From The Onion’s satirical corner comes this “man on the street” reaction to the news that the Army has rejected 48,000 would-be recruits for being too fat.
So let’s summarize my incentives for losing weight: I’ll be hungry all the time, I’ll be tired all the time, and I’ll qualify for Army service.
Not to mention increasing the risk of death, disability, and sexual assault! Gee, I wonder why WW, Nutisystem and Jenny Craig aren’t using this as a marketing campaign!
I suppose that I could say that was a positive thing about being born with cerebral palsy. The military has always left me strictly alone…in fact, they wouldn’t take the GIFT of me. That is so heartbreaking. I wouldn’t be temperamentally/emotionally/psychologically suited to military service anyway, though I suppose it is a good thing that some people are. I have, however, seen the results of those who were probably no more suited than I am who were forced into military service & it wasn’t a pretty sight.
I would like to mention, though, that neither being fat nor being disabled (or a civilian) prevents sexual assault. I do think that refraining from trying to many insane methods of losing weight may well prevent many causes of death &/or disability.
And the other day my roommate was watching Oprah (whom I cannot stand & refuse to watch) & it was all about people who weigh 800 pounds or whatever & are immobilized by their fat, who just sit & eat all the time, the ‘bad’ parents who help them do this, etc. TLC is fond of running tabloid/propaganda shows exaggerating the effects of fat, etc., such as this as well. Just what the hell are they trying to prove?
They’re trying to prove that the “obesity epidemic” actually exists by showing these 800lb or more immobile people. If the rest of society saw that the majority of obese people don’t look like those fat people, they might actually stop believing all the hype about how fat is killing us and dieting/exercising is a necessity to be “healthy”. Heaven forbid that people should stop dieting, a whole industry might go out of business (like that would break my heart).
Amen, Vesta, &, yes, I really know that is what it is all about. Never mind that plenty of people eat what they want to eat (& some eat quite a bit) & stay pretty consistently the same size, that many thin people eat more than many fat people, that studies have PROVEN that, on average, fat people eat no more or differently than thin people, that most of us are as healthy or healthier, live as long or sometimes longer, etc. Nevermind that probably at least 98% of us could not weigh 800 pounds (or whatever magic number they pick out of the air) if we TRIED. Over & over again, they try to sell us the idea that if we do not keep exercising & if we do not eat ‘right’ or buy their diet programs, “this is what will happen to you.” And I believe that my roommate also said that Fat-Blind Idiot Oprah (she who cannot be told the truth about her own body or anyone else’s) & her fellow jackasses on the show were dragging in the whole “poor children, these children will die younger than their parents” bullshit as well. They wouldn’t want to miss any angles, now would they?
They’re trying to prove that the “obesity epidemic” actually exists by showing these 800lb or more immobile people. If the rest of society saw that the majority of obese people don’t look like those fat people, they might actually stop believing all the hype about how fat is killing us and dieting/exercising is a necessity to be “healthy”.
Exactly. The media has a very huge disconnect with the pereception of obesity. They are perfectly willing to exploit an 800 lb. person for ratings and scaring people into dieting by saying “THIS is how you could look if you don’t stop eating.” But those very fat people are the exception to the rule. Even those of us who are 300-400 lbs aren’t very common. But still, the media thinks there are so many supersized people out there just devouring the world and riddled with disease. If they would only realize obesity is not just that 800 lb. immobile person or that 300 lb. person walking down the street, but their “average size 16” neighbor, we wouldn’t even be screaming about an epidemic.
If they would only realize obesity is not just that 800 lb. immobile person or that 300 lb. person walking down the street, but their “average size 16″ neighbor, we wouldn’t even be screaming about an epidemic.
Yes and no. You don’t get the “epidemic” numbers if you don’t include the size 12s-16s-22s, but you don’t get the panic if you don’t focus on the 400-800lb folks. They’re going for the best of both worlds.
The real picture might have less panic, but then again, it might cause more paranoia (“Is the guy next door muscular or FAT?????”)
Then the media just needs to shut up and not focus on fat at all. But that would mean 90% of their news content would disappear!
I made that last comment—lifeonfats is me.
And how would Oprah organize these pity parties she calls a tv show & give support for her belief that “fat is death” & justification for her own self-hatred & repeated attempts to lose the weight that just keeps finding its way back over & over again. It is such a waste; she reaches so many people & could be a power for good & do so much to advance fat liberation, but all she does is reinforce stereotypes & promote the hatred, the fear, & the panic. And, yes, the ‘news shows’ which are supposed to provide unbiased reporting NEVER report the truth about fat & health, longevity, about the risks & failures of dieting & WLS, etc. No, the people with the power & big audiences are not doing a damn thing to get the truth out…quite the opposite.
Former software tester, now retired heart patient having fun and working on building endurance and strength. See also About page.
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