Fatness VS Fitness

So i just had a lecture on the subject Fatness VS Fitness. Here are some of my thoughts.

1. The Science Stuff
Well that settles it then. The science is out (if you still believe in science. The kind that does not have alternative facts and that  shows humans as the main cause of global warming).

Being fit is the thing that will save you. Repeated scientific studies have looked into this issue and they all point in the same direction. Your weight, Body Mass Index (BMI) or the % of fat you have, while not insignificant, are not the primary risk factor to all cause mortality (chance of you dying). The single biggest factor is how fit you are.

BMI 20 - 25 is considered "normal", but at BMI of 20, some adverse effects in select populations have been recorded. On the other hand, if your BMI is 25 - 30, or "overweight" your risk of dying is marginally higher.

The kicker is that if you're a skinny couch potato (BMI under 25, but does nothing all day), your risk of dying is almost twice as high an obese (BMI 30-35) person who bothers to exercise regularly.

2. Fat Shaming
So here I owe many people an apology. For the longest of time, I've been rather unsympathetic to the outcries against fat shaming. My perspective (simplified) was that Fat => obese => unhealthy => okay to be shamed if it helps you lose weight.

Now that has changed. Not because I've heard some moving story, but because I've been exposed to new information that shows that my outlook was flawed. Fat shaming does not work when it comes down to helping people be healthier. Which was the focal point of my prior arguments for fat shaming. Fat people are likely to stay fat, and that's just the way it is.

Now before you anti-fat shamers go off celebrating, know that I am still extremely unapologetic in being critical of people who don't look after themselves. If you're fat, and you're not doing anything about it, well, you're still fair game. I won't shame you by being rude or calling you names. I never believed in that anyway. But I will be critical as hell.

The difference is that I no longer see Fat = unhealthy. Because you could be trying very hard to keep fit. Exercising regularly, changing up your diets, but for whatever reason prior, you're now obese. Those people should be encouraged rather than being shamed.