Jackson Free Press

I found this AP article online today.

I really think everyone should take a look at it. Especially since the State Of Mississippi has been scientifically proven to be the fattest place in the Universe.

Thin is still in, but apparently fat is nowhere near as out as it used to be. A survey finds America's attitudes toward overweight people are shifting from rejection toward acceptance. Over a 20-year period, the percentage of Americans who said they find overweight people less attractive steadily dropped from 55 percent to 24 percent, the market research firm NPD Group found.

With about two-thirds of U.S. adults overweight, Americans seem more accepting of heavier body types, researchers say. The NPD survey of 1,900 people representative of the U.S. population also found other more relaxed attitudes about weight and diet.

What I need to know, I mean as far as experimental confounds go, is whether the guy asking the question "Do you hate fat people?" was actually FAT. And, whether or not they surveyed Southern people. Southerners are the fattest people IN THE WORLD. I say this because we are the fattest people in America. Americans are the fattest people in with world. So, that means MS is the fattest place on Earth.

Anyway, Southern people are also notorious for lying thru their teeth about being fat, getting fat, losing fat, having fat, your own fat, their fat, or chewing the fat. I wouldn't necessarily trust them while taking a fat survey. In fact, I wouldn't necessarily trust them taking any kind of survey. I include myself in this. I lie...ALL THE TIME. Especially when that lie refers to the size of my butt or shoe. Hell, I am a woman. I lied just last week to a friend about the size of my foot. I wanted to appear "dainty".

Fat has been such a serious subject the past few years. I mean, not just people being sensitive to being fat, but for health reasons. This study seems to think the longer we are fat, the happier we get about it. Its official, The Fat Backlash has begun.

I don't necessarily think that's a good thing. I think we all should be appropriately horrified that we are this fat.

Previous Comments

ID

104292

Comment

I used to be fat, worked my butt off now i'm not. I don't see how all the fat people can say they know they are fat but feel so bad for themselves that they eat to make them feel better. STOP IT. Fried chicken dipped in chocolate is not what you need to eat for breakfast. When one is "doing it" you do not want your guts to rub together. Speakin of which have you ever wondered whos on top when you see a large couple together? Do they need bracing installed on toilets and floors? Stop eating so much, a neighbor of mine recently admitted as roosters being her kitchen. I LOVE Rooster but as a sane person i realize that one cannot eat it multiple times a week and not have their a$$ shake for a week. Or continue growing. Bob newhart said it best, JUST STOP IT

Author

*SuperStar*

Date

2006-01-13T10:31:13-06:00

ID

104293

Comment

Superstar-in one post you spoke about large people copulating and quoted Bob Newhart. I think I may be in love with you.

Author

Lori G

Date

2006-01-13T11:18:37-06:00

ID

104294

Comment

Yes, *Superstar* is a superstar. I personally love the way he took the new name we all assigned him and went back added stars around it. He da man.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2006-01-13T11:20:17-06:00

ID

104295

Comment

May as well add a piece of flare or two. otherwise it would be all hype. and i would not want to take you away from your professed love for knol. on a side note are you thinking of moving to fondren ladd i thought i saw you with todd driving around the other day when i was walking my dogs. or was it investigative reporting?

Author

*SuperStar*

Date

2006-01-13T11:45:59-06:00

ID

104296

Comment

I'd love to move to Fondren. Then I could walk to work a lot. We're looking around for a place, yes. Now, being that I do not know who you are ... are you stalking me, super!?! (Kiddin')

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2006-01-13T11:48:41-06:00

ID

104297

Comment

Well, *Superstar*, if that counts as two pieces of flair you are ten pieces short of the "required" flair. I'll be docking your pay later. ;) I would like to bring up that there is an organzation doing a "health walk" in MS this year to bring attention to the fact that we are the fattest people on Earth. I am looking for the link if anyone wants to get involved. Ladd-Why don't you move in with MANGUM? I'm sure he'd love the company!! :)

Author

Lori G

Date

2006-01-13T12:23:49-06:00

ID

104298

Comment

Yeah, me, Todd, King Eddie, Willie Hoyt and Miss S. And all Todd's computer crap. Hope he has a big house.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2006-01-13T12:33:56-06:00

ID

104299

Comment

you don't know me? i was the guy walking the dogs how can you not remember, it was after you all drove by when i was like i think that was donna and todd. way to pick up the hint ali. FYI the only places that i know of for sale in that immediate area is the one on mohawk for rent as well as redwing, don't know how much the rent/lease is. The one for sale on kings hwy is around 240,i don't know your budget, but everytime it goes to contract it gets reniged(sp) must be something wrong, but don't tell them i told you. There is one on northside to, but i think it has a sherwood address that must be why it hasnt sold. That and the asking is too inflated even for fondren.

Author

*SuperStar*

Date

2006-01-13T13:18:36-06:00

ID

104300

Comment

http://www.earthsave.org/health/health_march05.htm

Author

Steph

Date

2006-01-13T13:28:37-06:00

ID

104301

Comment

To get sort of back on topic, there was a related article today documenting how asian-americans are now feeling the effects of american diets. There are not many fat asians that i have seen but i'm sure its probably true. Why is it that all these studies seem to nail it to minorities? Apparently black people are more prone to heart disease asians are prone to diabetes. But are their diets that much different from the people doing the surveys? Truth is yes i think, i mean there is a reason there are chitlin and fried chicken places on a certain street in a certain area. People eat them. Now apparently asians have ditched the general tso's and sushi(it is proper to eat with your hands) and have developed a hamburger habit. tisk tisk, they are usually so proud of their culture, have you ever called a japanese person chinese? or vice versa? Not pretty. Where is the mexican diet survey? I know mexicans/south americans/spaniards don't eat all that stuff, mexicans are typically not affluent enough in their native land to be putting pork and steak on everything. I had a mexican roomate in college and he ate potatos and rice and beans were like a sunday night dinner. Nevermind the flatulence. I was just happy the boy was eating. A friend of mine chases the newest diet everytime one comes out, it's sad. Portions, control, and maybe a little exercise every now and then. Flirtini's don't help either.

Author

*SuperStar*

Date

2006-01-13T13:33:55-06:00

ID

104302

Comment

Thanks for the link, Steph. That's the one I was looking for. Superstar-I'm usually great with random movie references.

Author

Lori G

Date

2006-01-13T14:42:55-06:00

ID

104303

Comment

Redwing is fantastic, from what I hear. If I was looking for a new place, I'd definitely consider it. Re being overweight: A lot of it is just plain genes. At one point, I weighed 198 in boots. Scared the crap out of me, so I lost 30 pounds as quickly as possible without sticking a finger down my throat. Nice that I could do that. But if I were over 40, and/or if I had different genes, I'd have still been 198 in boots. It's hard to lose weight when the genetic factors don't want to cooperate, especially if you don't like exercise and are too stressed out to care whether you have a pimiento cheese sandwich at 2am or not. I know a lot of folks who have tried very hard to lose weight, over a period of years, and just plain not succeeded. It's sad to watch. So mixed feelings. On the one hand I don't want to encourage anybody to be overweight; on the other, I gotta admit, survey aside, that some of the most attractive--and sexy--women I've ever met weigh 180+. All of this is cultural, and it's based on class identifiers, just like fashion is. Polo shirts when polo is the game of the rich, golf shirts when golf is the game of the rich, tennis shoes when tennis is the game of the rich. Numbered tank tops and basketball shoes. Pale skin was in when the rich were those who could afford to stay indoors, tan skin was in when the rich were those who could afford to sun themselves outside. It's all about the benjamins. Well, mostly. It's all about subconscious value-identifiers. In certain cultures of sub-saharan Africa, the bigger you are, the more beautiful you're perceived to be. Why? (a) Food is scarcer (so it's a sign of privilege), and (b) It indicates genes that are more likely to be famine-resistant. But being honest-to-God fat is objectively unhealthy, and I'm not sure fat acceptance is an across-the-board good thing. It's kind of like smoking acceptance in some ways. The only thing that seems to work for me is diet. Very simple: Low-fat, small portions, skip dessert or make it healthy, lots of raw veggies, lots of water, and lots of coffee and tea (I actually drink both), with Splenda in each. I can keep to this, and I invariably lose weight big-time when I do. But I eat like a typical bachelor. I've been on this new diet for about three weeks. Today, an exceptionally wise day (I usually only eat two meals), I had: Breakfast: Coffee with splenda (0 calories) Can of asparagus Toasted hamburger bun, dry Lunch: Morningstar Farms big vegan burger on toasted hamburger bun with ketchup, mustard, pickles, and onion Glass of grape juice Dinner: Grated cheddar and onion quesadilla Glass of low-acid orange juice Dessert: Lemongrass tea (0 calories) Diet-Rite white grape soda (0 calories) 2 quarts water (0 calories, obviously) Several celery stalks 2oz baby carrots So you can tell when I generally do most of my snacking: Late nights. Patently unwise. It's not really a new year's resolution (I think I said 20 pounds initially), but I'd really like to drop to the 160s over the next few months. I'd like to be able to wear a swimsuit again without feeling self-conscious. And yes, I just realized I sound like the girl from Cathy when I say that... :P Cheers, TH

Author

Tom Head

Date

2006-01-14T05:52:25-06:00

ID

104304

Comment

I dunno, after decades of people making fun of my weight I'm incapable of being happy about it. And no, I haven't run into anyone accepting of my problems either outside of my wife. It truly is the last thing people can be safe in making fun of. It's hard to understand how bitter and sadistic people truly can be, unless you're overweight.

Author

Ironghost

Date

2006-01-15T22:32:02-06:00

ID

104305

Comment

In a prior thread, I indicated that I find no joy in gaining excess weight. However, I am still comfortable in my own skin, and even though I am a firm believer of self-acceptance, I know that the shift in attitudes toward overweight people have a lot to do with marketing. Businesses know there is money to be made in improving the look of plus-size clothing and increasing the size of airplane seats. There are definitely cultural differences when it comes to body image. In the African-American community, a woman with a little "meat on her bones" is attractive to a lot of men. You hear things like "baby got back" or "junk in the trunk". I still hear the word "healthy" as an adjective for an overweight person. This reminds me of a song Morris Day had in the 80's: Fishnet, black pantyhose, Big legs show through the most. It made me want a pair of fishnets when I grew up, but I've never even attempted to put those things on in my adult life. I ain't that kind of woman. :-P

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2006-01-15T23:18:27-06:00

ID

104306

Comment

Ironghost, I can only imagine. Apologies if my own comments on this thread sounded insensitive. I was born with Crouzon Syndrome, a congenital craniofacial condition affecting infant bone development. Without getting too graphic, let's just say that my sutures fused too early when I was a baby, and my brain came a-bulging out; I had to have my cranial bone, from the back of my neck to right above my eyebrows, removed, fragmented, and put back in place to cover it all up, and a molding helmet ensured both full skull coverage and a normally shaped skull. But my left eyebrow? Built from spare parts. Other symptoms of the early fusion: My eyes are not set as deep in my orbits as an average person's. I have an unusual underbite--no real bite at all, really, because my incisors just don't line up. (I used to eat fried chicken, et. al. with a fork for this reason.) My left ear canal isn't straight, so I only have 40% hearing in that ear. Secondary effects of Crouzon Syndrome: a short femur--meaning that I'm 5'9" but as far as the rest of my body is concerned, I'm 6'1". As a result of this I'm knock-kneed, have had trick knees since I was a kid, and will have trick knees for the rest of my life. Plus I have what's called a swan neck, which creates the impression that my posture is worse than it is. I'm not hideous by any means, and I get flirted at (and flirt back) with the best of them, but I am a little odd-looking, and I know it. As you know, I'm also neurologically impaired as a result of the brain damage--parietal lobe damage interfering with spatial framing--which means that I can't be a good defensive driver, ergo I don't drive. It's not a bad thing, especially for an arrogant overachiever like me who can stand to be cut down a notch, but it's damned inconvenient. And you know what? I think I've got a pretty wonderful life. I would not want to abort any of my future kids for having Crouzon Syndrome (which has a 50/50 rate of inheritance). I recognize that it isn't the end of the world, that it isn't even particularly severe as craniofacial conditions go, and that skilled surgeons--like mine--have changed it from a life-threatening handicap to a battery of slightly offbeat physical characteristics with no affect whatsoever on one's lifespan and little affect on quality of life. But if someone wanted to genetically alter his or her kid to get Crouzon Syndrome, I'd say...uhhh, no. And if someone prevented their kids from having the cosmetic aspects of the surgeries I had to be "more authentically" Crouzonesque, or deliberately inflicted brain damage to prevent a kid from being able to drive later in life, I'd call that gross child abuse. I feel kind of that way about obesity. I think folks who are stuck with the obesity gene can still be attractive, can still potentially live very long and productive lives, and are worth as much as anybody else. Some of my best friends over the years have weighed more than 300 pounds; a few have even approached 500 at various times. But people who are obese and don't have to be are taking an unnecessary health risk. If someone can get rid of it, it's a hell of a lot safer, easier on the joints, etc. to do so. We all know that. But if someone's stuck with it, fine--and it's shameful that we live in a society that doesn't value the bodies of people who do weigh more. That kind of fat acceptance we need. I also see a society that conflates being moderately overweight with being obese, especially when it comes to girls. There's not really any good reason for that. The health drawbacks of being mildly overwight are slim and may even cancel out. And the health drawbacks are the only legitimate reason, IMHO, to discourage people from becoming obese. Cheers, TH

Author

Tom Head

Date

2006-01-16T00:47:28-06:00

ID

104307

Comment

I am a bit sensitive to this, given my history and all. One falls into seeing nothing but threats after awhile.

Author

Ironghost

Date

2006-01-16T01:27:20-06:00

ID

104308

Comment

Tom - I remember you telling that story before, and I couldn't remember the name of the syndrome to save my life. Thanks for reminding me. BTW, I can detect no brain damage from the way you write. :-) Ironghost - I know what it's like to made fun of. Not about obesity, but in other ways. Talking to someone about how I felt was a big help to me. I hope I'm not getting too personal, but maybe you should consider getting some counseling. Online support groups are great as well.

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2006-01-16T11:24:18-06:00

ID

104309

Comment

Well, I was a fat kid. And, I'm one of those people that isn't going to "make" it softer by calling it "overweight". Half was genetics, half was growing up in an Italian family who used food to make you feel better. Being a fat kid was horrible. Ironghost, I'm right there with you. I STILL hate children because they were so cruel to me. And, I wasn't even THAT fat. I was just bigger than everyone else. (there weren't as many big children when I was growing up, anyone else notice that?) When I dealt with my food issues, and integrated the gym into my life I lost a lot of weight. There were other factors in that, but I'll leave those out for the sake of brevity. I'm ALWAYS going to have a "butt". I am Italian. I'm 5'3' barefoot and curvy. But, at least now I am "healthier". That's my main concern. I get concerned when people eat fast food, fried food, and processed foods and then don't get the connection between that and their health. If you are eating a moderately healthy diet and are still large, that can be attributed to genetics.

Author

Lori G

Date

2006-01-16T12:32:22-06:00