Prove it to me
What I’m saying is nothing new. But I’ve decided to turn over a new leaf. I’d like to stop just believing secondhand information, and so straight to the source. Which has brought me to this.
Prove it to me. Tell me what it is that all these studies find in the evil fat cells that make them so evil? So they, say, store disease, or toxins, or fillinblank? What does “excess” fat do to my body that makes you condemn me for it? And if the fat itself does something, prove it to me. Where are your studies funded by a company that doesn’t have a stake in the results? No, I don’t want your press release, I want the un-spun conclusions from the study, thanks.
Prove it to me. If I were to lose weight, how would that make me happier? Is there some correlation with how fat affects one’s happiness now? Those evil little fat cells really are nefarious, aren’t they? First they’re killing me, now they’re making me unhappy. Maybe I should just go on a diet then? Ah, that’s what you really want, isn’t it? Then society will love me for being a miracle “youcantoo-er”, and I’ll be granted an immediate +5 charisma, and of course, +10 in happiness, because everyone will be telling me how good I look, and congratulating me on my “accomplishment”.
Once again, prove it to me. Prove to me that diets actually work, and that not only will I lose the weight, but it will make me healthier and happier in the process.
Until someone can actually prove that what the mainstream media spouts about the obesity epidemic is true (and if they can prove it all, I’ll eat my hat), I’ll stick by FA, thanks. Even if they could prove it isn’t really a pack of lies, I’m happy at the size I am, and honestly, I’m happiest when I’m not dieting. Being in college was the longest period of time I’d gone without any sort of dieting since elementary school. And the stress of a college atmosphere nonwithstanding, it was also the happiest time in my life. I was there I discovered FA, and the fatosphere, and it was because of that discovery that something inside of me popped. The notion that I don’t have to be thin, and don’t have to lose weight. That I am perfect being how and who I want to be.
Eating My Cake » Blog Archive » An excellent post (no, I didn’t write it) said,
June 17, 2008 at 8:13 am
[...] found this blog through my Google Alerts, and I just *love* this post. The Fabulously Fat College Student sums it all up so nicely that I don’t have to write a [...]
Kada said,
June 17, 2008 at 11:21 am
Awesome post!
Rachel said,
June 17, 2008 at 8:06 pm
Good for you!
honestdebate said,
June 18, 2008 at 11:31 am
good post
it’s a shallow world. i’m not fat, but I can related to this post because I’m a Muslim woman. I cover. And I’m subjected to similar looks, comments and statements… because i refuse to dress for other people.
I’m happy knowing and believing with conviction that i’m dressing appropriately. i’m walking the same path as you. Unless those atheists out there can prove to me that Islam is false, i’m staying put.
integgy said,
June 18, 2008 at 12:19 pm
Thank you so much, everyone for your comments.
honestdebate: I appreciate your unique insight on the topic at hand, and congratulate you on standing firm in what you believe in.
Welcome Integgy and “Fabulously Fat College Student” to the Fat Liberation feed! « Big Liberty said,
June 18, 2008 at 2:11 pm
[...] Prove it to Me Until someone can actually prove that what the mainstream media spouts about the obesity epidemic is true (and if they can prove it all, I’ll eat my hat), I’ll stick by FA, thanks. [...]
scvegan said,
June 18, 2008 at 4:54 pm
Are you literally asking for someone to provide you with published, peer-reviewed studies? You can research them yourself on PubMed, if your school has a medical library then you should be able to get access to the full articles.
Good post, I especially like the references to gaining attribute points.
What is “FA” ?
Mick said,
June 18, 2008 at 5:23 pm
If you truly want evidence of the effects of being overweight……… Walk to the library and pick up any book on pathophysiology – you can be assured that the content will be comprised of scientific data and not media hype. OR use the internet to look for research sites. Visit your nearest hospital and see what being fat can do to you, and how much more likely you are to die from complications if you get sick. I see patients every day who’s recovery from surgery is hampered by their excess weight, or complications with diabetes, atherosclerosis, ischaemic heart disease………. the list goes on. You can wake up and open your eyes to the harmful effects of being fat, OR…….. keep your eyes blissfully closed and continue a stupid rant about “no evidence that fat is bad for me”. ….and the people who are essentially saying “you go girl!” what sort of twits are you to agree with her??
AnnieMcPhee said,
June 18, 2008 at 5:51 pm
I’ve only seen one thing that could be described as fat being directly dangerous. It was on one of those Brookhaven Obesity Clinic shows (normally never watch that one!) and one of the young men had been there from 400 pounds up until he reached 700 (took 2 years I think – he wouldn’t follow the extreme diet or the exercise regimen; just stayed in bed and kept ordering out for food – whether he was binging I can’t say – to them all eating outside rabbit food is evil). Anyway, what happened to him (at 700 something pounds) was that the very heavy weight of the fat on his upper chest was pressing down on his lungs so hard that he couldn’t get any breath in, and he also couldn’t expel the carbon dioxide. So he was in serious respiratory distress, and from what they said it was genuinely just because of the fat, not any inherent lung problems. However, I think 700+ pounds is pretty rare, I don’t necessarily trust the show to be honest, there is no proof that dieting would have made him thin or even thin enough to prevent this, and – well who knows? I don’t know how it came out, either – they were having trouble transporting him to an ER but I stopped watching. But that’s the only case where I’ve ever heard of that fat in and of itself could kill someone.
One other one I speculate is trying to deliver a baby when up in the higher ranges of weight, where your belly might also weigh a lot and be able to weigh down on the baby after the water is burst. However, that would only be a problem if you were laying on your back, and that’s a VERY bad position for ANYONE to give birth in. It should be actively avoided by anyone attempting to give birth. But I could see that causing a similar problem as with the lungs, if it were attempted.
However, you’re quite right – I’ll stick with FA too
And the science is just coming up all over the place against the nonsense in the media, so it’s just a matter of getting it out to the ignoramuses in the public and in the government and in the healthcare business.
integgy said,
June 18, 2008 at 6:11 pm
SCVegan: It stands for Fat Acceptance.
Mick: I only approved your comment to say this: The things you listed are results of unhealthy eating, not of fat in and of itself. Everything you’re referring to is based on the assumption that all fat people live unhealthy lifestyles, something which, while is true for some, is certainly not true for all. I’d also recommend taking a look at this post on Shapely Prose, which says it better than I certainly ever could:
http://kateharding.net/but-dont-you-realize-fat-is-unhealthy/
Annie: Thanks for acknowledging that there are cases of fat being bad for you, in the more extreme ranges. I guess the reason why I say that fat itself is not what makes one unhealthy is because in both those cases, it is the weight of the fat, not the actual cells themselves. I’m not trying to pick at you, because I do realize that, even though I didn’t mention it in this entry, since it was supposed to be more about empowerment, those complications did float through my head while I was typing it.
Sarah said,
June 18, 2008 at 6:37 pm
Mick, quite frankly, you are an idiot.
I’m fat, AND I work in the medical field. I also am quite aware that being fat has NOTHING to do with sickness. EVERYBODY gets sick.
I am in GOOD health, despite being OMG OBESE.
Are you aware of the studies of the mortality rate of underweight individuals compared with overweight individuals? Guess who has the lower mortality rate?
Are you aware of the studies that show excess fat actually HELPS patients survive disease?
Did you know that individuals who constantly diet are actually in worse shape than fat individuals who embrace Heath at Every Size?
I could go on and on, but I’ll stop.
Great blog, Lindsey! I hope you are doing well in school.
jeremy said,
June 18, 2008 at 7:50 pm
If you can find a good source of un-spun scientific studies, please do share with us. It would be a +10 happiness for all of humanity.
AnnieMcPhee said,
June 18, 2008 at 8:46 pm
Hm. I didn’t see Mick’s comment when I made mine. Well, Mick, this “twit” might have a few things to say to you. But right now I have to get home from work, as I’m putting in like 60 hours this week. Because I’m so fat and lazy and sick. You know, like that. I won’t forget, though. Even though I’m a twit.
AnnieMcPhee said,
June 18, 2008 at 11:06 pm
SCVegan (by the way, I’ve come across quite a few fat, active, fit vegans – interesting, eh?) is this the kind of medical study you’re talking about?
http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/165/1/55
‘Cause these “paradoxes” are now so numerous they can’t rightly be called paradoxes anymore. If I were a media junkie I’d say the jury is back out, but I’m not a media junkie and I’ll be maintaining that the jury is in fact in…and the result ain’t that fat is killing people in droves, or that there’s an “epidemic” (my God, definitions people!) or that “healthy eating” is anything more than preventing deficiencies and certainly not disease http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2007/10/junkfood-science-exclusive-big-one.html
If we’re talking about peer-reviewed, randomized, clinically controlled studies and not press releases, of course. Looks like FA wins on that score
Oh, and I think that sorta answers Mike too.
Unless Mike would care to take on the issue of ENTIRE WINGS being built onto hospitals to deal with the deadly aftereffects of weight loss surgery. Or the Ancel Keys starvation studies.
scvegan said,
June 19, 2008 at 4:39 pm
AnnieMcPhee, I was not talking about any study in particular. If the blog author was genuinely looking for actual studies I was simply saying how she could obtain them. The first link you posted would be a published study, but that is only the abstract not the full text. To fully understand a study and scrutinize it you would need the full text.
The second link you posted is a blog post talking about a study that I myself am familiar with. The NIH-Women’s Health study contained one major flaw, in that there was no low-fat diet group. A low fat diet is one that is no more than 10% calories from fat. Having two groups, both near 30% calories from fat is not going to show a significant difference because there isn’t one to begin with. If you read the full text you will see that the supposed “low-fat” group, which was just slightly lower in dietary fat than the control group, did just slightly better. The only logical conclusion is that a much greater reduction in dietary fat would give much greater results.
I did not come here to debate, I was just trying to be helpful and I rather enjoyed the author’s post. It’s true that I am vegan, but could certainly stand to lose a few pounds ;o)
I don’t really care about what other people eat or what their body size is. I do have a fondness for health-science and try to keep up with the latest news, so when i saw someone asking for studies I thought would point the way.
Integgy, thanks for that definition. I am a fan of acceptance.
integgy said,
June 19, 2008 at 6:43 pm
SCVegan: Don’t worry, I didn’t take your post as anything other than exactly what it said. My questions were rhetorical, but I am looking for sources of medical studies, so I’ve made note of your previous suggestions.