Too Fat to Fly?

Lunch

Lunch

More lovely leftovers. Different combo this time 🙂

Mashed sweet potatoes…

mashed sweet potatoes

I swear these mashed sweet potatoes get sweeter and sweeter every time I eat them. Oops my mom taught me not to swear…Sorry mom!

And more vegetarian meatloaf topped with tomato sauce and roasted red peppers. I’ll never make this again without the red peppers. They 100% make the dish awesome. Forget tomato sauce 🙂

veggie loaf with red peppers 

I really could eat this veggie loaf everyday all week long….good thing, because I still have at least two more huge servings left.

 

Fat Acceptance

Did you know there’s a National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance? Apparently there’s a national association for everything. I’ve been hearing references to the NAAFA all over the place ever since Kevin Smith tweeted about getting kicked off a Southwest flight for being too fat. (Seriously? That’s wrong. But I wasn’t there, I don’t know the details. But I can read and get an idea – he bought two seat tickets in accordance with policy, then got bumped to a flight with only one seat.)

My favorite “too fat to fly tweet” courtesy of Silent Bob:  [Accompanied by a picture of himself on the flight] "Hey @SouthwestAir Look how fat I am on your plane! Quick! Throw me off!"

Or maybe: “@SouthwestAir …Don’t worry: wall of the plane was opened & I was airlifted out while Richard Simmons supervised." Hahaaaa. Gotta love a sense of humor in the face of adversity. 😉

Wow I got way sidetracked…back to this fat acceptance thing:

The NAAFA’s goal is to end size discrimination; their motto: “We come in all sizes.”

Yup, we do come in all sizes.

And no, we shouldn’t discriminate based on size.

But I think this idea is approaching a fuzzy line. Where do you draw the difference between promoting acceptance of fatness and promoting health?

I think the NAAFA concept is important- no one should be discriminated against for any reason, and it’s unfortunate that this is even an issue. It’s important to promote awareness that size discrimination does exist– if you’ve never walked in someone else’s shoes, you don’t know what they’re going through. If you’ve never been overweight, you may not realize how overweight people are treated. Or that it’s not so easy to snap your fingers and not be overweight.

I just hope while they’re in pursuit of ending size discrimination, the NAAFA also provides resources to keep people healthy and help people change their size if that’s what they choose. Helping people be healthy is really the bottom line, physically and mentally.

(I think it’s super interesting that this organization was founded back in 1969…and that they use the word “fat” throughout their literature and not overweight and obese. It’s like their dancing around the PC-ness of it all…but that’s a whole other conversation. ;))

I could go on and on supporting and analyzing both sides of this whole phenomenon, but I’d rather hear what you have to say about it…

10 Comments

  1. Lacey
    Lacey on March 4, 2010 at 2:20 pm
    hmmm. interesting. i guess there are quite a few different ways to think about this and i don't necessarily want to argue one way or the other because there are multiple "right" answers. i completely accept everyone regardless of their size. that said... i don't think it's okay for someone to be obese. but it is THEIR responsibility to do something about that, not anyone else's responsibility. just b/c we still love you if you are obese doesn't mean you should be obese. that is sort of how i feel. and i'm definitely MEANING to talk about only obesity rather than just a little extra poundage.Reply
  2. Carolina John
    Carolina John on March 4, 2010 at 3:39 pm
    that is interesting. i did not realize that such an organization existed. we have to draw the line between acceptance and discrimination somewhere i suppose. i just try to keep a positive outlook on the whole thing with people who are obese.Reply
  3. Kelly @ Healthy Living With Kelly
    Kelly @ Healthy Living With Kelly on March 4, 2010 at 4:18 pm
    I agree...I DO NOT think you should ever judge someone based on their size...big or small. I have gotten some nasty comments on my blog because I am so skinny. But I can't help it. No, I don't have an eating disorder and yes I eat. For my height my weight, BMI and body fat percentage are all WITHIN range...albeit on the low end but still in range. I get so angry when people assume things about me based on my size. Just as I don't like to be judged for being skinny I don't judge someone based on being overweight. It just isn't right...Reply
  4. Katie @ Health for the Whole Self
    Katie @ Health for the Whole Self on March 4, 2010 at 4:36 pm
    I would say that health needs to be a top priority. It's wrong to celebrate unhealthy habits and behaviors, only because it's putting that person's life and well-being in jeopardy. Having said that, I know it's been mentioned before that weight and health are not the same thing...someone can be very fit while still being larger or even technically overweight according to the BMI scale. I think the reason the "fat acceptance" movement exists in the first place is because our society puts so much emphasis on being thin or skinny, instead of on health. If we start focusing on health for everyone - regardless of weight - we might find that everyone is better off.Reply
  5. Heather (Where's the Beach)
    Heather (Where's the Beach) on March 4, 2010 at 4:53 pm
    I think Katie @ Health for the Whole Self makes a good point. Either way, the emphasis should be on health period. Not size.Reply
  6. inmytummy
    inmytummy on March 4, 2010 at 7:01 pm
    I think that there is definitely something to be said for loving yourself the way you are. But, at the same time, obesity is an actual health concern that no one should ignore.Reply
  7. Laura @ Backstage Pass to Health & Happiness
    Laura @ Backstage Pass to Health & Happiness on March 4, 2010 at 7:06 pm
    Obesity is a huge problem in this country. I agree that there is a fuzzy line between accepting "fatness" and promoting health. Obese people are probably less likely to pass through a round of job interviews versus a "healthy" weight person, perhaps because for a corporation to hire them they'd be taking a risk with the employee insurance program. The discrimination is definitely out there. In regards to the plane incident with Mr. Smith, I think it's totally bogus but in a way am glad it happened to him. He is a powerful public icon and through Twitter he was able to immediately out Southwest for their crappy job. I am sure that what happened to him, happens every day for hundreds of other obese people who do not have the power that Kevin does. I do have to say one thing... as a "healthy" sized person, there have been multiple occasions on airplanes where an obese person had the seat next to me, and did not follow the protocol of purchasing two seats. It's no fun to be stuck in an akward position and to feel like you're being impolite by asking the flight attendant to move them. I've stuck it out when it's happened to me, but I shouldn't be the one feeling uncomfortable. If airlines are going to have specific rules regarding weight limits and size restrictions, they should be enforced so that obese and "healthy" size customers alike are comfortable with their flights.Reply
  8. marathonmaiden
    marathonmaiden on March 4, 2010 at 7:21 pm
    lots of good comments here already and i definitely agree that the emphasis should be on health. i don't judge people who are overweight, as i don't really know what they're going through, but i think that with regards to the airline thing that as a normal sized passenger i do not want to have my personal space invaded by anyone. this includes little children, people who need two seats etc. and i think it's incredibly interesting that that group was founded so long ago! and i think it's refreshing that they're not as PC as we are forced to be nowadaysReply
  9. Danielle
    Danielle on March 5, 2010 at 12:42 am
    I have mixed feelings about this organization. I think the most influential factor for an unheathy lifestyle is our environment or the norm around us. Seeing that obesity is a huge issue in our country, I don't think it's ok that we're trying to make "fatness" the norm. I like that they're promoting fair treatment though- no one deserves to be discriminated against.Reply
  10. Kara (@ Kara's Marathon)
    Kara (@ Kara's Marathon) on March 5, 2010 at 4:49 pm
    I'm with you right in the middle of this debate!! I can really see both sides and don't know where I stand...Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *