My Two Cents About the Public Opinion of Weight

So, I was reading about Pauline Potter, the current Guinness World Record Holder for the World’s Fattest Woman. She stated that she submitted information in hopes of getting help. She stated that she’s aware she has a “sweet tooth” and possibly a “slow metabolism”. Pauline reached out to Oprah, Dr. Oz, and Dr. Phil in hopes of finding help in losing weight.

What’s most disturbing about the article isn’t so much her weight being 632 pounds, but the comments of the people on Huffington Post & People Online. It really shows how people really feel about overweight people as a whole.

Apparently, there’s no “slightly overweight” or “kinda fat” to people in society. Anyone who’s seen as fat gets the same treatment in public. A quick scan of the comments really disturbs me. Now, once I got beyond the typical online trolls and those with Internet Balls, I got the following ideas on what people think:

*Fat people sit up all day and gorge.

*Pauline shouldn’t be smiling because death isn’t funny.

*Obesity is a disease.

*She’s wrong for overeating when there are starving people in the world

*She’ll likely die of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure or stroke.

*She doesn’t want help because she’s smiling.

Yeap, that’s the general consensus.

What bothers me is that people really do feel those things are completely true…but such fallacies are deadly and such. Before you go into an “Obesity Kills” rant, pay attention.

Fat people don’t all sit up and gorge. One look at Sonya “Black Widow” Thomas will attest to that. When you read about a woman eating 183 hot wings in 12 minutes, you don’t expect to see this:

Exactly. As a big girl, I also know that’s a damn lie. My doctor had me to keep a food journal during my exploits in weight loss. One day, I actually logged in no breakfast, two chicken legs for lunch, and a dinner of baked pork chops and broccoli without cheese. My heaviest day saw a turkey sandwich and potato salad for lunch, and a trip to Paula Deen’s for dinner with my crew. After reading over it, she said “minus Paula Deen this past Friday, you don’t eat enough”.

Yes, I didn’t lose weight because I didn’t eat enough.

I told her that as a big girl in society, you’re constantly questioned about what’s on your plate. I always got teased in school for my weight, and even when eating a half a pickle and a bottle of water, I was told “damn fatass, you think you NEED that”. In an entire year at Central High School in 1997-98, I couldn’t tell you what the cafeteria looked like. Only reason I saw the one at White Station was because I cut through it for Band Class. Oddly, my time at WSHS found no bullying & heckling about my size.

I guess my personality mattered more than my size there.

So yeah, not every fat person sits down to 2 pizzas & a 2 liter of orange soda. But Kel loves orange soda.

What’s also amusing is how there’s a general assumption that “Fat Fokes’ Diseases” exist. Yeah, we know the cure for some ills is weight loss, but my med school or M.D. fokes could tell you that there isn’t a list of diseases called “Fat Fokes’ Diseases”. I will attest from family history that those with the “Fat Fokes’ Diseases” of hypertension, heart disease, diabetes or whatnot were not fat.

Such things are funny to me. I’m no doctor, but I’m amused that people really assume all fat people are walking around dying of certain diseases. I’m certain that ANYONE of ANY SIZE who eats a shitload of junk is prone to some form of disease. Conversely, it’s unhealthy to eat like a flippin boid (bird) too. I mean, unless you want to eat an apple and a cup o’ coffee a day and go all Christian Bale on fokes.

Lastly, I hate that society thinks fat = miserable. I know that some big girls/guys want to lose weight or tone up, and honestly I am one. Not that I’m so ashamed of the curves..

..but I have a disability condition in which a few pounds reduced would alleviate joint pressure in my feet. (Another post in itself). My goal, however, is not 150 pounds. (You do know that people have different frames, therefore there is no “perfect weight” right?) For years, I was made to feel bad about being a big girl by bastards and even the good ol’ media. I’ve been told that “a few situps” would do me good (so when my big ass actually DID them successfully, he kinda shet up).

Which leads me to another damn thing. WHO in the hell began this assumption that all fat people are lazy bastards sitting on their respective asses doing nothing? I’ve been fat and legally disabled Differently Abled all my life and guess what..even with both “strikes against me (as I’ve been told), I played percussion in the marching band, took martial arts, kicked a few asses and land a whole husband.

Bitches. Now what?

In my brief time manifesting on Tumblr, I’ve seen gorgeous big girls & guys, not ashamed of the bellies and happy in their skin or eating a bag of skins. I mean, are they bad for feeling happy and confident? Is it wrong that Pauline smiled in her picture? I guess “she doesn’t need help because she thinks it’s funny”. If you’re fat or over the ideal weight, are you not allowed to be happy, even if it’s for reasons other than your size? Maybe Pauline’s happy her story is being told. Or could she be happy that she’s still alive? Even as I fight with my crises of self at times, can I not smile about my kids or admire my dimples? Do I have to sit around my home in the closet alone crying about being fat?

***going to Hades for that last link***

If it were up to the bastards on those message boards, you’re not allowed to be happy or smile if you’re overweight.

I didn’t mean to go ALL THE WAY ham, just moderately ham. But in the end, get over the bullshit, people. Get beyond the belly, people. Whether a fat person wants to be slim or just a certain size, it’s none of your concern unless they explicitly made it your concern. But since we’re not all perfect any damn way, it shouldn’t matter.

SOOOO, stop messing with fokes: