Being Fat Is NOT OKAY...Deal With It.

[Quintessence]

Hmm, good point. How would you separate the two? I typically equate them to being similar.

I tend to see "fit" as being related to one's ability to do physical exercise activities, like weight lifting or running a mile.

Being "fit" is a component of "physical health," but "physical health" includes the whole spectrum of the body. It includes things like whether or not various vitals are within a designated healthy range for your sex and age bracket. It includes things like whether you've got a chronic or acute medical condition, whether it's something like cancer, a sprained ankle, or the flu.

 

[Quetzal]

But for many, it's a very difficult one to make & keep.

No arguments there. It doesn't help that the resources needed to work on this is behind a pay wall.

And yes, some fatties can be very fit.
They're rare too.
(I prefer'm well done.)

Medium rare, please. A1 on the side with some steamed veggies. Thanks!

 

[Quetzal]

Absolutely. Check out most of the World's Strongest Man competitors, or most power lifters.

I don't consider muscle percentage relative to body weight as being fat. I prefer to look at fat percentages. That is a bit more telling, in my opinion.

 

[Jainarayan]

I don't consider muscle percentage relative to body weight as being fat. I prefer to look at fat percentages. That is a bit more telling, in my opinion.

No, I mean, they carry a lot of fat and have high bf%.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Really? Interesting. So you think someone can be fat and be in good physical health?

I've known some troops who had a bit of a gut but were also unquestionable very fit, and probably in much better health than the average "skinny" person due to being more physically active.

 

[Quetzal]

I tend to see "fit" as being related to one's ability to do physical exercise activities, like weight lifting or running a mile.

Being "fit" is a component of "physical health," but "physical health" includes the whole spectrum of the body. It includes things like whether or not various vitals are within a designated healthy range for your sex and age bracket. It includes things like whether you've got a chronic or acute medical condition, whether it's something like cancer, a sprained ankle, or the flu.

Hmm, okay. With that in mind, I think it would be much tougher to be overweight and fit. However, you can be overweight and physically healthy. At least, for a period of time. But, with that said, if you are overweight it does reward you with a higher risk of long-term illnesses.

 

[Scott C.]

I apologize for the click bait, it is the title of this video:

It is no secret that obese people are the subject of political and social ridicule. Do you think this is in anyway justified? Is it a fair comparison when an obese person compares their "condition" to race, sexual orientation, etc. What do you think?

Ridicule is definitely not justified. While it may be the result of a certain human weakness, many people have more damaging weaknesses which are not so visible to others. I'm thinking of a lack of discipline that leads to excesses of alcohol, sex, aggression, laziness, bad temper, impatience, etc. But these also come with predispositions and are not simply a matter of self control. So, nobody should condescend to the obese.

People who are overweight should love and respect themselves. Their desire to lose weight should be based on a desire for better health and all of it's advantages, rather than based on personal embarrassment.

Also I am a believer that weight gain and loss are pretty much the result of the sum of the calories consumed and calories burned over time. But the individual psychological factors that drive eating habits aren't so easy to identify and quantify.

 

[Demonslayer]

Okay, I'll go kill myself now.

Or you could do some damn sit ups.

 

[ADigitalArtist]

Really? Interesting. So you think someone can be fat and be in good physical health?

I think there's a range. I am obese(5'5" and 220-ish lbs) but (as I'm training for a marathon) I do a half-marathon every Saturday morning. I know lots of skinny people who are not fit enough to even attempt such a thing. Though I am working on my overall health because I don't think I've reached my personal goals, someone coming up to me and assuming I'm just a fat lazy couch potato and that's why I'm fat would be understandably upsetting.

 

[Quetzal]

I've known some troops who had a bit of a gut but were also unquestionable very fit, and probably in much better health than the average "skinny" person due to being more physically active.

That's fair and introduces another dynamic. The difference between being generally overweight and being obese. The folks you might be referring to could be overweight, but not obese.

 

[Quetzal]

I think there's a range. I am obese but (as I'm training for a marathon) I do a half-marathon every Saturday morning.

Fascinating. If you don't mind me asking, how long have you been doing that training?

I know lots of skinny people who are not fit enough to even attempt such a thing.

True! Brings up another good point. Just because someone is slender does not automatically mean they are fit.

Though I am working on my overall health because I don't think I've reached my personal goals

Wish you the best!

 

[Scott C.]

Hmm, okay. With that in mind, I think it would be much tougher to be overweight and fit. However, you can be overweight and physically healthy. At least, for a period of time. But, with that said, if you are overweight it does reward you with a higher risk of long-term illnesses.

I've known people who are carrying an extra 40 lbs or so who have great stamina and physical strength. I figure if someone works out and exercises a lot, but does not control their eating, that person could be in pretty good shape, except for the extra fat. But I don't think that's good enough. We should try to limit our weight for health's sake.

 

[ADigitalArtist]

Fascinating. If you don't mind me asking, how long have you been doing that training?

It's taken me about two years to get to this point, but I've been training for a marathon since January.

Wish you the best!

Thank you.

 

[Demonslayer]

Absolutely. Check out most of the World's Strongest Man competitors, or most power lifters. If you saw most of them in street clothes, you'd have to think "what a fat lazy slob!" There is an aerobics instructor at my gym, who, I kid you not, is one that if you saw her in Wal-Mart you'd lobby for spandex being outlawed yesterday. But this woman kicks butt in the room.

This is true, you can have very fit people that are also fat, obese even. Vince Wilfork could run the 40 in 5.08 seconds and was super strong.

However, these folks still are subject to some of the medical pitfalls of being overweight. No matter what, being of a 'standard' weight is healthier than being overweight, particularly if you get into the obese range.

Doesn't mean we should ridicule fat people, but I think of it like smoking. I'm not going to ridicule a smoker, and they have every right to smoke, but it's terrible for their health and I'm not going to avoid saying "smoking is bad for you" to avoid insulting smokers. Same with fat people. Be fat all you want, but don't expect people are going to respect it. Overall in both cases I wish the people would change their behavior (stop smoking or lose weight) because in both cases everyone I know that has made a positive change has been extremely happy about it after the initial change in lifestyle.

 

[Demonslayer]

It's taken me about two years to get to this point, but I've been training for a marathon since January.

Awesome for you, good luck! I did a half marathon and it damn near killed me. I'm not built for running.

The worst thing I ever did though was called the Wapack Trail Race, it's on the border of Massachusetts and New Hampshire. 16 miles...8 miles out and 8 miles back, on a hiking trail that summits 4 mountain peaks along the way. Took me 6 hours. I've never been so exhausted in my life.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Or you could do some damn sit ups.

This is a joke, right?

 

[Scott C.]

I think there's a range. I am obese(5'5" and 220-ish lbs) but (as I'm training for a marathon) I do a half-marathon every Saturday morning. I know lots of skinny people who are not fit enough to even attempt such a thing. Though I am working on my overall health because I don't think I've reached my personal goals, someone coming up to me and assuming I'm just a fat lazy couch potato and that's why I'm fat would be understandably upsetting.

I'm impressed. I'm about 20 lbs over what I consider my ideal weight and I exercise regularly, but I could not run a half marathon, much less the whole thing.

 

[ADigitalArtist]

This is true, you can have very fit people that are also fat, obese even. Vince Wilfork could run the 40 in 5.08 seconds and was super strong.

However, these folks still are subject to some of the medical pitfalls of being overweight. No matter what, being of a 'standard' weight is healthier than being overweight, particularly if you get into the obese range.

Doesn't mean we should ridicule fat people, but I think of it like smoking. I'm not going to ridicule a smoker, and they have every right to smoke, but it's terrible for their health and I'm not going to avoid saying "smoking is bad for you" to avoid insulting smokers. Same with fat people. Be fat all you want, but don't expect people are going to respect it. Overall in both cases I wish the people would change their behavior (stop smoking or lose weight) because in both cases everyone I know that has made a positive change has been extremely happy about it after the initial change in lifestyle.

I think what makes it seem unfair to a lot of obese people is that people who are skinny can be just as unhealthy, more unhealthy if they're less active than the obese person. But because they don't have the visibility obese people do, they're spared the lecture.
Instead of saying 'Fat people are subject to medical pitfalls of being overweight' it'd be nice to have more acknowledgement that sedentary people have the exact same pitfalls, including buildup of interstitial and visceral fats, high cholesterol, high BP, etc. Whereas an active obese person can have none of those.

 

[Demonslayer]

This is a joke, right?

Yes my friend, just taking a good natured shot at you.

Not politically correct I realize. I do wish better health for you though and think if you got back to your previously more athletic self, after the initial suckage of working out, you'd feel better.

But I'm no preacher, to each their own.

 

[Jainarayan]

However, these folks still are subject to some of the medical pitfalls of being overweight. No matter what, being of a 'standard' weight is healthier than being overweight, particularly if you get into the obese range.

No doubt... think about the super heavy weight bodybuilders. The human frame and organs were not designed to carry and support so much extra weight, be it fat or muscle. Weight is weight, but fat is inert, whereas muscle at least is metabolically active. So yeah, being in the obese range of the BMI carrying fat is more detrimental.