*!$%&£! oppressive diet culture

[ajva]

Im very confussed about something, I dont eat alot, or on a regular basis, but when I do eat I get all the essitials...well atleast try to, I dont eat chips, or big out on bon bons or anything, But I just cant lose weight if anything ive packed it on more then lost it, I dont know If its all the caffine I drink thru out the day, ive heard thats a bad thing, or if im just naturally fat, how can my eating help me lose weight, and is the caffine im drinking a bigger issure then the food im eating?
-Dallas

An average comment from caloriecounter.co.uk, also the site of gems like this one:

I hate myself so much. I weigh 140 Lbs. and I am 5'5" I just started not Eating anything, because nothing else works. I have tryed everything and nothing will work, so this is my only option. I don't even care if I die, I would rather be dead than continue life fat. Seriouslly, I hate myself so much. I don't think about anything except for how fat I am. I can't take it anymore. Please help me.

and this:

Recent studies show that fasting can be really good for you in moderation and it doesn't neccasseraly mean no food at all, it can mean just liquids so that you can have soups and things. Fasting should not be 10 days at a time if your nat experienced. Try 1-2 days a week for a while. If you fast not only does it give your organs a little break it also flushes your body out of all toxins and impurities as well as burning off excess fat.

TIPS FOR FASTING-
1) Drink plenty of water do prevent dehydration.
2) boil veg and drink the broth so that you still get essential vitamins.
3) take calcium supplements.
4) meditate and keep your self busy.
5) dont eat loads after ending a fast, slowly re-introduce fruit and fibre first and then the rest a few days later

I HATE THIS FUCKING INJUSTICE!!!!!!!!! IT'S A FUCKING SCANDAL TO BRING UP LITTLE GIRLS TO BELIEVE THAT IF THEY EAT A CERTAIN AMOUNT, AND EXERCISE A CERTAIN AMOUNT, THEN THEY WILL ACHIEVE THE IDEAL WEIGHT AND IF THEY DO NOT IT IS BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT TRYING HARD ENOUGH!!!!! IT'S A FUCKING LIE!!!! I WOULD NEVER LOOK SLIM UNLESS I WERE DYING!!! AND IT'S SO ALL-PREVALENT AND ACCEPTED AND INSIDIOUS THAT EVERYBODY BELIEVES IT, EVEN A LITTLE BIT!!! SO LET'S GO OVER THAT AGAIN, AND ASK YOURSELVES THIS TIME HOW MUCH YOU AGREE WITH WHAT I SAID "I WOULD NEVER LOOK SLIM UNLESS I WERE DYING". NO - YOU DON'T FUCKING BELIEVE IT, DO YOU - A PART OF YOU THINKS THAT IF I DIETED AND EXERCISED ENOUGH I WOULD BECAUSE ISN'T THAT THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD? BUT NO IT FUCKING ISN'T BECAUSE THAT'S NOT THE WAY THE HUMAN BODY OR THE NORMAL DISTRIBUTION WORK!!!! SO IF EVEN YOU LIBERALS THINK LIKE THIS, AND IF EVEN DOCTORS THINK LIKE THIS THEN WHAT FUCKING HOPE IS THERE THAT WE WILL EVER BE FREE? AAAAAAARGGGGHHHH!!!!!!!! IT MAKES ME SO FUCKING ANGRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Comments

[ergotia.livejournal.com]

Absolutely - you should not be defensive about wanting to lose weight any more than anyone should be defensive about not losing weight(a *possible* exception to the latter might be where someone has been advised unequivocally that if they do not lose weight they will drastically shorten their life expectancy, such advice being founded on irrefutable research funded by a nuetral body).

To my mind fat activism involves women supporting each other in whatever choices they make about their body size, but this also involves supportive non - critical consideration of the reasons given for those choices. For example, why do you think you will have more energy if you lose weight? I mean, you might, but there might be a number of other reasons why you have less energy now than you did at whatever time you are comparing yourself to.

Please dont take any of these comments as personal criticisms , because they are not.

[ergotia.livejournal.com]

Although, picking holes in my own example, a)no such thing as a neutral body b)still the choice of the person concerned, at least for me because I support the right to commit suicide. I guess such choices are still subject to criticism, but that does not mean person so choosing should be defensive in an emotionally negative way.

[ajva.livejournal.com]

:o)

Well, absolutely. Choice in the sense that we have complete free will - of course. At one level everything has to be a choice. But there are free choices, educated choices, informed and uninformed choices, hopeful choices, group choices, individual choices and choices just generally influenced by things other than the entity making the choice.

But yes, choice nevertheless. All I'm saying is that in a less oppressive culture the menu of choices could be broader. :o)

[ajva.livejournal.com]

And if they were broader, other natural instincts (e.g. the urge to eat until full) might inform the choices we'd generally make, and there wouldn't be the extra pressure in the other direction pushing us towards choices we'd rather not make, all things considered.

I mean, does anyone *really* want to have to feel guilty about eating a big slice of chocolate cake? Or indeed not eat it at all ever?

[valkyriekaren.livejournal.com]

For example, why do you think you will have more energy if you lose weight?

I always have more energy at times when I cut down on the fat and sugar in my diet - I've done this several times, either in an attempt to lose weight, or as a detox exercise.

[jhg.livejournal.com]

Ah, right, fair enough then.

We really should define 'diet', or list some sub-categories of it if we're going to get in an, ah, discussion like this...


J