April 28, 2009

• Being IGNORANT is NOT okay

  So I read this blog, and I decided to write a response post.

  That’s What He Said:

  “They make excuses as to why they’re fat like “Oh I can’t exercise because I have a joint problem.”
  Seriously, if people with no legs can play basketball in the Special Olympics, you can get your lazy ass off of a chair and lose some weight.” This doesn’t make any sense. You can’t equate someone having joint problems with someone who has no legs. Someone who has joint problems is limited in their exercises. My dad had a torn rotor cuff, and he could barely move without being in pain.

  “They feel like it’s wrong for others to judge them based on their weight.
  NO. It is not wrong for someone to judge you because you are fat. Being fat is a lifestyle decision that you made and therefore you suffer the consequences. If I tattooed my face and got 30 piercings all over my body, I’d expect to be fired from work the very next day. Everyone will judge you, it’s only a matter of whether they let you know about it outright or not.” Being fat is not exactly a lifestyle choice. I’ll explain in further detail later. Also, he’s equating tattoos and piercings with being overweight. It doesn’t make any sense. Depending on the company handbook and policies, you can’t necessarily be fired for tattooing and piercing your body. In fact, if it’s not in the handbook, it’s illegal to be fired for this reason. It’s called discrimination. Also, if it is against the rules of the company, I’m sure they’d ask you to remove them before firing you.

  “They are either overly bitter, or try to compensate for their fatness by being extremely nice or funny
  Fat people usually have very low self esteem. Very often, they feel bitter towards society and bitter at how they are treated compared to their hotter friends. Some fat people try to compensate by being funny or really nice, that’s usually how they can make friends.” I really don’t know how to respond to that, other than saying this is one extremely shallow person.

  “They enjoy throwing around phrases like natural looking, plus sized, big boned and well rounded…
  I personally like the word OBESE, it’s straight to the point.” As I replied to a comment, this person is basically saying that anyone who doesn’t have a perfectly flat stomach is fat. Those are real words used to describe body shapes. There’s no possible way everyone in the world is going to have a flat stomach. I myself like the word “curvy.”

  “They believe it is society that is wrong for showing pictures of skinny people.
  Society is not wrong, skinny is what is attractive and what we consider sexy, you are just the opposite of those things so stop blaming the environment and start looking at yourself.” I disagree whole-heartedly with this statement. He’s speaking for what society as a whole thinks what’s attractive? I think women who are too thin are actually unattractive. Who wants to hug and cuddle with bones? Besides that, there are many cultures currently and throughout the centuries who prefer women with curves or who have well-rounded figures. What’s wrong with the pictures that are shown are that these women are too thin and unhealthy looking…look at the model who died of anorexia.

  “They love KFC
  Stop eating fried shit!” Just because it’s fried, doesn’t mean it’s from KFC or other fast food. Southerners love fried chicken and make their own all the time.

  The Facts:

  First I’m going to talk about anorexia and bulimia. Sometimes over-eating is as much an eating disorder as these two.

  Causes (Ana/Mia):
  The causes of ana/mia are fairly the same, so I’m going to combine them. Genetic factors can lead to these diseases, and they share genetic risks with clinical depression. Serotonin is a chemical in our bodies that deal with moods and anxiety and when serotonin levels are high, starving oneself can reduce those levels, hence relieving anxiety. Zinc deficiency can also play a role in anorexia. This deficiency can decrease appetites, which in turn decreases zinc in your body. Thus a vicious cycle emerges. These behaviors are also linked to psychological and mental illnesses. Clinical depression, OCD, substance abuse, and self-harming behaviors are also common behaviors with these diseases. Also, studies have shown that the promotion of thinness as the ideal form contributes to these eating disorders. There is also many cases of reported sexual child abuse linked to those with anorexia. One such number indicated 50% of those diagnosed were abused.

  Anorexia: Health Problems (including but not limited to):
  -Shrunken bones
  -Loss of menstruation
  -Weakness and fatigue
  -Depression
  -Suicide
  -Mineral loss
  -Low body temperature
  -Irregular heartbeat
  -Osteoporosis
  -Reduction in white blood cells
  -Reduced immune system functions
  -Poor circulation
  -Nerve deterioration
  -Headaches
  -Bruising
  -Loss in memory
  -Hallucinations
  -Heart failure
  -Kidney failure
  -Liver damage
  -10% of people suffering from anorexia die.

  Bulimia: Health Problems (including but not limited to):
  -Chronic acid reflux
  -Dehydration
  -Cardiac arrhythmia
  -Cardiac arrest
  -Caries (destruction of bone structure)
  -Delayed gastric emptying (partial paralysis of the stomach, food remains here for longer than normal)
  -Erosion of the tooth enamel
  -Cavaties
  -Stomach ulcers
  -Ruptures of the stomach and esophagus
  -Build-up of fluids in the intestines
  -Irregular heartbeat
  -Suicidal behavior
  -Heartburn
  -Weakness and exhaustion
  -Anemia
  -Heart failure
  -10% of those who suffer from bulimia die.

  Causes (Obesity):
  There are many reasons why one is obese, and quite a few of them have nothing to do with eating junk food and/or overeating. There is something called metabolic syndrome, which runs in the gene pool. Depression and stress can have a huge impact on what and how often someone is eating. These things aren’t controllable, and they are not a weakness. Cushings syndrome is also a cause, although I don’t remember in my research what this disease is and what it does. Hypothyriodism is another cause, and a fairly big one at that. What this does is slow down your body’s metabolism to a point that all the person does is gain weight, no matter what. Certain medications can also cause obesity, including but not limited to: steroids, migraine medication, anti-depressants, and other mood altering drugs. Having little, no, or not enough sleep can have an affect on obesity as well. This is completely understandable in today’s society, because people are so incredibly busy, they don’t have time for a decent night’s sleep. Stress can also cause a great deal of sleeplessness, which in turn causes obesity. Also, the pollution in the atmosphere has an affect on a person’s hormones, which can also play a role on a person’s weight. Air condition is also a factor. Apparently, your body burns calories if the envirnment you’re in is too hot or too cold for your comfort level, and now having temperature-controlled environments, your body isn’t burning as many calories. Decreased smoking can also cause obesity.

  Obesity: Health Problems (including but not limited to):
  -Cardiovascular diseases
  -Diabetes Type 2
  -Different forms of cancer
  -Reduced life expectancy
  -High blood pressure
  -High cholesterol
  -Liver disease
  -Congestive heart failure
  -Infertility
  -Stroke
  -Migraines
  -Asthma

  I put up information on both problems because they are both problems. Just because anorexia and bulimia aren’t as big of problems as obesity, it doesn’t mean they aren’t problems. They are all serious diseases, because they can all lead to death in the end. I also think people don’t realize how many people are ana/mia. Most of them keep it a huge secret, one they don’t tell anybody. They use “thinspiration” to keep them going on their quest to be thin. To make it worse, the person who wrote that blog put a thinspo photo up, to “use as motivation.” What he doesn’t understand, is that they way he’s talking drive more and more people to become ana/mia, and that photo makes it worse too. Young people are so pressured by being thin by everybody that they become these walking corpses. They get it from their parents, peers, significant others, the media, and basically everyone in the country. I’ll bet everyone knows someone who’s ana/mia, and they don’t even know it.

  I think it’s more about being healthy.

  Ways To Lead A Healthier Lifestyle:
  -Cook your own meals, don’t eat out
  -Eat small meals, once every 2-3 hours. This increases your metabolism.
  -Eat fruits and vegatables as snacks, instead of crackers or chips
  -Eat breakfast. You haven’t eaten in about 10 hours, and your body needs the fuel
  -Excercise for about 30-60 minutes a day. Alternate between cardio and weight training. You burn more fat the more muscle mass you have.
  -When you excercise, you have to sweat. If you’re not sweating, you’re not working hard enough.
  -Keep your heart rate up for at least 15 minutes every time you work cardio
  -Drink more water than pop
  -Drink plenty of water and stretch before and after every work out
  -Losing weight the right way takes time! Don’t lose courage!!

  In this case, ignorance isn’t bliss (really, it never is)….and I found it sad that people were actually agreeing with him. If he wanted to inspire people to start eating right and excercising, he was doing it the wrong way (I personally feel that he’s just shallow). People shouldn’t talk about something they know nothing about.

  • 8:25 pm
  • 10 Comments