The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

chitownem — Mon, 11 May 2009 17:47:14 GMT

Give me a break. If you are 300 plus pounds you are over weight and it will probably kill you. It's fine if you accept that, but to try to pretend that anyone is "meant" to be morbidly obese is absurd.

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re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

Bella's a Pug — Mon, 11 May 2009 18:15:21 GMT

it's ok to be fat. it's ok to grunt getting in and out of your chair. it's ok to die of a heart attack before you should have. it's ok to miss out on the activities that an in shape person enjoys. it's ok to keep telling yourself that you need to diet and workout but never do. it's ok to eat twice as much as everyone else at the table and then raid the fridge 15 minutes later. it's ok to admit you are mentally inferior and unable to take control.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

olderwiser — Mon, 11 May 2009 18:23:08 GMT

Just look at the beds people slept in two hundred years ago and notice how short everybody was. Look at Rubens's paintings and see how rotund people were. We are entering a taller, rounder era. Vive la change, as they say in France. We never stay the same. I am an old, moderately tall, slim person and it is easy to see how my kind is fading into the background. We'll all be okay. Each in our own way.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

olderwiser — Mon, 11 May 2009 18:26:17 GMT

Some day far into the future when people slim down again, they will look at the old airline chairs and wonder how someone could have been so wide. Good to have airplanes named after the passengers. Widebodied Jet Airliners. Burns twice as much fuel to haul a load.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

demon38 — Mon, 11 May 2009 18:36:31 GMT

To everyone hear criticizing overweight people, why don't you all try and walk on water, (Guess what it doesn't matter how THIN you are, you still can't do it) cause you all are so much better people.

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re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

zzztimes — Mon, 11 May 2009 18:59:12 GMT

Living healthily does not result in weighing over 300lbs. Intuitive Eating??? So while in the process of learning what your body needs, you gain a few hundred pounds? Education and self-discipline seem better than impulse and ignorance if you ask me. Being comfortable with yourself should not be gained through your self-image whether you are fat or thin.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

paproudmom — Mon, 11 May 2009 19:36:37 GMT

Bella you just proved that the word pig has nothing to do with weight.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

Melanno — Mon, 11 May 2009 19:55:33 GMT

I don't know if all the comments below are from "thin" persons, but it would appear that way to me. I am "fat". I don't want to be there and I have tried multiple times to become the world's ideal. I work out 5 days a week and try to eat well. I'm not kidding myself here, I know that I don't do all there is to do so that I can meet the worlds expectation of what I should look like. The comes a point in a "fat" person's life that we just get tired - tired of being unseen, unwanted, and ridiculed. I understand the acceptance of her body and wish I could do the same. A "thin" person is never judged until he/she opens her mouth and proves his/her intelligence or lack thereof. A "fat" person will work their whole life to prove to anybody and everybody that they meet that they have worth. I too have lost the equivilent of small persons in my life only to gain it back - none of us want to be here - it's the hardest thing there is - both physically and emotionally. I would love to have a few of my "thin" friends who never had to think about every single bite they put in their bodies every single day of their life would walk in my shoes for just a few days. Scratch that - I love them too much to be put through that torture!

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

klatu80 — Mon, 11 May 2009 20:06:22 GMT

Thank you for writing this article. This is a philosophy that I myself have adopted as I have gotten older. I used to constantly stress over my weight and diet to the point that I hated my body and was not enjoying life. I let society convince me that I was less of a person because I was not thin. I pushed myself to the point of misery as I tried every diet and exercise regime possible, only to end up heavier as each program failed to work. Now, I have learned to accept myself the way I am and to be happy. Life is too short to make yourself miserable in order to please others that you really don't care about anyway. Since I changed my attitude, I have stopped gaining weight and have stayed the same weight for five years. I am healthy and my husband, family, and friends love me the way I am. That is what matters to me.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

meg1111 — Mon, 11 May 2009 20:13:02 GMT

I get where they're coming from, but at least according to my own experience, if you're used to eating a high-fat, high-carb, meat-laden diet, you can't simply rely on your cravings to tell you what you need. When I start eating a lot of sweets, all I want to eat is more sweets. First, you need to retrain your body to become accustomed to a healthy diet, so you can quit craving foods that aren't healthy for you. I respect that people naturally gravitate to a certain weight, and that weight is different for everybody, but the human body is meant to subsist on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and moderate amounts of meat. I'd bet that anyone who adheres to that diet won't weigh 300 pounds. And it's not about vanity -- it's about fueling your body the way it's meant to be fueled.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

BreeMass — Mon, 11 May 2009 20:34:59 GMT

It's one thing to not be bone thin or even skinny - hell, Marilyn Monroe was a size 14 and she was hot! but in what world is it healthy and acceptable to be 300+ pounds? We don't all need to be size one, but really, if you think you are healthy at 300 pounds, the only person you are fooling is yourself!

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

seti2008 — Mon, 11 May 2009 20:45:33 GMT

I'm fat, and fat is no longer a feminist issue. it's a health issue. While metabolic issues can cause obesity, the major culprit for most people is overeating. Although it is true that I take medication that causes excessive weight gain, I like food. The pharmaceutical company was negligent in not including a weight gain and diabetes warning in their information kit for doctors. They now say patients who take the drug must diet. The truth is: I would ave elected not to take the drug, because I like to eat. And taking insulin also doesn't help in losing weight. Many fat people claim that they eat the same amount as people who are height/weight proportionate, but rarely is that really true. I went out to lunch with a morbidly obese friend, who order the normal at a popular San Francisco restaurant that advertises "This is no place for a diet." The portions are simply huge and should be split or leftovers should be taken home. Well, guess what? She ate all of the food on her plate. I'm sorry that being fat causes lower self-esteem, but so does smoking and excessive drinking. I'm only bothered when people remind me, more than once, that I am fat.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

txwriter33 — Mon, 11 May 2009 20:48:03 GMT

The pursuit of a beauty ideal is destructive, without question. And while it's certainly morally reprehensible to discriminate against or alienate people because of their weight. People of all sizes are equally valuable as human beings. But to advocate -- witha straight face -- that people who are morbidly obese are "healthy" is putting people at risk and shortening lives. It's a rationale, not a reality. There is no such thing as "healthfully obese." To suggest otherwise is to disempower people, to insult their ability to live beyond the limitations and lack of quality of life that comes with being obese. I've lived it--and I've watched my father live it--and I've lived without the weight for over ten years. It can be done--and it's not a matter of rationale. It's a matter of will. Let's support those efforts to preserve life rather than settle for "good enough." Ladies, you deserve more. You're worth more. You deserve a full life unhindered by the limitations of obesity.

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re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

mel82 — Mon, 11 May 2009 21:16:20 GMT

I am a little fat, 152 pounds at 5.2 but I eat very healthy, lots of veggies, nothing deep fried, or fast food, I eat a lot of salads and fruits, I dont excersice much but walk around a lot (my dog) and go on the bike on weekends... so I do believe that some bodies do have a tendency to be bigger, regardless of what you eat. Like that girl said am I supposed to eat 12 points of food everyday for the rest of my life? Count how many strawberries I am eating so I dont pass over my limit of 1200 calories so I can lose the extra weight?

According to the BMI deal I am supposed to lose 25 pounds. I do not overeat, I do indulge in a bit of chocolate from time to time but nothing crazy... So do I fight the body that nature gave me? or deprive myself of the simple pleasure of a chocolate chip cookie with coffee and count the spoonfuls of fat-free dressing I am eating with my salad?

Sadly I am not as evolved as Kirby and Harding and I will keep trying to be thin.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

Vincent_Vega — Mon, 11 May 2009 21:28:51 GMT

I think there is a middle ground that can be reached in this "war." The woman pictured for this article is a good example. She clearly doesn't weigh anywhere near 300lbs, but she would never be accused of being thin, either. I think that people of this "middle weight" should be the ones we address when it comes to issues of self-esteem and life-long wars with their bodies, not the morbidly obese. Besically, what I was hoping to read in this article was more along the lines of "Look, I'm a 5'7" woman and weigh 175lbs., I can run a mile or two without feeling like I'm going to die, I'm tired of obsessing about the size of my ass, and I think other women (and men) can benefit from a more positive, relaxed attitude. We (theoretically) can all have washboard abs, but for most of us, the effort just isn't worth it." But instead we got "I'm 300lbs and healthy. Negative, Ghostrider.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

lyzmoon@aol.com — Mon, 11 May 2009 21:41:31 GMT

To all of those who say that fat people are fooling themselves about eating normally -- HA! I am technically "obese" (175 lbs at 5'3") and I spent a week writing down what I ate and then researched the calories. Even when I'm not "dieting" I eat less than 1800 calories a day, and when trying to lose weight, I have to eat less than 1400/day to lose a pound every week or two. Try limiting yourself to 1200-1400 calories for a few days, and then tell me I just eat too much!

What is really disturbing is that I pretty well LIKE MY BODY the way it is, BUT I CAN'T GET PROPER HEALTH CARE without losing some weight, because it's all any doctor ever sees. It's the most frustrating thing I've ever experienced; as far as I can tell, that obsession with BMI is just as likely to kill me as actual fatness.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

Bella's a Pug — Mon, 11 May 2009 21:52:23 GMT

paproudmom, screw you too. the point is you don't have to give up. several commenters here, including myself have refused to allow their weight to get so far out of hand, that they surrender to it and ruin their once active lives in the process. i've been way up there and will never return. am i skinny and ripped, no, but i can enjoy myself without grunting or getting winded. the first thing one has to realize is that it's on you and no one else is to blame. learn to say no, even to those who are trying to shove food down your throat. if you wake up an find you're a little over your desired weight, fast or eat as little as you can for a few days. i have maintained my weight, in spite of my bad habits, by letting my clothes do the talking. too tight, diet. pay the price quickly and get back to eating real food. someone who is 75 or more overweight, go to a doctor and stick to the diet prescribed. why be miserable.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

forte88 — Mon, 11 May 2009 21:56:07 GMT

i thought about going on Jenny Craig, but the Sarah Lee plan seemed to have a better food selection.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

Bella's a Pug — Mon, 11 May 2009 22:04:57 GMT

izymoon, i think you're right. i'm not sure where the 3000 calories a day standard came from but i think it's bogus. when i was dropping about 30 lbs. is 3 months, i had several days when i lost no weight even though i consumed less than. 1200 calories. i think if you can stand it, you have to fast one day a week or at least come as close as you can. no bad stuff in the house either. why in the world god didn't make spinach taste like ribeye steak and viceversa, is beyond me. i'll say one thing more, on those days when i did a little more like used up 300 calories on my bike, i did better. now i work out most days for 30 or 40 minutes. i think the workout eliminates the calories i ate for breakfast. i never have more than 200 calories for lunch. i'm lucky, in that i like veggies and can make a meal out of them. that it for me. for all of you that want to lose weight, work at it and don't give into it. if results are slow, work harder at it.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

quiact — Mon, 11 May 2009 22:05:59 GMT

More treatment options are welcome with obesity.

With excessive weight, obesity has been defined as when excess body fat accumulates in one to where their physical overgrowth makes the person unhealthy to varying degrees.

Obesity is different than being overweight, as others determine obesity to be of a more serious concern.

While obesity is not a disease, it is a serious health risk for one who has this risk.

As measured by one’s body mass index (BMI), one’s BMI of 25 to 30 kg/m is considered overweight.

If one's BMI is 30 to 35 kg/m, such a person is class I obese, 35 to 40 BMI would be class II obese, and any BMI above 40 is class III obesity.

Presently, with obesity affecting children progressively more, the issue of obesity has become a serious public health concern.

In the United States, greater than one third of all citizens are obese, and this number continues to progress.

Approximately half of all children under the age of 12 are either obese are overweight.

About twenty percent of children ages 2 to 5 years old are either obese are overweight.

The consequences of these stats on our children are very concerning, considering the health issues they may or likely experience as they get older.

Worldwide, nearly one and a half billion people are either obese or overweight. In the United States, about one third of adults are considered either obese or overweight.

Women of low socioeconomic status are likely to be possibly twice as obese compared with those who are not at this status.

It is now predicted that, for the first time in about 150 years, our life expectancy is suppose to decline because primarily of this obesity problem.

Morbid obesity is defined as one who has a body mass index of 30 kg/m or greater, and this surgery, along with the three other types of surgery for morbid obesity, should be considered a last resort after all other methods to reduce the patient’s weight have chronically failed.

Morbid obesity greatly affects the health of the patient in a very negative way. It has about 10 co-morbidities that can develop if the situation is not corrected.

Some if not most of these co-morbidities are life-threatening.

One solution beneficial in many cases of morbid obesity if one’s obesity is not eventually controlled or corrected is what is known as gastric bypass surgery.

This is a type of bariatric surgery that essentially reduces the volume of the human stomach in order to correct and treat morbid obesity by surgical re-construction of the stomach and small intestine.

Patients for such surgeries are those with a BMI of greater than 40, or a BMI greater than 35 if the patient has co-morbidities aside from obesity.

This surgery should be considered for the severely obese when other treatment options have failed.

The standard of care illustrating as to whether this surgery is reasonable and necessary should be clarified by the health care provider as well as the patient.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

quiact — Mon, 11 May 2009 22:06:25 GMT

There are three surgical variations of gastric bypass surgery, and one is chosen by the surgeon based on their experience and success from the variation they will utilize.

Generally, these surgeries are procedures related to gastric restrictive operations or mal-absorptive operations.

Over 200,000 gastric bypass surgeries are performed each year, and this surgery being performed continues to progress as a suitable option for the morbidly obese.

There is evidence that this surgery is particularly beneficial for those obese patients that have non-insulin dependent Diabetes Mellitus as well.

It is believed that the results of this surgery to correct morbid obesity greatly limits or prevents such co-morbidities associated with those who are obese.

Yet about two percent of those who undergo this surgery die as a result from about a half a dozen complications that could occur.

However, the surgery reduces the overall mortality of the patient by 40 percent or so, yet this percentage is debatable due to conflicting clinical studies at times.

Age of the patient should be taken into consideration to determine if the risks of this type of surgery outweigh the potential benefits or not.

Such candidates may have co-morbidities that have already caused physiological damage to the patient.

Also what should be determined by the surgeon is the amount of safety, effectiveness, and rationale for a particular patient regarding those patients who are elderly, for example.

Many feel bariatric surgery such as this should be considered as a last resort when exercise and diet have failed for a great length of time. There are risks with this type of surgery, such as gastric rupture or ulceration.

Such issues should be discussed with one’s health care provider.

If a person or a doctor is considering this type of surgery, there is a website dedicated to bariatric surgery, which is:

www.asmbs.org,

Dan Abshear

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

Bella's a Pug — Mon, 11 May 2009 22:19:08 GMT

sorry for the typo izymoon, i meant 2000 calories. i read somewhere that if a person had a body shaped like a pear, they were probably healthy and if shaped like an apple, they weren't. anyone ever heard that?

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

Libricrat — Mon, 11 May 2009 22:24:30 GMT

I am just an average everyday 6ft2in 205lbs normal dude but I have to say that sparkly is very wrong. I do understand that I am a minority (although not as much as the media thinks) but fat is very beautiful. Rarely do I find a woman that weighs less than 200lbs very attractive (unless she is about 4ft8). After putting on their weight here lately Kirstie Alley and Oprah never looked so good. But more importantly I wish more women would could know and feel that:

There is actually a bigger part of the population that like big women than the media will acknowledge.

Looks on the outside really do only go so far. Self acceptance confidence or for that matter pride in who you are count for so much more after the first impression anyway.

Sexy is at least 80% of how you carry yourself and in your actions (to include how you dress). Here attitude really is everything.

If you care about yourself enough to think that you are beautiful then feel that you are beautiful then you WILL be beautiful. If you cant love yourself first how do you expect anyone else to.

Sure not everyone will think that you are beautiful but not everyone thinks that Jessica Simpson is beautiful either.

There is someone out there for everyone.

Confidence and a happy attitude is beautiful not sad and grumpy.

Look unhealthy or not some people are big because they eat more and exercise less. That is just who they are. If it was not simply just who they are (especially after all the mean treatment social pressure and exclusion) they would just get up exercise and eat less. But considering the hell that some if not most big people go through it is not that easy if even possible so beating yourself up over it or giving a crap about what other people think isnt worth it worth it. Life is too short. You are who you are. If you accept you, You will love you. And so will everyone else.

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re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

Pia1981 — Mon, 11 May 2009 22:38:12 GMT

Eat a little less, move more. That's my motto for staying slim.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

bitterblogger — Mon, 11 May 2009 22:48:19 GMT

While there's no doubt that not every body can look ripped, even with a willing and dedicated subject, there are indisputable facts relative to one's weight, diet and exercise that one ignores at one's peril. Wishing otherwise, an attitude fostered by the subjects of the interview, serves to perpetuate denial. What's more, what makes these people qualified? I didn't see anything in the intro regarding any medical or physiological knowledge on their part. Why should anyone listen to them?

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

februarystars — Mon, 11 May 2009 22:52:23 GMT

Oh, all the comments from the fatties are making me laugh. I laugh because I was one of you for a miserable decade where I used the excuses of "I'm getting older," "I'm going to get pregnant soon why bother losing weight now?", "I just had a baby," "I have kids, I can't help being overweight," etc. I took control of myself and my life and lost 50 lbs in a year by eating fresh, whole foods (no processed crap, no takeout, no cold cuts, no baked goods) and working out like a madwoman every single day...and I still do. I told myself all the lies -- "I just love food, so what?" "I'd rather be fat and happy than slim and miserable" -- all the fat girls say it and it's complete and utter BULL. There is NO such thing as fat and happy. Happy is sliding into my size 6 jeans after not wearing them for ten days or so and finding them getting loose on me. Happy is running five miles and not being even close to winded at the end of it. Happy is my kids choosing an orange for a snack and asking me when they'll be big enough to use my elliptical. And as for the authors not wanting to use the word "overweight" because it implies there is a certain weight we "should" be...well...there IS a certain weight you should be and it's dependent upon your height and that's the painful truth for you and all the other chunktards out there who can't limit yourselves, who can't "deny" yourselves that second helping of pasta or that Cinnabon when you're lumbering through the mall on your way to Lane Bryant for bigger clothes. Face it. You're wrong.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

c0mm0n_sEnSE — Mon, 11 May 2009 23:14:55 GMT

Wow of course a bunch a fat people are promoting being fat. Go ahead don't put any effort in, don't work out and don't eat right, because that is a smart decidsion, just ask your doctor. You people are fooling yourselves if you think someone is "naturally" 300 plus pounds and they work out and eat right. This is simply fat people making fat excuses, take some initiative and take control of your life. Its a lifestyle decision, do I want to eat junk food and be lazy or do I want to eat right and work out occassionally, 2 and a half hours a week isn't much at all. Get real fatties, quit making excuses. Obesity is already an epidemic in this country lets not make it worse by telling obese people that its not their fault, because it is.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

greenchilegranny — Mon, 11 May 2009 23:34:27 GMT

common_sense, you are incorrect in a lot of ways. First of all, research has proven that most obese people have a satiety defect. This means that they don't become satisfied on the same small amounts of food that a thin person does. Also the idea that all a person has to do is eat less and exercise doesn't work for everyone either. If you feel that you are hungry all the time trying to stay on a 1000 calorie diet is torture. 93% to 95% of people who lose weight thru diet and exercise gain it back usually within a year. If it were this simple there would not be a multimillion dollar diet industry. The only way to effectively lose the weight is to have bariatric surgery. The safest method being the laproscopic adjustable gastric band. This band goes around the upper part of the stomach and when properly adjusted, creates a sensation of fullness on a small amount of food. It's safe, minimally invasive and is a life saver for people with obesity related health issues. I had a heart attack, a double bypass and diabetes. After banding and losing 65 lbs my health problems are now manageable and I feel 20 years younger.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

Dr. Hung Lo — Tue, 12 May 2009 01:03:27 GMT

Common sense is right. Saying obese people have a satiety defect and need surgery (which can have serious complications and isn't always effective in the long term) is like saying drug addicts have a satiety defect -- they just don't get the feeling of being satisfied after using the same amount of drugs a non-addict uses. Nonsense. That is far too simplistic and a convenient excuse and absolution of responsibility (it's not my fault, someone else fix me). I once craved 3000+ food calories per day. I couldn't eat enough. I weighed 150 pounds and had 5% body fat. My resting pulse rate was 43 beats per minute. How? Exercise! Lots of it! Oh, and self discipline and determination, too. The reason people can't lose weight this way is that they can't stand the discomfort of intense exercise. They don;t have the self discipline.

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re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

Qidisrupt — Tue, 12 May 2009 01:48:39 GMT

Medical Science has proven that obesity can cause many degenerative diseases that are preventable by positive lifestyle choices, We all need a certain amount of adipose fat for the health of our bodies; but VISCERAL fat...the fat around the middle; belly/hip fat is not healthy for us. Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, atherosclerosis, greater stress/pressure on the spine, back, and internal organs, damaging pressure on the hip-knee-ankle joints are some of the dangerous health effects from obesity...plain and simple, too much visceral fat is adverse to our health...physically and psychologically. An "oldie, but a goodie" tried and true saying still holds true today..."HEALTH IS THE FIRST WEALTH." I will have to agree to disagree on some points made by 'common sense.' First, there are severe cases of obesity in which the person needs bariatric surgery...not as an excuse, but as a means of survival...a do or die situation. Second, not all cases of obesity are caused by poor lifestyle choices...yes, many people that are obese do choose to become unhealthy in this way; but, in many other cases of obesity, there are genetic factors that trigger obesity. In other words, there are cases of obesity in which the people remain obese no matter how healthy their lifestyle choices are.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

Ichabodwhataname — Tue, 12 May 2009 04:34:42 GMT

Weight is a matter of choice: EAT TO LIVE or LIVE TO EAT.

It all comes down to the logic of energy: for every 3500 calories that you consume and do not burn, you gain a pound. If you carry extra weight, it signifies energy consumed, stored and not burned. Simple. It puts a lot of stress on the heart for a body to operate with excess weight. The body is less efficient.

If people were eating properly (read: only the calories that their body NEEDS), their looks would show it: they would look trim.

Also, people seem to cite the myth of Marilyn Monroe's dress size to feel better. Dress sizes have inflated. Marilyn Monroe was a size 14 in the 50s, which is the equivalent of size 6 today!

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

liketottaly — Tue, 12 May 2009 05:38:39 GMT

the views of these people are completely crazy. they are neither doctors nor nutritionist, or any other form of the discipline that would entitle their ludicrous statements to be placed in news week. no one is SUPPOSE to be 300 lbs, and being 300lbs is not healthy if you are any were under 6 feet! the idea that your body tells you that you need to eat certain foods is not scientific and in actuality has been proven medically wrong. an addiction is not your body telling you that you need more of that substance. an addiction is just that, AN ADDICTION. to even put these sort of ideas and "suggestions" on a respected medium such as newsweek is terribly irresponsible especially during the high mortality rate of yes, overweight people.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

gabalicous — Tue, 12 May 2009 06:09:42 GMT

Fat people are disgusting, They can try any excuse or "Fatty Movement" that they want, but the facts are that they are fat, ugly, stupid and take up more than their share of food, air, water, space, seats on airplanes, etc.; food samples at Costco -- posing their fat asses in lace undies (size 23) does not make them alluring. Most people perceive Fatties as unintelligent, lazy, bordering on moronic, stupid, low-class slobs who take up space and use more than their rightful amount of resources. No one wants to hire a fattie. They are fat, ugly, sows -- plain and simple. Put. The. Fork. Down. Now. Walk. Run. Do. Something. Physical. Other than stuffing your obese faces.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

gabalicous — Tue, 12 May 2009 06:52:37 GMT

Fat people are stupid, reek of body odor, ooze body cheese, are lazy, shiftless and take up more than their share of water, air, space, theater seats, airplane seats -- are disgusting to watch in grocery stores, with their baskets full of crap; in restaurants - with their overloaded plates, slurping sauce or cream or gravy onto their many chins. They are dumb, ugly, stupid and disgusting -- they should find their own island to inhabit, but they would probably sink it and drown. Why can't any Fatty buy a mirror? Do they not see the disgusted glares they receive while standing on line at the grocery with their equally ugly , fat, stupid and disgusting children? Put. The. Spoon. Down. Why would any business oner, who wanted to make a profit, hire a Fattuy?

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re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

dogbuddy — Tue, 12 May 2009 11:49:09 GMT

why all the vitriol Gabalicious? Not all fat people are 'lazy, shiftless.......dumb, ugly, stupid and disgusting, just as not all thin people are hardworking, intelligent and good-looking.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

d&dsmom — Tue, 12 May 2009 12:00:20 GMT

Good lord. Do we really have nothing better to do at 2 in the morning than bash other people and spew hate? The chubby or fat people of the world do not bother me, it is the people that post and can’t bother to spell correctly or use anything approaching proper grammar. It is the stupid people in the world that bother me, pick up a dictionary! At least you will sound like a bigot that knows how to spell. What is a "business oner". is "oner" even a word?

There are studies that have proven that your genetic make up has more influence over your body compostion than your lifestyle. There is no way to change your genes.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

rioguy — Tue, 12 May 2009 12:26:41 GMT

Sad but the movie Wall-E is coming true. This book and the whole fat acceptance "movement" are just more examples of people making money off of another's condition. This book is equal to: I'm-------- and i'm ok. just insert any term. Stinky, stupid,lazy,anorexic,fat,drunk,drugged. We've entered an age where rather than do the work necessary to correct a problem. Yes; Obesity is a major health problem. We just find a rationale to say its ok. Yes there are some healthy fat people but there are a heck of alot more unhealthy ones due to their weight. No one can change their genes but everyone can watch what they eat and work out. Your genes only say whether you have to work out alot or a little and whether or not you can eat a variety of foods or be really strict about what you eat. From what I've seen on some sites these fat acceptance people have basically said,"screw it". Just give me the whole chocolate cake and I'll wash it down with a 2 liter pepsi.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

rioguy — Tue, 12 May 2009 12:30:17 GMT

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

heckysue — Tue, 12 May 2009 12:38:37 GMT

I find her comments about Weight Watchers in particular kind of uneducated and just off...maybe that plan is not for her or everyone but it's been around for so long for a reason. You don't crave ice cream because you need fat. You crave it because it tastes good. Yes there are points on WW but why knock a program that basically teaches you how to implement a lifestyle change? Anything worth having takes work. If your lifestyle is currently unhealthy you're not going to suddenly, "intuitively" have a healthy lifestyle. You have to train your body and your mind. Once your'e there it gets much easier and you can let the "intuition" kick in because you have educated yourself. I am all about liking yourself and being confident at any weight but that doesn't mean that any plan that trains yo uto rely on more than your "gut" to be healthy is forcing you to adhere to some rigid, unreasonable diet. And lifestyle changes like WW when done correctly can give people the freedom, confidence, and health to enjoy life in a way you can't when you're fat. I was 40 lbs overweight 3 years ago. I was confident then, and I'm confident now. The difference is that when my husband and I travel, I can go all day--hiking, biking, wherever the day takes us. It is so much more fulfilling to be able to enjoy life thin even if it means sticking to a plan to do it.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

rioguy — Tue, 12 May 2009 12:44:16 GMT

This is basically just a form of quitting. Starting at a very young age the human body can be molded. What we're seeing today is that alot of overweight women allow their children to be fat and some even encourage it by forcing their unhealthy diets and eating habits on the children. Kirby and Harding are basically saying screw it all. This is manifest destiny and its all fat people's destiny to be overweight. Almost anyone can be fat. The percentage of people who can eat anything and stay slim without exercise is minute. The vast majority of thin to ultra in shape people could just as easily eat and be innactive and become fat except they made a choice not to even if it means working out six days a week or well into their 60s or 70s. People like Kirby and Harding hate shows like The Biggest Loser not because its manipulative and stupid(which it is) but because it shows that with hard work it is possible to get in shape.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

Bella's a Pug — Tue, 12 May 2009 13:37:35 GMT

a perfect example of giving in would be the "cheers" star that had it made with jenny craig and relapsed and lost the job to valerie bertinelli. she proved she could do it and sacrificed millions of dollars for weight gain. that was hard to watch.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

ctromanelli — Tue, 12 May 2009 13:43:17 GMT

Awesome...Just awesome. So you guys quit and then I get to sit next to you on an airplane in a super cramped seat while you wheeze and cry about how your seat's too small when you take up the rest of the row. So yeah lets raise up the obesity rate in America since thats at an all time low. And be lazy slobs because thats not how we got here in the first place. And honestly you wanna say you're sick of the struggle...Please...EAT RIGHT! When I quit smoking I gained over 30 lbs and then ya know what I did? I found a workout routine and diet that worked for me and lost 10 lbs in 2 weeks. No miracle by any means but since then I've kept the weight off and have lost even more. I'm sick of fat sympathy and its not a disease, stop eating s*** and being lazy slobs.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

Rich Monk — Tue, 12 May 2009 13:43:53 GMT

Because "Most" Americans are both fat and obese they are naturally going to side with the easy excuse. Being fat is a choice. A choice to be lazy, ignorant and in denial. You are exactly what you have chosen to be. You alone made your own choices to be fat and overweight. Most parents today have not a clue about nutrition, therefore neither did their children. You are taught how to eat by your parents, and if they do not know what to do , good chances neither will you. But at some point in your life you become responsible for your own life, your own happiness, your own health. Choice, consequence, and responsibility. It's that simple. You are at this moment in time, the sum total of all of your choices. Stop blaming the World. The person that you see in the mirror is responsible for your choices. In order to get change into your life you must make changes. Everything of value takes effort, so does health. Put the donut down, and go for a walk instead!

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

mewrc — Tue, 12 May 2009 14:01:46 GMT

fat is nobody else's business. we all make choices good and bad. smoking, alcohol, dangerous activities, drugs, hatefulness, bigotry, cruelty, insensitiviety, are all choices. Live and let live. I'm not saying that drugs and alcohol addiction are ok, any more than the other above mentioned things. I'm just saying "love thy neighbor as thyself"

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

mewrc — Tue, 12 May 2009 14:01:48 GMT

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

moumou — Tue, 12 May 2009 14:06:53 GMT

This is good, whilst I have reservations about some aspects of HAES, it's great to see fat people take charge of ourselves and our identity.

It seems some of the commentators are yet to get used to this, KUDOS to those who have the intelligence to.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

mewrc — Tue, 12 May 2009 14:09:09 GMT

why are we so cruel to each other. God loves each one of us, and we are all accountable in the end to Him. Are we no better than making fun of others? Or showing hate? Consider your own life. Do you think you are without flaws? Does having a beautiful body make you a beautiful person? Every fat person is somebody's mother, father, brother, sister, etc. Don't judge. Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

calliopevolunteer — Tue, 12 May 2009 14:09:16 GMT

Wow. What is wrong with all of these commentators. This level of vitriol is simply inexcusable. Calling people you don't know lazy, stupid, smelly and other horrid things simply b/c they are overweight (and it seems according to these posts a size 12 is obese now too) is disgusting. Would you say similar things about people b/c of their skin color, culture, or religion? No.

It sounds like people have nothing better in their lives than inflict misery on others. Far more disgusting than any overweight person in my opinion.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

ctromanelli — Tue, 12 May 2009 14:09:40 GMT

Oh I'm sorry I needed to chime in again. I do not have a pre-judgement about fat people by any means. I in fact have quite a few bigger friends, why I'm pissed off is because these are all excuses to throw in the towel. I have had a few bigger friends in the past who have tried diets and failed. And guess what, what these women are saying is word for word what my friends said when they failed and decided to not go any further. Excuses to be fat, don't get pissed when you get heart disease.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

olderwiser — Tue, 12 May 2009 14:13:19 GMT

There is no doubt that the descendants of thin people have become fat people on a gigantic scale. The thin people from whom we descended had fewer cars and walked hundreds of miles further than we do out of necessity. They used food moderately to raise their children and didn't badger them to eat more, all from an attitude that food was simply a way to keep going. Pleasure wasn't in it to much of a degree except to make it taste good enough to choke down. Strictly necessary fuel. A few short generations ago, food advertisements began in the morning cartoons as toddlers watched the emphasis grow. The awesome profits in prepared foods escalated the emphasis to the extent that now you can hardly watch even a news program to get the daily news without enduring at least four or five ads designed to make you want to eat much more than you really need. Add all the mechanical conveniences to all of the influence of excessive advertising to push unnecessary quantities of food down the throat of the citizenry, eliminating mountains of exercise, and it is not hard to see us balloon out to the extent that some of our citizens need sideboards on their shoes to keep the fat from the ankles from dragging the ground. Fat is a many splendored thing. Sadly, some of it is from incurable glandular influence but in the old thin days they were just one in many hundreds and everyone respected their dilemma. Today, the thin are one in many hundreds. Meantime, if I get the wrong persons on both sides of me on an airliner, I can't read in transit because there is not enough room for my arms to hold the book. It is no help to me that you feel guilty about it. I'd much rather see you do something about it and then we'd both be much better off.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

mewrc — Tue, 12 May 2009 14:30:44 GMT

I do not offer excuses. All the failures, lapses, regressions, guilt, self loathing, i claim. It is nobody else's fault. In spite of this. I can't hate myself. My family and friends love me, God loves me, and my birds love me. I keep on trying. Please, unless you have walked in the shoes of a fat person, you do not have a clue. Many of the things you are saying are true, but when I see the loathing in your eyes, it hurts. If you choose to do an activity that is dangedrous, then get hurt, do you deserve it? Wasn't it a choice? Isn't it enough that you kick yourself without having others kick you too? I don't feel self pity. Just trying to live my life. I realize that ignorance abounds.

“Poll finds health disconnect!” Well no sh*t Sherlock! « I AM in shape. ROUND is a shape.

Anonymous — Tue, 12 May 2009 14:32:27 GMT

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re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

GTPeach80 — Tue, 12 May 2009 14:54:23 GMT

I think there's one big element that's missing here. I've struggled with being overweight my whole life. My mother tried to encourage me to eat healthy and exercise, and I was really active. I played lots of sports and was involved in lots of activities, but I've always been on the heavier side of the healthy spectrum. My heart goes out to a lot of people because there is a lot of judgment that goes along with being overweight. If anyone's struggled with an addiction or habit they need to break, they know how depressing and frustrating it is to just not be able to beat it. I say AWFUL things to myself, and I have been successful at losing weight, but only because I went to an opposite extreme and limited caloric intake to 1200 calories and started running 6-7 miles a day. Not really all that healthy, either! The thing is, most people that are overweight already speak self-depricating talk to themselves all day. If it was just a matter of deciding once, it wouldn't be a problem, we would all just do it. What we need is encouragement from those around us to stop the unhealthy behavior and support from families and friends as we undertake the process of transforming our bodies and our attitudes towards food and exercise. Condemnation doesn't help; accountability based on love and an attitude that we want to make healthy choices because we LOVE our bodies is what it's going to take. Be firm when necessary, but do it out of love, not hatred.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

chitownem — Tue, 12 May 2009 14:54:38 GMT

If some people are "designed" to be overweight, then how come Europe, Asia and other regions don't have the same percentage of their population in that category??? Bottom line, there is not another place in the WORLD with as many obese people as the USA. That speaks to a cultural issue, not a physiological one.

Maintaing a healthy weight is a simple formula: calories in, calories out. Unless you have a gland or legitimate medical issue, there is no reason you cannot maintain a healthy weight through diet and excercise. And no amount of rationalization from fat acceptance groups will change that truth.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

Mrstee — Tue, 12 May 2009 15:01:08 GMT

I am not amazed to hear these woman attempt to convince everyone that they are healthy.

They are only sick of the discrimination.

It shouldn't amaze me to read all of the comments full of hatred for fat people. The part that gets me is why should their bodies be of any concern to anyone else? Don't like the way fat people look? Turn your head, you don't look good to me either. Both of my children in their thirties are

both under 140 lbs. so the person who said that we feed our children like us is wrong. I recognized my faults and raised my children to understand nutrition. I don't care what size Marilyn Monroe wore. I don't blame anyone but myself for the way I look. But others should mind their own business. I dont make any noises when I stand up from sitting, I dont smell, though I know of some slender people who do. Im not dumb. I have a seditary job as a Police/Fire dispatcher and would rather spend my time with my family when I come home rather than anything. I do take a walk for a half hour as if its anyone's business. I am unhappy with my appearance, I am obese. The only person who's opinion matters is my husbands. We are happy.

For those who complained about whats in a fat person's grocery cart, I think thats pathetic.

Fat people are not about doughnuts. I buy fruits and vegtables also. I admit, ice cream and other treats too. Thats why I look the way I do. Yes, I can diet. What can you do about your ugly personality? And why are you people so full of hate? You need to look in the mirror. Bet you dont look so hot yourself.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

Mrstee — Tue, 12 May 2009 15:21:56 GMT

All I keep reading is how we should stop eating and take a walk. When I take my daily walk, people

yell from their cars calling me "fatty". I could see how fat people become recluses. This hurts and discourages me from walking every day. All I keep thinking while reading these comments is "Why do these people think they are better than us? Because they think they look better?"

I agree mewrc. You ARE loved.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

mewrc — Tue, 12 May 2009 15:35:18 GMT

ugly in, ugly out. i'm talking about personality. it is you who will be judged. leave us alone go find somebody else to loathe and hate. oh, i forgot, there are plenty of people that are already hated. Guess we're just one more in those groups. Really too bad. Of course we're sick of discrimination. Anyone who is subjected to it is. It is people like you all on this blog, so filled with rage at people you don't even know. you know nothing about us, you only think you have an opinion that counts. Just more evil to add to the world. Jesus died for us all. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

30yrmale — Tue, 12 May 2009 15:43:04 GMT

I'm not going to bash people for being overweight. I will say that it is a choice. Every second of everyday. I CHOOSE to be healthy. I am in better shape than almost any other guy my age and most guys in their 20's, because I CHOOSE to be. I am the guy at work that everyone makes fun of because I CHOOSE not to eat the donuts, bagels, ding dongs and other garbage that people bring in. I eat healthy cereal and eggwhites for breakfast, an apple and granola for a snack, a turkey wrap for lunch, another salad with chicken and fruit for another snack and then dinner at night. I eat ALL day, but it is HEALTHY food. To the people who say they starve eating a healthy diet they are wrong. If you know what you are putting in your body you can eat a TON of food and still be under your daily caloric goals. Get informed, take responsibility and stop making excuses. People always ask me how I do it. It's simple. I choose to wake up every day and be in the best shape of my life. That way I will always be in the best shape and never have an excuse.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

Astros33 — Tue, 12 May 2009 15:45:45 GMT

If you're fat you're fat. If you're skinny you're skinny. In my opinion, you have the option to choose fat or skinny. It is that easy. If you are skinny, then you probably sacrifice some things. You probably spend an hour or so exercising 3 to 5 days a week. You also eat less “good” foods and eat more of a balanced diet. If you are fat, you probably spend little time exercising (walking is not exercising) and eat less of a balanced diet. But those aren’t sacrifices. Fat people are more likely to develop diabetes, heart disease and a less physically active live. And, yes they also get ridiculed. But it is ultimately their lifestyle decision, just like it is a smoker’s decision to smoke cigarettes.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

bellaitalia — Tue, 12 May 2009 15:46:04 GMT

I really have to disagree with the comment they made about Weight Watchers. I've been on WW for well over a year and a half. IT'S FANTASTIC. It helps you monitor your food intake and strongly incourages you to eat lean meats, fruits, veggies, healthy oils and milk. They encourage you to work out. Their "12 point a day" assumption was just that, an ASSUMPTION. And you know what they say about that . . .

I don't care what anyone says about me anymore. Yes, I'm slightly overweight. I have a health issuse so get off me. But even if I didn't, all the women in my family have always been a little bit larger. We are all curvy full chested women. Get over it. I've been active my whole life, street hockey, softball, basketball, bowling, boxing and tae bo. I'll never be stick thin, I'll probably never be below 160 lbs. And I'm ok with that. I would look like an alien with my hips and chest if I weighed below that. I have a pretty face and I love my body. Every one else should too.

Work out if you want to. Watch your calorie intake if you want to. But no matter what you do, LIVE YOUR LIFE, the way you want to, because it's the only one you get!

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

mewrc — Tue, 12 May 2009 15:54:54 GMT

woo hoo, good for you. you are SO much better than everybody else. Thank goodness your choices make you superior. I eat a healthy Mediterranian diet. I've struggled with weight issues my whole life. I'm a registered nurse for 36 years, work full time, diabetic, on insulin, and struggle with every bite I put in my mouth. I don't choose fat. I make no excuses to myself or anybody else. I don't get as much exercise as I should (a bad choice), but you can guarantee, I will give you the best care possible if you are my patient, and I will show you respect now matter how bigotted you might be.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

spike1004 — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:07:06 GMT

I feel this way too! Thank you so much for pointing this book out to me. It's just logical. I have thin friends who eat more than I ever thought of eating and don't eat as healthy as I do. But they are thin and I am not. We're all made differently! That's okay! Why is there so much hate at fat people? It's like fat is the worst possible thing in the world when you hear jokes on TV and movies. It is not a character flaw! And fat is not synonomous with ugly!

I figured this perfectly clear logic wouldn't be clear to those who are so biased, and by reading the comments already posted I see that. I also don't understand how the previous poster think you are bigoted or acting superior.

Just know that for me I appreciate what you've said so much! Thank you, and I will be buying this book.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

spike1004 — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:17:05 GMT

Why does it matter so much??? Choice, or whatever. Yes I don't eat healthy ceral and egg whites for breakfast because that doesn't taste good. But that doesn't make me a bad person and it doesn't mean the opposite end of the specturm that I eat a bunch of donuts. I will eat like the whole egg and some potatoes and toast. So no its not as 'healthy' but I eat a normal-sized meal. I am not pigging out.

Everytime i see an article on fat all of this comes up. Why the hell do people care so much? Why is there so much hate? I even looked at the comment section of a Kelly Clarkson article once and people were being so horrible about her perfectly normal body. I don't get it! Why do we have to all be the same?? In my opinion...

THIS SHOULD BE A NON-ISSUE!!! Who gives a crap? I don't give a crap if you're thin? Why do you give a crap if I'm fat? Get over yourselves and live your own lives and don't worry about if I enjoy a nice tasty donut.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

Alton70 — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:18:39 GMT

I am sorry, but I must disagree with Astros33 comment "... you have the option to choose fat or skinny. It is that easy. If you are skinny, then you probably sacrifice some things..." That may be true in some rare cases, but not all. I am 5'10", 115lbs, waist27 - and have been since high school. I would love to weigh more. (My doctor would love it if I weighed more!)

I've tried going to the gym and lifting weights, not going to the gym, eating fattening foods, eating healthy foods - it doesn't matter. The weight, the proportions of my body, might as well be set in stone. I think if I was 5'10" and weighed three times as much, it would be the same. People come in all shapes and sizes. As long as they try their best to be healthy, that is what matters.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

isis5632 — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:58:06 GMT

This article is exactly why I am against universal health care, people always trying to make excuses. As a black woman, I know that this 'acceptance' of fat is killing us with high rates of high blood pressure, diabetes, etc. Some people are naturally larger, some people have health conditions, but the majority of people who are fat are fat because their caloric intake exceeds their energy expenditures. Do I think there is some perfect target weght, no, but lets not start pretending that fat is healthy.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

lyzmoon@aol.com — Tue, 12 May 2009 20:21:24 GMT

isis5632 -- I work in a public (read: free) hospital. I can tell you that more than weight, the most significant contributors to bad outcomes are poverty, mental illness, and social dysfunction. Fat ladies who are relatively well off, sane, and have social support will live a lot longer than thin ladies with those problems. However, there isn't a multi-million dollar industry that throws it in my face a hundred times every day that I could be better educated, mentally healthier and better connected to my community -- because that isn't profitable. Instead, they tell us that fat is disgusting. It is very effective, obviously.

As I posted before, I'm obese. I am sure that if I spent hours per day at the gym, I could be thinner... but I would also have less time to do things like going to law school or teaching painting classes for kids or a lot of other things I find more fulfilling than being thin.

I'm glad all of these people who eat right & exercise feel like good people for doing it, but I think it is a weirdly self-absorbed waste of my time, as long as my weight isn't causing health problems. At that point, okay, if it keeps me from doing those other things, of course I should change it. But the idea that it's repugnant for me to accept my body for as long as it's working for me... those posters are insane.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

Mrstee — Tue, 12 May 2009 20:30:52 GMT

Got news for you 30yrmale. I don't care how you do it. I am impressed with your will power.

I know a few people who don't touch any doughnuts, bagels and treats. Congrats.

I will choose to enjoy life the way I see fit. No excuses.

For women so unhealthy, they seem to be fine.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

JaxChitown — Tue, 12 May 2009 22:12:23 GMT

Excuse me, people. Being thin DOES NOT automatically make you healthy, It is VERY possible to be skinny and unhealthy. Yes, you can. Just because there are no outward signs of ugly fat doesn't mean you are the picture of health. It's all about what you put in your body. It is possible to drink all night and not eat a thing all day and stay thin. Doesn't mean healthy. A fat person may eat a more balanced diet and exercise while carrying a few pounds but can be healthier than the thin drinker. Let's lose this "thin is healthy" idea and start focusing on behaviors. A balanced diet is good. Exercise is good. It's not purely fat versus thin.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

JaxChitown — Tue, 12 May 2009 22:13:37 GMT

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

seti2008 — Tue, 12 May 2009 23:52:40 GMT

When I was in high school, I knew a person whose entire family was morbidly obese, but does that mean that the obesity was genetic? Or does that mean that members in the family were all overeating. I have a morbidly obese friend, who married and overweight friend of mine. My overweight friend is now morbidly obese.But see, my morbidly obese friend does the cooking and plating i the household, and I can insure you that she does not know what a half a cup of rice looks like. As for having a satiety defect, what comes first, the obesity or the defect. When you're obese, it takes more to fill your stomach.

Now that I've come off of some of my medications, my food bill has decreased by $100/mth. I eat no sweets although while on Zyprexa I constantly craved them, especially at night. Like I told my doctor about 3-4 hours after taking my dose, I would get up at 3 am and cook a four course meal. My point is that there are medications and hormonal imbalances that can be a factor in obesity, but the vast majority of obese people are so because they really don't know where to draw the line. I bought diabetic measuring bowls and a food scale.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

seti2008 — Tue, 12 May 2009 23:54:41 GMT

We're discussing obesity--not being overweight.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

Nutrimetry — Tue, 12 May 2009 23:59:52 GMT

I find it hard for people to disagree with this point:

"If this is the weight that your body consistently ends up at, if you're eating a balanced diet and exercising moderately, then that's probably the weight that your body was meant to be."

Different people have different natural weights. This doesn't mean they're going to be obese, but some people are going to be overweight, some people are going to be size 10, 12, 14. The number of calories that formerly overweight people have to eat to stay slim is shockingly low --usually about 1300 calories (I wrote a post on this at

http://nutrimetry.com/?p=81 ). Judge them only if you're capable of being that disciplined -- most people at so-called ideal weights eat about 1800- 2,000 calories a day.

And don't forget that the mortality curve is j-shaped: being slightly overweight barely poses a health risk. So people who are only slightly overweight should be left alone, 'cos yo-yo dieting and depression will only make their weight go up.

People who are super-obese often have something going on (see addiction transfer: some bariatric clinics see as much as 22% of their "cured" patients wind up as alcoholics; a sure hint that food was never the problem in the first place).

Post #14 5/12/09: Your body is a temple. | Walter Felterrsnatch

Anonymous — Wed, 13 May 2009 05:28:27 GMT

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re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

pisapiag — Wed, 13 May 2009 12:26:01 GMT

Can you spell RATIONALIZATION? Live and let live is my motto. You want ot like to be fat, fine with me. Like, what do I care. Why should I care. It's your problem, not mine. And it is a problem, wether you like it or not. Irrefutable science is there to prove it. I am not fat and my wife is not fat. I have two kids and I care a lot about their health. No way in hell, they'll become fat under my watch. Trivializing obesity is criminal.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

Saddlebags — Wed, 13 May 2009 14:18:49 GMT

If everyone (seemingly) in the Western world were to eat a third less calories daily, they'd likely extend their lives by several years.

If you eat more calories than you burn, you gain weight.

If you justify your bad habits or make excuses for what "should be" fair, you won't change.

Not everyone wants to live forever, and many people (somewhere around 62% of the U.S.) seem more interested in eating how they were raised to eat rather than adopt better habits. Many seem to live by the credo of "eating well and dying fat and happy" moreso than extending life to unnecessarily old ages. Most of your active years are burned up after your seventies anyway, and I don't count quilting as activity.

Basically, the body issues of this country drive me nuts, and I wish the fatties would take control of the fashion industry that torments us, especially since we're the majority. We can't blame anyone but ourselves.

In another note, if the ice caps melt and we go into an ice age, the fatties are way more likely to survive than the waifs, so take that to the bank, Darwinians.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

mare13 — Wed, 13 May 2009 15:40:12 GMT

I agree about diets they do not work in the long run. We need to change our relationship to food. It is also important to exercise and pick something you enjoy doing. Being overly fat is unhealthy and should not be encouraged but we as women also need to accept our weights and our bodies and they may not perfect. We were not all meant to be thin..

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re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

Libricrat — Wed, 13 May 2009 16:23:42 GMT

I cannot believe the hatred and the cruelty from people on here must think that they are perfect. This just proves how insignificant these hateful people are and how much their thoughts and words don’t matter. Which is why I’ve said all along, to all the big beautiful girls out there, accept you, care about you, know that you are beautiful, feel that you are beautiful and completely ignore the hatred coming from these “perfect people”.

No one would want to endure the ridicule and torment from society that bigger people have to face on a daily basis. So to say that it’s as simple as putting down the donut and going to the gym is not only hateful but naïve and ignorant. If someone is suffering from high blood pressure, bone/joint problems or any other health issue due to being morbidly obese then I advocate and support any diet or exercise they need to do overcome those health issue. However if you are in perfect health, if you feel good and you are otherwise perfectly happy, forget what everyone else thinks or says! Thankfully, everyone is different shapes and sizes.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

KennyF — Wed, 13 May 2009 16:30:51 GMT

I think that with and obesity rate of 33% and sky-high rates of cadiovascular disease fat is bad. I'm glad that you feel socially comfortable carrying 300 lbs on your frame. However, unless you are Shaquille O'Neill that is too much weight on you frame (unless you haven't described yourself fully and your realy are 7' 9" tall!)

I think that many Americans, unused to delayed gratification, are giving up on addressing the weight/health issues. With our sensationalized victimized society, they are taking advantage and declearing their weight to be ok, that people are unfairly asking them to exercise and give up their lifestyle and indulgences and that it is society's problem that they are considered the "wrong weight" My cleaverly conflating eating disorders, our country's adolescent sexuality and the real sexism in the US today, they aim to normalize their abnormal health conditions. You may get clueless or bored op-ed reporters to write the self-serving puff articles, but every night when you look at your scale or your mirror, every time you go to your doctor and get your BP and cholesterol back, the truth will still be there. You are too fat and you are killing yourself faster.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

Lilith2009 — Wed, 13 May 2009 17:21:56 GMT

I'm not well versed in the fat acceptance movement, but it doesn't seem that the authors are advocating or suggesting that fat people should just be fat and happy. They're advocating that we accept each other, regardless of how we look, and stop obsessing over numbers on a scale. This is about teaching people, especially women, to love themselves no matter how much they weigh. You can't shame someone into losing weight. Constantly sigmatizing someone or judging their food choices will not encourage them to lose weight. One doesn't become obese by simply eating too much and exercising too little--there are tons of complex psychological issues that are also occuring. Having healthy self esteem and confidence is much more conducive to losing weight than hating oneself.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

tara52722 — Wed, 13 May 2009 17:36:58 GMT

I agree that everyone has a "natural" weight, and not everyone's "natural" weight is going to fall into the same range. Some individuals are just naturally larger than others. However, if you're eating more calories than an average human needs to survive (anywhere between 2000 to 3000 depending on if you're a man or woman) then you're not eating a healthy well balance diet, you are over eating. And I don't care what anyone on here says, there is NO WAY a woman of average height is going to weigh in the 300 lbs range on 2000 calories a day! And obese individuals do effect all of us. Obesity causes a range of health issues, which raises everyone's insurance premiums. So everyone pays for this problem. This shouldn't be something society needs to learn to accept! Of course everyone does not need to be waif thin, but we should not be accepting of people who are making themselves unhealthy. It's the same for smokers, alcoholics, etc.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

KennyF — Wed, 13 May 2009 18:50:25 GMT

JaxChiTown

I would agree that skinny doesn't always = healthy BUT fat usually does = unhealthy. I'm 5'9" and thru diet and exercise gone form 227 to 213 and falling. My doctor says my BP and cholesterol meant that I needed to drop 30 lbs. No fun, but crucial to be around and active for my kids. There are no easy roads, granted but the positively wrong one is to say "I’m thin enough; society is just picking on me". As previous people have pointed out, you are writing yourself into premature death and/or disability. Controlling your weight in a self-indulgence affluence society is hard. But the answer isn’t to give in to your worse impulses and then point the finger at those heartless healthy people whose personal health regimens exist to make me feel bad about myself.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

Nutrimetry — Wed, 13 May 2009 20:11:52 GMT

I will admit that as much of a size acceptance person I am, the 300 pounds mentioned by the woman surprises me a bit. (On Kate Harding's blog, the chief writers are 200 pounds and a size 10. They often get commenters posting about how they don't look fat at all.) I suppose my previous comment regards the sizes 10-14s out there (who do get comments about their weight, trust me), and how I don't think they should embark on diets if they know they eat healthy and are moderately active.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

dreamLand — Wed, 13 May 2009 23:02:40 GMT

I wish the fat-acceptance people would stop rationalizing their choice to stay obese. Yes, obese. There is no way that a woman weighing 300 lbs. is healthy and it take s a lot of calories to maintain that much weight, whether it's brussel sprouts or bacon sandwiches. I weighed 200 lbs. in 2002 because I ate too much fried food, candy, cookies, etc. I started eating 2000 calories a day, and guess what? The weight came off! Now I'm still at the top end of the weight range for my height (159 at 5'7"), but I keep active, I eat well, I look good, and I feel healthy. I'm glad you've accepted your choice to be unhealthy, but stop denying that what you are doing to yourself is anything but self-indulgent and self-deluding.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

Qidisrupt — Thu, 14 May 2009 05:33:09 GMT

The goal should not be "thin" because underweight people are at risk for adverse health as much as overweight people. The goal we all should shoot for is to be within the healthy range of the Body Mass Index...there is a mathematical formula to find out what your BMI is...google it up and I am sure there is information for this. Healthy, balanced, moderate eating and daily moderate physical activity (like a 30 minute walk) are achievable goals. I used to weigh 240lbs. at 5'11" in height. I was not eating healthy or exercising at all. I had to make an achievable decision to take moderate steps to maintain my health. I weigh 180lbs. now and I make conscientious decisions to maintain a consistent routine of good health practices. It is not the EASY road to travel, but it is worth it. If a weak-willed willy like me can do it...believe me...ANYONE CAN!

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

DrDavidR02740 — Thu, 14 May 2009 11:00:38 GMT

We now seem to have two extremes. On the one hand we have the "magic" diet and weight loss pill/potion/program chasers and on the other hand are the find-execuses-to-stay-overweight group. Is following good nutritional guidelines as set forth by the New Food guide Pyramid (Harvard School of P.H.), getting proper amounts and types (cardio + Strength) daily exercise, getting proper amounts of sleep and throwing in a daily dose of meditation (trelaxation) a much too arduous task for the general public? Because if it is, then all these chronic lifestyle diseases that are exploding in number and the decreased life expectancy...well, se la vie...http://DrDavidRobinson4Health.com

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

Greg the Third — Thu, 14 May 2009 15:45:15 GMT

It is sad to see someone who has given up on their health. There is a price to pay for being overweight. It will catch up with you in the form of disease you would not otherwise have. It is only a matter of time. Women tend to be protected from some forms of disease until after menopause so it is more likely to catch up with them later, but with a vengance. The consequences are diabetes, hypertension, joint disease, and sleep apnea. Quickly following these are heart attacks, strokes, vascular disease and kidney failure. In nearly all cases feeling lousy, lacking energy and being tired are symptoms that frequntly occur. Depression is nearly inevitable at some point. Aside from cigarette smoking one's weight is one of the most consequential and controllable factors for health maintenece. It may not be easy, but it is imperative if that if one is overweight that one tries harder to get it down and keep it down.

The Fact-o-Sphere: Can Heavy Be Healthy?

Anonymous — Thu, 14 May 2009 17:38:20 GMT

The Q&A we published earlier this week with authors Kate Harding and Marianne Kirby attracted a lot

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

abby62 — Thu, 14 May 2009 18:51:30 GMT

Americans are the masters of mindless behavior and when it makes us fat, we rationalize. We drive a garganuan SUV to the gym, then tromp out the obligatory 20 minutes on the treadmill or stationary bike with a dead look in our eyes, glued to the blathering talking heads on cable news in the "cardio room". We wait minutes for elevators because we have forgotten how useful stairs are, then pay a gym fee to use a stair climbing machine. We sit on our fat butts in our cars, in line at the "fast" food drive-through because we can't be bothered to get out of the car and walk into the joint. And all of this crazy behavior is seen as normal. I ride my bike to work, to the gym, to the grocery store, to the post office. People label me a tree-hugging weirdo; I am seen as suspect instead of smart. No wonder these overweight women have come to believe that 300 pounds is acceptable, with all this ludicrous behavior that has become "normal" in America.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

dreamLand — Thu, 14 May 2009 23:13:33 GMT

I agree abby62. For inactive men and women of average height, 300 lbs. should never be acceptable or normal. That's one of the reasons why I feel that Fat Acceptance goes over the top. It's one thing to accept people of all body types, but it's quite another to accept the fact that people have given into their urges and given up on any kind of activity. I own a car, but I walk the three miles to work and back and I ride a stationary bike everyday. Anything to work off some of the calories I, too, indulge in on a daily basis. I accept the fact that I'll never look like Angelina Jolie (during her Tomb Raider years, but not now 'cause she's way too thin) , but I'm not going to give up and risk my health just because working out is hard. I suck it up and just do it!

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

skinnyminny2 — Fri, 15 May 2009 00:04:48 GMT

I also agree with abby62. We humans did not evolve sitting, driving and eating from fast food establishments. It's as if huge protions and, as abby62 pointed out, driving everywhere and not taking stairs are now the norm. That's not how we evolved, and so our bodies respond by getting fat. I'm not trying to sound mean--if someone is happy being fat, that is great. It's their body and their business. I do not see how being 300 (or even 250) lb is healthy though--I do not believe that claim for one second.

People look at me and ask me if I eat or if I weigh 90 lb (I'm 117 lb at 5'8). Yeah, I do. I eat often and in smaller amounts to support my long distance running. I have a distance runner's physique--it's not emaciated, but sinewy and healthy. This culture thinks I'M the one who's unhealthy? Crazy talk. People are so used to seeing overweight people they think the thin ones have something wrong with them.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

dreamLand — Fri, 15 May 2009 00:27:05 GMT

You're right skinnyminny2. When obesity becomes the norm, those of us who eat clean and stay active are considered the weird ones. I, too, eat many small meals a day, but everyone in my office eats huge amounts of fast food every day. They consider me odd because I don't join them. I don't preach. I just say, "No, thank you," and cringe to myself at what must be happening to their arteries.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

Proginoskes — Sat, 16 May 2009 15:06:59 GMT

We've had decades of shaming and abusing people for being fat, and various diet and exercise regimes-- and people aren't thinner. They aren't fatter either, in spite of nonsense about an obesity epidemic.

There are people who've lost weight and kept it off, but they're pretty rare. For the most part, people who lose weight find that that it's more trouble than it's worth. Trying to improve your life by losing weight is like trying to come out ahead in Las Vegas. It happens, but this doesn't mean going to the casino is a good financial plan.

People in the overweight category for BMI live a little longer than the healthy category. People who are low end obese live a tiny smidge longer than healthy weight people. The big effects correlated with BMI happen at the extremes.

Those of you who say "I lost weight so every fat person should make enough effort to do it" aren't allowing for human variation. Would you do if it were two or three times as difficult? After all, there are people who are thin with no effort. They'd have to work very hard to be heavier. So why do you think your weight loss represents the typical effort required? All this is aside from that it might be a little presumptuous to be so emphatic about what other people should spend their effort on.

For the nastier people in this thread-- there's evidence both that having a hostile attitude about people and that being hated is unhealthy. If you care about public health, be kinder to people. I'm going to be a little presumptuous myself and suggest that you try spending a week without insulting anyone online. If that seems too hard, try posting only those insults you're willing to sign with your real name.

Trolling is emotional junk food. It just *seems* like getting a little human contact.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

ProHealth — Sat, 16 May 2009 17:10:48 GMT

I agree that there are some pretty nasty poeple who have nothing better to do than to disrupt a perfectly agreeable debate, but I have to disagree with Proginoskes on two points--people who have lost weight and kept it off being rare and that the obesity is nonsense.

First of all, there are many of us who have changed our eating and activity habits in such a way as to permanently lose weight and keep it off. Check out some of the diet success stories on websites such as www.oxygenmag.com and www.health.msn.com/ and you'll see that I'm not alone. Now I'm not saying that it's easy or that I don't give in to my cravings for sweets many times, but I compensate for those days by exercising a bit more. It's hard, but I'd rather live longer and healthier than give up and eat to the point of morbid obesity.

Second, I can see with my own eyes that being overweight or obese is becoming the norm. I'm not sure where Proginoskes lives, but here in Chicago, all I need to do is walk outside on a nice day to see the guts hanging over waistbands (on men, women, and children), muffin tops squeezed above too-tight pants, and 200-300 lb. people eating enormous amounts of food, both in fast food restaurants and up-scale restaurants. In my office I work with 15 people--13 are overweight or obese. Everyday they eat fast food, cake, ice cream, etc. and drink a lot of soda. There is a connection and it's not a healthy lifestyle.

All of us need to get away from the processed food, start eating better, and start moving around more. Like skinnyminny2 says, "We humans did not evolve sitting, driving and eating from fast food establishments." Our appetites are enormous and our bodies have adapted to our lifestyles. We need to accept that fact and either stop giving in to our appetites or compensate by exercising. Yes, it's hard, but the alternative is even worse.

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re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

chotiius — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 23:25:55 GMT

Here is a marvelous video by Joy Nash, on Youtube, called 'A Fat Rant'.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUTJQIBI1oA

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

Suziq1591 — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 01:29:00 GMT

Why is it that some of the people on posts feel that whenever someone expresses an opinion about a subject that hits a little close to home that they feel they are being hateful, just expressing an opinion does not always mean someone is hateful, thats stupid. I just happen to be 40 pounds overweight, lets say fat (ooh I might offend someone) it is not McDonalds, Burger King, Wendys, etc for my being fat, it is my own fault. And one thing that is a thorn in my side is that parents will allow their children to overeat. Who is the parent here? Make yourself and your children eat less and exercise more, its plain and simple. If your children want second helpings of junk food, that is if you give it to them, just say know, it is for your own good, for one I want you to be healthy, and two I dont want other kids making fun of you, and that is just a fact of life that does not seem to be changing anytime soon.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

Sue R — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 05:09:38 GMT

My two cents. I currently weigh 215, have been heavier, also have been thinner, but always have gained it back. I lost about 60 lbs. after lap band two years ago and ended here, and so far, just gained back a little. I'm hypoglycemic, and once I figured that out, I ate high protein, lower carb so I could help the food cravings. My cholesterol is tested often, and has been perfect, even at my heaviest. So has my blood sugar. I thought I was eating healthy - skim milk, yoghurt, whole wheat bread, tuna, an egg a day (remember, cholesterol is perfect), LOTS of vegetables, fruits, a little red meat, but mostly chicken and fish.

This month I found a different doctor. My cholesterol and blood sugar is still perfect. My c-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation, is twice what it should be. My adrenal system has not been working as it should be, and my thyroid numbers are off, as I've known for a while. I also am being tested for heavy metal toxicity. And I have been pissing off my body and my immune system for many years by eating things that I have now learned I am allergic to. Regular allergy tests didn't show much of anything, but IgG tests showed a lot. Yeast, gluten, wheat, oats, corn, corn products (check labels - they're everywhere!), chocolate, tuna, some other kinds of fish, some kinds of shellfish, dairy products, eggs, olives, mushrooms... I didn't know that my allergies were at the root of a lot of my health problems. My new doctor says I will probably lose weight just by avoiding foods that I'm allergic to. My biggest hope is to tame the allergies and asthma.

So, why do I write this? Because it's not a simple story. I'm not lazy, and my Mensa card, master's degree, and GPA prove I'm not stupid. I've tried hard to figure all of this out. I hope I have answers now. But being fashionably thin is not my goal. Being healthy is.

The doctor I've learned a lot from, and my new doctor studied with, posts a lot of his writings at http://www.ultrawellness.com/blog and http://www.drhyman.com . I'm hoping people who want to know about how the body really works would look at some of this.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

Sue R — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 05:09:38 GMT

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

monstermash — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 13:57:29 GMT

I agree that you should love yourself at any weight, but if you honestly think that being "naturally" overweight, obese or morbidly obese is healthy, you are so wrong. You're in denial and don't want to or aren't ready to face facts. Let's just get away from the thin issue and look strictly at the health issue. My sister, due to the combination of being obese and postmenopausal developed uterine cancer. This is not a genetic issue. She had to have a complete hysterectomy a few months ago. She's now on the path to getting to a healthy weight because she doesn't want breast cancer. My aunt just died from pancreatic cancer, in large part due to being obese (also not eating enough fruits and vegetables). Same with a cousin a few years ago. These are not genetic issues, they are fat issues. We all know about cholesterol, diabetes, etc. and how weight affects them. Why would anyone in their right mind say 300 pounds is healthy, it's what my body gravitates to? You're cheating yourself, and your family, because you will die before your time. This is a sad and selfish way to view life, and you're doing all fat people a disservice when you accept it. Accept the person, yes, the fat, no.

Now for the thin issue, I recently lost a bit of weight. Healthy weight is a range, not a set figure, so I selected a goal somewhere in the upper middle, because I felt it was something I could sustain for the rest of my life. Well, my body "naturally gravitated" to a lesser weight on a healthy diet. I love my body-it's slim but not thin, I look great in clothes, and I love it. Most importantly, I feel healthy, my teeth didn't have cavities (I've always had issues with my teeth) at my last dental visit, I've noticed that the few gray hairs I was getting have disappeared, my skin looks and feels healthier, and I have more energy. If I get a proper night's sleep, I don't nap any more.

I follow the points system at Weight Watchers, and anyone who eats 12 points, as off-handedly suggested in the article, would be malnourished and starving. You're not supposed to go below 18 points. Once you start maintaining, your points go up. Let me tell you, with some creative forethought, you can eat a ton of food for 18 points (I now eat 22 points). I still eat restaurant pizza, I still have a dish of ice cream or chocolate or chips. The trick is to only do it on occasion, and not every day, all day and not in huge portions. I'm not deprived and I'm rarely hungry.

Someone said this the other day: you crave what you eat. This is so true. When I first started my changes, I thought I wouldn't live without cheese. Now I hardly eat it, except on pizza. I don't crave it. I do crave veggies because I've developed my tastes accordingly.

Does this take work? Yes, and it gets easier as you become more attuned to your body. Is it worth it? Yes. Oh, one other thing, I've not increased my activity level by much either. I don't follow any exercise program and in fact I don't do any regular exercise. But I will take the stairs an extra time, or walk around the block with the family, etc.

So for your own health, get away from this fat acceptance concept and do what's best for your body. Many people succeed and if they can do it, so can you.

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re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

bridgetloves — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:47:25 GMT

Wow, I LOVE this article and the idea of this book. I am The Un Diet Coach and I help people stop dieting to find their "Skinny", which means they finally FEEL great in the body they were born in. Kudos to the Fat Acceptance movement. I am excited for people to feel better in their bodies. THat is when you find your "Skinny'. info@theundietcoach.com (www.theundietcoach.com)

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

Flateacher — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:36:53 GMT

Think that the core of what the authors are saying is that peoplewho have dieted for many years have not focused on the health of their bodies, only the size. As a result, they have distanced themselves from their bodies and no longer understand their own food cravings. As someone who has friends who were always dieting, they never know what they want to eat because they have spent years following someone else's food plan. They are disconnected from their bodies and as a result have been yo-yoing up and down for years. I think the point is that some people will be naturally thinner tha others. Does that mean that a person that weighs 300lb is in perfect health, it means it is no one else's place to judge. Health at Every Size is about allowing every person to find contentment with their own bodies and not judging them. I have read the HAES book, which is written by a medical professional. It doesn't say eat whatever you want. It says stop dieting and figure out what works for your body. This means, vegetable should be eaten not because you will get skinny but because it's simply better fuel for your body. The book also says do not be sedentary. But again you get activity in that you like and enjoy without just exercsing because you want to lose weight. So instead of being mad at yourself because you didn't get on the treadmill or take a few laps around the block, do something you like. If you like dancing, turn up the music and get going, if you are interested in yoga, try it, if you like going to the beach, make swimming your activity. HAES is simply tring to get women who have dieted for years to find a better focus.

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re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

HJ2009 — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:41:41 GMT

I have a real problem with people believing that if you are overweight you can be healthy as someone who is isn't. I try hard to eat well, and be mindful of my body and everything I put into it. Not only for myself, but for my kids. It isn't easy, but being able to play with my kids and live a long healthy top of my priority list. I know a lot of people who struggle with weight. We as society have lost sight of what being healthy is all about. Go outside, go to bed on time, only put good foods in your body, There is more at stake for me than wanting to be accepted if I was overweight. Like too many of my family members they are battling high blood pressure and diabetes and they are overweight. I don't want that. When it comes to "Fat Acceptance" as far as appearance; YES treat anyone and everyone with respect. There is no question about that. But when it comes to "Fat Acceptance" in thinking that you can be overweight and healthy, that is the wrong message to accept.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

jaggsterg — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:26:00 GMT

When did our talk show/news show people become so complacent and down right rude. In watching this morning, they talked about fat people and obese people and the guest speaker talked about seeing an obese person getting on a plane and others thinking oh know. We are still talking about human beings and not these kind of people, like they don't belong. I have realized these hosts and how they talk about alot of topics and it comes across as if they are there own world and others are the different ones. This is very disturbing!!!! Not to mention that important topics are briefly discussed and so so topics are hammered on.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

GeorginaKlanica — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:47:11 GMT

Our society never vilified smokers, drinkers, dopers, etc to the point of hatred and discrimination that we are doing with fat people now. It's scary; this is how Nazi Germany came to be. I'm not religious, but I know Christians say "hate the sin, not the sinner", and I think this can be adapted to read "hate the health problem, not the person with the health problem".

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

Brandon — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 01:54:47 GMT

One of the most pathetic articles I had to read, I will never get those minutes back in my life. Get of your lazy asses. Fat acceptance is exactly what is wrong with North America.

re: The Best Diet Is No Diet: Fat Acceptance Authors Weigh In

Bobbie_Bear — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 05:11:28 GMT

GeorginaKlanica - This is NOT how Nazi Germany used to be. In fact, that’s a pretty offensive comparison.

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Anonymous — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 03:55:51 GMT

Klonopin overdose. Klonopin.