[Lisheo]

I have one of them there hyper metabolisms, and as such, can eat crap for weeks without gaining a stone.

But in general, I think that society as a whole is a little hars on large people. Morbidly obese is bad, but large? Ive no problem with it.

[HoosierDaddy]

I gained 40 pounds after I quit smoking. Went from 175-180 to 215-220. Big change there.

[teholbeddict]

Frookenhauer, on Jan 11 2009, 07:35 PM, said:

I'm wondering...Should I, when meeting people say to them. "Listen mate, I couldn't help noticing, but you are a bit fat, just thought you should know, have a nice day" Pat them on the shoulder condescendingly and stroll off whistling, shoulders squared back and proud of what I just accomplished.
Edit: Cheers Tehol

Um the answer to that would be a resounding NO frookie!

[HoosierDaddy]

It'd be an interesting ice-breaker. Possibly a nose-breaker as well, but still, interesting.

[Slum]

HER: Hey, guy. Wanna buy a girl a drink?

HIM: Sure, who's the lucky lady?

HER: My name's ______.

HIM: Oh... Ummm... Bartender! Cup of gravy for the whale!

HER: *aghast* Why...I...

HIM: I know. You're welcome. Now, how about you're friend over there? She's a tasty piece of sex candy.

[teholbeddict]

Yes, probably more along the lines of a nose breaker! I don't think frookie would be casually strolling away from whoever he dropped that line on! More like picking himself up off the ground! Even if someone knows they're obviously overweight I don't think they would take very kindly to someone they don't know confirming the fact!

[HoosierDaddy]

From SS Kiss'nTell's scenario the setting is a bar. Thus drunken person who feels no pain gets nose punched. Then uses that sympathy enticing effect later on to get close to non-large girl.

Perhaps this establishment is the setting:

CHUBBY'S TWO BY FOUR
Products & Services:

Alcoholic Beverages
Beer
Cocktail Lounges
Cocktail Parties
Mixed Drinks
http://www.superpages.com/bp/Columbia-SC/C...L0135364671.htm

This post has been edited by HoosierDaddy: 12 January 2009 - 02:33 AM

[teholbeddict]

What kind of name is that for a bar?

[HoosierDaddy]

A unique one. Probably gets lots of business.

[Shinrei]

In general, I am a victim of the media and think that attractive women = fit women. However, I've found myself on numerous occasions attracted to bigger women whose proportions are inline. In college I had a crush on a girl who I'm sure weighed more than I did, but seemed perfectly proportioned for her weight. I think when weight makes the body shape incongruous, that's when it is particularly unattractive. I personally do not have a body type that can become genuinely 'slender'. In other words I'm built for hockey, or football - not marathons.

I also feel that if you take the time to take care of yourself and your weight, that makes someone more attractive. Here in Japan there are a lot of women who are "skinny fat". They are naturally slender in appearence, but they are not fit. Their bodies are soft and spongy since they dont have to work out to keep thin.

After marriage, I gained over 20 pounds, witnessing my weight topping 200 on one occasion (I'm 5'9"). Since then, I got serious about slimming down and have come back to the 184-187 (83-85kg) range. If I can get back to a slender looking 180, I'll be satisfied. I'm more concerned with looking fit and having a body suited for my current martial arts hobby than building gym muscles. Now that I'm an old fart, I think it has become more important to watch my weight. In my vanity, the more slender I am the more young I will appear.

[RodeoRanch]

My job(s) keep me strong and wiry. I'm also blessed with a silly-fast metabolism. If I don't eat anything substantial in a day, I lose a pound or two. When I was in the hospital for 3 days for appendicitis, I lost 15 pounds. My pants didn't even fit when I left the hospital. I'm five foot eleven and usually weigh in around 150 pounds.

I have sympathy for those people who truly have metabolic issues and cannot keep the weight off regardless of diet or exercise.

I have very little pity for those that are simply fat and obese due to poor diet and refusal to exercise.


As a side note, I buy all my clothes from Mark's Work Wearhouse. It's all work clothes but holy crap, is it ever getting hard to find stuff sized for skinny people. Everything is Triple Extra Large or something like that. Good luck finding skinny man pants and shirts. It's rather disconcerting and something I've noticed getting more pronounced every year.

[Lisheo]

I agree with everything you just said, Rodoe.

[HoosierDaddy]

My metabolism died, and I was unprepared for the changes I would need to counter-act that fact.

[Centzon Totochtin]

I am not one who will be called skinny, but I am not obese either. I think that pressuring people will more than likely do more harm than good, however if someone decides to do somethign about their weight, then supporting them is all good .

I look at it as as long as you are healthy and active, your weight doesn't matter, it will also be healthy for your body. I will never be super-skinny, my body type and structure woudln't allow for it, but i could easily lose 20kg and still be healthy. I think it is important just to be happy with how you look and also healthy.

As to clothes, that certainly isn't the case here. I am the size that is just too big for most "normal" stores but too small for most big girl stores so I find it extremely hard to get clothes that fit properly

[Shinrei]

I, for one, don't think being fat should become "acceptable." I'm not saying it should be reviled, just that it shouldn't be acceptable either. Consider health problems, airline seatmates etc.

I wish I had a fast(er) metabolism. Mine is pretty normal, but I wouldn't mind losing weight more easily. I'm not sure I want one as extreme as Rodeo's though.

This post has been edited by The 20th: 12 January 2009 - 08:37 AM

[MTS]

I've also got one of those super-fast metabolisms. It's good now, but I'm not looking forward to the day when the Big Mac hits the fan...

I believe the reason large people have such a hard time is because of the stereotypes that are associated with it. In a time where fitness is greatly admired and almost anorexic models are praised for their beauty, anyone who doesn't conform to this image of perfection is instantly slammed and given the image of a glutton who has no self-discipline. This places a lot of pressure on these people to get fit and to get skinny, in the form of insults and an image of failure. For some people, it can get too much, and they stop trying. Those with metabolic conditions and those for whom diet and exercise do nothing get a really rough ride as well, because they are powerless to change this image of themselves. I have no sympathy for those who are medically at risk and yet refuse to change their lifestyle, but for those who are not quite the image of perfection yet don't bother, I don't really blame them. Should they have to? For those who can't no matter how hard they try, I sympathise with, like Rodeo and Lisheo. Perhaps I don't know what I'm talking about, being almost physically unable to gain or lose weight (i've stayed within 2 kilos of my current 70 kgs for three years, yet don't do much exercise and eat poorly), but I have a friend who is fairly overweight and he is miserable, and has tried for a long time to slim down.

[Mezla PigDog]

Frookenhauer, on Jan 11 2009, 09:35 PM, said:

Hey Mez! Live and let live? Fair enough, but being fat is not a good thing and should not some form of pressure from friends and family be encouraged?

I think it is safe to presume that overweight people know they are fat and know they should do something about it. If they choose not to, then it is up to them. While it is crappy for the tax payer when they clog up the health system, everyone does things that aren't good for them and if you are going to treat the overweight differently then to be consistent, you should do the same every time you see a person getting drunk or smoking.

[teholbeddict]

Frookenhauer, on Jan 11 2009, 07:35 PM, said:

Hey Mez! Live and let live? Fair enough, but being fat is not a good thing and should not some form of pressure from friends and family be encouraged? Me and my sister have been taking the mick out of our slowly deteriorating conditions and it has led to a bet as to who gains skinny status over the next three months first.

I don't think pressure would be the right way to go if you have a family member who's overweight. Encouragement and support would probably be much more effective. Putting pressure on someone who has unhealthy eating habits is probably going to make them do something extreme like fasting or staving themselves for a couple of days only to have them turn around and cram themselves full of food because it's not maintainable. The same thing goes in the exercise department. I often see people at the gym, who are overweight and just killing themselves going a hundred miles an hour on the machines. They normally last for a few days or a few weeks and then you never see them again. I always feel badly, as I it's clear they're trying to do something about their weight, but the way they are going about it is just not sustainable. In cases like that I think it would be helpful to have a friend or family member go with them as an exercise buddy for encouragement (not pressure).

I agree with Mez most people who are overweight are probably aware of it. I would think they're under enough pressure dealing with society and it's stereotypes on a daily basis. I can't imagine what it would be like to go into a store and not find anything that fit. Or know someone is laughing, staring or talking about me because of my weight. It would be a very difficult thing to have to go through every day of your life. The one time I did let myself go and put on those 20 lbs, I still wasn't anywhere near what people would consider fat or chubby. I was very uncomfortable and self concious though. I felt very uncomfortable and embarassed running into friends I hadn't seen in a while. I kept thinking the whole time they we're talking to me that we're saying to themselves "holy shit has she packed on the pounds"! It definitely made me want to lose the weight in a hurry!

[Giles]

Slumgullion Spitteler, on Jan 12 2009, 01:39 AM, said:

I'm one of those guys that inhabits the space between mesomorph and endomorph, and as such I have to be careful what I eat lest I get too fat in a short amount of time.

In the winter months I generally put on a 5-10 pounds as I eat crappier (mmm comfort food) and drink more alcohol, while getting less exercise. I always lose the extra by weight summer though.

Most of the year I get to the gym 3x a week, eat a diet of low-fat/carbs, high protein/fiber foods. So I stay fairly fit. But, I've let myself go a couple times, resulting in tipping the scales at 205 lbs (5'10" tall).

I hate getting that big - I look like shit, feel like shit, have far less success with the ladies, and mostly wish I hadn't over-indulged so much.

I have little sympathy for the morbidly obese. Metabolism alone cannot account for the grotesque dimensions of some folks. I understand that some people have difficulty achieving a svelte frame, myself included, but there's no real excuse other than gluttony to reach 300+...

I do that I tend to reach a balance at 15 stone but I will gain weight very rapidly and lose it very rapidly until I get to that point which is annoying so I have to be slightly careful with my diet.

[stone monkey]

Speaking as a scrawny person who has been roundly mocked for that in the past - I was even scrawnier way back when; 6" tall and less than 150lbs up until my late 20s when I put on 2 stone - I think you might want to rephrase the original statement.

Anyone who doesn't meet the ridiculously warped idea of what a "perfect" person looks like is considered fair game for mockery. You don't just have to be overweight; underweight works just as well.

This post has been edited by stone monkey: 12 January 2009 - 05:26 PM