I'm 250 Lbs. And I'm Beautiful!

[Elphaba]

From a 1919 Atlantlic Monthly article:

"The day of the fat lady was long in dawning, but at last her freedom and her fashionableness have arrived."

Apparently the appreciation for the zoftig woman only lasted a short time, but it must have been wonderful to hear we heavier women were lovely and atttractive for once.

The Corpulent Dame now has dresses made to exhibit, not to conceal, her shapeliness.

Elphaba

[the Ogre]

From a 1919 Atlantlic Monthly article:

"The day of the fat lady was long in dawning, but at last her freedom and her fashionableness have arrived."

Apparently the appreciation for the zoftig woman only lasted a short time, but it must have been wonderful to hear we heavier women were lovely and atttractive for once.

The Corpulent Dame now has dresses made to exhibit, not to conceal, her shapeliness.

Elphaba

Hasn't Wal-Mart been selling this kind of stuff for years?

[prisonchaplain]

Interesting...the link included no pictures.

[Elphaba]

Interesting...the link included no pictures.

True!

Guess we're not all THAT beautiful.

Elphaba

[CrimsonKairos]

Interesting...the link included no pictures.

And for that I give thanks.

[pam]

<div class='quotemain'>

Interesting...the link included no pictures.

And for that I give thanks.

p

CK not sure whether to take that as humor or as an insult to plus size women.

[CrimsonKairos]

I'll let the ambiguity of my remark live on. B)

[Aphrodite]

I'm not trying to offend anyone or be 'fattist' or whatever the politically correct term is; but I think all this big is beautiful kind of talk is wrong. At the end of the day, people are that size because they are eating to much of the wrong kinds of food. In short, they are abusing their bodies. And that is definitely not beautiful.

Many of you may know I am in the health care profession, and I can tell you only a small number of drugs and treatments make you gain weight. Thyroid problems and chemotherapy being the main ones I can think of. And we're talking maybe one or two stone, not enough to make you morbidly obese. A 250 lb person weighs that amount because they are stuffing their faces!!! (Im not as diplomatic as you CK!)

It frustrates me when people try to tell me being fat is ok. Its not ok, it causes a multitude of health problems including raised cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes. It teaches your children bad habits. My kids will look at a macdonalds the same way I view heroin! lol maybe a bit of an exageration but you get my drift.

The Goddess

[Fiannan]

People really, really, really need to watch "Supersize Me" and have their kids watch it too. Being obese is as dangerous as being a smoker and society should not in any way try to see it as otherwise.

[Elphaba]

Apparently a few missed the fact that the zoftig woman's beauty fad was in 1919 and was short-lived. From what I can tell Prison Chaplain is the only one who actually read the article. That's okay, but just know I wasn't advocating obesity.

My posting the story was a joke, especially for people like me who, for medical reasons, are obese. There are a few of us on this board. I can't imagine what a few months of people looking at me with admiration rather than contempt would feel like. They don't understand I'd do anything to change it I could, but it's just not going to happen. I once was thin and attractive, and complete strangers treated me with respect, approachability and affection. Now that I am obese their contempt for me is palpable their cruelty stuns me.

Sometimes it hurts so much you just gotta laugh!

Elphaba

[Fiannan]

Elphaba, nobody has said that larger women cannot be beautiful. In fact, there are men who prefer larger women and traditionaly men from countries like Mexico found that a light complected and overweight woman was very high up on the beauty scale (I have talked to many tourists to Latin America who were surprised that the women who got hit on the most were those those who were heavy). That may have changed due to the globalization of TV culture in recent years.

However, it is not healthy to be overweight.

Are you a fan of Leonard Nimoy? He has a photography website that tries to capture beauty of women of all sizes but I cannot link it due to, well, you know how many professional photographers kinda...you know.

[Elphaba]

Elphaba, nobody has said that larger women cannot be beautiful.

Everyday I walk out the door I am told I am not beautiful. It's usually non-verbal, the exception being when a group of punk kids with big mouths are nearby. Like I said, I've been thin and attractive, so I know the difference. And unfortunately, I am not very strong about this, and I need to work on it. But thank you for saying what you did. I tend to think in black and white on this issue, even though in my head I know I'm wrong.

In fact, there are men who prefer larger women and traditionaly men from countries like Mexico found that a light complected and overweight woman was very high up on the beauty scale (I have talked to many tourists to Latin America who were surprised that the women who got hit on the most were those those who were heavy). That may have changed due to the globalization of TV culture in recent years.

Viva la Mexico!

However, it is not healthy to be overweight.

No, it is not, and it does affect my heatlh.

Are you a fan of Leonard Nimoy? He has a photography website that tries to capture beauty of women of all sizes but I cannot link it due to, well, you know how many professional photographers kinda...you know.

I see. But I suppose I could look them up on my own? :)

Elphie

[Gabelma]

I'm not trying to offend anyone or be 'fattist' or whatever the politically correct term is; but I think all this big is beautiful kind of talk is wrong. At the end of the day, people are that size because they are eating to much of the wrong kinds of food. In short, they are abusing their bodies. And that is definitely not beautiful.

Not always I am overweight but my favourite foods are fruit, veg, rice my diet is almost entirely compatible with the Word of Wisdom. I can't exercise much because of my disability but my diet is 90% healthy food, and also everybody has their faults even if someone is eating the wrong kind of foods does it matter? It does not automatically follow that a slim person is eating very healthily - I know my brother is 6ft and less than 100lb gorges on all sorts of junk. Beauty comes from the inside out and a sparkling personality is better than a miserable person. You can abuse your body and mind in many ways and because it is something we all do I personally think its unfair that just because you can see the effects that person doesn't have the right to feel good about themselves.

Many of you may know I am in the health care profession, and I can tell you only a small number of drugs and treatments make you gain weight. Thyroid problems and chemotherapy being the main ones I can think of. And we're talking maybe one or two stone, not enough to make you morbidly obese. A 250 lb person weighs that amount because they are stuffing their faces!!! (Im not as diplomatic as you CK!)

Then you should appreciate that being unable to exercise or in fact just being ill can cause depression etc - you need to be taught how to eat when you are ill and in that position because its a huge change. I also o know through working with people with my own disability that for some people accepting they are just going to have to be bigger and not stressing themselves out over food can help them cope better with life in general. And tbh once those people do belive they are beautiful they are more likely to lose weight. Although my experience is a lot of people in the healthcare profession don't pay much attention to the mental side of an illness, and a person becomes a condition - maybe oneday we will be treated holistically but until then its generally better not just judge the person who is overweight.

It frustrates me when people try to tell me being fat is ok. Its not ok, it causes a multitude of health problems including raised cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes. It teaches your children bad habits. My kids will look at a macdonalds the same way I view heroin! lol maybe a bit of an exageration but you get my drift.

The Goddess

Too much obessesion with healthy food and exercise can also be dangerous - my daughter will look at a MacDonalds or fruit or veg and I honestly don't know which she would pick. Like my Gran used to say choclate and apple pie's etc were brain food and what kept you sane. Given she was in her 90s and in really good health when she died despite having a heart condition since she was 12 I'll take her advice lol and she was obese in her 30s and 40s - she was my definition of a truly beautiful woman, her skin and eyes were always bright and her hair in good condition so she wasn't unhealthy. Another lady I know who still ski's, plays tennis etc in her 80s is a very beautiful woman but she is a bigger lady, (well large around she actually a tiny lady). but she has more energy and less illness than most half her dress size and half her age.

Elphie is quite right big can be beautiful - I would much rather have a women comfortable in her own skin than see the pain on my Sisters faces trying to lose weight - we have to die of something, personally would rather die of happy from choclate cake than old age.

Like many Bishops and Stake Presidents have been known to say give me a ward/stake full of people with Word of Wisdom problems that love each other and treat each other right, than one that upholds the letter of the law but forgets the love.

-Charley

[sixpacktr]

Reminds me of the old show "Cheers" when Norm walks in and coach (or Woody, I can't remember which) says "what you up to Norm?" and Norm replies "My ideal weight if I was 10'7"!"

To be fat is a sin. Most church members do not obey the WoW, including me, because of that. To take pride in it is, quite frankly, beyond me. For almost everyone (not all, so don't be offended if you have a medical condition) fatness is the result of laziness and gluttony. Period. And aren't those 2 of the 7 deadly sins?

[Gabelma]

Reminds me of the old show "Cheers" when Norm walks in and coach (or Woody, I can't remember which) says "what you up to Norm?" and Norm replies "My ideal weight if I was 10'7"!"

To be fat is a sin. Most church members do not obey the WoW, including me, because of that. To take pride in it is, quite frankly, beyond me. For almost everyone (not all, so don't be offended if you have a medical condition) fatness is the result of laziness and gluttony. Period. And aren't those 2 of the 7 deadly sins?

Let he who is without sin throw the first doughnut and please pass it this way lol

Charley

[sixpacktr]

Let he who is without sin throw the first doughnut and please pass it this way lol

Charley

First off, I would never throw a doughnut to anyone else!

Pres Benson, in a talk at BYU many years ago, gave a great line about our propensity to eat that which is bad for us. He termed it "digging our graves with our own teeth"...

[Gabelma]

<div class='quotemain'>

Let he who is without sin throw the first doughnut and please pass it this way lol

Charley

First off, I would never throw a doughnut to anyone else!

Pres Benson, in a talk at BYU many years ago, gave a great line about our propensity to eat that which is bad for us. He termed it "digging our graves with our own teeth"...

LOL well they have to be dug with something :) personally I know I have a pretty good diet but if I hadn't got sick and needed to find a way to feel better I wouldn't have. Yet before that I was 98lbs and 5ft2 and could eat what I wanted without worrying about the lbs.

I also still have a strong belief at nearer 154lbs I am a much better person, I was humbled lol and I am much happier with me which in turn I believe makes me a more beautiful woman. And I am gonna post that song again because I feel beautiful everytime I leave the house:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=tcRiXOONqf0

To me beauty has bug all to do with what the eye can see

Charley

[Annabelli]

This is sad but the last time that I was at the doctor's office and they needed to get a blood pressure reading, I had to go to the pediatric's side to use the blood pressure arm band! I am not a petite person.

What does too heavy mean? It means that Care Facilities can turn you down for Assisted Living and Nursing Home Care. There just are not that many people want a job lifting heavy people and employees usually cannot get medical insurance because of the high injury risk in this line of work.

Heavy people are usually crankly and mean. Beauty comes from good works; it does not come from indigestion.

[Elphaba]

This is sad but the last time that I was at the doctor's office and they needed to get a blood pressure reading, I had to go to the pediatric's side to use the blood pressure arm band! I am not a petite person.

Right.

Heavy people are usually crankly and mean. Beauty comes from good works; it does not come from indigestion.

If that's your attitude around them, I can't imagine why they're "mean."

I'm so crankly!

Elphaba

[FrankJL]

The little 5'6 133 guy nods in agreement.

[Elphaba]

<div class='quotemain'>

<div class='quotemain'>

Let he who is without sin throw the first doughnut and please pass it this way lol

Charley

First off, I would never throw a doughnut to anyone else!

Pres Benson, in a talk at BYU many years ago, gave a great line about our propensity to eat that which is bad for us. He termed it "digging our graves with our own teeth"...

LOL well they have to be dug with something :) personally I know I have a pretty good diet but if I hadn't got sick and needed to find a way to feel better I wouldn't have. Yet before that I was 98lbs and 5ft2 and could eat what I wanted without worrying about the lbs.

I also still have a strong belief at nearer 154lbs I am a much better person, I was humbled lol and I am much happier with me which in turn I believe makes me a more beautiful woman. And I am gonna post that song again because I feel beautiful everytime I leave the house:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=tcRiXOONqf0

To me beauty has bug all to do with what the eye can see

Charley

Charley, did you show this to us before? I've seen it before but can't remember why? I love it!

Elphie

[CrimsonKairos]

And I am gonna post that song again because I feel beautiful everytime I leave the house:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=tcRiXOONqf0

I found that video mildly disturbing.

It's the classic pendulum syndrome.

Someone perceives that a standard (in this case, thin is beautiful) has gone too far in one direction and so they--like a pendulum--swing to the other side and advocate a new standard that's diametrically opposed to the original (in this case, big is beautiful). Both commit an error because the truth is in the middle, not on the outer extremes.

There are many types of beauty. If we're talking physical beauty, I'm sorry, but to me big is not beautiful...cellulite is not beautiful...rolls are not beautiful. The person behind the exterior may be beautiful in terms of personality and kindness...but big bodies aren't beautiful to me and that's pendulum psychology for ya.

[FrankJL]

I found that video mildly disturbing.

ditto

[Elphaba]

To clarify, I printed the article is a lark. Just thought it would give those of us pick-me-up in this world that seems to drop us so often.

I in no way meant to imply obesity is healthy. It is not. Before I was ill, I was overweight, and with proper diet, and lots of exercise, I lost 80 obs. I was actually stronger at 40 than I had been at 20!

So I am not advocating a life of obesity. I just thought I'd give some of us, and we know who we are, a big fat belly laugh.

Elphie

[Gabelma]

<div class='quotemain'>

And I am gonna post that song again because I feel beautiful everytime I leave the house:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=tcRiXOONqf0

I found that video mildly disturbing.

It's the classic pendulum syndrome.

Someone perceives that a standard (in this case, thin is beautiful) has gone too far in one direction and so they--like a pendulum--swing to the other side and advocate a new standard that's diametrically opposed to the original (in this case, big is beautiful). Both commit an error because the truth is in the middle, not on the outer extremes.

There are many types of beauty. If we're talking physical beauty, I'm sorry, but to me big is not beautiful...cellulite is not beautiful...rolls are not beautiful. The person behind the exterior may be beautiful in terms of personality and kindness...but big bodies aren't beautiful to me and that's pendulum psychology for ya.

So if your spouse became overweight for whatever reason you would no longer find her attractive or beautiful? What about if their hair grows grey? Maybe a wrinkle? I know I have parents who feel the same way as you do and as a result can't keep a relationship. I like knowing my husband is a better man and loves me for me, I don't need to panic about the lbs.

Charley,