No wonder Americans are so fat: Popular culture and advertising keep telling us day in and day out that we don’t need to take responsibility for any of our actions and we’re fine just the way we are, and people are believing this crap.
Example: More to Love, FOX Broadcasting Company, Tuesdays at 9ET/8CT
The official description from FOX:
Luke Conley is a 26-year-old former college football offensive lineman who stands 6′3″ and weighs over 300 pounds. He’s a successful sub-contractor and real estate investor who has his sights set on building a long-lasting relationship. Luke’s ideal woman is intelligent, passionate, down-to-earth, full-figured and comfortable in her own skin.
This eligible guy will have the chance to find the woman of his dreams when 20 voluptuous ladies vie for his heart. These unique women have careers ranging from waitress to teacher to lawyer to rocket scientist, but they all have one thing in common: They are also looking for love.
This brawny prince is searching for one curvy Cinderella to take on the romantic adventure of a lifetime. Throughout the course of his journey, Luke will wine and dine these women during romantic outings, where some will experience their first real dates. As Luke narrows the competition each week through emotional elimination ceremonies, he will be one step closer to finding the woman who is his perfect fit.
So apparently FOX thinks “real women” means fat women. And I guess I can understand that, because since well over half of Americans (64%!) are overweight or obese according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC; source), it’s hard to find anyone, man or woman, who isn’t fat these days.
But here’s the thing: IT’S NOT GOOD TO BE FAT. It’s bad for you. And vilifying people who assert that overweight and obesity are bad while parading these poor women who clearly have zero self-esteem and would benefit from psychological intervention up in front of America isn’t doing anything to change that, nor could it. It’s just exploiting them and suggesting that viewers should feel sorry for fat people because they’re victims of a society that refuses to accept them. Um, no.
Show creator Fleiss was quoted at The Live Feed as saying, “We want to send the message that you can be the size you are and still be lovable. We aren’t going to thin these girls down so they can find love — that’s a backwards message.” I agree. But it’s not exactly a forward message to find the most emotionally unstable, fame-hungry single fat girls in America and splash them on the prime time screen with their height and weight superimposed for the world to see while they wail about their horrible lives. Nor is it a forward message to see these women pandering to this slimeball and his inappropriate, disrespectful behavior to stay on TV, as is the case with all of these awful dating shows.
I mean, seriously, what self-respecting woman of any size would want to get with a schmuck who goes on national TV to stroke his overinflated ego by having 20 insecure women compete for his favor while he attempts to get it on with all of them? I’m not the only one who thinks this is ridiculous, btw.
Ladies and gents, it’s time to stop believing this “you’re just fine the way you are” crap. (Not to mention the “having a boyfriend / husband / child will solve all of your problems for you” crap, but that’s another blog post that you can be sure will also mention this appalling show.) If “the way you are” is obese or overweight, “fat acceptance” isn’t going to change the negative health consequences you will experience for most if not all of your life as a result of your weight. That is not fine.
Says the CDC (boldfacing mine):
Overweight and obesity may raise the risk of illness from high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, certain types of cancer, arthritis, and breathing problems. As weight increases, so does the prevalence of health risks. The health outcomes related to these diseases, however, may be improved through weight loss or, at a minimum, no further weight gain.
Because of the importance of these issues, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services considers overweight and obesity among the 10 leading health indicators in Healthy People 2010, the health objectives for the Nation. The potential benefits from reduction in overweight and obesity are of considerable public health importance. (source)
The CDC summarized the results of a comparison of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES; boldfacing mine again):
- The percent of obese adults varied little from 1960 to 1980 but increased considerably between 1980 and 1991, from 13 to 21 percent among men and from 17 to 26 percent among women. This trend continued in 1999–2000, with an increase in obesity of 28 percent of men and 34 percent of women.
- The percent of adults with healthy weights declined approximately 10 percent from 1960 to 1994, with an additional decline of approximately 8 percent from 1994 to 2000. (source)
So in case you missed the point, being fat is bad for you, and the proportion of Americans who are fat is climbing significantly. Weight is not an issue of your value as a human being, but it may be an issue of how you value yourself as a human being and how much you value the well-being of the people in your life who will be affected by your being overweight or obese. It’s selfish not to do something to solve problems that are under your control, and it’s arrogant to expect the world around you to accommodate your failure to act.
I do not hate fat people. I do not blame people with legitimate medical issues that affect how their body metabolizes appropriate portions and types of food for their overweight or obese condition, who are a small number of the large and growing overweight/obese population in the US. But I also do not accept that people who are overweight or obese (or, for that matter, smokers, alcoholics, drug addicts, and other people who make life choices that hurt them and the people around them) do not have to take responsibility for themselves.
I’m not judging whether you’re a decent human being, nor, as show creator Fleiss suggests, whether you’re “lovable.” I’m saying that if you’re doing something that makes you unhealthy or less healthy, you should knock it off and straighten out your priorities. Would you rather be alive and health, or would you rather be an indignant victim? I’d pick alive and healthy, but maybe that’s just me.
Contents Copyright © 2009 Kristen King, Inkthinker
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow, I’m out of breath just reading this!!
I can tell you’re truly passionate about this, Kristen. Your heartbeat and feelings are in every single word of this post.
I’ve lost over 100 pounds. I’m also a survivor of domestic violence, which resulted in physical (as well as emotional) injuries and it wasn’t easy finding the place where I knew I had to lose weight for ME, my health, and those who loved me. Although I wasn’t living a high-raw lifestyle like I am now, I most certainly wasn’t eating the side out of the barn like people thought. I had several health issues, including hormonal/female troubles (which resulted in a complete hysterectomy), which resulted in an even higher mountain to climb in order to lose the weight. (And, no, I’m not making excuses for getting that big. I DID eat wrong foods–I just DID NOT eat as much as people thought I did, honestly.)
But with family support, I eventually realized that my life is precious, that I am a valuable resource to this world, and that I must DO something about it all and take charge. I did just that, lost over 100 pounds (even though many people said I’d never be able to because of the hysterectomy/hormonal issues) and, well, now I’m Raw Juice Girl spreading message of hope and healing all across the Web!!!
Thanks for sharing your heart on this matter, Kristen. I know it’ll help a lot of people!!!
*smiles*
Michele
i don’t disagree with you that being overweight can be problematic and that a degree of self-responsibility should be recognized and achieved by those wishing to change their weights. but i think this issue is much more complex than your post lets on and involves factors such as income, the cultural acceptability of relying on fast & processed foods as a regular part of a diet, and the cost – both in money and in time – of making exercise a regular part of the routine in a primarily vehicle-dependent population.
You are right, tss, about the cost. A lot of healthier foods and organic produce is really expensive to those who have very limited income. A few solutions/tips for those who don’t have the option to buy a lot of healthier foods is that they can grow a garden, participate in a community garden, visit the local farmer’s market, or perhaps trade off talents they may have in exchange for a gardener’s fresh produce.
Although these tips aren’t an entire fix, they could possibly help those who hadn’t thought of them.
I wish everyone had access to 100% organic, wholesome foods!!!
@Michele – Good for you! What you accomplished and the journey you took both physically and psychologically is admirable for so many reasons. Thanks for sharing! And thank you for the excellent tips you offered. Those are great ideas.
@tss – Well said as always: “i think this issue is much more complex than your post lets on and involves factors such as income, the cultural acceptability of relying on fast & processed foods as a regular part of a diet, and the cost – both in money and in time – of making exercise a regular part of the routine in a primarily vehicle-dependent population.”
You raise excellent points about income, processed foods, and a vehicle-dependent society. That being said, whether to eat processed foods (or whether to eat them in excess or to the exclusion of non-processed foods) or lead a sedentary lifestyle remain choices. Income is another issue that often is outside our control, and it’s a documented fact that low-socioeconomic status populations tend to eat more foods that are high in calories and low in nutritional value while also consuming few fruits and vegetables. Nonetheless, healthy — or healthier — choices are possible at every price point, and you don’t need a gym membership to take a 20-minute walk every day or choose the stairs over the elevator.
That being said, I may simply be sheltered, but I don’t know of a lot of obese poverty-stricken Americans who complain about being victims of a society that doesn’t accept them just they way they are and insist that fat is phat; they’re too busy trying to survive. Maybe that’s the problem with our industrialized society. Now that the majority of the population doesn’t have to work our fingers to the bone in manual labor all day every day, we have time to sit around and whine while eating far more than we need to subsist, activities that seem to support and reinforce one another.
I kind of lost my point somewhere in my response, but I know you’re used to that by now. ;] Hopefully you’ll find some sense in there somewhere!
I am so impressed I had to save it so I continously go back and read things I may have skimmed
I agree with your post. This overweight acceptance “fever”, that has swept the nation proves again just how self-centered and perverted our culture is, fueling our addiction to quick fixes, and laziness. We live in a society where we are tied to the rest of the world via an umbilical cord of 24hr cable and internet, hell-bent on making our lives easier, without the guilt or accountability for our irresponsible actions. Sure it’s easier super-size your Big Mac, Fries, and Coke, and go home to watch “More to Love on Fox” without the guilt, however it actually takes work and discipline to be normal and healthy, imagine that!
I’m not surprised about the cable diarrhea produced on FOX as this the trend our culture has turned towards.