Ever wonder how much weight is too much? When does obesity become dangerous? While it’s true that beauty comes in all sizes, there should still be a limit. A few weeks ago I was watching a TV show about a 550-pound woman getting ready for lap band surgery. However, she decided not to do it because someone working for a fat acceptance organization told her to embrace those extra pounds. Should society accept fat people for who they are, or should we agree that obesity itself is a social problem?

What Is the Fat Acceptance Movement?

Obesity rates have doubled since 1980. More than 300 million women and 200 million men worldwide are obese. About two thirds of Americans are overweight or obese. This growing epidemic is rapidly spreading all over the world. Overweight and obesity are major risk factors for coronary artery disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, metabolic syndrome, and even cancer. Yet, the fat acceptance movement is on the rise. More and more people are being encouraged to love their bodies and accept obesity as a norm.

Also known as fat liberation movement or fat power, the fat acceptance movement is gaining popularity worldwide. Its goal is to change people’s attitude towards overweight and obese individuals. The movement claims that overweight people are subject to hatred and discrimination, and that anti-fat stigma have led to an increase in mental disorders among the fat population. Its advocates promote “health at any size.”

Have you seen the grotesque photos depicting morbidly obese people posing nude or in sexy lingerie? These pictures are all over the Web. There’s no better way to describe the fat acceptance movement. Click here for a concrete example.

To be honest, I believe one must be crazy to say that being obese is beautiful or healthy. It’s like saying that you should love yourself for being a smoker. Hey, smoker lungs are hot! So what if smoking increases your risk of cancer? Smoking is absolutely normal. I’m sure you get the point. Why should you love and accept something that harms you, such as obesity?

Taking pride in being obese is like saying that you should love yourself for being a smoker or a drug addict.

According to Reuters, obesity in the U.S. exceeds smoking as public health enemy number one, adding more than $190 billion to the annual national healthcare costs. The percentage of extreme or “morbid” obesity has risen six fold since 1960. Still, fat people are being encouraged to stay fat and be proud of their bodies.

The Truth about Healthy Obesity

Recent studies have shown that obese individuals can be healthy. Some people show none of the usual metabolic red flags despite being overweight. They basically have normal blood pressure and cholesterol levels, with no apparent signs of diabetes.

The medical community calls them “the metabolically healthy obese.” In their case, fat remains in subcutaneous padding beneath the skin, not around the liver and internal organs. However, these are exceptions to the rule. Even so, metabolically healthy obese people still have a higher risk of premature death compared to those with a normal weight. The bottom line is that obesity and health are mutually exclusive.

Obesity and health are mutually exclusive.

Why the Fat Acceptance Movement Is All Wrong

Not everybody wants to be a supermodel, a fitness model, or an athlete. Not everybody cares about healthy eating and sports. Not everybody cares about looks and body weight. However, this doesn’t mean that being obese is fine. Stuffing yourself with tons of food is not ok. “Health at every size” is b…shit. You can’t be 500 pounds and enjoy good health.

You’ve probably heard things like: “a real woman should have curves” or “being chubby means you’re healthier.” Don’t get me wrong – I’m not talking about being slightly overweight or chubby. Having a few extra pounds is not the end of the world and people shouldn’t be obsessing about it. I’m talking about those who are carrying many extra pounds and feel damn proud about it.

A normal body weight doesn’t guarantee good health. However, this doesn’t mean you should stop caring and stuff yourself with food. This is the only body you’ll ever have, so don’t treat it like a garbage bin. Your body is a temple that you should love and respect. Food is fuel, not a proof of love.

This is the only body you’ll ever have, so don’t treat it like a garbage bin.

While it is true that your value as a human being has nothing to do with how your body looks, you shouldn’t use this as an excuse to get fat. The way you look is the least important, but think about your health. You can’t be obese and healthy at the same time. If you’re carrying excess fat, even the slightest weight loss can dramatically improve your health.

Instead of embracing obesity, accept that food addiction is a real problem. There’s nothing good about being obese. This rising epidemic has been a contributing factor in over 400,000 deaths per year.

Every extra pound puts you at risk for heart disease, liver and gallbladder disease, obesity hypoventilation syndrome, infertility, osteoarthritis, stroke, gout, depression, and several types of cancer. Being obese can become a matter of live and death. If you don’t do something about it, you may not have as much time left as you think.

Sources:

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs311/en/

https://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Fat_acceptance_movement.html

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/30/us-obesity-idUSBRE83T0C820120430

http://thoughtcatalog.com/carolyn-hall/2014/04/6-things-i-dont-understand-about-the-fat-acceptance-movement/