belated thoughts about fat acceptance

So, I forgot to publish this when I wrote it... I summarized these points in another post but oh well.

I have been reading about fat acceptance, mainly because this article compared 'Fat Liberation' to the LGBT movement. I was a bit appalled at that article, mostly because of the attempt to draw very direct parallels between being fat and being gay.

Now, I can see some similarities: the idea of "choice" and the use of 'health' as a motivating factor of discrimination. Also, I do agree that overweight people are unfairly discriminated against, and a lot of it in very cruel, unfair ways.

However, she makes this statement: "Yes, fat people can get married, but many thin people would not consider dating, let alone loving and marrying, someone who is fat." To me, this is undercutting to her argument, and belittling to the struggles of people who were legally and systematically discriminated against in this particular arena. 

Dating and love will always, always be unfair in this way, and that goes for attributes beyond just weight. If like in earlier ages, plump women were highly preferred, it would be the thin ones making this complaint. Also, substitute 'HUGE noses' for 'fat' and you can maybe see more easily where I am going. 

Also, although the health dangers of being obese and overweight seem to be exaggerated by the medical community, there is a connection between weight and many diseases. Obesity should probably NOT be considered a disease by the AMA but it shouldn't be completely discounted as a risk factor. Being underweight also carries with it many health dangers.

Secondly, absent an actual disorder (and obviously there are many people with these) to claim that the lifestyle of overweight people does not any way contribute to this condition does not seem plausible. The problem is, once people reach obesity, it does seem like it is very hard to lose the weight. Losing weight is hard for me, as a thin person (I know bc I am doing it right now), and the problem is that it is not, by in large, easier for people heavier than me.  

But I only have 5-10 pounds I'd prefer, if I could, to lose... it must be infinitely harder to lose more than that. Plus, I've been gaining and losing the same 15 or less pounds all my adult life. Not in a depressing way -- I've found when I go above a ccrtain set point, its because my normal habits have changed and it comes off easily once I've re-adjusted. But anyways, having to lose more than 10 pounds -- and permanently --seems daunting.  I'd think you'd really have to devote a lot of your life to that.  It'd be similar to being a pro-athlete.

So, both to call being fat a 'choice' AND 'not a choice' seems to the wrong way of looking at it. That sounds like the mushy middle, but oh well. UNLESS, in the instance of a disorder or disease, then obviously it is totally not a choice!!

And, to tell you the truth, I was FAR more appalled at the horrible fat-shaming comments to this article than the article's actual comparison to the LGBT movement. Being anonymous really gives people free reign to be nasty. 

Also, judging someone based on their weight is an INCORRECT way of assessing people anyways.  It is not just nasty: it leads to false conclusions.