Actual nonsenical dietary advice to women who dare to be fat while pregnant.
And even when women comply with these ridiculous restrictions, their care providers often don’t believe them. In the care providers’ eyes, if you are “obese,” then OBVIOUSLY you are overeating, mainlining ice cream and bread, and consume a TON of sugar. And if you don’t admit to it, well, then obviously you are lying.
On food policing:
I think the world would be a better place if we stuck to one acceptable way of commenting on what is on a fellow adult’s plate. That way is “That looks delicious” + some variation of “Where did you get it/how did you make it/does it taste as good as it looks/smells/Is it like this other thing that is also delicious?“
[…]
If people could do that, that would solve 90% of your problem right there. You are the boss of what goes on your plate and into your mouth. Other people are the boss of what goes into their own mouths.
[…]
You’re not that person’s doctor? You’re not their nutritionist? You’re not the parent of a young child talking to that child? You’re not running a proposed dish or a restaurant by a dining companion? Then NOTHING you have to say about what they are eating is important.
(Source: plus.google.com)
You might still be in the habit of saying things that contribute to the very real abuse of and discrimination against fat people. In case you’re a good person who wants to stop doing those things, I’ve tried to put together an inventory of ideas that contribute to the oppression of fat people. Some of these are big, some are small, but they all add up to a serious web of stigma that affects the quality of life for fat people.
Helpful look at the science behind why maintaing a weight loss is nearly always impossible.
Interesting note: I found a link to this article through a weight maintaining blog, where all the comments were of the variety “What a negative article! I’m going to disregard it so I can think positively.” Because ignoring facts makes them go away.
I would like to put forth the radical notion that, if a fat person is fat by choice, it’s okay.
It can be a hatred that’s hard to let go of, even for fat people, because letting go of that hatred, and replacing it with acceptance, can feel akin to giving fat people permission to be fat.
But being in the position of feeling like permission is yours to give is a manifestation of privilege. And maybe it’s all right to let that privilege go.
So much good information here. So many linked resources. I can’t even pick out what I like the best. Please read and absorb it all. Thank you.
Wise take on the point that correlation does not equal causation.
Healthy, balanced diet and activity = important for everyone, lean or fat.
Losing weight = almost purely social goal that may or may not be important to you, gets even more complicated and guilt inducing when you have children and may actually make you less healthy.
I love posts that point out that dieting doesn’t work. Really.
In previous posts I’ve covered lots of evidence that there’s not much you can do to change your weight. In the midst of all that, it turns out that thereis one reliable way to make yourself fatter.
It’s called “dieting”.
Via (somewhat indirectly) Shannon
