don't go because they don't believe they can get chronic ailments like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and all those other "fat diseases" the medical community and politicians campaign about. Skinny equals healthy in their world. Sure, they get sinus infections and sprains and lots and lots of colds and stuff and when they go to the doctor, they get antibiotics for the infections and tamiflu for their flu and splints for their sprains and not one single lecture on how their weight will kill them or get told that they'd get better if they'd "just lose weight". They, and often their doctor, don't think to monitor their cholesterol, blood pressure, or blood sugar so their chronic ailment may go unnoticed for years - sometimes clear up until they have that fatal heart attack or stroke.

The primary reason fat people don't go to the doctor is because they believe - rightfully so - that doctors will ignore their real health concerns and focus only on their weight. The most common remedy their doctor will prescribe for such diverse ailments as ear infections, bronchitis, sprains, flu, or strep throat is to "just lose weight" and they'll be miraculously cured! Fat people are willing to go to the doctor, if they can find one who hasn't bought into the "fat causes all diseases" and "losing weight cures all diseases" myth. Doctors push weight loss as the cure for everything from acid reflux to the zoster virus for fat people; fat people know their weight isn't the only reason they are hurt or sick and they know losing weight isn't the only cure. Fat people don't want to be lectured about their weight, their genuine health issues ignored, or to be called names or condescended to by a doctor. Fat people know they are fat - there's not a day that goes by where someone hasn't told them so, and not always nicely. What fat people want are doctors who will look at the illness or condition because curing the disease resolves the health issues and sometimes getting well resolves the weight issues.

Nicholls is still concerned that fat acceptance may send the message that being overweight isn't a health issue.

This is because Mr. Nicholls isn't listening - a problem among the general population and a genuinely serious problem among the self-proclaimed spokespeople such as physicians and politicians.

Fat people know that weight isn't the only factor in many illnesses. Deb Lemire, president of the Association for Size Diversity and Health<http://sizediversityandhealth.org/>, and Michelle May, M.D., the author of "Eat What You Love; Love What You Eat: How To Break Your Eat-Repent-Repeat Cycle," and the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA) all promote "healthy at any size" - with a strong emphasis on "healthy". Being overweight isn't, by itself, a health issue. Family history, genetics, exposure to environmental factors, and lifestyle - all of which may contribute to being overweight - play a larger part than just weight itself does. I would be more concerned that doctors aren't listening to fat patients, which is probably the biggest contribution to fat people being unhealthy than weight.

Fat acceptance is about getting people to realize weight is only one factor in a person's health, and it may not be the most important factor.

Being fat has actually been beneficial for me. Back when I was thin, I contracted cancer. Because I was thin, it almost killed me. I had no reserves and no ability to catch up, so I kept losing weight - all the way down to 45 pounds. The rebound weight gain was excessive, and I managed to lose over 100 pounds of that weight, but I chose to keep my weight higher than society considers "pretty" or "healthy" and the next round of chemo didn't come close to killing me, nor did I get the serious weight rebound afterwards. I lost 20 pounds on chemo, and didn't regain it when treatment ended - because I started in "overweight". Recently, I took a serious fall on the ice and my weight cushioned my bones so for once I didn't break anything. I got a bad sprain on my wrist and that's it - because I choose to be overweight. I am not diabetic or pre-diabetic, my cholesterol levels are great, my blood pressure is low, my circulation is good, my activity levels and stamina are high, my skin is clear and elastic, my nails and hair are healthy and strong, my heart still has its defective valve, but that's a birth defect and has nothing to do with weight, nor has weight affected it any. My eyes are just as bad now as they were when I was skinny; weight has had no effect on that. My hearing was damaged in the Murrah Bombing; weight was not a factor in that. I had an allergic reaction to chemicals in a road building project; weight was not a factor in that - although the doctor said losing weight would cure the allergy so he didn't prescribe anything for it.

Expert opinion is pretty much unanimous: Being overweight is bad for your health

Being underweight is also bad for your health, particularly if you live an unhealthy lifestyle eating unhealthy foods and not exercising, but you won't hear experts say anything about that.

Let's just say the "experts" are focusing on a symptom, and not the cause. The cause of bad health is far more complex than a simple "fat = sick, skinny = healthy" mindset. Ignore the "experts" until they get over their fat fears and focus on real health. We all know fat can make certain conditions easier to contract and harder to cure, but we also all know that fat is only a small part of the overall health picture. "Experts" need to examine causes, not just symptoms, and they need to get off the fat-bashing bandwagon.

In the meantime, I will be fat, healthy, and happy. I choose to carry the weight I have to safeguard my health. If I were too much thinner, it would be unhealthy for me. While I could probably lose some weight and still be healthy, the flip side of that is also true - I could probably gain some more weight and still be healthy. For me, my weight is right where it needs to be for optimal health and well-being.

May you all find that point of the best weight for your health and well-being and maintain it without fluctuation for the rest of your very long, healthy, and happy lives.