Let’s get this out of the way…
I’m not going to be polite here. I’m not going to be nice just for the sake of being nice. If you want someone to apologize or to hold your hand and walk you through your life, then look elsewhere. I’m not going to feel sorry for you.
Obese people confuse me. I’m not talking 5, 10, or even 30 pounds overweight. The ones that have trouble walking are the ones that give me the shivers. I just have no concept of how they can exist in such a state, continue to do such a thing to their bodies, and not want to do something about it every waking moment they are alive because any physical movement is difficult.
It doesn’t matter how you got to be the bulging creature that you are, you can always do something about it.
If your response is “What if it’s Genetic?!?”, you’re wrong. I’ve begun addressing that subject on my Obesity is not Genetic series.
If you’re reading this, and you’re fat (odds are you are), this blog will either piss you off and out of anger you will go eat something, or it will make you think twice the next time you go looking for those ho-ho’s. Hopefully, for your sake and everyone else’s, it will be the latter.
My inspiration for this blog is mostly to vent my incredible frustration with the world’s new-found fascination with “Solving” the obesity epidemic. Whether it’s in the form of a new diet, or a scientist has discovered yet another gene that is “responsible” for people stuffing their faces massive weight gain, or some company has released a new magic pill, almost all of it is just a bunch of bullshit. And what’s happening despite all of the millions spent on research? People are fatter than ever.
Everyone is just ignoring the fact that people are just less active today compared to 30+ years ago, and that their diets are MUCH worse. Plain and Simple.
These people that blame their genetics, or those that point their pudgy fingers at fast food restaurants, are not taking responsibility for their own actions. They’re just making excuses, and blaming anything and everyone but themselves.
You may find my writing to be harsh, tactless, without compassion, and very negative. The reason for this is because the people I write about frustrate me immensely. Here’s why:
There are countless blogs, websites, and other resources out there that offer seemingly endless positive support for people looking to make a change in their life for the better. It kills me that there are so many people that complain about their situation, but do nothing about it. They don’t take advantage of the tools that are easily accessible to them. You would think that they would. There must be some underlying reasons why these people choose not to make positive changes that would improve their life. I believe some of these people just need to be kicked in the ass, and to have some strong emotions drawn from them. My blog just happens to draw out the negative ones. It also draws out a sense of humor from some. I believe no matter what situation in life you are in, you have to have a sense of humor about it.
Ultimately, despite my harsh tone and incredibly demeaning banter, I hope to enlighten a few people, and open their eyes to some truthiness behind all the confusing bullshit being thrown at us about obesity, health issues, and our rapidly depreciating diet.
I have to be sincerely honest and please know I have been where you currently are. But with that said, a few tragic events took place in my life which actually changed my physical appearance….So here’s my little story…I am an Identical twin, and I have lived a good 46 years of life. I have a daughter who is 5′10 and a Runway Model…She is stunning and I adore her..I also have a Brialliant son, who is not a Runway Model, but an Engineer. My story started out that I always did the typical 2 to 3oo sit ups every day, cut the grass and worked like there was no tomorrow!! I was very slender and people would comment, “You got to put some weight on, your too skinny!” I would raise my eyebrow and say “Obviously Your Blind!” Then I began noticing some physical changes. I began to put on the weight and became extremely tired, But hey I kept up my home and did ALL the outside chores so my husband wouldn’t need to….I knew something was wrong, so I went to see one dr after another and another. Within only a couple months, I had put on 50 WHOPPPPPPING pounds. I hated how I felt and I HATED how I looked…I was embarrassed beyond words…I prayed, I ate even LESS food than I had prior….Finally after five months, I was told that my Thyroid was 100% non- functional…..I needed to go on medication….I felt with the medication, the weight would begin to go off as I continued to PUSH myself, but in fact I still gained weight…For me 150 pounds was more than Fat….it was DISGUSTING!!!! And it had invaded my Life without my asking for it…..To add insult to Injury, I began passing out, after being Rushed to the Hospital, they told me I needed Emergency Surgery…My heart was not working right, and during the surgery my heart stopped.
The Doctors told me I had a condition known as Sudden Death Syndrome, I was NO LONGER allowed to do ALL things that I wanted to do, as a matter of fact a year after being diagnosed, my brother died from the SAME condition…
So here I am totally Bed Ridden, have been for over 5 LONG Years…Like yourself I can tell ANYONE how to Lose weight, after all I was once just like my beautiful daughter, slender and lean. I dressed the part and NEVER complained about having to work….So WHY am I writing this to you…..Because I NEVER made any excuses….even on the thread mill, I’d walk until my heart couldn’t take it anymore.
I dare say, if you had to live this Life, you’d probly end your life and as a Christian that is NOT something I agree with.
It is really easy to Judge another, Until you walk in their shoes…..Ohhhhhh and one other thing, my identical twin is as Skinny as a Rail….She doesn’t have the condition to contend with, but it’s a Daily Reminder of what I once was and I MISS that….So at 46 I do get Upset when I see people STUFF their faces full of FOOD and do nothing when they Can…But for a few of us, God wanted to Humble us enough to show us how Vain I once was.
Please don’t just asume that people are ALL FAT because they LOVE their food….Some actually have a legit reason, for me, I have had my heart stop twice and my kids have had to deal with a mother who can no longer enjoy going out and doing things with them….You can’t put a price tag on that….So as you would say some of us are just full of BS, but I can one day stand before God and yes even You and prove to you and to many others, that living this way has been a Nightmare and not something I would wish upon anyone, even including you….May you Always have your Health and may you one day see those who may not have their health in a different light…Take good care and try not to judge others so much, after all YOU have been Blessed more than you could ever know…..
Truthtold: Thank you for your comment. You are correct, I can’t imagine experiencing what you have gone through. Fortunately, neither can most people, because your kind of disorder is quite rare. Have you ever asked your doctor how common your problem is? From what I have read, thyroid problems occur in less than 10% of people (most of which are so mild people don’t even know they have a problem), and problems of your severity occur in only a fraction of those people.
While your story is interesting, you obviously are the exception to the rule, and I am not talking about you, or anyone that has a real disorder. Although I do speak in absolutes a lot, I don’t always, and please read all of my posts to find that out. I believe it would be incredibly un-interesting to read a blog that always had to have a disclaimer at the end of every sentence.
You obviously agree with me on some level by saying this: “So at 46 I do get Upset when I see people STUFF their faces full of FOOD and do nothing when they Can”. These are the people I am talking about. Don’t you also get angry when people claim it’s genetic, but you know that most likely they’re just making an excuse, when there are people like you that actually have a problem? They are making you look bad!! I hope that since you have been afflicted with this disorder, that you have taken the time to read all you can about it. That you have educated yourself. However, in doing so, I hope that you do not believe only what you want to hear.
As you are evidence to, my blog draws much emotion from some people. This was my intent from the beginning. There are countless ways to discuss this “epidemic”, and most of those ways, I have found, are very apologetic, and take too many peoples feelings into consideration. I simply chose to have a very straight forward point of view, and to not tip-toe around so as not to offend some people. I believe that if I were to be too nice, that my blog would not get the results that I intend to get. For some overweight people, the only way that you can get to them is to draw a strong emotion out of them, even if it is a negative one.
P.S. I like your posts about the dangers of beef, and 9-11 conspiracies. Pretty crazy stuff!
Thank You for being so Honest
Seriously I have been written about and my medical condition has also been published in the New England Journal of Medicine….As far as knowning as much about my condition, well I have Lived Longer with this condition than anyone else ever recorded.
And Yes you are CORRECT I can’t Stand seeing people eating at those Buffet Resturants, or viewing young kids who are soooo young walking out of a fast food joint easily weighing over 200 pounds!!!!
But because of what I have gone through on a personal level I may have more compassion for those, who really can’t Help it!!!!
Because as you stated, the MAJORITY of Fat people choose to LIVE that way and honestly that to me is a SIN….
I cannot imagine as I write this how the weather outside must have felt today….Because I was unable to get up and go outside to enjoy that Fresh Air….
My heart yearns for that…..sighs……My wonderful husband of 25 years went golfing this morning and YES I was jealous, but let him have a wonderful time out…
In truth I apprecite your Honesty and your blog NEEDS to be there, because some people who can STILL CHANGE their lives and Should, can perhaps get the Motivation to go out and do something , rather than sitting down in front of a TV and eating a bag of Chips…..
When Nice doesn’t work anymore, you have to do what you have felt lead to do…Like you said NO TIP toeing around the topic.
By the way the Story about the two women at work was pretty amusing, I can’t remember the last time I have been to a Vending machine, at least Ten Years.
Here’s some news that should make you feel all better…
Mexico is GAINING Ground on Obesity and may now be a few people away from being called, “The Fatest Nation!”
Ohhhh, you should read the Gentically altered foods post I have up….It’s pretty sad that much of the food consumed has some form of treatment on it…I wouldn’t be surprised if that could potentially hurt people..
Oh and one more thing, This Country is starting to wake up again, they are beginning to Pass New Laws so Physical Education is brought back into the School System and I think that will help MANY of the younger ones out in their weight issues.
Ok, I got to get busy, take good care and keep writing.
Truth Be Told….
Thank you for your recent comments on my blog. I’m sorry I was not able to approve them, but you included the URL here to your blog, which is not a friendly site for those I hope will feel safe and comfortable reading and participating on my blog.
I just started the blog last week, so that’s why the lack of comments. I appreciate your suggestions to improve my blog, but my blog stats are already quite positive, so I think I’ll just keep following my instincts.
Thank you for reading.
PS. Excuse me for leaving 2 comments, but I also wanted to mention I’ve specified my comment policy in my “About” section, so it will be clear going forward.
Do you really think you’re going to make fat people “normal sized” with your blog? I’m sincerely curious. If you think that someone’s going to “think twice” before they pick up a twinky just from reading your blog, you are very naive!
My guess is that you’re using it as a venting ground. And I totally understand that.
I also wonder if you had a mother that was an overbearing slave driver that was fat or any family members you grew up with that were fat that were total assholes. It’s curious for me because for the life of me, I can’t understand why fat people should make others so angry - even if they are lying to make themselves feel better. I feel the same way about gay people. I don’t know why gays cause so much anger? Oh, I am a lesbian too, so that’s why I stick up for gays.
Despite popular belief, fat people are happy people. (I’m fat - REALLY fat - so I know!!) People make choices. Fat people choose to be fat despite their claims that they have no idea how they got to be that way. (Psst… I lie like this too sometimes, but it’s only to stir the pot hehe.)
Researchers in the medical field all over the world focus on us fatties … for what? What a waste of time and money that just goes right down the drain. To think they are convincing us fatties that there could be a psychological or physiological reason for being gross is preposterous. And I’m not being sarcastic. They are so lame. And they don’t help us. They hurt us in that they belittle how truly happy we are and how truly convenient our lives are.
I am 660 some pounds and I’ve never felt better in my life. There are so many people who are obsessed with fat people, write books about my people, make TV shows about us, blog about my people, research my people on the web, dream about my people, stare at my people that I got jealous of all the attention that fat people were getting. So, I made a choice to start eating more. And it worked. I went from being 125 lbs to 660 in just a few years. I am now morbidly obese, and getting all the attention that I’ve always wanted.
I know your attention to us is negative, but it’s still attention!! Negative attention works. How do you think celebrities get where they are?! We fat people love this. We don’t mind getting spat at in the street, or receiving the names people call us or even kicks in the ass. We may bicker at you every once in a while, but deep down inside, we are smiling.
Here’s some trivia for you. Most fat people have a liking to BDSM. Seriously. We don’t feel pain like others do, and if we do, we LOVE it. Actually, if you ask me, I think we fatties are tougher than the average Joe. We don’t need YOUR helping hand. We get quite enough attention and love from everyone that we get by just fine. Why do you think the fat epidemic is getting so commonplace all over the world? Have you ever thought about this? It’s because we are happier! This is the common sense that I wish people like you would grow to understand.
It is so much more convenient being fat than slender. This is the best choice that I’ve ever made for myself. Life is so much easier now, it’s unbelievable. I don’t know why more people don’t choose to go in my direction. People are concerned about “health”? Gimmie a break. People smoke, drink, and do other horrible things to their bodies. Being fat really doesn’t cause that many physical problems at all. Trust me on this one. I am much happier than my slender counterparts. You know this too. Why else would people choose to be fat? Duh?! Hello? My heart is beating just fine. And if I die young, at least I went happy. Life is too short to worry about the petty things. Live each day as your last day. And never regret a thing. This is my philosophy.
My mother was a bitch and she was a chain smoker and an alcoholic, so as an adult I associate those who smoke and drink with my bitchy mom. People do this with the obese as well. They associate the grossly fatties with their own fat bitch whore of a mom and take all their anger out on other fatties. But I don’t care. We fatties are attention whores and have a thicker skin than you’d like to believe. Secretly, we laugh at you guys who spend your entire lives focused on us.
Really. WE ADORE being in the spotlight. xoxoxo 
I may actually even get a spot on a TV show or in a magazine. I am so thrilled about this. I’m still waiting to hear back from Oprah and the Murray show.
Because the media needs us, we can pocket $$$$ without having to get real work! Everyone should be doing this with me!!!!
We can take it, kiddo. Rock on with your blog.
Even as fat as I am, I get wet in my undies with all the attention you guys give to us. We fatties don’t always need penetration to get an orgasm. Sometimes just a little reminder that we are out there, is all we need to get us out of bed every day.
You get mad. But deep down inside you want to be us. We fatties know that others are jealous because, you have to admit it — who gets more attention? The slender or the obese? Duh. Obviously the obese. Don’t worry about your health. If you are happy, the rest takes care of itself.
All this health BS in the news related to fatties is just pure propaganda SCAM. In all actuality, we are HEALTHIER than the slender. Ask any fat person. Just as the research on how fatness is “genetic” so is the same research that says that we will become “unhealthy”. It BOGUS. Trust me. And it’s a big joke, too.
I love your blog, and I will subscribe. Rock on, babe. xoxoxox
Oh, by the way, to all those from Canada, move to the US. It’s so much easier here to be fat. So is Australia and Mexico, but I chose the US to live because they have more fat clubs!
Greetings, Intolerant Earthling,
Zontar, impartial observer of behavior and life alighted upon your blog and thought it was most curious. It struck Zontar as strangely curious that you would devote an entire blog to the subject of obesity. As this condition is unknown on my planet it got Zontar to wondering about your motivation.
Zontar has concluded that you are most likely morbidly obese yourself and trying to make everyone who reads your venom think that you must be skinny yourself. Why else would someone devote their life to the ridicule of perfect strangers who just happen to be overweight?
Another conclusion Zontar has reached is that your penis is microscopically small and by concentrating on another person’s handicapped it will deflect attention away from your miniscule member.
Zontar also knows that you are very likely homosexual. Not that there is anything wrong with that. Zontar careth not where any individual likes to insert their member. The bad part of being homosexual is being in denial about it and taking all the self loathing out on obese people.
Zontar further concludes that your mother and father most likely detest you and with good reason. If I were your father I wouldn’t like you either.
With that said, Zontar congratulates you on a perfectly insipid and pointless blog. Zontar would like to be friends with you. Zontar loves all mankind.
Hail bigoted, pea-brained Earthling!
Hail Zontar!!
I feel like I’ve just been probed and/or psychoanalyzed yet again.
I don’t even know how to respond to either of you.
[...] Fat Mission [...]
I stumbled upon this blog today through the Health blog on the NY Times website, and I will admit that my first reaction was to get pissed off. I’m resisting that reaction, however, so we can have a civil discussion (because those rock).
I am 22 years old, 5′5.5″ tall (I am, really, and I’ll fight you for that half inch :-P), weigh somewhere between 210-220 lbs (although everyone I’ve ever told my weight can’t believe it’s actually that high), and wear a size 18/20. I know I’m overweight–obese, actually, if you go by BMI. I know I should lose weight. I know what I’m supposed to do: “eat right and exercise.”
I know all these things, and yet…it doesn’t happen. Because for me, it’s like it is for smokers. They “just” need to stop smoking, right? It’s easy to say, but SO much harder to put into practice. I know I should “eat right” (which seems to mean SO many things to so many people), and I am trying to eat more vegetables, but I still love cheese and tortilla chips and desserts. I know I should exercise, but for the past few days when my alarm has gone off 1.5 hours early so I can go to my apartment complex’s gym (because I think I’m even less likely to go in the evening), I end up turning it off, because that extra sleep is just way too tempting. I’m not excusing my actions–I know that’s not the right thing to do. But like I said before, knowing and doing are two entirely different things, and until I either somehow pull together the willpower or find something that can drag myself out of bed…I feel like I’m stuck.
I’m also a bit stuck because of my lack of knowledge. At this point in my life I’m on my own in the food department, without a college meal plan (although I am going back to school this fall for my masters degree). And while I’m finding that I do enjoy cooking, it’s a daunting and slightly overwhelming uphill climb. I know I should be eating more vegetables, but right now I’m limited to what I feel comfortable using, which is pretty much onions, bell peppers, lettuce, and potatoes. I got some baby eggplant and beets at the grocery today on impulse, but I have no idea how to use them, and many other veggies. How do I cook them? Do they even need cooked at all? What are they good in? And, importantly, can they be a part of a packed lunch, because at the work I’m doing this summer, and when I’m back on campus this fall, unless I want to grab some fast food I’m going to have to rely on a packed lunch that can be eaten cold, as I won’t have access to microwaves or anything like that between classes. So I usually fall back on a sandwich and Sun Chips, which I’m sure isn’t my best option, but I don’t know what else to pack.
And, like I said before, it seems like everyone has a different idea of what is healthy. Atkins, the Zone, Mediterranean style, low-fat, low-carb, no meat, no grains…it’s enough to make my head spin. For example, plain water isn’t my favorite beverage, so at meals I usually drink Coke Zero, since it has no calories. No, people say. Soft drinks are bad. So I got some fruit juices and flavored waters. Wrong again, I’m sure some people would say–too much sugar. And I’m sure others would jump all over my skim milk too. So I’ve been trying some different green teas (although those seem to have lots of sugar too), but I’m finding that I just don’t care for tea that much. So in the end, I go back to my Coke Zero. Does that make me a bad person? Should I force myself to drink only water, even though I don’t like it?
I keep telling myself that this is the time I’m going to start losing weight, but there’s so much conflicting information out there that I feel like I’m going in circles and/or banging up against a wall. That, combined with my lack of cooking knowledge and apparent lack of willpower, and I’m doomed before I even start.
And this has now gotten way too long, so I’m going to wrap this up and post it–and hope that I’m not eviscerated too severely.