Where I think body positivity can be a good movement is to address systemic reasons for obesity including racism, poor educational systems, food insecurity, food deserts, inaccessible healthcare, and government subsidies for unhealthy foods. It’s a public health system that can be greatly improved so that children and adults have the best chance at health. Every child and adult should have access to the tools for good health and nutrition and our country is far from that. Where body positivity fails in many cases is to normalize obesity. Sure, some are healthy, run marathons, and dance, but most are not. These bloggers are not even that overweight compared to many rural poor or inner city poor. Those people don’t have the money to run marathons or go to yoga classes. These bloggers are privileged. I know a group of morbidly obese people who are white, educated, financially secure—in other words not subject to the systemic reasons for obesity in America. They are fatter than these bloggers, love to drink alcohol and eat in restaurants and go on sedentary vacations, ball games, and concerts. They don’t have the excuses that the unprivileged have. They are hedonistic and proud to be extraordinarily fat. Often people come on the diet and exercise forum wanting to lose weight and get healthy. I am in awe of these people because it’s an admirable step to take charge of your life for yourself and your family. This pod of obese partiers I know are not admirable in the least.

Anonymous wrote:I looked at these blogs and the women are inspiring and show that it is possible to live healthy fulfilling lives in a large body. They are athletic, full of energy, and motivate women of all shapes and sizes to be their best selves. These particular women are awesome ambassadors for self-acceptance. This does not mean that every obese woman is as admirable, intelligent, or athletic as they are. First of all, I know women and men (I don’t think women alone should wear the fat label) who are much more obese than these bloggers. They cannot do yoga or dance like these active folks. They lead what I would describe as hedonistic lives. They are not ambassadors for a better society like these people. They drink a lot of sugary alcoholic beverages, eat inside bars and restaurants during a pandemic, go on cruises during a pandemic (didn’t care ship wasn’t able to stop at any ports because they could drink on the ship), don’t wear masks, and seemingly do nothing but gamble and party. They do not associate with normal weight people at all.

While I admire these bloggers and see the importance of their stories, not all obese people are so inspiring. Some of them are really just hedonistic users of resources and don’t contribute to society. They pose in photos with their fancy cocktails at fancy restaurants, celebrate every little thing with lots of food and beer and even go to concerts indoors during a pandemic. They are proud of their lifestyle and their tight clique of 10 morbidly obese couples. They are not healthy or active like these bloggers. They are simply fat and proud.

Um, you know skinny people go out to eat, drink, and go on cruises too right? There are anti-maskers of all sizes. None of the stuff you mentioned is exclusive to fat people.

Not all people are inspiring. Nobody has to be your inspiration porn to deserve respect!

I looked at these blogs and the women are inspiring and show that it is possible to live healthy fulfilling lives in a large body. They are athletic, full of energy, and motivate women of all shapes and sizes to be their best selves. These particular women are awesome ambassadors for self-acceptance. This does not mean that every obese woman is as admirable, intelligent, or athletic as they are. First of all, I know women and men (I don’t think women alone should wear the fat label) who are much more obese than these bloggers. They cannot do yoga or dance like these active folks. They lead what I would describe as hedonistic lives. They are not ambassadors for a better society like these people. They drink a lot of sugary alcoholic beverages, eat inside bars and restaurants during a pandemic, go on cruises during a pandemic (didn’t care ship wasn’t able to stop at any ports because they could drink on the ship), don’t wear masks, and seemingly do nothing but gamble and party. They do not associate with normal weight people at all.

While I admire these bloggers and see the importance of their stories, not all obese people are so inspiring. Some of them are really just hedonistic users of resources and don’t contribute to society. They pose in photos with their fancy cocktails at fancy restaurants, celebrate every little thing with lots of food and beer and even go to concerts indoors during a pandemic. They are proud of their lifestyle and their tight clique of 10 morbidly obese couples. They are not healthy or active like these bloggers. They are simply fat and proud.

I just LOVE Lindy West.

Anonymous wrote:https://www.morethanabody.org/

Good for many women to read. Internalized patriarchy wastes lives.

I hadn't heard of this before. I have been looking at it just now, and I really like it! Thanks for posting!

https://www.morethanabody.org/

Good for many women to read. Internalized patriarchy wastes lives.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does body positivity mean that obesity is not necessarily unhealthy? I know people who are 40+ BMI and not at all bothered by it or trying to lose weight. They love to eat, drink, and socialize with other similarly obese people. It’s like they find power in numbers. What I don’t see them doing is exercising or eating healthy foods. Only copious alcoholic beverages and restaurant meals.

OP here. I don’t think of it this way. I think of it as the opposite of pro-Ana.

Pro-Ana is the other extreme. Obviously unhealthy and dangerously so. Maybe pro-obesity is not as immediately dangerous as pro-Ana, but still. Is it good public health policy to glorify obesity or to say you can be obese and healthy? I’m not talking about slightly overweight or borderline obese. I’m talking about 300+ pounds people who make it a lifestyle to be morbidly obese and proud.

Living life as a fat person is not glorifying obesity. It’s just...living. Doing the same things that thin or average sized people and it being normal.

I love this girl on IG: flexx_inkyjaja

Overweight amazing yogi.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does body positivity mean that obesity is not necessarily unhealthy? I know people who are 40+ BMI and not at all bothered by it or trying to lose weight. They love to eat, drink, and socialize with other similarly obese people. It’s like they find power in numbers. What I don’t see them doing is exercising or eating healthy foods. Only copious alcoholic beverages and restaurant meals.

OP here. I don’t think of it this way. I think of it as the opposite of pro-Ana.

Pro-Ana is the other extreme. Obviously unhealthy and dangerously so. Maybe pro-obesity is not as immediately dangerous as pro-Ana, but still. Is it good public health policy to glorify obesity or to say you can be obese and healthy? I’m not talking about slightly overweight or borderline obese. I’m talking about 300+ pounds people who make it a lifestyle to be morbidly obese and proud.

Can you please read the blogs and instagram posts that are linked on this thread?
They are fantastic, and I don’t think they are saying what you think at all.

Anonymous wrote:Does body positivity mean that obesity is not necessarily unhealthy? I know people who are 40+ BMI and not at all bothered by it or trying to lose weight. They love to eat, drink, and socialize with other similarly obese people. It’s like they find power in numbers. What I don’t see them doing is exercising or eating healthy foods. Only copious alcoholic beverages and restaurant meals.

Body positivity is about every body being worthy of respect and dignity and worthy of taking up as much space as they need to exist. Regardless of the body’s health, size, or beauty.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does body positivity mean that obesity is not necessarily unhealthy? I know people who are 40+ BMI and not at all bothered by it or trying to lose weight. They love to eat, drink, and socialize with other similarly obese people. It’s like they find power in numbers. What I don’t see them doing is exercising or eating healthy foods. Only copious alcoholic beverages and restaurant meals.

OP here. I don’t think of it this way. I think of it as the opposite of pro-Ana.

Pro-Ana is the other extreme. Obviously unhealthy and dangerously so. Maybe pro-obesity is not as immediately dangerous as pro-Ana, but still. Is it good public health policy to glorify obesity or to say you can be obese and healthy? I’m not talking about slightly overweight or borderline obese. I’m talking about 300+ pounds people who make it a lifestyle to be morbidly obese and proud.

Anonymous wrote:Does body positivity mean that obesity is not necessarily unhealthy? I know people who are 40+ BMI and not at all bothered by it or trying to lose weight. They love to eat, drink, and socialize with other similarly obese people. It’s like they find power in numbers. What I don’t see them doing is exercising or eating healthy foods. Only copious alcoholic beverages and restaurant meals.

OP here. I don’t think of it this way. I think of it as the opposite of pro-Ana.

Does body positivity mean that obesity is not necessarily unhealthy? I know people who are 40+ BMI and not at all bothered by it or trying to lose weight. They love to eat, drink, and socialize with other similarly obese people. It’s like they find power in numbers. What I don’t see them doing is exercising or eating healthy foods. Only copious alcoholic beverages and restaurant meals.

For books, What We Don't Talk About When We Talk About Fat by Aubrey Gordon. She also has a new podcast called Maintenance Phase which I am loving.

I'm fat. A few years ago I really began to go out of my way to start following more people that look like me as part of my journey to self love. It's helped so much. Looking through my insta feed here are some that I really like. This has made me notice the lack of fat body positive women of color in my feed which I would like to change!

@fatgirlflow
@comfyfattravels
@bodypositivebelle
@liblibby
@danielle.bex
@thisismeagankerr
@meg.boggs
@_sonia_tremblay
@joannahthangiah (amazing feminist body positive cartoons)
@snackincbus
@hellostefaninicole (more fashion/lifestyle focused)
@styleisstyle (fashion)
@samdylanfinch (not fat, but writes about ED and OCD)
@jewelzjourney
@lizzy.dances
@iamdaniandriana (love her because she does not have a "socially acceptable" fat body type and talks about that)
@plussizetransguy
@ashley_dorough
@full_of_freckles_illustrations (adorable fat positive illustrations)

I am a psychiatrist and worked in a small town a few years ago. During that time, I was the only shrink in town, and had to handle everything that came my way as well as I could alone in my office just myself and the patient (I called it battlefield psychiatry).
During that time, I had a few adults with serious eating disorders in my clinic. They refused to leave the small town (as small down people do) to see a specialist, and I didn't have a lot of experience. I started looking up everything I could do see if I could help them. Believe it or not, the books I had were not particularly helpful. There aren't really any medications that are helpful, and I wasn't about to become a skilled psychotherapist treating eating disorders overnight. Basically, I knew to have people stand backward when they were weighed, what labs to check, when to hospitalize, a few triggering phrases to avoid, and that's it.

I ended up finding several blogs and books written by nutritionists on the subject, and I found them so positive and interesting. I have since moved on to a more focused practice in an academic setting and no longer see eating disordered patients any more, but I still think about these all of the time.

Anyway, this just came up on the relationship board in a discussion about obesity. One poster said that she couldn't imagine someone being over 300 lbs and healthy and active.

I knew of someone:
https://danceswithfat.org/

I also loved this one, and even ordered her book:
http://dropitandeat.blogspot.com/

I read a few books by people who were struggling with anorexia as well. I found this more helpful than anything I read in a textbook:
https://www.amazon.com/Wasted-Marya-Hornbacher/dp/0060858796/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=anorexia+personal+experience&qid=1612483213&s=books&sr=1-2

Anyone have others to share?