Your work is worth so much more than any remuneration you could possibly be receiving - I wish I could give more a month. As a fat anorexic person, sometimes reaching into my memory and remembering your words are the only way I can get through my day or communicate with the fat phobic people around me which unfortunately includes most healthcare providers. I would point out I do have an incredible support system and am okay and currently receiving help, however I just wanted to highlight how little rational information is available to draw from in the world in general. Thank you for being a validating, sensible, ray of absolute light in the world.
This is so incredibly kind of you, thank you! I'm so sorry for what you have gone/go through due to weight stigma in healthcare and the world and I'm glad to be able to provide a bit of support (though I wish it wasn't necessary.)
I agree with everything Ave said. And now I have a question: I was diagnosed with a chronic illness when I was thin. Now I am heavier. The weight obviously didn't cause this illness. But will they still try to diagnose me with clinical ob*sity do you think? What is the point of this dx?
once was 140 for a long time, then meds pushed me to 220 and then I dropped as low as 77 pounds as my progressive condition progressed. As I became stable at 110, yes their attitudes were exactly as variable as my weight was. So yes, you would need to push back against that tendency, even for those who treat your chronic illness. It’s messed up.
You always write with such clarity! I really admire it. It is so ridiculous to me that the concept of ob*sity is taken seriously. Even before I learned about the history of the BMI, the idea that being fat is a disease never made any sense to me. I've even seen people acknowledge that fat people can have underlying conditions that affect weight but still treat being fat in and of itself as a disease. Of course, we don't treat thinness this way. If I were to go around calling thinness a disease, it would not be taken seriously, rightfully so. It should be the same with fat people.
Have you seen this piece making the rounds, about why smart people believe stupid things? He makes some good points initially...then uses fat acceptance as his example of deluded reasoning, while himself unwittingly displaying deluded reasoning to make his point. No, anyone who doesn't accept the industry truth that fat people are diseased tubs of donut batter that was celebration for the physical evidence of their moral failing is engaging in motivated reasonongnot born out by facts. Because after all, the 80 billion dollar weight loss industry has purchased research that clearly shows fat people are unhealthy because they are fat and any other opinion is delusion.
I scanned his work quickly - there's a lot of anti-fat, anti-trans and other really concerning ideology - he seems to be someone who is trying to manipulate logic to serve a worrying platform.
Your work is worth so much more than any remuneration you could possibly be receiving - I wish I could give more a month. As a fat anorexic person, sometimes reaching into my memory and remembering your words are the only way I can get through my day or communicate with the fat phobic people around me which unfortunately includes most healthcare providers. I would point out I do have an incredible support system and am okay and currently receiving help, however I just wanted to highlight how little rational information is available to draw from in the world in general. Thank you for being a validating, sensible, ray of absolute light in the world.
This is so incredibly kind of you, thank you! I'm so sorry for what you have gone/go through due to weight stigma in healthcare and the world and I'm glad to be able to provide a bit of support (though I wish it wasn't necessary.)
I agree with everything Ave said. And now I have a question: I was diagnosed with a chronic illness when I was thin. Now I am heavier. The weight obviously didn't cause this illness. But will they still try to diagnose me with clinical ob*sity do you think? What is the point of this dx?
Speaking from my experience, I
once was 140 for a long time, then meds pushed me to 220 and then I dropped as low as 77 pounds as my progressive condition progressed. As I became stable at 110, yes their attitudes were exactly as variable as my weight was. So yes, you would need to push back against that tendency, even for those who treat your chronic illness. It’s messed up.
You always write with such clarity! I really admire it. It is so ridiculous to me that the concept of ob*sity is taken seriously. Even before I learned about the history of the BMI, the idea that being fat is a disease never made any sense to me. I've even seen people acknowledge that fat people can have underlying conditions that affect weight but still treat being fat in and of itself as a disease. Of course, we don't treat thinness this way. If I were to go around calling thinness a disease, it would not be taken seriously, rightfully so. It should be the same with fat people.
So illuminating—and utterly infuriating! Thank you as always for connecting the dots!
Thank you for what you do Ragen 🙏🏻
Have you seen this piece making the rounds, about why smart people believe stupid things? He makes some good points initially...then uses fat acceptance as his example of deluded reasoning, while himself unwittingly displaying deluded reasoning to make his point. No, anyone who doesn't accept the industry truth that fat people are diseased tubs of donut batter that was celebration for the physical evidence of their moral failing is engaging in motivated reasonongnot born out by facts. Because after all, the 80 billion dollar weight loss industry has purchased research that clearly shows fat people are unhealthy because they are fat and any other opinion is delusion.
https://www.gurwinder.blog/p/why-smart-people-hold-stupid-beliefs
I scanned his work quickly - there's a lot of anti-fat, anti-trans and other really concerning ideology - he seems to be someone who is trying to manipulate logic to serve a worrying platform.