Fat Acceptance Movement

In this post, I would like to simply share my opinions on the Fat Acceptance Movement.  I would like to start off by saying that I completely get it that not everyone cares or is looking to be a fitness model and that's okay!  You can obviously be a completely healthy person without having abs or looking like a super model as long as you stay within a normal weight range for your height.  Trust me, I get all of this and I'm not trying to pressure anyone into working on looking like they belong on the cover of fitness magazines if that's not what they want.

What I like about the Fat Acceptance Movement is that it tells you to love yourself as you are today and that bullying someone solely for how he/she looks like is wrong.  I agree with both of those statements.  Just because you are not at your ideal weight at this moment, it doesn't mean that you can't love and respect yourself as you are today.  However, loving yourself also means progressing and taking care of yourself.  Complacency is not good because it keeps you ignorant to the dangers that come with being grossly overweight or obese and then you do nothing at all to change your lifestyle for the better.

What I dislike about the Fat Acceptance Movement is that it says that an overweight or obese person can be 100% healthy with no medical problems whatsoever.  No, obesity is not healthy.  You may not have any weight related problems today, but you will get them in the future.  Not only is it strenuous to be holding that much extra weight in the first place, but the human body isn't even meant to be that big.  Look at the animals in the wild.  Are any of them grossly overweight or obese?  No.  Extra fat puts stress on your organs and raises your risk of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, strokes, reproductive problems, and so on.  By simply losing weight, you are decreasing those dangerous risks by a long shot.

So please, don't delude yourself.  Take the (good) advice of the Fat Acceptance Movement and love yourself as you are today, but love yourself enough to do what's right and take care of your body.  Your body is your temple.  Respect it, nurture it with healthy food and exercise, and work towards being in a healthy weight range for your height.  It takes a lot of work and discipline but you will feel a hundred times better when you get to your goal and your health will improve big time!