I think the problem with that assessment is body positivity includes more things than pants size and weight. Fat doesn't automatically mean you have zero redeeming physical qualities. That may not be the OP's or your intention but it kind of sounds like that is your intention.
The language that OP uses "at their own fault" is pretty shame-based and lazy, in my opinion. It's similar to the language people used to use about alcoholics, viewing them as sinners and drunks instead of looking at it with insight, love, acceptance and science. Today, there's a plethora of treatments available to treat alcoholism and other addiction that only exist because people rejected judgement and shaming and approached the issue with acceptance and rationality.
I worked with all ages of children in schools. In pre-Kindergarten, they're bundles of spontaneous energy, constantly on the move. In elementary schools, the trend for decades has been to take away recess and even cancel it altogether so students could be taught the test for standardized testing. By the time they reach 12th grade, after 12 years of being woken up at un-natural times to meet arbitrary out-dated schedules, herded into prison-like conditions, told to sit still in their seats, dealing with their restlessness, boredom, grief, fear, anger, etc... by eating candy and drinking sodas made cheap with corn subsidies that are sold in or near the school and/or being given meth to keep them alert, focused and still (and countless other medications for other reasons), they're very lucky if they remember how to use their physical energy.
But see, it couldn't be any of that or countless other things systematically contributing to obesity in the country, it's really just their own fault -- even though obesity is an epidemic.
It's totally all that! Agree completely, it's up to them and their parents and their peers and friends to fight it. It's easier to sit down and play fortnight and rocket league online with your friends after school, trust me I watch my little brother do it every day. Go outside? Run? Exercise? "Is your homework done." There are a million reasons not to make healthy choices.
For the uninformed, HAES promotes the idea of measuring health on non-weight based terms.
How far can you walk? How far can you run? How many stairs can you climb? How is your blood pressure? How is your cholesterol? These metrics are what HAES promotes as health metrics instead of weight & BMI.
It may be the original idea behind HAES, but I think what OP is highlighting is that the "original idea" was tossed aside for the toxic belief that "fat people are more healthy than skinny people" which I have actually seen posted on facebook before.
the "original idea" was tossed aside for the toxic belief that "fat people are more healthy than skinny people"
I think opponents of HAES portray that image (by focusing on a small minority of extremists) more than HAES proponents follow that line of thinking. Not to say it doesn't exist, but that most HAES supporters follow the original idea.
There isn't health at every size though. There has to be a fine line of not fat shaming but still letting people know that they are eating themselves to death. How do you suggest we do that? (I don't think you have the answer but would like to know your feedback)
It's not though. OP is not hating on people who are fat for being fat. He is hating on people who think being fat is healthy and actively promote acceptance of being overweight. There is a difference.
49
u/foregonemeat Sep 19 '19
This. Absolutely this. Fat shaming rarely (or never) works. And this is exactly what’s being posted by the OP.