I noticed all those things in the article, but hadn't fully linked all of them to "healthy at any size" or (as is apparently the latest iteration of the movement) Fat Positivity.

I realized that virtually all the conditions they went to the Dr about were related to obesity - although you can certainly have infertility and several other conditions mentioned even if you're bone thin.



I recall one time I went to the Dr with what I'm sure was immediately considered to be a weight related issue, because back problems are always considered to be weight related... unless you're a normal weight. I had just lost about 40 lbs from my highest weight. The Dr's recommendation was that I lose some weight "not a lot, 40 lbs would help". I know I must have stood there with my mouth hanging open - I had no words. Yes, obviously I was still obese, but the assumption was that I was obese because I wasn't even making an effort, that it was all my own fault for becoming overweight to begin with - despite the fact most of that weight gain was due to eating what you were supposed to eat: hearthealthywholegrains - I just couldn't stop eating once I had the recommended amount of those, and the only way I was losing weight was to give up those carbs, and swimming about an hour daily. But of course it doesn't all come off overnight, and since I was still obese, it was ultimately still my fault. Of course if I'd developed the back problem after losing all the excess weight, then they wouldn't have blamed it on weight.


That's the difference that bothers me about the way the obese individual is treated at the Dr's office, vs how the normal weight or thin person is treated. The normal weight person must have some kind of underlying condition that caused the problem which can't be determined without a bunch of tests. The obese person is always at fault because they won't control their eating. Why can't the obese person have an underlying condition too? Losing weight is always the first thing, and the assumption is that you've never even tried to lose weight, that you're doing nothing but sitting around watching TV and eating bon-bons all day, no wonder you have this problem.