Monday, April 11, 2011

Too Thin vs. Too Fat

Sometimes I watch Ruby while I am doing something else like folding clothes. In a recent episode, she had an interesting point. Ruby talked about the two extremes - fat vs. anorexia. Using my words to paraphrase what I took away, anoxerics are viewed with pity and concern where fat people are viewed with hatred and disgust. This stayed with me and in general I think that "just eat" isn't really said about anorexics, but "just stop eating" is said like a simple fix to extreme obesity. Made me go "hmmm" anyway.

**Updated** Excellent point by Island Bandit in the Comments regarding insurance mandating "diets" prior to approval. Good for her for calling her insurance company on the double standard! I didn't even think about that until she mentioned it as I was self pay.
Weekly Round Up
  • 5 bootcamps
  • 1 runs (4mi) --- (I just didn't feel like doing my other run, so I didn't.)
  • Calories: 3396

5 comments:

Island Bandit said...

there's definitely a double standard there. when my insurance company declined to pay for lap band and said that their policy was that I needed to participate in a YEAR LONG weight loss programme similar to the one I'd been in for three months, I told them that they were discriminating against fat people and I bet that they wouldn't tell a severely anorectic client to go off and try to heal herself for a year and then they'd reconsider her request for medical intervention.... all i got was silence on the other end of the phone.

Cat said...

Wow, what a profound thought! I never thought about it that way and you are right. It's like society thinks, an anorexic person cannot help herself where as a fat person just needs more will power. Very interesting. I need to give this some more thought.

Dawnya said...

This is so true. It think it is crazy how people view obesity. I mean if I walk through the mall eating icecream they are looking at me like I better put it down. But let a hungry looking thing walk through the mall eating the same icecream and nobody even notices.

It's unfair!! Well now when I see those skinny things I think to myself she needs to eat a porkchop with peanut butter on it. LOL

Beth Ann said...

Your posts always make me think, Fluffy. This one is no different. It is totally different and it would be nice if we could shift it socially.

Jody V said...

I just love watching Ruby! I also complained to the insurance company about the diet when I was banded. Hell, if I could have stayed on a proper weight loss plan I wouldn't have needed the band!