What happened to....

[MeganS]

Originally Posted by eensor

I didn't get defensive, I just wanted you to understand that many heavy people use the word "fat." Kinda like some homosexuals use the word "queer." Heavy people don't think "fat" is a derogatory term. I'm not fighting here, just wanted you to know where I was coming from. Let's be friends, okay?

I understand what you mean. but in reality thats not always true. some people ,including myslef, find it very offensive when people are called fat. there are other words to use plump, obeese, heavy. but fat can sound mean. it depends even though someone uses that term and they don't mean it badly some people who are obeese are very sensitive about what people think about them. if someone used the word fat around them it could really hurt their feelings. i just wanted to put in my 2 cents.

[Mya's_Mom]

My sister In-law and best friend past away July 17th 2004. For years we were after her about her weight. I think most people found her legs offensive.
Well I know I know they did because I saw the looks myself and heard the comments.
When she in the hospital I talked to specialist (after researching on the internet) and we discovered too late that she actually had Primary lymphedema. Although she was a large woman half of her weight was fluid. Had her condition been caught and treated when she was a teen her life would of been very different. Please check out this web site http://www.lymphnet.org/whatis.html . Maybe more understanding and lives can be changed. I noticed a woman in a parking lot with very large ankles (My sister in-laws were 26 inches around and yes the diagnosis of lymphedema was missed, I am still very angry) This woman must of thought I was crazy but I approached her and asked her if she knew she had Lymphedema, she said she had not heard of it and like my sister in-law always saw a family doctor and had not talked to a specialist. I begged her to check it out on the internet. I saw my sister in-law not eat for 2 week but gained 50lbs in the hospital. I was happy that the family had a chance to say how sorry that we were when did not believe that she did not eat as much as we figured she had to be. Any teen with thick ankles should be checked out for Lymphedema simple compression bandages can correct a life of suffering with this condition. Our family is left in the shadow of guilt for thinking that an eating disorder was the sole problem, to this day my husband suffers from post tramatic stress syndrome and has to take medication after watching his sister being taken off life support. R.I.P Audrey

[eensor]

Originally Posted by MeganS

I understand what you mean. but in reality thats not always true. some people ,including myslef, find it very offensive when people are called fat. there are other words to use plump, obeese, heavy. but fat can sound mean. it depends even though someone uses that term and they don't mean it badly some people who are obeese are very sensitive about what people think about them. if someone used the word fat around them it could really hurt their feelings. i just wanted to put in my 2 cents.

I think this thread has accomplished a lot! It makes me realize that communication is difficult enough when we all speak the same language! Imagine how things get misconstrued when governments try to communicate in different languages! Its funny, "obese" is a word I don't care for! LOL Sorry if my use of "fat" was offensive. It wasn't intended to be!

[MeganS]

Originally Posted by eensor

I think this thread has accomplished a lot! It makes me realize that communication is difficult enough when we all speak the same language! Imagine how things get misconstrued when governments try to communicate in different languages! Its funny, "obese" is a word I don't care for! LOL Sorry if my use of "fat" was offensive. It wasn't intended to be!

lol no problem isn't it strange how that kind of thing happens. i agree that you can learn alot.

mya's mom. i'm so sorry about your friend. thats so sad thats the day my cousin got married.

[StewiesMom]

ChellieGirl -

Now I think that these terms vary by region -- the word hispanic isn't really used here (in Chicago) by people of that descent because of its strong link to Spain. Everyone here uses Latino now.


________________________________________
I use overweight or big for older people and chunky for teens and kids that I like.
If I cannot stand someone, I would refer to them as fat. Yes, its true. I think of it as derogatory, too. I think the word plump is horrible. It reminds me of food.

webster says:
obese - Extremely fat; grossly overweight.
fat - Having much or too much fat or flesh; plump or obese.

[Chelliegirl]

yes people use all different terms i think.. I use hispanic ,, but many people use latin or latino..latina.
none of the terms offend me

[lycansmom]

From someone who has been "fat" all her life let me just say this i am appalled by how people raise their children when i was 270 lbs kids often pointed and made fat comments and yeah they hurt oh and my all time favorite is when i went to a buffet with my husband and a young girl i would say 12-13 turned to her mother and said yeah like they need a buffet and her mother laughed. Now my husband is a big man 6ft and weighs 350 but by god it is just more to love...my all time favorite quote is "if the definition of beautiful gets any thinner no one will fit" 2yrs ago i gave into the pressure of society and had weightloss surgery thinking it would solve all my problems i am now 80 lbs lighter and guess what PEOPLE ARE STILL CRUEL. So after all that pain i have realized hey my weight isnt the darn problem its the people in todays society.

[eensor]

Originally Posted by lycansmom

From someone who has been "fat" all her life let me just say this i am appalled by how people raise their children when i was 270 lbs kids often pointed and made fat comments and yeah they hurt oh and my all time favorite is when i went to a buffet with my husband and a young girl i would say 12-13 turned to her mother and said yeah like they need a buffet and her mother laughed. Now my husband is a big man 6ft and weighs 350 but by god it is just more to love...my all time favorite quote is "if the definition of beautiful gets any thinner no one will fit" 2yrs ago i gave into the pressure of society and had weightloss surgery thinking it would solve all my problems i am now 80 lbs lighter and guess what PEOPLE ARE STILL CRUEL. So after all that pain i have realized hey my weight isnt the darn problem its the people in todays society.

Hi. I too had weight loss surgery 16 years ago. My surgery was the old kind of stomach stapling that they don't do anymore. I had soooo many problems, and finally after 14 years of vomiting and not eating, the scar tissue in my stomach had built up to the point that the opening to my stomach was the size of a toothpick! I had to have the surgery reversed and now have gained back all my weight. I feel so bad about the way I look. That mother should have belted her child for saying something so mean!

My son, who is 16 and thin now, grew up chubby. His 4th grade teacher allowed him to be called "Porky Pig" as his name in her classroom. Why can't thin people realize that this isn't weakness on our part, its just that our bodies are different. No one gets blamed for being short or tall or curly headed, etc.

[SoCalyorkiLvr]

I am very concerned about a lack of tolerance in general in our society today. I think it is even WORSE than it was when I was a kid. I thought it would be so much beter as people were more educated and the world became a "smaller" place with travel so easy and the itnernet bringing all the cultures together.

I am saddened everyday when a person is beat up for being gay or people are teased and ridiculed fro being too fat or of a certain ethnicity. Why are we goig backwards or does it just seem that way?

[Stitches29]

Originally Posted by eensor

Hi. I too had weight loss surgery 16 years ago. My surgery was the old kind of stomach stapling that they don't do anymore. I had soooo many problems, and finally after 14 years of vomiting and not eating, the scar tissue in my stomach had built up to the point that the opening to my stomach was the size of a toothpick! I had to have the surgery reversed and now have gained back all my weight. I feel so bad about the way I look. That mother should have belted her child for saying something so mean!

My son, who is 16 and thin now, grew up chubby. His 4th grade teacher allowed him to be called "Porky Pig" as his name in her classroom. Why can't thin people realize that this isn't weakness on our part, its just that our bodies are different. No one gets blamed for being short or tall or curly headed, etc.

I shall never forget my 4th grade teacher. Can you imagine, that was over 50 years ago. Anyway, my maiden name is Goff. The teacher would call me "Golf Ball", because I was short and round. The other children in the class would almost roll in the floor with laughter, including the teacher. I would go home crying, just to hear my mother say "So"?

[Stitches29]

Originally Posted by StewiesMom

ChellieGirl -

Now I think that these terms vary by region -- the word hispanic isn't really used here (in Chicago) by people of that descent because of its strong link to Spain. Everyone here uses Latino now.


________________________________________
I use overweight or big for older people and chunky for teens and kids that I like.
If I cannot stand someone, I would refer to them as fat. Yes, its true. I think of it as derogatory, too. I think the word plump is horrible. It reminds me of food.

webster says:
obese - Extremely fat; grossly overweight.
fat - Having much or too much fat or flesh; plump or obese.

I'm being good natured about this, so I guess this was my life.

Born as a grape
Grew up as an orange
Adult as a Melon

No matter what food I put with it, it still comes out that I'm plump.

[Yorkie_GirL]

i admit it, i was overweight, fat, plump whatever you want to call it in high school.. All my childhood (not that i'm like super old or anything lol).. i was as skinny as a stick... up until freshman year of highschool i met my current boyfriend... and i gained a lot of weight..

my parents were very mean about it.. my mom actually used to make life hell for me.. i quickly went from 90 pounds and a size double zero.. to a 5'0 143 pound girl.... and it wasn't pretty.. my mom used to call me fat, piggy, tubby.. tell me i was ugly and people don't like fat girls.. that my boyfriend would leave me..

I didn't have many friends in highschool because of this.. my self esteem quickly went downhill.. i would wake up in the morning not ever wanting to go to school because, my so-called friends also called me fat ..

It wasn't until after nursing school that I actually did something about it.. and well.. im down to 115 now and i'm happy. It really sucks how harsh people can be towards, heavyset people.. especially where i'm from. If your not stick skinny, you are not cool .. but i don't give a hoot!!

ok sorry if i make no sense.. just thought i'd share lol

[teri88]

Originally Posted by txshopper73

In fact, just scanned these pictures so that you could see!

Wow! Kimberley you are gorgeous! So are your kids.

[sillyjacki]

On the other end of the spectrum, I am a very thin person. Sometimes the word is used in a mean way, also. Tone and context can mean a lot. I get this:

"You are so thin! How do you keep from gaining weight! You look fabulous!"

But I also get:

"You are so thin, don't you ever eat anything, you anorexic Paris Hilton wanna be! I can see BONE! Why don't you go vomit up your food!"

My metabolism is really fast- almost too fast. I can't donate blood because I don't meet the regular requirements. But I think in some bizarre way, I can relate to people who are weightier than "average" (whatever the heck that is)... Because people don't seem to get it that making a judgement either way is just plain RUDE! I get as many rude comments about having eating disorders as my 5'2" 250 lb friend does about being "fat"... I even feel guilty if I go into a restaraunt and only want a salad! It's like I have to order some big ol' burger to emphasize that I am not bulemic!

Arg!!

[jesscruz]

okay everyone i will fess up and say that i was the one who posted this..i in noway meant for this to hurt or offend anyone and i do apologize. i am not against anyone who is obese,i for one have alot of people in my family who are obese, and for us it's normal.now that may sound bad to some of you, because we see it as normal but that's just my family and how we are. so maybe that's why i didn't feel that it would be offensive. but i see that not everyone views things the same here and i understand that. so once again i do apologize for any hurt feelings.