Fat Pride

It is not my intention to be radical about this subject, I only wish to state my point of view in hopes it will enlighten. I wish people to see "fat" in a new way. Well not a new way to the earth only a new way to present America. Actually we in America are probably the odd ones. Many cultures on earth saw and still see fat as a natural condition, and skinny as a result of not having enough to eat, being poor! There are two definitions for being fat. The clinical, which concerns itself only with unhealthy obesity: and the society, and fashion definition, which at this time seems to be far skinnier than the clinical definition. In the societies which see fat as natural, skinny is seen as unhealthy; not the skinny we think of as skinny, but the skinny we see as a perfect shape. If a person has no visible fat on their body they are pitied. Now it is not really my purpose to extol being fat at the expense of skinny people, it is my purpose to be accepting of all people, as they are and not to "criticize them for not being like me" At this time I must identify myself in terms of where I'm coming from.

I am fat by both definitions. I know my health is in jeopardy due to my weight. I am not a stupid person. I've had a couple years of collage, and retired from the US Navy as a Chief Petty Officer, Electronics Technician. This is no mean accomplishment. But on first sight most people would lump me into the heading of "stupid fat broad" In this case "fat" being the primary defining quality. I have been in the category of "stupid broad" before, with "broad" being the defining quality and I have simply taken into consideration the mentality of the person saying it. But being a "fat" person cannot be dealt with as easily. I always felt being "fat" is an inexcusable condition in this society, one to be ashamed of. Though I don't have to feel shame about being a woman, society says I have to feel shame about being "FAT". It also says that people are allowed to make rood comments about a person who is fat because after all they "brought it on them selves, and could stop pigging out any time". (By the way how come what I eat is "pigging out' and what another person eats who is genetically lean and is eating as much or more than I, is not "pigging out"?)

Now lets get to the crux of my point. You remember the old saying ascribed to the Indians, "Don't condemn a person till you have walked a mile in their shoes"? Well here is a miles worth of my walks: I was not overweight when I was young. For this I am very thankful. I started to gain weight when I turned thirteen or so. Of course what I then considered Overweight I now consider a wonderful weight and would kill to be the weight I was in high school. But in high school I considered myself as fat. As of now I have been on eight separate diets. I lost considerable weight on each diet. I have lost up to 55 pounds on a diet. I gained back as much and more weight after each diet. I know what willpower is all about. I am probably more of an expert on the subject of willpower than most people who have never dieted. Of course I say probably because I have not walked in their shoes. During diets I must exert willpower moment to moment, as the hunger is constant and continuous. Becouse of the hunger and the nervous feeling in my body, I think of nothing else but the diet. It takes a strong force of will to think of the everyday things which must be dealt with. Still my mind keeps straying to food.

I have carried on a diet for as long as five months and it is no easier on the fifth month than it was on the first week. I could not live like that constantly for the rest of my life. Though there have been and still are many people who do it, and have lived with it all their lives God Bless them it's not easy for them either. I have done allot of study and research into the problems of dieting and being overweight. I was the officer in charge of the weight control program for my command in the Navy. I was trained in nutrition, and exercise etc. The only thing they didn't address was appetite. It is all nice to talk about nutrition exercise and calories etc. but if the appetite cannot be controlled in a healthy manor, the problem remains. I know all about appetite, as I have a ferocious one. I can get up from a thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings, having had three refills of my plate, and still be hungry! I recently went on FenPhen, thinking it was the answer and found out what it is like to have a normal appetite. For the first time in my life I found what it is like to turn down food because I truly didn't want any. I had never experienced this before. Though FenPhen was not the answer, it is a step in the right direction.

I am glad that the doctors are beginning to tackle this problem as a medical one instead of a moral one. I am sixty years old and I am finally beginning to believe that I don't have to feel ashamed of my weight. No more than I am ashamed of my hair color, my big feet, or my short height, all of which were issued to me at birth. I can no more do anything about my big feet, size 12, than I can about my weight (without outside intervention). I have learned to hold my head up and be proud of my accomplishments and my self irregardless of my appearance or weight.