Response: Susan Powter and "The Right To Fat Girls"

[Trixiaoyu]

3 mins into your video and I love the way you STRUGGLE to find the right words to 'defend' Gabby S. That just shows that you can't. I shall stop watching now, accept the reality. Does Gabby really have to die from Obesity at the age of 40 before you people help her?

[79siggy]

If you have watched gary taubes you will see he says that pima indians who were starving (yes I said starving) were morbidly obese, doctors did not know why. Obesity is a disease, you can be starving and fat at the same time. These people need help not criticism.

[michaeldalland]

I like your way of thinking!

[freshorangina]

Thanks. :)

[xbubloox]

You guys are still kind of missing the point. It is in no way HEALTHY to be morbidly obese.

[IreFlaUne]

@xbubloox

Maybe I missed it and I'm not doubting you . . .but did anybody say that? I certainly don't think that way. Obesity has huge physcial and emotional complications related to it. I think if anybody disagreed that then they would be in serious denial.

[dbaseII]

Kolata is a science editor of the NY times and can do the research - she cites studies in peer reviewed journals as does Gaesser and a bunch of scientists who refute the "great obesity threat". My friend was talking about ALL surgeries. The modern ones are not safer than the older ones - (except the lap band which IS safer) - the RNY is just less annoying in the short run as far as diarrhea etc.

[freshorangina]

Your arguments don't make any sense to me. Are you trying to say that childhood obesity rates are not linked to childhood type II diabetes?? Is diabetes a healthy condition? Why did you bother to do weight watchers? Is a lap band healthier if it adheres to your liver or if it slips? Does open RNY have the same complication rate as laparoscopic RNY? Do you even know what surgery I had, and the stats on safety and complications? Research does not equal a medical degree.

[IreFlaUne]

@dbaseII

Lapband safer to whom? I doubt that the gastric bypass surgery I will be having this year can be any worse or do any more to be than the lapband has.

To say that modern surgeries are no more dangerous than older ones is kind of an insult to the people who died as a result of those surgeries.

[IreFlaUne]

However I went and watched the Susan Powter video, she she was right, she wasn't trying to be offensive per se, but she wasn't holding back. I think that is ok. I know what you mean.I am fat. I'm not 'bigger' or 'curvy' or 'more to love' and definitely not 'large and in charge' I am out of control and I need help, I know that. There is a middle ground that needs to be found between being sensative to the feelings of another person but also not sugar coating the truth

[freshorangina]

AMEN! I feel the same way, but in a way I am glad Stern brought it up, or it would not be something we would be talking about right now and I think the discussion is important. :)

[IreFlaUne]

I think that Howard Stern is nothing short of an animal . . .which isn't really fair because animals I like, him I can't stand. I actually had not heard much about this until your video, vigilant net-nerd that I am I hopped away to look it up. Howard Stern went about it in the wrong way and because of his manner and his disgusting tone and the way he used the obesity of a young girl as an excuse to haul arguments at her I feel that there is little he had to say that was relevant. (con't)

[CarolWD]

People who are fat are WELL AWARE that we have a problem, to have someone overcome their own fears like Gabby did is HUGE and I don't mean her size, I think she knows she's heavy, to see her out there in the world despite the world telling her "you have no place here" is an inspiration to us women, we got enough people telling us that we look bad, bout time someone says WOW Look at her, she's fantastic! Fat is Failure to most people, to be accepted should be the norm Not the exception.

[freshorangina]

I don't think anyone here was insulting her talent or her personality. It was about her health status. To me obesity was never about "looking bad", it was a health issue. I looked great and was confident and got plenty of attention. I had WLS because I was going to get sick and die. That is the same concern here.

[dbaseII]

Who says having surgery to stop digestion of vitamins and nutrients is any healthier than being overweight? Two people I know in NAAFA, one at 500 lbs and the other, 600 lbs both over 50, say they have outlived all their fat friends who had WLS. Additionally, ironically Stern remains a radio jock and the lady he badmouthed won an oscar! Can we say "sour grapes"? Gina Kolata, states in her book, no connection between fat and illness. That's what science says.

[IreFlaUne]

@dbaseII

I also confess that I don't know what you mean by 'outlived' if you are talking about people who have passed it sounds like you are talking about older surgeries for weight loss. If so those surgeries were notoriously dangerous and have no bearing or reflection on the surgeries of today.

[freshorangina]

Kolata is a journalist; she is not a scientist nor is she a medical professional. She may have valid points in her book, but saying there is no correlation between obesity and disease is like saying there is no correlation between smoking and lung cancer. If you have any doubt, go visit the Pima reservation in Southern Arizona. Every obese person in my family is deceased, which is why I resorted to WLS. I would rather take vitamins and be alive.

[onyX716]

I don't believe comments such as Howards will get her to that point any sooner & it was just plain disrepectful which TAKES AWAY from ANY valid points he May have had...

[freshorangina]

I agree, but at the same time it did get this whole discussion started....

[1958boomergirl]

@freshorangina Of the three videos in response to Susan Powter & howard Stern & their rant concerning "fat girls" that I watched this afternoon & evening, yours is by far the best yet. Pardon the choice of words here, but this video has given its viewers plenty of food for thought. I certainly appreciate the effort that must've gone into the physical setup and into your oral essay. Thank you for uploading this. :)

[onyX716]

I hear what you are saying and totally dislike fat glorification BUT I can't justify the way Stern went about this. You & I having been discriminated agaist for our weight know extacly how Gabby must feel & just as we had to come to this healthier place in our own time & way so does she. Yes, you are correct, at some point she has/will hit a brick wall in her success unless her wght is dealt w/ BUT cont.

[mermaidTa2]

I too am post WLS, and I can honestly say the reasons for my surgery are that being morbidly Obese was un-healthy, un-attractive and un-necessary. As you stated the world isn't in our favor (Obese) so we obviously did something about it, mind you, there are a lot of people who have terrible things to say about us, WLS post ops (note: I don't care, it saved my life!) anyway... it was the way Stern presented his opinion, and by the way has his side kick Robin, ever taken a look at her backside??

[SherryLuka]

I agree with you so much, I hate the delivery of the message, but I agree with the message of: fat is not OK, and morbidly obese is disgusting.

[YourWLBuddy]

In all honesty, I had just about every co-morbidity prior to wls and my dr projected that I would die of obesity. A year postop and I have no co-morbidities. However, I worked with a three "skinny" women and they had gallbladder removed, high bp, high cholest or diabetes just like me. Now I am their weight and am "cured" and they still have it. I don't have a point to make other than weight may not be a definite factor.

Debbie

[freshorangina]

Being thin doesn't exclude you from health problems, but IMO, it sure does help, and it puts you in a better position to be able to do something about it. There are many things that are easier to both diagnose and treat if you are at a lower weight, and have less adipose tissue obscuring imaging or complicating surgery. It was a health scare of my own that brought me to the decision for WLS, more because I knew the weight would have exacerbated the issue.

[freshorangina]

I didn't have any co-morbidities when I had my surgery save for mild sleep apnea and asthma that I had been diagnosed with when I was 7 years old. With my family history and the weight I was at, things could have gone very wrong in a very short time. WLS doesn't fix your life, but I lost those health issues along with a great deal of risk factor for a whole lot more. Still have good days and bad days, just feel better physically and mentally equipped to deal with things now.

[divataunia]

Hey Girl - we pretty much said the same thing here and are in agreement. My problem is with the WAY that it was said, and the shift of the focus from her accomplishment to her weight and the hateful way it was said. Like i said to Susan, wellness doesn't come from hate or discrimination. There needs to be acceptance in the equation before there can be wellness. Thanks for your comments!

[freshorangina]

I totally agree with you! :) I think in a way, Stern was trying to be frank about how things were presented at the Oscars. You can gloss over the issue of weight, pretend it is not a barrier, but "pandering" to the ideology of fat acceptance does not make it a reality. In a way I think he was trying to convey that it was disrespectful to her. Of course, they call him a "Shock Jock" for a reason, and that disrespect is the shtick of his show.

[freshorangina]

I have always felt conflicted about the fat acceptance movements, and I think some really do condone an unhealthy lifestyle. On the other hand, you have to love yourself at any size, and be proud and feel beautiful. I think NAAFA coming out and saying that she is fine the way she is and her size does not convey her health was not right. There was a way to be supportive of her in the face of Stern's comments that could have been smarter, and inspired people towards health as well.

[IamKris411]

cont'd... It just gets back down to how the message is being brought across. I'm sure this girl's weight has NOTHING whatsoever to do with her talent...but people will criticize her more, because she's a public figure. And let's face it... A lot of people just AREN'T nice. We even talked about THAT a few days ago. <3

[freshorangina]

It's true for sure! I don't think any of either of their comments were diminishing her talent, but in particular what Stern said about Oprah's commentary rings true. Once you wade past the BS, there is an important message. It is too bad it got obscured by all of the garbage that makes people turned off and tuned out.

[IamKris411]

I think you made your points tastefully & politely, and nobody should be offended. I see what you're saying. And I don't see how people who (even without co-morbidities) are morbidly obese can be happy with it. But there's always an exception to the rule.