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BIG FAT SCIENCE

Critical weight science. Fat liberation. Riots not diets. FAQ

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ANONYMOUS asked:

Hello! I hope you're having a good day. I have a question. When it comes to medical discrimination and doctors assuming your weight causes issues, do you know if there is any difference in treatment between thin and fat doctors? Asking because anecdotally my best treatment has been from fat doctors, and I'm wondering if there's any

merit to that.

I haven’t seen any research looking at exactly that question, but I have read a number of studies demonstrating that thin people are more fat phobic than fat people. So on average, it is possible that fat doctors are less fat phobic than thin doctors.

doctors weight

discrimination

50 notes

Sep 3rd, 2019

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YOUR-ALIEN-FRIEND asked: Do you have recommended sources on intuitive eating? Id like to read some books or things like that but I’m afraid if I just look them up I might get something that accidentally encourages my disordered eating (there’s a lot of articles I’ve read that says it’s intuitive but still encourages restrictive eating anyway). Thank u for taking the time to read this I appreciate it :). https://christyharrison.com/foodpsych https://www.intuitiveeating.org/our-books/

intuitive eating

resources

recovery

81 notes

Aug 30th, 2019

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__thatdiabolicalfeminist

fatrose.org

FATTIES AGAINST FASCISM RISE UP TO CLOSE THE CAMPS – FAT ROSE

heavyweightheart

“Even with all my years of fat activism, the trolls had managed to hook my shame. But there is an immunity we build when we do this together. Going out together is self protection. Doing this work together is building our resilience and immunity. When I kept it to myself, I was in a state of shame. When I shared it with others, I remembered that together we are so powerful. Acting together is our medicine against shame. As Disabled and Fat people of many communities, we know what it is like to be considered disposable. We know, in our bodies, that being intentionally starved, institutionalized, and tortured lead to lifelong impairments. These concentration camps are part of a network of racialized state terror with historic roots. They are designed to control and dispose of people. We must rise up and respond. We come together in action, finding resilience and power. Together, we demand an end to the brutal treatment of migrants, an end to the fascism of concentration camps, and an end to ICE. As Fat and Disabled people, we are powerful in our resilience. We have survived despite a world that wants to reject us, dispose of us, kill us. Just like we refuse to be pushed away and forgotten about, we refuse to let go of our people incarcerated in the camps. NO BODY IS DISPOSABLE!” Source: heavyweightheart

fat liberation

racism

disability

1,483 notes

Aug 24th, 2019

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__myfatfuckingface

mrskeanureeves

Naomi Watanabe for shu uemara

bigfatscience

yes please.

Source: mrskeanureeves

fat liberation

11,309 notes

Aug 23rd, 2019

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ANONYMOUS asked:

Hey there! My mom and I both have a complicated relationship with eating, mine is getting pretty healthy but my mom (who had a job as a nutritionist before retirement) has had a history of binge eating disorders and I'm worried she's turning to restrictive eating now. Her most recent thing is that if she eats fruit or veg, she waits a long time to eat something else afterwards (occasionally even timing herself) even if she's really hungry, claiming that if she doesn't do that she suffers (1/2)

BIGFATSCIENCE

answered:

(2/2) from indigestion. She closely follows a group who supports this, and even though they’re a weight-loss group she claims that she’s not using it to lose wight and that it’s ‘healing her digestive system’, which it might be after a lifetime of disordered eating. I was wondering if you have any evidence for or against this and any recommendations for eating for a sensitive stomach. Thanks!

—

I am very sceptical of any eating “plan” (i.e. A method of eating that is supposed to work for everyone) that requires you to limit what you eat – either in quantity or in timing – in any way. Especially if that plan was developed in a weight-loss context. The digestive system is very easily damaged by undernourishment and disordered eating, which can result in delayed stomach emptying and generally slowed digestion, both of which cause bloating, burping, pain, reflux, constipation, cramping, and gas. It is very easy for people to mistake the signs of a digestive system damaged by restrictive dieting and/or disordered eating for food intolerances. This leads people to further restrict their food intake, making the

problems worse.

Of course, many people have food intolerances that are unrelated to restrictive/disordered eating. But if you have been chronically under-eating, dieting, or engaging in disordered eating, more restriction and avoidance of food may not be the answer. My experience and readings tell me that the way to heal a digestive system harmed by chronic under-eating and disordered eating is to eat adequately and without restriction for an extended period of time, even if it is uncomfortable and causes digestive distress. Adequate nutrition for an extended period of time is what heals a digestive system damaged by undernourishment, not more restriction.

bigfatscience

You can learn more about the science of digestive health on the Food

Psych Podcast.

food eating

dieting

reflux

GERD

recovery

166 notes

Aug 18th, 2019

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SHIFTSHADY asked:

Hey! I've got acid reflux and my Dr said it was from being fat (I'm 300lbs) is that true or do you know if that's just a load of shit? I've googled it but I'm seeing mixed answers.

BIGFATSCIENCE

answered:

Hi! I am not an expert on this health condition nor am I a medical doctor, but everything I have read indicates that fatness is a _risk factor _for developing acid reflux and a host of other stomach/digestive conditions, in including gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Here is what I wrote about risk factors in another

post:

> IN MEDICAL RESEARCH, A RISK FACTOR IS A VARIABLE – MAYBE A > PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTIC, A PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAIT, A BEHAVIOR, A PAST > EXPERIENCE – THAT HAS BEEN OBSERVED MORE COMMONLY IN PEOPLE WHO > HAVE A PARTICULAR DISEASE THAN IN PEOPLE WHO DO NOT HAVE THE

> DISEASE.

>

> Another way of saying this is that the risk factor variable is

> correlated

> with

> the disease in question.

>

> But just because two variables are often observed together, it does > not mean that one variable causes the other. SO SCIENTISTS NEED TO > BE VERY CAUTIOUS ABOUT SAYING THAT A RISK FACTOR ACTUALLY CAUSES THE > OUTCOME WITH WHICH IT IS CORRELATED. In this case, being fat is a risk factor for developing acid reflux, which means fat people are more likely than thin people to develop

acid reflux.

Here is one recent and well-cited meta-analysis examining the strength of the association between fatness and GERD. THE RESEARCHERS OBSERVED THAT PEOPLE WITH A BMI OVER 30 WERE 1.94 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO EXHIBIT SYMPTOMS OF GERD COMPARED TO THINNER PEOPLE WITH A BMI BETWEEN 20 AND 25. This means that for every _one _thin person who shows symptoms of GERD, _two _fat people will show symptoms of the disease. In medical terms, this is a relatively small association: For perspective, smokers are _20 times_ more likely to develop lung cancer than

non-smokers!

BUT DOES THIS MEAN THAT FATNESS ITSELF _CAUSES _ACID REFLUX OR RELATED CONDITIONS LIKE GERD? (We may also wonder whether doctors are more likely to ask fat patients about the symptoms of GERD than a thin patient, or whether a given set of symptoms in a fat person are more likely to be diagnosed as GERD than those same set of symptoms in a thin person… but that is a whole other kettle of fish). To my knowledge, there is no research conclusively demonstrating that fatness itself causes any of the health conditions that are associated with weight, including acid reflux and GERD. The authors of the article I linked above also do not cite any such causal literature, and themselves report that the exact reasons why fatness is associated with GERD are presently unknown and require future research. MOREOVER, AS THE RESEARCHERS IN THE ARTICLE I LINKED ABOVE CONCLUDE: “… ALTHOUGH WEIGHT LOSS IS OFTEN RECOMMENDED AS A THERAPEUTIC MEASURE IN REFLUX DISEASE (57

),

THE STUDIES

YIELDED CONFLICTING RESULTS ON ITS EFFICACY (58

–59

).”

Despite this lack of empirical evidence supporting the efficacy of weight-loss for treating GERD, the authors _still _go on to conclude that doctors should counsel patients to lose weight to improve GERD symptoms. This is an extremely puzzling, yet common, refrain in research linking weight with various health-outcomes: Weight-loss is often recommended as a treatment despite a lack of clear empirical evidence to support that recommendation (not to mention the clear evidence that weight-loss and dieting can harm people’s health

).

I hope this helps.

- Mod D

Reference:

Hampel H, Abraham NS, El-Serag HB (2005). Meta-Analysis: Obesity and the Risk for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease and Its Complications. Annals of Internal Medicine, 143, 199-211. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-143-3-200508020-00006

reflux GERD

correlation

183 notes

Aug 18th, 2019

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heavyweightheart

this BED clinician/author cited a random statistic that only 45% of binge eaters had a history of restriction prior to the BED. akjfaskdjf

where to start??

first of all, we’re relying on self-reports for this information: i have never met a self-proclaimed binge eater who thought they had a pattern of restriction before they encountered a real recovery framework. binge eaters almost always think they just can’t eat “reasonably” or “healthily” or stick to the right diet, or avoid the bad foods, etc. this is restriction. feel ashamed about eating or your body size? restriction. ever been on a diet? restriction. have food rules? restriction. not sure there will be enough food for you? restriction. live in diet culture and absorbed absolutely any of its messages? restriction. the reward that binge eaters get from food does NOT present in cases where there is no history of deprivation. that’s a biological response that can only be induced by an energy deficit or the threat of one. food could never have that kind of power for an energy balanced, intuitive eater. restriction looks all kinds of ways, for kids and for teens and for adults… to solve the “binge eating problem” we should not be relying on narratives about control or emotional states, we should be looking for where the deprivation is hiding from the binge eater’s

awareness

bigfatscience

Someone sent me an ask observing that I post a lot about restriction, and asking if I can post more about binge eating. This post explains why I focus on restriction – it is the root cause of virtually all disordered eating, including  reactive eating (so-called bingeing). Learn more by searching @heavyweightheart

.

Source: heavyweightheart

binge eating

dieting recovery

498 notes

Aug 17th, 2019

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ANONYMOUS asked:

I've had anxiety about my weight for years, but now I'm just trying to hear what my body wants, per your advice. But all I do is crave and binge on junk food more than ever. I feel guilty about it and I'm not sure if this is a good idea for me. I've had a lot of stress lately and i respond to it by eating. But i don't know what I'll be eating when I calm down again. Will this pass? Should i eat better, even tho that can cause even more stress?

BIGFATSCIENCE

answered:

So I am not an expert on this, and I am still learning and  trying to heal my own relationship with food after 25 years of dieting. But from my reading and experiences, I believe it can take 2 years or more to heal your body and metabolism after a period of dieting or restriction. Longer if you have been doing it for years and years. So what you feel is normal. Your hunger is normal. And I have come to believe the only way to truly heal is to feed your cravings and eat, eat, eat. Give yourself absolute permission to eat whatever you want, whenever you want, and trust your body. Learning to eat without guilt is a basic and foundational aspect of eating competence, and permission is the basis of learning the eat without

guilt.

And no matter what, restricting is never the answer. But read what the real experts have to say (read their whole blogs,

actually):

The Fat Nutritionist: Permission The Fuck It Diet: I Know Why You’re Binging Soolman Nutrition and Wellness: Stocking YourEatopia: I Need How Many Calories?!? Ellyn Satter: Eating Competence

eating food

nutrition

binge eating

eating

disorders

disordered eating

recovery

443 notes

Aug 17th, 2019

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__heavyweightheart

heavyweightheart

a ground rule i made for my body image group which i think needs explanation is _no negative body judgments (e.g. ”i am so ___”)_. i want to be sure this isn’t interpreted as a prohibition against sharing the fact that we _have_ negative body judgments! that would defeat the purpose of the group. to force displays of body positivity is superficial, unproductive, and even harmful. we absolutely want to be honest about our pain in peer support work. so, what i don’t mean is “only evince positive feelings about your body” (altho those

are v welcome).

what i do mean is that we don’t want to uncritically perpetuate oppressive norms and standards, even vis a vis our own bodies, bc that cannot be done in a way that doesn’t also harm others. for example, if someone says “i’m ugly bc of ”, they immediately implicate anyone else with that characteristic and reinforce the systems from which we’re trying to liberate ourselves. when this happens in support spaces, it undermines the collective work. it makes the group unsafe. but there’s a productive way to express your struggle! it’s not a hard skill to learn. you instead say something like “i am feeling a lot of shame and judgment about ” or “i feel the urge to fix/change/hide my body.” see the difference? this is the work that leads to healing and solidarity; it’s actually much more vulnerable than simply voicing the judgment. we want to critically engage w our internalized judgments (w/o judgment about having the judgment! we’re all indoctrinated), not to hide them w forced positivity. that’s where real change happens.

fat liberation

body image

1,290 notes

Aug 16th, 2019

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__bigfatscience

FATNESS AND OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA: PART 2

bigfatscience

THIS IS PART 2 IN A THREE-PART SERIES ABOUT FATNESS AND OBSTRUCTIVE

SLEEP APNEA. PART 1

DESCRIBED THE SYMPTOMS, PREVALENCE, AND CORRELATES OF THE CONDITION.

PART 3

WILL DESCRIBE EVIDENCE-BASED TREATMENTS. Fat folks are more likely than thin folks to develop obstructive sleep apnea, and because of this correlation, many people believe that fattness causes sleep apnea, and conversely, that weight loss will cure sleep apnea. But let’s see what the science has to say

about this.

DOES THE SCIENCE SUPPORT THE CONCLUSION THAT FATNESS CAUSES OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA? Not really. For example, East Asians are much less fat than North Americans and Europeans, and yet rates of sleep apnea are similar in all of these geographic regions. Moreover, factors such as cranio-facial anatomy, genetic predisposition, polycystic ovary syndrome, hypothyroidism, and pregnancy all increase the risk of developing obstructive sleep apnea, along with age and gender, and these factors affect people across the weight spectrum. Yet when fat people develop the condition, their weight is often the sole focus of

attention.

Of course, even if being fat _does_ cause obstructive sleep apnea this does not necessarily mean that weight loss will cure the condition. DOES WEIGHT LOSS CURE OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA? The short answer is, no. It is true that weight loss can lessen the severity of sleep apnea. For example, one meta-analysis concluded that an approximately 35lb weight loss reduced the number of apnea episodes that participants experienced per hour by 14. But given that participants experienced approximately 50 apnea episodes per hour, this is hardly a cure. Moreover, because the studies did not follow participants long-term, we don’t know what happened when they regained the weight they lost, as the vast majority of people do within 3-5 years

.

Furthermore, because 70% of people regain more weight than they lose in the years following intentional weight loss

,

and weight gain is known to make symptoms of sleep apnea worse, intentional weight loss efforts could be quite harmful for people with sleep apnea in the longer term. WEIGHT LOSS WILL NOT SURE SLEEP APNEA, NOR IS IT A PERMANENT OR SAFE TREATMENT. LUCKILY, EVIDENCE-BASED, WEIGHT NEUTRAL TREATMENTS EXIST. I WILL REVIEW THEM IN PART 3

.

sleep apnea

dieting weight loss

164 notes

Aug 12th, 2019

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