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Aimee Wood

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Lady Gaga's Body Revolution - Should We Accept Obesity?

Posted: 28/09/2012 00:00

I have a love-hate relationship with Lady Gaga - I find her totally crazy and hate her apparent need for constant attention, but at the same time absolutely love her outrageous outfits, daring character and fun philosophy. As a 'normal' sized woman, I think it's awful she was shamed in Amsterdam for having put on a little weight and also think it's extremely honorable that she is sticking up for herself by first wearing a fat suit to an event and then introducing the "Body Revolution".

For those of you who are not yet aware, the Body Revolution is a program encouraging people to share photos of themselves semi-naked to show off their bodies, whatever they look like. Gaga started it off by posting four photos of herself in undewear and then launched a website called www.littlemonsters.com which is a platform where people can post their photos after entering their Facebook or Twitter ID. Already thousands of people have posted photos of their bodies, scars, illnesses and other features they wish to live in peace with.

So far, so good. After all it's tragic that women (and men) feel uncomfortable in their own bodies just because we're being fed media rubbish breakfast, lunch and dinner. I don't know how many times a day I look in the mirror or see a photo of my face and/or body and feel like I'm just not good enough - and I'm a 25-year-old fashion blogger who probably comes across as confident!

Funnily enough, though, the self-conscious ones are not the ones I'm most worried about. What about those who DO feel comfortable despite their size? Amongst the photos posted on Lady Gaga's platform, hundreds show obese bodies. Women and men want to feel happy in their oversized bodies and I just don't know how to feel about it, but I know something in the back of my health-conscious mind is telling me it's wrong.

I realise this is a dangerous subject and of course people should feel good about themselves, no matter what they look like. However, if young women and society in general manage to come to terms with obesity and override our current body-size expectations - does this mean we can eat as much as we want of whatever we want without any social pressure to do otherwise ? What if the constant diets and the preconceived idea that "slim bodies are beautiful" are what is keeping us from dying of poor nutrition ?

Obesity kills. Fact.

'Fat' people are suffering from illnesses today that were hardly even a risk 50 years ago. Over 60% of English people over the age of 16 are overweight or obese - and I didn't get these figures from Hollywood.com, I got them from the government who doesn't care what people look like. And while we're at it, I might as well remind you that obesity costs the country over £5billion a year... (Before you comment: I'm not blaming the sick, I truly believe this condition is encouraged by our economical system - but I won't go into that here.) When will people understand that hate of fat is about health as much as about aesthetics? Or at least that it should be.

Encouraging people to LOVE their bodies is great, but let's not encourage people to NEGLECT their bodies. We need to take action. We need to realise WHY our bodies look like this and that there IS something we can do about it (in most cases) instead of just learning to live with it and get over it. We need to accept the fact that we CAN have flaws, but that we can also ACT against them. We need to encourage people to feel HAPPY with themselves but also and mainly to strive for what they really want (to look like) in life.

Is encouraging acceptance of overweight bodies positive or dangerous ? I don't have the answer, but I have a gut-feeling we haven't yet got it right. I only hope the motivation of feeling comfortable will help suffering people to find the will and confidence they need to lose those extra pounds and become a size not only they and others like but moreover a size that FEELS more comfortable on the inside and WORKS better for LONGER.

 

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06:34 PM on 10/04/2012
Fact: EVERYBODY DIES, not just "fat" people. There is a 100% chance than you will die someday, no matter how many diets you go on, no matter how many pushups you do. So, instead of saying obesity kills, why not realize that LIFE kills. And, another thing, do you not have enough problems in your own life that you have to concentrate on "fat" people you don't even know? Maybe you should worry about your own existence and problems instead of focusing in on "fat" people? Everybody has a right to live there own life, and if they choose to live it "fat", then that is their problem, not yours.
11:23 AM on 10/03/2012
I don't know where you got the idea that fat people or our bodies are yours to accept or reject, but you've traveled a long way down a bad road here.

Everybody has the right exist in the body they have without shame, stigma or oppression. That right is inalienable and not yours to confer. This is not up for discussion, debate, or vote. There are no other valid opinions. Fat people have the right to exist in the bodies we have now. Period.

Plenty of evidence that shows that healthy habits - not body size are the best determinant of health (Matheson; Wei; Cooper Institute) but even without research this is a dangerously slippery slope.

If we all have to be thin to meet your definition of health, how long until we all have to be vegan, or low carb, or frutarian because people think that is healthiest? I don't drink, am I allowed to say that nobody can? Can someone who chooses not to drive opt out of healthcare costs related to driving? No, and it's horrible idea to single out a group of people based on their appearance and try to calculate their cost on society.

If you want to be helpful then work for access to healthy food and safe movement options (free from bullying and shaming). Then respect other people's decisions like you want yours to be respected.

Ragen Chastain
www.danceswithfat.org
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MJLevesque
If I'm a super user, where is my cape?
07:54 PM on 10/03/2012
F&F. I have nothing to add, except that the author of this article might want to watch this video: http://video.news8000.com/watch.php?id=36335
09:56 PM on 10/04/2012
So well said and this goes for anything else that others deem suitable to comment on.
12:52 PM on 10/01/2012
As a young person I was ripped to shreds for being 7 stone. I would have been very fashionable in the current cultural climate. As it is, I'm 2 stone heavier now I'm in my forties...........I used to want to gain weight. Oh, how times change.
However, I'm just thankful to be fit and healthy. That's all that matters and something you realise when you've gone a bit to seed.
10:33 PM on 09/30/2012
No we should not accept obesity. It is, in the main caused by overeating. There are many excuses for this; boredom, comfort eating, laziness, but it all boils down to eating too much trashy food. There is plenty of educational information available to help people in this situation but it is a case of stop eating so much, exercise and start looking after yourself.
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NatalieRose Apar
FACT: My uterus is not part of your jurisdiction.
05:14 PM on 10/04/2012
Can you cite a source for your bigotry besides "everyone knows"? Because it turns out everyone used to know the world was flat, too, and look how that turned out.
08:42 PM on 10/04/2012
Thanks for replying. I wouldn't call myself a bigot. Common sense alone says that obesity will be caused by overeating. And I am surely correct in saying that we cannot accept it. If we accept it, it will continue. Please also note that i stated it was caused in the main by overeating. That leaves other medical conditions that can be blamed.
05:31 PM on 09/30/2012
Being obese has the potential to cause health problems. Being obese does not mean you are unhealthy. Just like smoking has the potential to cause lung diseases, but not every smoker has or will have lung problems. It's an irritant that can lead to a problem, not a problem in itself.

If people are happy in their bodies and aren't suffering from any major health concerns, leave them be. You can be four stone overweight and have no health issues (yes, like me, I'm one of those horrid fatties). If I was four stone underweight I'd be dead. It's much safer for a person to be obese than underweight, which is why it's bizarre that society has fetishised skinny so much.
12:33 PM on 09/29/2012
"Obesity kills, fact"
No, poisonous people who make comments about something they usually know absolutely nothing about do, however.
07:31 AM on 09/30/2012
I don't know where you're getting your ideas from, but it is a widely known fact the obesity kills. Accept it.
02:36 PM on 10/03/2012
Actually Catriona's point is correct and you, Annie91 are mistaken. It's no more a "fact" then the long held "fact" that the universe revolved around the earth in Galileo's time. Obesity has been CORRELATED with some diseases that can lead to death, however there is no solid scientific evidence that obesity CAUSES those diseases.
09:46 PM on 10/03/2012
What does 'the obesity' do? Does it jump out and flatten people?

Yes I'm being facetious. Obesity is a descriptor of size and does not indicate anything about health on its own. Saying that something is a 'widely known fact' doesn't actually make it true, either.
10:57 AM on 09/29/2012
Has anyone noticed over the last few years the increase in intollerance of people who decry those who do not conform to the "Ideal", media fuelled maybe?
10:26 AM on 09/29/2012
Some people may have a glandular problem or a condition tha causes them to gain weight ,some may have to take steroids as medication ,most of these will no doubt may develop diabieties,and will have to inject themselves daily with an insulin shot,although it will become routine for them it will still be an inconvienience,people who become obese from eating the wrong foods or just eating too much have a choice !
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NatalieRose Apar
FACT: My uterus is not part of your jurisdiction.
05:15 PM on 10/04/2012
Or, how about this: It's not your body, it's not your problem. I like that one.
09:16 AM on 10/05/2012
It is called compassion,being over wieght for what ever reason puts your body under undue stress and can cause organ damage which can lead to other life threatening diseases
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MsBubblyBlonde
Sassy,brassy,kiss my assy.
08:44 AM on 09/29/2012
Aimee Wood the reporter sounds very full of herself.She states she has a normal sized body....wow.....wouldn't a poster be ripped to shreds for saying the exact same thing?As in,what is classed as "normal" and by whom?
Obesity caused by overeating could be seen as an addiction.Food is the easiest of addictions as it is easily available and something these people have to face on a daily basis.So how do we help them if they don't wish to be helped?Is it really any of our business?I think there is beauty in everyone but if they don't see it then sadly....there is nothing we can do about that.
01:15 PM on 10/02/2012
You can put 2+2 together, right? Obesity leads to health issues, health issues lead to higher load on health system, which leads to increase in funding from whole society. Why my taxes should go to heal somebody's desires that are completely under their control. Also, it leads to misuse of funding for those who really would need it because they have some genetic disease not under their control.
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NatalieRose Apar
FACT: My uterus is not part of your jurisdiction.
05:16 PM on 10/04/2012
Do you have some other Fox news talking points you'd like to share? Because that's all you've got. Not a fact in sight.
09:48 PM on 10/03/2012
I'm kind of glad I'm addicted to food, truth be told. Otherwise I might forget to eat and then I'd die. Just as well biology has got this one covered for me!
07:57 AM on 09/29/2012
This is one article I actually agree with. I see some women who have beautiful faces but have become dangerously overweight and it is such a waste. They are not necessarily happy with their size but, unfortunately, don't get any help from the medical profession until their become ill. This is not how it should be. Overweight people who request help should be given it, so that they can, hopefully, avoid becoming obese with serious medical problems. From my own experience, it is a constant struggle and frame of mind is paramount. We don't need "telling", we need help, advice and constant encouragement to regain what we have lost in the self esteem and to lose what we have gained in weight. Help not criticism is the key.
09:51 PM on 10/03/2012
The only way I lose self esteem is if I run into judgey people who decide that my body isn't 'right' in some way. The only way I am dangerously overweight is if I happen to stand on your foot or, I dunno, hit you with a front kick or something. I am not a 'waste' and do you have any idea how incredibly creepy that comment sounds?
09:23 AM on 10/04/2012
I apologise if I offended you. I was actually trying to be supportive of all women no matter what their size. The point I was trying to make is that for those women who are not happy with their size, they get little or no help from anywhere. I see some women with the most beautiful faces and wonderful personalities but whose lives are blighted because they ARE unhappy with their weight. Many are happy no matter what but some of us are not and I am one of them. I am overweight and I have struggled since having my children. I am an emotional eater and getting to grips with that is very hard. I apologise if I did not make myself clear and you felt upset. I desperately want to be slim and fit but feel wasted and lost because I can't manage to conquer what I see as a problem. Others, of course, don't necessarily feel as I do and are happy with who they are.
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NatalieRose Apar
FACT: My uterus is not part of your jurisdiction.
05:17 PM on 10/04/2012
OMG, People don't look like you want them to look?? It's almost like they don't exist for your pleasure! What is the world coming to?!
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Thomas Platt
01:54 PM on 09/28/2012
Is it unhealthy to be overweight? Sure. Is it shameful? Hell no. I think you're only ever going to see the eradication of "big is beautiful" when models stop looking like emaciated children. They are reactions to one another.

At least women *have* a "big is beautiful" movement. When a man is fat, he's lazy. When a woman is fat, she gets to be curvaceous.
This comment has been removed.
12:50 PM on 09/28/2012
As someone who has been obese and shed the weight, I can sympathise with your comments--but only to an extent. I was unhealthy when I was overweight: I had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and I wasn't fit for sports. And, in fact, it was my dissatisfaction with my health and self-image that drove me into a healthier lifestyle.

However, I think that confusing being 'overweight' with 'unhealthy' isn't as straightforward as you make it. By BMI measures, I'm still quite overweight, but I can run 10k on a whim, eat healthfully and gym 5 times a week. On the flip side, there are many thin people who are revered for their looks and confidence, but they are 'skinny fat' (as coined in the show 'Weeds'), meanting they have high cholestoral, high blood pressure, poor eating habits and low physical activity levels--but they are thin and 'allowed' to be confident.

My point is this: let's not say whether it is good or bad for someone to be happy with their body based on how they look, including their size. Instead, let's focus on being happy and confident in our bodies based on our actual health. That's what should matter to the debate: should unhealthy individuals--be they larger, smaller or inbetween--be encouraged to be comfortable with their current state to promote confidence?
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Aimee Wood
02:29 PM on 09/28/2012
Totally agree with the way you put it. Thanks for understanding my point and putting it so simply.
09:57 PM on 10/03/2012
So why didn't you put it that way yourself? Might have saved you a lot of grief in the comments.
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NatalieRose Apar
FACT: My uterus is not part of your jurisdiction.
05:24 PM on 10/04/2012
If that was your point, you made it absolutely nowhere in your shameful rant against people who don't look like you want them to.
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Philip J Sparrow
When your work speaks for itself, keep quiet
12:19 PM on 09/28/2012
I can't imagine ever being happy in an overweight, unhealthy body. I feel sluggish and miserable if I go a day or two without proper exercise, and junk food has the same effect. THis has nothing to do with aesthetics (although greasy, pale skin is hardly a confidence booster).
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NatalieRose Apar
FACT: My uterus is not part of your jurisdiction.
05:26 PM on 10/04/2012
But you're talking about two different things: size and health. I might be a big girl, even "obese" on a useless BMI chart (useless because all it does is measure your height to weight ratio, which says nothing about your health), but that doesn't mean I get winded walking up a flight of stairs. I eat real, non-processed food, and exercise daily, and I have plenty of energy. And, hmm, nope. Don't feel miserable. Turns out you can be healthy and fit without being skinny.
12:33 AM on 09/28/2012
As someone who has achieved a weight I never thought possible (145 lbs. at 5'6") I am having a little trouble coming to grips with that. However, I have had a few periods in my life when because of physical/mental problems my weight was way too low. The worst of all was in 1988 when my weight got down to 80 lbs. at one point, and it is incredible to my friends, family and doctors that I eventually managed to survive (it took tube feedings, psychiatric help and Ensure among other things, mostly the will to live). Fast forward to 2010 when I fractured a hip, got a staph infection and a host of other problems that dropped my weight down to 215. People told me I looked emaciated, and that is how I felt. Now that I have gained back and exceeded my prior weight I actually look and feel better than before. Another anecdotal evidence, my mother (who was obese) outlived my dad (who was not) by six years.