The Fat Actress: Fueling Fat Discrimination?

I have first-hand knowledge of the plight of going through life as an overweight woman at size 18.
I'm glad to see Kirsty doing this Fat Actress show. She said she has been looking forward to doing the part for some time. I go back and forth on how I feel towards the jokes on the show about fat women but this may be an eye-opener for viewers. She IS huge now after all compared to her size while playing her part on Cheers and of course, the public is shocked at how big she's gotten. She's gossiped about as if she's turned into a drug addict which seems to be, sadly, more accepted than weight gain!
As with many big women, she's beautiful. Eyes, hair, face, she is still head turning attractive. The real problem with the media frenzy-complaining about this show is that this actress has went ahead and made fun of a fat woman and her struggle for acceptance. Kirsty doesn't mind and obviously sees the potential for humor in this subject, embracing being the brunt of a joke and taking advantage of it. Look at Rosanne's show. It wasn't so much a focus point about her weight, but it was relative, it was mentioned occasionally but not in a way as to make it a subject of ridicule either. While watching that show, you really didn't focus on her weight; at least I didn't. I just liked the show and it was a very successful one.
I've seen some previews of Fat Actress and it looks like the show is based on her struggle of coping with being over weight and trying to get work in her field. I don't see anything wrong with that. Some may find it offensive; a comedy based on the issues of being overweight. Hopefully it will be somewhat tasteful because I like Kirsty Alley. I am curious about how she got so big; surely she didn't gain all that weight for the part! Certainly she has access to available alternatives for losing weight that most of us do not, Oprah being one example.
One very annoying issue is how overweight people are the brunt of jokes and looked down on. The general opinion is that overweight people have no place on the screen or anywhere else really, and are considered less of a person because they are overweight. Racism towards overweight people is abundant. When someone looks at an overweight person it is instant judgment towards that person, instant. Blind, deaf, mangled, deformed, and so on-people are more respected for their struggle of living with a handicap but not the overweight people. There are more overweight people than are handicapped people too! I know that with the trend being to look like a skeleton covered with skin, there will never be a place for overweight people to be seen as an object of desire. Americans and most other countries have grown and got past being judgmental against handicapped or different races-for the most part. I don't see any maturing of the public when it comes to the overweight people. It's sad. It's true.
I've had plenty of experience of men adoring me, falling in love with me but leaving me because they don't want to be seen with me because of my weight. It's crazy. Men are not judged for being overweight as much as women are, by far. We all know it and that is insane.
So, you go Kirsty. Get it all out in the open. I hope the show might possibly change some people's view towards overweight people, I hope.

Cheryl, sometimes it seems to me that the media is obsessed with painting a picture of "the evil epidemic of obesity". Sometimes I wonder how helpful this is. As a body image issue we are judged by our size and shape. As a health issue there is real merit managing your weight to a healthy level (notice I didn't say "thin").

However having health problems from obesity is just one of many; we smoke, we drink, we abuse drugs, etc... yet these seem to be strangely acceptable.

I, from my own personal experience, can relate to being made fun of and ridiculed for being overweight by my acquaintances and friends who knew me when I was a size seven instead of a plus size. It is very hurtful and you lose self-esteem, confidence and feel less of a person. You don't even want to look at yourself in mirrors or store windows as you pass by them. People look at you like "what has happened to her"? I blame tv ads, magazines, and society which seems to have set the standards of what is acceptable "fat" or "thin" and its definitely not "fat." People tell my husband or friends, and sometimes me, "you use to have a knock out figure and face," what has happened. Well, number one I got older along with health problems (whacked-out thyroid) that didn't particularly help. Now, grant it, some of the weight I gained on my own, but people are judgemental and cruel and it does a number on ones well-being. I have tried dieting and exercise with some success but not enough to make me feel better about myself. People need not be so shallow and look at what is inside a person's heart and soul. Like the old saying goes, "Pretty is as Pretty does," and maybe that sounds a bit corny for this day and time, but it has alot of truth to it.

Jim
Exactly...

People shouldnt be judged based on their weight.
I am struggling with binge eating and have gained a lot of weight, so now im pretty much normal weight (I was very underweight due to anorexia). I dislike my own body, but I think that other people can be sexy even if they are chubby. It's all in the personality. I hope this show allows kristie to display her bright personality and show people that its whats inside that counts.
I have read interviews that kristie alley has done and she really does seem to be fine with her weight and body. She does show concern for her health and that is her main reason for wanting to diet.
I hope the show is written in a way that conveys that.

It's okay to be a size 8 or 10 as long as you are healthy. Most men probably dont find a woman over a size 10 as attractive unless their Balck or Hispanic. Life is more than a dress size, however supporting plus size people does have its stigma. Remember thinner is better, unless you anorexic, fat is rolly polly plain old ugh!!!

Fat is a four letter word. Kirstie Alley knows this and so does obese people. A size 4 would be ideal by any man in the states with a size 6 being the maximum for acceptability, anything over that is just plain gross. Concentrate on getting slimmer, and then you can be attractive, but until then its chubby guys with terrible faces who will be wooing you. Health is more than a dress size, well not really. Here are the appropriate ways to determine how much you shoud weigh regardless of age race or frame size: 5'4-105, 5'5 110, 5'6 116 so on and so forth. If your under 5'3 not over 100lbs.

Iki

What kind of warped reality do you live in? Anything over a size 6 is gross - that's ridiculous! I'm not even overweight and I think you're totally out of whack.

Overweight? Discrimination? Acceptance?
How about some excercise and mouth control for a change.

A few pounds here and there is not the problem. But when you look like a Monster out of a science fiction movie, don't expect the rest to ignore it.

And before you answer this message, please respect your body and yourself.

Yes, JL, all of our attractiveness problems could be solved if women would just eat less and weigh less. And fat women don't have any self respect? Exactly why would a fat person respect herself when attitudes like yours prevail?

The notion that fat people eat more than thin people is a myth, by the way. I have never seen a study which reports this as a finding, though it's something most people assume. Personally I don't believe overeating is tied to fatness as much as it is to dieting. The rebound effect built into every diet is a biological mandate to overeat.

I've not read anything about Fat Actress, nor did I see anything in the first episode, which lead me to think it was in any way a help for fat acceptance. Rather, it reinforces nearly every stereotype I can think of related to fatness, except the one about how fat people smell. Maybe that will be in the second episode. I can't wait.

Cheryl..
I do not want to be offensive, but in most cases I don't think its appropriate to compare the discrimnation of between race/ handicap with being overweight. Although some people are genetically predisposed to obesity,many suffering from weight problems must bear some of the responsibility. If a person chooses to eat excessively and/or not exercise, what do they expect. You don't get to have a firm slender figure without a lot of work. AS for those with disabilites or who are of color- they had no choice.I should know I was born Cystic Fibrosis.
Iki-
the weights you posted would put someone at risk of a heart attack if they were over exerting their body...
wow according to your weight I would be fat ( 5'4 109 lbs)and my doctor usually thinks I am to thin...

iki-
I'm not sure as to where you got yur information about ideal body weights, but yours is definately off. Look in any acredited nutrition bokk and it will tell you how to do it. For females: the first 5' is 100 lbs and then add 5 additional pounds for every inch after. So if you are 5'3" you should weigh 115#. If would be wise to check your sources before telling everyone wrong information.

Iki, I'm 5'3", and I can tell you that if I was 100 lbs, I'd have trouble walking due to how weak I was, more than likely I would have anorexia.
When I used to weigh 115 I would have weak and dizzy spells due to starving myself trying to stay at an 'ideal' weight. I don't try to do that anymore. I work at a stable and lift heavy objects (saddles, hay bales, feed sacks) all day. I eat normally. I weigh 130 lbs, and I wear a size 7/8, which is definately NOT gross, it's HEALTHY. I've never felt or been healthier. And I have a boyfriend of 2 years who can vouch for my attractiveness.
Muscle weighs more than fat, and it is important to take that into account also. Besides, attractiveness, like health definately CANNOT be measured in any way. You cannot set a certain standard for everyone on the planet. Everyone is different, and the sooner we can learn to embrace that, the better.

JL:

It’s interesting that you should tell overweight people to respect themselves when you just compared them to b-movie monsters a few sentences earlier.

You might want to exercise some ‘mouth control’ yourself.

*Sighs* It's so hard these days...with all the obesseion of weight and how you should expected to be this and that and this and in reality no one is like that we are all normal!!! (')
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I have been overweight all my life. You have all heard that before. I started with my first breath a premature 4 pounds. My dad said I could fit into a shoe box. Having a round face growing up I was average weight - probably 10 - 15 pounds more than my counterparts. I was taunted so much for the rounded looks and those minimal extra pounds - insecurity revels in this social injustice. I was bulimic in high school - approx. 140 - 160 pounds I am 5' 4 - If I would have remained in this healthy weight - I would not have a problem. Society brings on this overweight dysfunction on to itself - bullied - self loathing. I am an adult now and I do not want to even tell you how I have rollercoastered my way to size 20.plus. I can say this though - Kirsty Alley's show is an example of the what american society has become... why not just help your 10 - 15 pound overweight friends stay at a little chubby weight - Do not taunt them into abliss of obese. thanks!

I think that the show FAt Actress is just a damn shame!

I made a comment earlier. And I think that anyone who has suffered an eating disorder can attest to the fact that being thin or fat is NOT about willpower. People dont starve themselves because they have lots of willpower. They do it because they are sick. I've been on both sides of the fence. And when I was anorexic, it wasnt hard for me to avoid food; I was terrified of it. Imagine that!
Now that I binge, Its basically the same abuse of food, but in a different way.
Nobody should make fun of people who are fat, because usually those who are obese are stuck in a hole and are digging themselves deeper. They dont WANT to be that way. Would anyone?
Binge eating leads to self hatred, and that leads to even more binge eating. A horrible cycle.
Dont fuel it by making fun of those who are overweight!!!

is anybody here actually READING the articles posted?? women starving themselves and working out obcessively to be thin....having to get jaw implants, dentures, heart surgeries in the aftermath?? Is that beautiful? I am a size eight, with boobs and a butt--and let me tell you, I get more looks from guys than a size two with no hips. Accept your body---exercise and eat healthy. Is it really so complicated?

I have just been reading these articles and I am feel very sad with a lot of the comments made on here concerning 'fat' women. Personally, to judge someone by the way they look is just downright ignorant, shallow and stupid. People are more than looks, it is who and what they are that should count. In this world we scream about equality this and equality that, but you CANNOT be fat in this world, and if you are you are considered a freak, disgusting, a monster, smelly, disrepectful, unhappy, depressed, lacking in self-respect, unattractive, miserable, likely to be unloved etc all of which are simply untrue. I am obese and none of those descriptions describe me - I am very loved, by my gorgeous husband, my beautiful children, my wonderful family, my terrific friends. Yet it is those strangers in the street that seek to destroy my confidence, my self-respect, my happiness by their rude, nasty, vile, evil, mean and dare I say comment which are none of their damned business to say.

Where do people get off saying to 'fat' people 'oi fatty lose some weight' and that is mind compared to some of the comments that I have had to suffer. Sometimes I am so disgusted by the human race that I think how did we get to the point where our looks and or weight determine our worth in this world and how did we allow ourselves to be convinced of this.

Our teenagers in particular are at risk of starving themselves to achieve the 'perfect' body. We do them a dis-service when we allow them to believe that only thin people matter.

People let us accept everyone for who they are and not for what they look like. Please.

I don't make fun of people who are overweight. I have friends and family who are overweight.
But I do not think it is ok they are so fat. They don't think so either.
What is all this acceptance stuff?
There are soooo many overweight americans. Other countries are not full of people who are obese and trying to pass it off as OK. It is a health problem. Most people who are overweight do over-eat because of food issues and should get them treated. What is wrong with saying this? With my loved ones, I do not dwell on the fact that they are overweight. I do not even notice most of the time.
I accept the fact that they look like they do, but really.. it is not OK.
If we are going hiking, I can't include my fat friends. A lot of them can't actually walk a mile.
I am afraid that some of my family members might die young because of the careless way they eat.
My cousin is 19 and posting her naked self all over BBW sites because she gets people (lots of fetish perverts and other big woman, it seems) telling her she is beautiful. YES, she is a beautiful person inside, but she is grossly overweight on the outside. She binge eats on huge amounts of food and that is not beautiful. It is a sickness.
I will never accept that this is OK and just "how they are". They are missing out on many activities and joys of life because they have a weight problem.

Looks have always, at least partly, determined worth in the world. Even animals use looks to find the best mates. What makes an attractive mate? A healthy one. The fact of the matter is that obese people are unhealthy and that makes them unattractive as mates. Wondering what "the world is coming to" doesn't make sense when society's values are most primitive.
On the other hand, it doesn't make sense that deathly-thin is now seen as attractive, as this can be as unhealthy as obesity. I think this is due in part to the increase in obese people. Just as blue-eyed or blonde-haired people are attractive to dark-toned cultures, skinny people are attractive in the U.S. because they are becoming more rare. Just an idea.

As a formerly obese person (I lost 110 lbs and have kept it off for over 6 months so far) I always look for reminders of where I have been and where I NEVER want to be again.

Kirsty's new show will be one of the "tools" I'll use as a reminder.

The real message this show is sending is: "Hey America, weight management is hard for many people; try to have fun with the battle".

Iki, your comments are totally out of order, that sorta weight is just unattainable to be healthy. I am about 180lbs and 5ft 6in about a US size 12. It doesnt make me any less of a person though, after all its the personality that counts. I have got down to 140lbs before but put weight back on, im determined to lose it but for me and anyone who all of a sudden wants to know me, will be told where to go. Weight really isnt everything!

Iki
What kind of credentials do you have to support your weight-height statistics? How much do you weigh? Are you male or female? What is your BMI, and % of body fat? Where did you get your degree in nutrition?
I fear that you are probably just speaking out of line, and have no basis in fact for your stats.
GB has it right with the basic info that you should allow 100 lbs for the first 5', and 5 lbs for every inch after. This is just a basic table for a medium framed person. A little less for small frame and a little more for a large frame. BTW, photographic weight is only 3 lbs for every additional inch in height: e.g. a 5'4" woman with a medium frame should weigh 112 lbs. This allows for the additional 10 lbs added by the camera. And yes, I do have the credentials to support this.

Okay.

here's the deal. Being overweight isn't really that important unless it's affecting your health. When we're all wrinkly and old, it won't really matter. It's nice to look slim and sexy. Yeah. It's also nice to be rich. But if you can live a nice life without being rich, you can live a nice life and attract plenty of nice young men being overweight. Once you gain self confidence, you may find that you lose weight anyway.

Boys who think otherwise are a little dumb and need a reality check. Especially if they believe the lies that girls tell them about their weight.

5'3 and 105 pounds is like...

a stickfigure.

Sure, you should care about your health and watch your weight.

But otherwise

who really cares?

No one you should care about

this is to *dove's* posting on may 2, 2005 (as well as other postings):

being over-wieght is a-okay! okay!

this concern over the US's *over-weight* issue -- or, better yet, the US's hysteria, which this country is very good at performing -- has become so un-believable. in some articles you would think a so-called *over-weight* person was a so-called *terrorist* (the names/nouns can be replaced with each other -- both or either will be the *demise* of the US; for example, see the *weight debate/s* in past issues of _national geographic_, _time_, _newsweek_, us news & world report_, _los angeles times_, new york times, etc.)

personally, i can't believe that certain states (for example, california) are actually passing and attempting to pass laws to make people loss weight! this is nothing more than the controling of other people's bodies and lives via the state! how is state intervention re: a certain person's weight different than the state (or federal) intervention into women's lives and the attempt to make abortion illegal (again) or more restictive?

watch _fat actress_ -- season 1, disc 1, episode 1 -- and you will hear KA make a great comparison, and the inherent bias, about the treatment of so-called *over-weight* men in film and televison and the treatment of women in the same fields.

on a slightly different note, you all have to hear this brilliant rap song by mike jones; it is titled _back then_; in it he raps about his weight and the bias he, as a black male, has faced. (find it on iTunes ... it'll cost you 99 cents.)
finally, what body types are *appropriate* are culturally and historically determined -- look at the history of female (and male) portraiture -- maybe we have found ourselves in the beginnings of *being* *fat* is a sign of a certain amount of success or aesthetic beauty. i don't know.
now, in summation, this policing needs to stop. indeed, stop state control of policing bodies, lives, and choices.

sigh(n)ed, a FAT academic (or, robert summers, phd etudient, art history, ucla)

These comments are very interesting and insightful. I've never seen the Fat Actress show, myself, but I've heard mixed things about it. I personally do not think obese/overweight people and handicapped people can be compared fairly. A lot of people who are obese got there via their own habits, whereas most handicapped people were born that way or have suffered accidents. I used to be obese myself. I never hated my body and I never really got "picked on" because of it. My entire family is overweight and I decided to lose weight when my grandpa died from completely preventable causes directly linked to his weight. I am healthy now and very athletic. Iki, I'd also like to know where you get these stats from on height/weight. I'm 5'3" and I weigh 105 lbs. I am very thin and have not a lot of body fat (I'm a distance runner). A lot of people think I have anorexia (I don't, I just burn a lot of fuel in a day). I'd look great no matter how much I weighed, it's just a matter of health for me. And I think most obese/overweight individuals would benefit greatly from losing weight health-wise. I still don't think it's fair to make fun of fat people or discriminate on that basis, though.

Well I am a fat actress and I watched "Fat Actress", so I reckon I can comment on this one!!

I don't think she did anything for fat people on that show, either positive or negative. The characters and stories were overplayed (I think there was a lot of improvising).

I didn't think it was brilliant, but I liked it, I like Kirsty Alley generally (fat or thin), but I can appreciate the show probably wasn't everyone's cup of tea.

As for her losing weight and being a spokesperson for Jenny Craig (I'm in the UK so I don't see any of that side of her working life) - I say good luck to her. Given the same opportunities to lose weight, regain her career and her looks (not that I'm saying fat=ugly, but fat does not suit her!), I think most of us would jump at the chance, and those who wouldn't are possibly in denial.

Re acceptance. Why should fat people not be accepted? What's it got to do with anyone else? I'd rather be a food addict than a smoker, drinker or drug addict any day! These things, in one way or another affect other people. I don't think anyone died because someone took charge of a vehicle after a large meal. The health of the people in the same room as me are not going to suffer if I order dessert. Robbing someone to "feed" my addicition has never even crossed my mind. I've been in someone's house and asked for a slice of bread, but never at gunpoint.

Something else - I'm 36, about 278lb and always getting "hit on" by all different kinds of blokes. Young students (I've never taken any of those up!), male models, sportsmen, sports instructors, and from all nationalities and generally men under about 50. None of them, to my recollection have been what I would call overweight (that's about 28lb). My boyfriend isn't overweight and is pretty fit - so that s**** on your theory, Iki.

As far as "Fat people getting that way because they overeat" NOT ALWAYS TRUE. I used to be a size 4. then I had a progesterone malfunction - brought on my my darling x-husband (A fire Captain in Aptos California) STRESS... Can cause hormones to change. Mine did. To the tune of 90 Lbs! (in 5 months) I got a divorce (he was cheating with the broad that worked on the computer systems at the firehouse) I started hormone replacement...lost half the weight so far...(darn shame the divorce diet wasn't more effective, huh?)BTW the firehouse whore? - looked a lot like a 12 year old boy with implants - he dumped her...and wants me back. Hmmmm...She's still skinny, but she's not a nice person.
Just a groupie. He's realized that "skinny" isn't the answer to life or happiness. O.K...THAT moron's got it...when will the rest of today's morons? In ancient Rome...women used to be "Rubenesque" (today's word) It was considered beautiful. Mexico - A fat wife meant wealth. Women are considered ugly when they are pregnant - THAT"S THE MOST FEMANINE A WOMAN CAN GET... Yet in America we build womens clothes to fit a male childs body. (Damn Twiggy and her drug induced world~! When will we grow up?) I applaud the studios who are filling lead role parts with normal to overweight women who are sex-pots. Marilin Monroe (size 12) Lilly Langtree (over 200 Lbs) Remember yesteryear? Yet today, we're supposed to believe we're inadequate if we have breasts and hips. I really don't want to look like a boy again - (I thought I was fat as a size 4) I LOVE my waistline! And I'm finding that a lot of people do. I was just convinced that I was inferior because I wasn't a size 2. I stopped fretting about my weight when my first grade daughter came home from school and told me that if I wanted to lose weight - I just had to throw up after every meal...her "big buddy" from the 4th grade told her that little secret. The health problem - is the stress that is caused by America judging people based on their size, looks, financial status, whatever. The inadequate way we feel about ourselves and the abuse we do to orselves is appalling. Size = beauty is only this period of time. I hope women will be accepted in the future for who they are NOT what size jeans they wear compared to Hollywood.

I think there's more acceptance toward fat people now than towards those of us that are quite small. There is the other end of the spectrum, you know. Fat people complain about buying nice clothes...true, they are hard to come by. It's also hard trying to find small clothes, as vanity sizing means most clothes hang on us and look equally as bad. I also really get ticked when people say that fatness=womanliness/sexiness/etc. I am a woman too! I'm sexy! And yes, I'm a size 0, but that means nothing, really. I don't look like a model and probably wouldn't unless I had breast implants done. But I do get a lot of satisfaction in knowing that I'm doing everything possible to keep my body awesome looking, healthy, strong, and in shape. That's how our bodies are supposed to be.

I am so sick of this whole subject. Skinny people are skinny because they diet and starve themselves and are unhealthy and all famous movie stars that are skinny are setting a bad example for our teens today. Blah blah. I am 5ft 6in tall and weigh about 105 pounds. I am not this thin because I diet or because I starve myself and I am not anorexic. This is the way I am, no matter what I eat, I cannot gain any weight. As far as buying clothes go, I can go into a department store and there's clothes for obese people everywhere. Try finding a pair of pants or shorts in a size 2. Good luck with that. So NO it is not easier shopping when you are thin contrary to another comment on this subject. It is discriminatory. I guess clothes manufacturers figure that a large majority of people are obese so they just make clothes in larger sizes. Well guess what? Not everyone is obese. I have been asked several times by people in healthcare if I have an eating disorder. Just because I'm skinny doesn't mean that I have an eating disorder. Would those same healthcare professionals ask a fat person if they had an eating disorder? I don't think so. Being obese is not healthy, it increases one's chances of heart attack, cancer, diabetes, etc, etc.

I think both sides are right, the standard nowadays is some impossible thin-but-curvy-with-silicone-boobs Elizabeth Hurley body type that is extremely rare (and still takes a lot of surgery to achieve).

Natural shapes, like thin (which is more often also small-chested) or curvy are not accepted. I'm not using "curvy" as an euphemism for really really overweight, just describing a naturally thicker body shape.

I hate this standard where everyone is supposed to have the same figure just as much as I hate the idea that everyone should have the same blond straight hair. The world would be extremely boring if every woman was a Barbie!

Urm... everyone needs to get over it. If you like skinny chicks, date skinny chicks. If you're a fat girl, accept it if you can't change it and move forward. People who buy into what the media shoves down their gulletts aren't people you should give a crap about anyway. I'm a big girl, I got a hot husband, and I'm happy as a pig in s***. Just get over it. If you love yourself, it's easy to find love and happiness. There isn't a person on this planet who isn't unhappy about some part of themselves. You gotta just deal and quit sniveling.

I agree Moon!!

How come a fat person is fat because they over eat and don't excercise, and a skinny person is thin because they over excercise and starve?! I know TONS of skinny people the eat like horses and can't gain a lick, and a fat person that eats celery and can't lose an ounce.. our bodies are ALL DIFFERENT!! Finding what makes yours tick is going to be completely different than what makes your neighbours go.

Only your Doctor can really assess your health, and advise you on your diet. In fact, they will refer you to a registered dietician, and s/he really doesn't care about society, s/he cares about your health. Charts don't work for everyone, because they don't take into account muscle ratio and bone density. Numbers don't mean much there really.

Kirsty alley is magnificient women.kisses from turkey for kirsty

Hey, IKI, are you on crack? Or are you just a retarded monkey? Warped sense of reality does not even begin to cover it for you! You cannot be for real! I'm 5'4" and I USED to weigh about 105...let me inform your tiny brain of this: I made an ethiopian look fat. I now weigh 122, have a BMI of 21, a 25" waist and wear a size 4. What are you? 5'2" and 220? HULLO!! REALITY CHECK!!!

I am wondering why all the focus on women and being sexy in our society and what about the men...there are plenty of men out there who are over weight and obese and there is no show called fat actor. Is it not as controversial and therefore not as much drama for a man to be a fat actor in hollywood as a woman? Do men not struggle as much when they are fat as do women? Would people watch and put up a big hoopla if it were John Goodman's show? I don't see mags and ad's with Matthew Perry, how he's been up and down with his weight. Women don't care about how men lose weight...we obsess about our weight and we buy the mags and books and everything else they promote. Why? Maybe because men don't obsess about their weight like women...or men don't spend all the money they have on every diet book, mag, etc. I don't really know, I am just throwing ideas...why is there so much focus on women's weight issues in media and not men?

I find it shocking and offensive that some people equate the discrimination fat people face with other, serious types of prejudice, the first comment detailing that 'fat peple suffer [a] racism'.

Were jews executed for being overweight? Were blacks lynched for being chubby?Let's be real and rspectful here. Unless you have an underactive thyroid etc, you can always choose to PUT DOWN THE KRISPY KREME.

Come on women Kristie Alley had her very lows,she is in a way helping us and herself,no one wanted a fat actress,really FAT,sshe admits food food food and that is it,I am going from a size 8 to a 14,boy can not seem to get that fruit veg. thing at afternoon at dinner dessert,and I love ice cream,not just 4 onuces,DAH!!Now I am getting very depressed as people say gee putting on weight?You look great but maybe you should join curves,well now I am tired more as 59 years old do not ice skate etc. mu husband was a fire chief and died of gallbladder infection at 49,stich broke,he was 140 lb. ate hot dogs and ham at work,stayed in shape of course,but died of that ,plugged tube??so now where do we go,fats kill,sweets make you look ugly as the plubic has stated,I agree as I look at myselfno figure love handles for 2 men and getting a stomach that looks gross