Bad Health Advise in the Fat Acceptance Movement

Those who read my blog know I occasionally post on this subject, and I thought I might as well make a post touching the broad subject of bad health advice espoused by the 'Fat Acceptance Movement'. Its a fairly big subject, but I'll try and hit the major issues and source where possible.

Now before I get into this, I'll put this personal note. I used to be borderline obese and pushing 200 pounds when I was in highschool and I was 5'8". I was a weight lifter so it wasn't so bad, but it was still excessive. In the space of approximately two years I went from that weight to 155. I increased all of my physical capabilities with the sole exception of total upper body strength, though my strength as a comparison to my weight increased.

The first big thing is that fat and its relation to health. To put it bluntly, obesity is a one hundred percent health liability. There is no argument. In this I won't cite an article, I'll cite an entire list.

Now on the subject of being simply overweight that's a little more grey.

You tend to see the ill effects you see in obesity in overweight individuals as well, but they are rarer and much less serious. There are also individuals who naturally are heavier then what is considered ideal on the BMI scale. So when someone says fat isn't healthy it must be taken in the context that it is not having some fat on you that is unhealthy(in fact you need some fat), but its having a large amount on you that is unhealthy.

Now, what about fat and fitness? By fitness I am referring to ones ability to run, their strength, and endurance. This is not necessarily health. In this regard we fat being nothing but a hindrance to anything that does not require bulk(like a football lineman). This is because it weighs you down and drains power from your muscles and forces your heart to work harder then it would otherwise have to. Losing fat in exchange for muscle will always increase your physical abilities. Though weight loss sometimes takes muscle with it, so it must be done carefully. And you also many people who build for power with quite a bit of fat on their bodies, this often comes with that muscle building. That's why many fitness enthusiasts have bulking seasons(typically winter and fall) and cutting seasons(spring and summer).

It has been said by some fat activists that all food is good for you and that all your cravings for sugar and fat should always be satiated. This is absolute crap and is what lead us to our current obesity epidemic. This is crap because our bodies developed in a time where sugar, fat and other things we need to survive were in short supply, so it was advantageous to eat everything we could get out hands on. In our current age of abundance this is not the case. This article goes into detail on the matter.

In the end, I am in agreement with doctors on the subject of obesity and being overweight, its a disease. Its a disease that's preventable and curable through one's personal effort most of the time and does not require drugs or surgery. The reason we have this discussion of 'fat phobia' is partially a reasonable response to some very rude attitudes some people have towards those who are overweight, and its partially due to people wanting to have an excuse for not curing themselves. And its that latter that annoys me to no end. Its built on lies and misinformation and its a detriment to whatever country it takes root in.

If you think I am wrong on anything here I'd be happy to address the issue, so feel free to respond either publicly or privately. If I am wrong on the science here I'll readily admit it.