From Living~400lbs:
"Scientists who study obesity at the cellular level say genetics determines people’s natural weight range, right down to the type and amount of food they crave, how much they move and where they accumulate fat. Asking how someone got to be so fat is as meaningless as asking how he got to be so tall. “The severely obese have some underlying genetic or metabolic difference we’re not smart enough to identify yet,” says Dr. Rudolph Leibel of Columbia University Medical Center. “It’s the same way that a 7-foot-tall basketball player is genetically different from me, at 5-foot-8.”
Fat has been blamed for cardiac trouble, diabetes and some forms of cancer. But fat-acceptance activists argue that the epidemiological studies that link fatness to disease often fail to adjust for non-weight-related risk factors found more often in fat populations. Poverty, minority-group status, too much fast food, a sedentary lifestyle, lack of access to health insurance or to nonjudgmental medical care, the stress of self-loathing and being part of a stigmatized group — all are more common among fat people, and all are linked to poorer health outcomes at any weight. This makes it harder to say to what extent an association between obesity and disease is due to the fatness itself or to the risk factors that tend to go along with being fat.
Robin Marantz Henig in the New York Times Magazine"
You all know where I stand with the fat acceptance folks, but I agree with Dr. Rudolph Leibel....I am glad someone has finally said it-- that there are differences not being yet identified.
I wrote a book based on this theory which I have believed my entire life because I know it's true for me. I'm certain that I have a brain that craves food and a body that wants to be larger therefore my life in a food-obsessed culture will be difficult and attempts to lose weight will be a fight against no less an adversary than my own nature.
ReplyDeleteI developed metabolic syndrome; I did want to lose weight, finally I did. My book is for people like me who want to lose weight but I wrote it to make the point that for us it's going to be a very tough road. I think it really helps to learn that you can reject all that garbage about willpower and discipline and everything that ignores who you really are and what you really face if you want to try to manage your weight as a naturally larger person. I have gotten myself to a place of greatly improved and stable health and I'm happy to stay here but it will take continuing to fight vestiges of my true nature for the rest of my life.
Since you moderate comments I'd like to add something. Edit into my previous comment if you like. I write a lot about what I think is possibly the worst form of fat shaming we face---the belief that if you are fat there must be something "wrong" with you and those of us who are or have been larger must be the victims of some form of trauma. What upsets me the most is that I believe we drink this Kool-Aid ourselves!!! If there is some form of trauma in the past of a large person, they usually assume they failed to heal themselves and "turned to food for comfort." Oh god if I could wipe any expression out of the language, that would be it.
ReplyDeleteMany of us fight our weight for years believing it's "caused" by some emotional failing so we worsen our own self-image by fighting a causal relationship that does not exist. Trying to "fix" yourself does nothing because you were never "broken" in the first place.
Thanks I would like to check out your book, it looks very interesting.
ReplyDeleteI've lost 100lbs in the last 5 years too slow, but I can't eat like normal people or take things for granted. Some of the MSG allergies and being into health food probably has helped, there is so far to go. I am trying to increase the exercise end of things. One problem I face with weight loss is depression and of course physical problems outlined on this blog in detail.
I agree about craving food and hunger levels. Taking things low enough just does not work. I am glad you have rejected the garbage about will power and discipline, and will be interested quite a bit in what you have to say.
I agree too about the worse part of fat shaming. I think some of it is getting to me, especially if you see today's entry about "Who are you besides fat"?
I am so tired of being told I am at fault and wrong. Even losing 200lbs of the horrible weight [yes I know I've taken way too long] isn't enough to cut me a break, because well I am still fat.
I am working to rejecting the Kool-Aid. So many insisting on wanting to define reality for me who really do not know what is going on.
I agree all of us are told it is emotional failings, odd when it is a body that is physically failing causing us so much pain. I even had the thought during the last few weeks, where I have been plagued with a lot of hunger pain--even eating low carb foods, thinking why is the body demanding something it does not need and why does everyone think I run this show completely? I agree about the diversion to the emotional. Also too what does it do to fat people to be told they are a "BAD PERSON" over and over? I sometimes wonder how much better health we'd have without that going in the background.
Dagny lost weight by having weight loss surgery. She is a fraud.
DeleteI don't think she is a fraud in that she openly admits it. But I did wonder about how the conversations went, I get the feeing the weight loss surgery lobby doesn't want much honest conversation about weight. Too much money being made.
DeleteFive Hundred Pound Peep- she used to openly admit it. Now she doesn't. Notice that in her comments here, pimping her weight loss book, there was zero mention of surgery, but lots of stuff about diet and exercise.
DeleteAfter Dagny had surgery, she was very honest about the fact that she had totally lost all interest in food. It made it easy for her to starve herself; she basically lived on protein shakes and multivitamins. Yet now she talks about overcoming cravings and etc. Basically, she's lying to fat people to make a buck, and I think that's terrible. She also was very public, back in the day, about how disgusting and horrible she thought fat people were.
Thank you for your response. It was important to me to express myself clearly. I plan on spending some quality time with your blog; I hope you'll check out my blog and my new blog! You'll find the link! I will probably do a new video tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteI use myself to illustrate my points because I am willing to be completely honest. I've had so many people contact me to say they're so glad to find someone else experiencing what they have! I've lost half my bodyweight and I've even become a certified trainer to reach out to people who are as intimidated by physical activity as I was.
So shouldn't it be so easy for me now? Shouldn't I be chugging wheat grass smoothies and preaching vegan religion? No. Because those natural thoughts of food are STILL in my mind all the time!! Shouldn't I have ripped abs by now? No. My body composition hangs on to fat in certain places and it's going to stay there. Would I really rather drink Pepsi every day and have doughnuts for breakfast? YES I WOULD. I can't tell you why! I fight it and I'm better at doing that now but the thoughts are not gone! They never will be!! MY BRAIN LOVES FOOD. I've reached the age where my health is compromised by extra weight so I have to work at managing it. I accept that and I give it the best I can.
I'm going to read through your blog extensively and give thought to your comment above. I saw your email address in the guest blogger post. I hope it's alright if I send you an email this weekend if I think I have any positive comments to offer. Have a great weekend!
Dagny Kight