Comments on: 30% Less

By: Haystacks

Haystacks — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 22:59:55 +0000

The one I Really hate is Alli. It is marketed on a mass scale in every Wallgreens in the country, but one things they fail to mention. It makes you poop in your pants. Really. So now according to our society being fat is so damn awful it is better to poop uncontrollably than to be fat.

Kill the weight loss Pills, darlings, for they are the Devil.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 10:14:29 +0000

Society, as a rule, needs to mind its own damn business.

I am the only person who has the final say on what size I am. End of story.

By: Annalucia

Annalucia — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:47:11 +0000

“Society is not concerned about my health. Society is concerned about my size. When society is concerned about my HEALTH then maybe I’ll be more willing to listen.”

The Jennie, she nails it.

By: Leah

Leah — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:07:45 +0000

I’m so glad to see a great discussion in the responses to this post. That’s what blogs, and hopefully the comments/forum section, is ideally about!
I’m glad that more and more people are aware that the media sensationalizes things. Discussion of this nature is necessary to work through untruths fed into the general consciousness by news and media outlets whose only concern is getting a “hook” for their stories so they can sell more papers/subscriptions/ad space/etc.

By: bookgirl

bookgirl — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 07:06:21 +0000

What I am curious about is why JDog is here to begin with? Doesn’t seem to be here for the fashion, humor and lifestyle for the big girl posts the rest of us are here for. If he/she is looking for health information, there are lots of better places to go than a fashion blog to find them.

Seems to me that “troll” might be an appropriate moniker for this contributor….

By: rabrab

rabrab — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:51:35 +0000

“Society is not concerned about my health. Society is concerned about my size. When society is concerned about my HEALTH then maybe I’ll be more willing to listen.”

Hear, hear, Jennie!

So often “health” is used as a club.

By: Nomie

Nomie — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:10:43 +0000

JDog, I fail to see how anyone here is being “militant.” We’re expressing our irritation at a frankly ridiculous ad for what is almost certainly an ineffective (and possibly dangerous) weight-loss aid. And I found Twistie’s post rather positive, focusing on what we can do and what potential a new mindset could provide.

I’d also suggest that you read this link before you keep telling us that fat is going to doom us all: http://kateharding.net/but-dont-you-realize-fat-is-unhealthy/

By: Gabrielle

Gabrielle — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 13:46:56 +0000

Thank you, Twistie, for this post. I’m a teen who wears a size 10/12, which is not, technically, “big.” But when my friends (weighing in at 120, 110, etc.) complain about being fat, it is disheartening. If they are “fat,” then what am I? A hippo? The funny thing is, I doubt they’d ever say or think that– but that’s the mentality.

I’ve read this blog for several months now and what I’ve come to appreciate is how the bloggers here treat being bigger like being brunette. You just *are* fat, or plus-size, or whatever, the way your eyes are blue– so dress accordingly and do NOT treat yourself like crap just because “blonde” or skinny is in.

Being healthy is also important to me– I’m a vegetarian because I don’t like meat and the saturated fats that come with it. And I guess I can understand people who don’t approve of size-positive sites because they say dieting is for health purposes. Many times, dieting IS for health purposes and then it is a *health thing* like taking pills. But for most Americans and the growing international dieting population, dieting is emotional and done because we are inadequate. It is this problem that, I think, Twistie and the rest of us are angry about.

By: Twistie

Twistie — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 04:37:06 +0000

JDog, feel free to do more research into the matter yourself. There are plenty of reports that are discussed in the general media as saying unequivically that fat causes all manner of diseases, that when you look more closely actually show a very weak correlation, which is not the same thing as causality. You don’t have to limit yourself to Junk Food Science to learn the difference, either. When another major study is released and you hear about its findings, search further. Read more than one report about it. Read a complete discussion of its findings and not just the soundbites.

Karen, nobody here said you’re not allowed to diet even if your doctor recommends it. If you really feel you need to, you go right ahead. I can’t stop you. I won’t even try to stop you. I have better things to do with my time than monitor your weight. I will, however, note that people go off diets and stop taking the suppliments (many of which are of dubious effectiveness in the first place), at which point more often than not, the weight comes back.

I’d also remind you both that this is a body positive blog. Here at Big Girl, we value balanced meals and reasonable exercise. We also understand that weight is a far more complex question than ‘calories in vs calories out’. If it were that simple, nobody would have any use for diet pills and programs. Fat or thin, healthy or ill, we all have value, and here at Big Girl we celebrate that value. We do not chastise people for their inability - or even their unwillingness - to lose weight. We certainly don’t think it’s radical for writers of a plus-size blog to be okay with accepting plus-sized bodies.

By: Jennie

Jennie — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 02:58:47 +0000

Extremely skinny or extremely fat. Both are, well, extreme. Each person needs to find the weight that is comfortable and healthy for them. (wish I could use bold or italics here!) Truth be told, I am 180 to 185, 5′5″. I am NOT comfortable. I find it difficult to rise from a squat without assistance from an item or a person. I have difficulties walking 2 or 3 miles. I hate doing the rocking/rising grunt to get up from a low chair. So in MY opinion I am unhealthy caused by sickness (cancer) and overweight. I am forcing myself to work on this. Not so I can get skinny but so I am not dependent on assistance. Society is not concerned about my health. Society is concerned about my size. When society is concerned about my HEALTH then maybe I’ll be more willing to listen.