I believe there are legitimate reasons that people are fat, and that blaming the victim really doesn't do anyone any good, except to make thin people feel smug and superior. And that doesn't really do their souls any good, imo.

Study after study after study shows that many--probably most--fat people do not overeat. (let's define overeating as anything over 2500 caloreis per day intake for men, 2000 for women--a random but reasonable definition) These normal-eaters' reasons for being fat include:

1) genetics (what, twenty-odd known culprit obesity genes and counting?)

2) naturally low BMR (see a post I did in research about a month ago for more info)

3) lowered BMR and lean body mass due to overdieting (see a post I did in research forum several months ago)

4) hyperinsulinemia. If there isn't time for glucagon to burn fat, no matter how low food intake, the person will stay fat. not mutually exclusive with the above categories.

....and there are other reasons, several of scientists haven't discovered. Read Adiposity 101 for more info on the ones they have.

For these people, "what is your excuse to stay fat" is as meaningless a question as "why aren't you seven feet tall and an NBA player" or "why don't you have a huge penis/smaller breasts/straighter nose/differently colored skin" In short, because you don't. You aren't. It's the luck of the genetic draw.

There ARE people who overeat or periodically binge. They overeat for many reasons, some of which have to do with physiology -- serotonin problems, leptin problems, neuropeptide Y problems, etc -- and other of which seem to boil down to (I'm oversimplifying for brevity's sake) soothing pain.

Many seriously obese people who overeat do so because they were sexually or horriblly physically abused as children. Without adult coping mechanisms, they did the best they could at the time. Once that's a habit, it's hard to break. The obesity chases them into adulthood as both a habit and metabolic fact (harder to break than habit).

Fat people are the new okay-to-abuse minority, it seems. So many people want to make adiposity a moral issue--including so-called therapists who are nothing of the sort and are only out there to make money off our guilt and shame. The shame, I think, is actually theirs for further abusing such an abused group.

I would counsel compassion for everyone--the fat who eat to soothe unbearable pain, all people with our rainbow of skin tones, the large-breasted and small-penised alike. None of that stuff really matters. None of these physical facts reflect character or spirit. None of that should be the basis on which we choose our friends. Fat MAY (but usuallly does not) reflect some information about "self-control" or "excuse-making personalities."

I hated being mildly fat at every step because of the bigotry against it. I certainly never chose it--not even unconsciously. It was incredibly painful.

My "excuse", then? Because I quit eating 500 calories a day and went way up to 1200 calories, then 1500. That's what made me get back to being fat after a decade of starvation diets. Why this "excuse" is supposed to be cause for symbolic public self-flagellation, I don't know.

Perhaps someone could explain that.

I think there are definitely reasons why we are fat! Metabolic, types of food, lack of nutritional, eating to little, overeating and many others, just as you mentioned.

I think what this thread is getting at why we STAY fat, even though we know what it best for us. For many of us, this is not the first time we have been on a LC diet. This is my second time around - last time I feel I chickened out.

I knew how to do the diet, I had lost 30 lbs, but I was scared of the new attention... so I "invented" reasons to cheat and eat High carb food.

Bottom line I felt more comfortable being fat. No one expects much out of a "lazy fat person", no one pays much attention to you either - they just kind of look through you. I was much happier with that. No pressure. Anonymous. Felt good.

I now have thought out, and am working on some of those issues with the help of forums like these.

There was a moment or two when I lost 30 pounds this time that I felt scared. I had noticeably lost weight and people were noticing and commenting on it. That scared me to get attention. Basically: I am still fat, don't look at me!!! But this time I realized that I was really scared, and worked through it.

People notice me now? So what? I am doing this for me, not them. I feel much better now.

I don't really see this thread as excuses as to why we are fat, just some reasons why we choose (consciously or unconsciously) to stay that way.

excuses...
 

In the past three years I have managed to gain 30 lbs. Some of you may think that it is not a lot, but to me it is. I had lost 15 of it last year, just to find myself regain it all back again. I was (I was) a girl most of people hated because I was (what you may call) a perfection (slim and beautiful). Through most of my adult life I didn't have to try hard in order to survive. I used to go to places and everything was given to me on a gold platter. Everybody feared me. I never had any girlfriends or steady boyfriends. Women hated me because of my looks and guys feared me. I decided to gain the weight. I am not the most beautiful girl anymore but I have more people approaching me. I feel like the eyes don't follow me around anymore. I can go to the supermarket without being harrased. Nobody is paying attention to my looks anymore. Last year I have received my degree in marketing and people really listen to what I have to say (without judging me or without any stupid assumptions). Many of you may think that I am crazy, but for the first time in my life I don't feel alone or underestimated.
Physically I don't feel good. All my life I have been very fit/slim (no junk food - just breakfast, dinner and sometimes supper) and lots of walking. You would be surprised how much food your body really needs to survive - not much. I felt great!!! 30 lbs is a lot of weight. I am tired all the time. My energy level is very low. I can't wait to start eating well and excersising again on a regular basis, but this means that I will lose the weight and be slim again...

kamila
P.S. wish me luck

<i>"Why this "excuse" is supposed to be cause for symbolic public self-flagellation, I don't know. Perhaps someone could explain that."</i>

Simple, and Dr Phil says it best: "The best predictor of future behaviour is relevant past behaviour."

I think it's safe to assume that most people here - surely the ones who've responded to this thread - didn't like having gained weight, and not just because of societal pressure. Whatever the reason for initial weight gain, we've decided to make a change. "What excuses did you use" merely asks what your justification was for putting that change off, and offers no suggestion of superiority over people who are happy being big. We're analyzing our own human nature - which wants us to take the path of least resistance and choose instant gratification over our long term goals.

Peshka
 

Razzle,
I think the point is that we need to stop rationalizing being fat and get to the nitty gritty emotional block that is causing us to stay fat. My question is how do you overcome the emotional block?