Gay pride was mentioned... Norm MacDonald has a bit he does on gay pride. Basically, he says that it's sad that people feel the need to be proud of being gay. The whole bit comes down to the observation that the reason Norm thinks this shouldn't be a point of pride is that it should be more of a matter of fact. The reason it is a reasonable point of pride is the fact that a history of adversity and prejudice made being openly gay, and standing up for other people who were gay, a brave and moral act.

When it comes to the "fat is beautiful" or fat can be beautiful ideas... these are just empirically demonstrable facts. Beauty really is in the eye of the beholder. And that might be some of the problem. People losing weight to get beautiful--the idea that they weren't beautiful in the first place was subjective. Losing weight with a subjectively-judged goal in mind can mean never actually getting around to being happy with the results. Targets for blood glucose, blood pressure, mobility--these are a bit more objective.

If you look at the cliche "she'd be pretty, if she just lost a little weight." Really? Or would people just be willing to admit that she was pretty, then? I have a friend who married one of my other friends, when I was in my twenties, I probably would have put her in that "pretty if she just lost a little weight" category. Until she went and got a professional photo shoot. After I saw those pictures, I went "Oh. She's beautiful." I felt kind of stupid for not noticing it before.

All very very true. Anyone with a mental health issue is supported very little compared to someone with mobility difficulties; who isn't supported as much as they should be!

I don't know about anywhere else, but in the US, people are expected to work like rented mules on steroids, and if they cannot, they are grudgingly allowed a marginal existence which is in constant threat and can only be maintained by a series of hoops to be jumped through despite any abilities they may have to do so.

DH had an excellent career before he got sick. He did "everything right" including getting disability insurance. Which turned into a nightmare, undermined his health, and we had to sue them for pennies on the dollar.

Seeing the obese as just another category of challenged people would be a good start on parity.

Thanks for bringing this up Teaser. I had been thinking about the same thing, that the need for pride is often a reaction to a history of shaming. It's a way to assert that being who you are is not shameful. I see this at work in fat acceptance. I also see it very differently than celebrating fat. It's more celebrating who you are, all your bits and pieces, nothing to be ashamed of. It's a counter measure to shame. Self acceptance, even self love, is a whole lot better any day than self hate. This does not preclude making changes to improve your health but it does not base self worth on those changes being successful or even on trying. All of us have faults, things we could work on. Accepting ourselves as we are can be a great first step in figuring out what kinds of things we might want to do to change those things we have decided need changing.

Jean

Great post!!!!

Thanks for articulating my feelings.

Yes, very well said.

Hooray, Jean.

I think that's what makes me sad when people who are still obese comment that they will NOT celebrate being obese. It's not like "YAY! I'm at risk for T2D!" It's, "This is me. All the events in my life led to THIS PERSON, and I'm proud of who I am. I can improve, and I think it's important to strive to improve. But I'm pretty darned good right now."

To be not-proud of who one is is heartbreaking.