Speaking of fat shaming

[Anise]

Personally, I think it's sick that something that could be all about team spirit and a display of athleticism has been so sexualized that the bodies of those involved are policed for some ideal sexual attractiveness. :evil-eye:

[moodygirl86]

If this is a repeat, I apologize, I've tried and I believe failed, to post this a time or two before.

While some people are complaining about an extra inch or so on some women, others are complaining because of too few inches on other women's middles.

Denise Richards is being called too skinny. While being too thin can be a health issue, as can being too heavy, it strikes me as a bit ridiculous that there seems to be only a tiny area of acceptable size/weight based wholly on looks and no other factor.

Exactly. Women can't win.

[MysteryHaggis]

All this fat shaming is awful. Yes, speaking of fat shaming, has anyone else seen this?

http://www.skinnygossip.com/kate-upton-is-well-marbled/

It made me sick reading it.

Huge thighs? Piggy? I just....:?:?:?

[Salamander]

All this fat shaming is awful. Yes, speaking of fat shaming, has anyone else seen this?

http://www.skinnygossip.com/kate-upton-is-well-marbled/

It made me sick reading it.

I thought the article was a [link=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poe's_law]Poe[/link] at first, it was so extreme. Clicked around a bit and found the poster is dead serious. :shock: This blog has the dubious honor of being one of the foulest internet cesspools I've come across in a while.

[Knight of Ni]

I thought the article was a [link=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poe's_law]Poe[/link] at first, it was so extreme. Clicked around a bit and found the poster is dead serious. :shock: This blog has the dubious honor of being one of the foulest internet cesspools I've come across in a while.

I agree with you. I clicked around and explored it for a little bit. It's just awful. It's foul and degrading. I can't believe that there are people that actually think like that.

[BlondeAgent007]

With 2/3 of the US adult population classified as overweight or obese, I do think Americans have a skewed view of what a "healthy" weight is. It certainly isn't judged by taking a look at the average person around them. Only 33% of the population is at a weight that is considered healthy or too skinny. I think our society's obsession with being part of the minority has made the extreme minority (of too skinny) the perfection standard. Scary skinny wasn't a beauty standard a couple generations ago.

That being said, I don't think people should be so worried about this girl. Even if they are not doing stunts and whatnot, they are still required to have great physical stamina... most of these girls have fitness bootcamps to complete and whatnot. It kind of reminds me of all the comments flying about Shawn Johnson being a fattie. That kind of floored me. That girl is in great physical shape, she can manipulate her body to do things that most people will never achieve in their lifetime, even if they work incredibly hard. To see people call this incredibly well toned, dilligently trained woman fat made me sick to my stomach.

[flyawaystray]

Shawn Johnson is also short (4'9"), so her proportions look a lot different. It's the same with Hayden Panettiere. And there's no way a gymnast is fat. They're all muscle, but again, a 4'9" person will look a little more stumpy compared to someone who is 5'5" and taller.

[Salamander]

With 2/3 of the US adult population classified as overweight or obese, I do think Americans have a skewed view of what a "healthy" weight is. It certainly isn't judged by taking a look at the average person around them. Only 33% of the population is at a weight that is considered healthy or too skinny. I think our society's obsession with being part of the minority has made the extreme minority (of too skinny) the perfection standard. Scary skinny wasn't a beauty standard a couple generations ago.

How can you tell how much someone weighs or how healthy they are by what they look like?

[flyawaystray]

That's true. My sister is obese but completely healthy. I'm normal weight but am always sick and stuff. Granted, it's from chronic illnesses, but still.

[BlondeAgent007]

How can you tell how much someone weighs or how healthy they are by what they look like?

I used the word "healthy" in quotes. and "considered healthy" was what I used the second time.

[itsnikki05]

What? The girl has a GREAT body, IMO! I don't even consider her thick, much less pudgy. She's just not scrawny. Looks healthy to me!!

[Curious]

Wait, we have two EDSers on the board? FRIEND!

Srsly, I'm bony all the time. You can always see collarbones and ribs and the tops of my hips. I have serious issues keeping weight on, so I really hate "bones = NASTY" comments in defense of other women who aren't bony. I'm pretty, too, guys. It's not my fault society has fucked up standards.

tl;dr - Bodies are bodies. Fat shaming is bad, but you don't fight it by telling me I'm gross.

I think I'm the one that made that comment or one similar and there is a difference between a person that is naturally thin with bone showing and someone that is not eating properly and skeletal. Kate Gosselin is a good example. She has said a version of Kate Moss' "nothing tastes as good as skinny feels" She is on some weird no carb, no fat, diet and you can tell because she looks like crap, but she's getting thin and bony.

People who are naturally thin tend to still look healthy. They have shiny hair, nice skin and even though they may have some bone showing it looks natural because their skin has elasticity from being healthy. Kate looks so unhealthy now because she eats no fat and your body needs *some* fat. Her hair is like dry straw, her skin which used to be so fresh and natural (the one compliment I could have given her a few years ago) is dry and stretchy now. She's a hot mess, but she's getting skinny and that's what matters to her.

I shudder to think what she is teaching those kids about food though :(

I'm sorry if I hurt anyone's feelings with my comment.

[flyawaystray]

You didn't hurt anyone's feelings, I was just pointing out that I'm naturally bony despite being healthy and I've gotten a lot of comments for it, particularly when I was younger because I'd eat and eat and eat, but was still pretty thin and even bonier.

That's really sad about Kate Gosselin.

[itsnikki05]

I'd give anything not to have it. My knees hurt me sooooo much and I have early onset osteoarthritis. Sure, the party tricks I did was a child were fun, but I didn't know it would contribute to joint degeneration.

Yeah, I'm bony and ridiculously pale with thin skin that bruises easily :/

Aside from the thin part... My rheumatologist mentioned osteoarthritis, I'm 29, so that's early onset, I guess... And I'm pale and bruise super easily. I have mixed connective tissue disease. But yeah. Anytime folks have to put someone down to make themselves look better just sucks.

[flyawaystray]

Yeah, I'm younger than you and my rheumy told me I have osteoarthritis, so yeah, it's considered early onset. It sucks. Out of curiosity, do you have the Marfanoid body type?

[rward]

Aside from the thin part... My rheumatologist mentioned osteoarthritis, I'm 29, so that's early onset, I guess... And I'm pale and bruise super easily. I have mixed connective tissue disease. But yeah. Anytime folks have to put someone down to make themselves look better just sucks.

WAIT- 3 OF US?!?! I LOVE THIS PLACE!! :banana-linedance: :banana-jumprope: :banana-explosion: :banana-dreads: :banana-dance:

I think nobody has any right to be concerned about anyone else's body ever. Not the cheerleader's, not Kate Moss', not Kate Gosselin's, nobody but your own. (And your dog's, cat's or child's, I guess. They're your responsibility, too.)

You don't know Kate Gosselin. Maybe she's sick. Maybe she has EDS, too. She doesn't need to take out a billboard and explain to you why she has hair, skin and boniness you don't like.

I know you think you're being nice. "Bony's gross- except for you, you're naturally bony, that's cool!" Nope. Not nice. I'm not naturally anything. I have a genetic disease that causes me hideous pain and increasing disability. Maybe Kate does, too. And saying nasty things about bony, possibly ill, women doesn't help fat women at all. It just makes me angry and chips at my self esteem while fat women (or vaguely kinda plump women) are still treated like crap.

/end rant

Oops, so ranty, I forgot that that second part wasn't aimed at itsnikki05. Sorry!

[flyawaystray]

Don't forget a disfiguring disease as well. My kneecaps and some of my fingers look ugly. Knock knees are not pretty.

[LadyBlue]

With 2/3 of the US adult population classified as overweight or obese, I do think Americans have a skewed view of what a "healthy" weight is. It certainly isn't judged by taking a look at the average person around them. Only 33% of the population is at a weight that is considered healthy or too skinny. I think our society's obsession with being part of the minority has made the extreme minority (of too skinny) the perfection standard. Scary skinny wasn't a beauty standard a couple generations ago.

Said classification decided by insurance companies in order to maximize profits and then decreased from even that ridiculous standard, a measure meant for populations and not for individuals to begin with, for no medical or health reason, in 1997. Millions of people went to bed normal weight and woke up "overweight". So no, 2/3 of the US adult population is NOT overweight or obese by any reasonable standard. Weights and heights have both increased some due to better nutrition, but no one's complaining about a height epidemic. If there are more fat people now, and it's impossible to judge due to the ever decreasing standards applied, at least some is due to over-feeding infants (easier to do with bottles), the increased incidence of numerous disorders which cause weight gain (ie hypothryoidism and PCOS) amoung numerous others.

The actual science has shown repeatedly that if you're going just by weight, the "healthiest" weight category is the "overweight" one, although obviously there are healthy people in every weight range.

[itsnikki05]

Yeah, I'm younger than you and my rheumy told me I have osteoarthritis, so yeah, it's considered early onset. It sucks. Out of curiosity, do you have the Marfanoid body type?

I had to Google it... I don't think I do..

[flyawaystray]

I know someone with EDS who is very short and petite, so not everyone fits that type. Like I said, I was just curious :P

[dawbs]

I have to say that, as I've read about this across the internet, I've been disheartened at the entire discussion.

Because I don't think the reaction should be "well, she looks good" or "well, she looks bad".

The reaction I'd like to see is "Fuck that blogger, she's an athlete doing incredible athletic stuff. She's fit, athletic and muscular so her shape doesn't matter. Cheerleading may not be the most feminist-progressive sport in the world and I may not be a fan, but an athlete should be able to perform her athletics well without someone carrying on about her measurements."

Because I think continuing the conversation about her looks, even when that conversation is positive about her looks, is giving a tacit OK for her looks/weight to be public domain. These things seep into the social subconscious in tricky ways.

[Savoring Samsara]

I think she looks incredible... and active and happy. Who said something about being jealous? Because I'm guilty!

But I do think she could afford to lose a few pounds, if she wanted. I think we've become skewed upwards about weight that we see someone with more fat in her cells than her body needs and we think that's a slender weight.

I first noticed that from watching Survivor, of all things. I'd see contestants who looked at a normal weight to me and by the end of the month, they looked "better". You could see muscle definition and cheekbones. Then at the reunion show several months later they had put the ten pounds or so back on and they looked lightly padded.

Should anyone care about light padding?? Heck no, not if they don't want to. But it made me realize that my weight goal was probably higher than it really should be.

(P.S. I'm not talking about the Survivor contestants who started off skinny and ended up at alarming.)

Survivor fanatic here. Just because I'm curious, could you give me an example of who you're talking about? I'm going to guess you don't mean, like, Eliza, ;) who got truly horrifyingly skeletal by the time she was voted out (both times). Thinking back, I remember that I thought Rob Mariano always looked rather rounded at the reunion shows. And Taj's husband basically drooling buckets over her during the family visit. :lol:

[Mommy22alyns]

I have to say that, as I've read about this across the internet, I've been disheartened at the entire discussion.

Because I don't think the reaction should be "well, she looks good" or "well, she looks bad".

The reaction I'd like to see is "Fuck that blogger, she's an athlete doing incredible athletic stuff. She's fit, athletic and muscular so her shape doesn't matter. Cheerleading may not be the most feminist-progressive sport in the world and I may not be a fan, but an athlete should be able to perform her athletics well without someone carrying on about her measurements."

Because I think continuing the conversation about her looks, even when that conversation is positive about her looks, is giving a tacit OK for her looks/weight to be public domain. These things seep into the social subconscious in tricky ways.

QFT. She's an athlete. :clap:

ETA: It's like Aly Raisman on DWTS. I've seen some off comments about her figure, and I'm like, she can do things you can't even imagine, leave her be!

[salex]

I have to say that, as I've read about this across the internet, I've been disheartened at the entire discussion.

Because I don't think the reaction should be "well, she looks good" or "well, she looks bad".

The reaction I'd like to see is "Fuck that blogger, she's an athlete doing incredible athletic stuff. She's fit, athletic and muscular so her shape doesn't matter. Cheerleading may not be the most feminist-progressive sport in the world and I may not be a fan, but an athlete should be able to perform her athletics well without someone carrying on about her measurements."

Because I think continuing the conversation about her looks, even when that conversation is positive about her looks, is giving a tacit OK for her looks/weight to be public domain. These things seep into the social subconscious in tricky ways.

You are right, and I'm sorry I phrased it as I did.

[So Many Lies]

I agree with you. I clicked around and explored it for a little bit. It's just awful. It's foul and degrading. I can't believe that there are people that actually think like that.

Whoa, this Skinny Gurl could lose like 50lbs of bitterness. Who's the unhealthy one again. Yuck. And for the record no one can "buy" a pretty face as she suggests. Ick, I wish I hadn't looked at that.