Don’t say “obese” -- or talk about health

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All this talk about the health risks of obesity is apparently upsetting.

In a new study released this week by the Endocrine Society, obese people reported that, not only do they feel disheartened by the publicity about their condition, they also think that regarding them as ‘sick’ is counterproductive.

They’ve tried to lose weight, as recommended endlessly by the media and by their doctors, but most to apparently little avail. The ‘culture of blame,’ the study says, doesn’t help their efforts.

I’m guessing posts like this, from skinny girls who think they are fat, don’t help much: ‘These blogs say that fat people should have a right to be fat. Have at it, but I have a right to think that you’re lazy as a result and have a right to want to deny you health coverage because you are STATISTICALLY more of a risk to me than a healthy-sized person.’

For moral support, and a healthy dose of righteous indignation, perhaps the frustrated and heavy should check out those aforementioned blogs, from the so-called fatosphere, written by folks who think those extra pounds are just fine.

From Shapely Prose, in the first of 10 principles explaining the author’s take on fat and health: ‘Weight itself is not a health problem, except in the most extreme cases (i.e., being underweight or so fat you’re immobilized.’

And from Big Fat Blog, in commenting on coverage of NBC newscaster Tim Russert’s recent death: ‘You know, when Tim Russert passed away this past week there was just a little tiny, tiny bit of me that hoped, ‘Crap, I hope they don’t pin it on his weight.’ ‘

Similar takes can be found at fat fu, big fat deal and other sites in the fatosphere.

But those us-against-the-world takes don’t negate the research in recent stories such as Women’s belly fat, early death linked and Gastric bypass surgery cuts cancer risk, researchers say. Nor does it shoot down, though we could all wish it, the data offered by the CDC.

Of course, simply saying ‘lose weight’ doesn’t help people do so. But pretending that the weight isn’t taking a toll seems deliberately naive. Guess we’ll all just have to wait for the drug research to pay off.

-- Tami Dennis