Do you have compassion for the obese?

[Turbolag]

At 8%, 185 looks pretty sick on someone 5'10". At 15%? Yeah, not so much

This is very true.

But at that bf% you probably won't be in the strength game long.

 

[shortz]

This is very true.

But at that bf% you probably won't be in the strength game long.

Oh, but you're wrong! Look at our very own Miniforklift, and all of the other PLers that compete in lower weight classes. It's all relative, really. Do you want to be fat and strong, or do you want to be strong lb/lb and look good? There are guys in my gym who weigh 165lbs at 10% benching 320 for doubles. Pretty damn sure they are natural too, or damn close to it (probably don't run anything more than a little test)

 

[Turbolag]

Oh, but you're wrong! Look at our very own Miniforklift, and all of the other PLers that compete in lower weight classes. It's all relative, really. Do you want to be fat and strong, or do you want to be strong lb/lb and look good? There are guys in my gym who weigh 165lbs at 10% benching 320 for doubles. Pretty damn sure they are natural too, or damn close to it (probably don't run anything more than a little test)

This is a good point also. I wanted to re address my statement.

People who are naturally lean, or whos bodies have set points for a lower bf% should be ok.

But someone like me, whos body has a higher set point for bf% is going to be risking injury. I can give a great example.

My normal weight with no diet or training is about 250.

The lowest I've been is 174 @ 9.8% bf.

I felt TERRIBLE here, i ached all the time, and everything was a chore. I had to stop bench pressing because it hurt my shoulders so bad. My wrists hurt really bad during training, and my elbows hurt a lot.

Once I gained some weight, bf too, my joints stopped hurting so much.

When I was 265 this past year I had no aches besides my back, and just random shoulder pain. But it wasn't bad. When I was in the low bf it hurt to train. I'm not making any of this up either, just so I can argue.

So sure, you can be lean, but more than likely your body wants to be at a leaner bf. Mine doesn't, once I get to 15% and below I have joint pain and working out is a chore more so than an enjoyment.

So I'm completely fine being 20% bf as long as I can gain strength.

And yes Mini Forklift is super strong, but low bf and low weight don't work for me.

I prefer to do what works for me. I've heard this statement argued " it works for me" . But everyone is different. And also, in order for me to get down to 15% or more I would take a huge strength loss. This is something I'm not interested in.

The guys you are talking about that are 165 @ 10%. I will bet you they started out at 140 and about 15%. All they had to do was eat and train and they grew.

Someone like me, who has started with a high bf has a different situation. I had to lose weight because I wasn't happy with my look. This cost me time and strength. It would have been much easier if all I did was start out skinny and just force feed myself to grow and train. Instead of having to watch my weight.

Genetics play a role in the starting point. I can name some top people, but I don't wanna name drop. They started out skinny, and didn't have to worry about dieting or watching their bf.

 

[extremevet]

I hate those fat fux in the store on the scooters loading up their basket with dipsy doodles, ding ding's, and ho ho's. They got 6 rolls of fat that drip off the sides of their ass and drag on the floor and 5 chins on the back of their head. I have no sympathy for those gilbert grape mom looking douchebags.

 

[MatthewC]

If you consider bulimia/anorexia a disorder, then you have to be sold on over eating as a disorder. Plenty of people have a eating disorder, plenty of people are just jolly and don't mind the cushion, some people are lazy, some have a medical condition that diet and work out an average amount and are left obese. Sometimes, it's a preference (who hasn't looked at BBW porn once in awhile!) Should it mean it costs someone else more? That's the gym's decision. I think it would be a pretty good sales strategy. You get a market of people who a generalized as lazy to an expensive gym. Because they are on the curvy side, give them a discount. They'll rarely be in there if they stay chubby. If they do improve; they get promoted to regular rates. Different level of maintenance costs to justify the lower rates. I think it a good business decision. Fair to me? Hell no. If the prices increase because there aren't enough people at the gym that I like (which is more likely to happen), it's more fair, but then I'm paying more. If a bunch of hefty people sign on, go once a week, pay less, and my price doesn't increase; I think that would be my preference.

 

[Rottenrogue]

So back to the original topic. Again I say no
Planet fitness is ten bucks a month and gives out pizza. If people were interested in being healthier they would have already joined up there

 

[oldschool1967]

It's hard to tell the self-gets from someone who genuinley has a medical issue...A person in a motorized shopping cart loaded with pepsi and goodies, using food stamps fries my nuts.But when I see a obese person with a few things in their cart, a flack jacket on,,and his branch patch on their sleeve, I know or at least semi sure something happened along the way to cause this..my sympathy especially when they are by themselves apperently struggling.

 

[extremevet]

Flack Jacket? That had to be at wal-mart... probably military surplus store vet...

 

[stevemc]

You make a lot of good points but I still don't think the education excuse is valid. Fat people know they are fat. It doesn't happen overnight. They don't wake up one morning look in the mirror and say "wow I'm fat." At some point the person has to say "there is a reason I am fat" and take responsibility and seek that information. Yes, there are diet pitfalls like a McDonalds chicken sandwich or a Vitamin Water loaded with sugar but......

How long would it take you to sit down with someone and cover the bases? Tell them to read labels... to avoid sugars... trans fats.. never eat at a fast food restaurant. Really think about this. Yes, they would stumble and make mistakes. There would be habits to break. But I could sit down with someone for one hour... just one hour and I could walk away feeling like they had all the information they needed to make a drastic change. Not perfection, but a huge change.

So, can we really say that the years and years of bad habits can be blamed on "lack of education?" No. I beg to differ. It's lack of motivation.

I agree my brutha not always an excuse but there's a lot of them out there plus there's people that go through things like depression to though I mean all the hormones that are in food have different reactions to people. Think about it say Mary's mothers house caught on fire well of course she's going to be upset well who's there to hold her hand? One of the fast food joints will gladly embrace her with open arms so now she's emotionally eating that shit and you bet it's going to make her feel better lol. I have personally seen quite a few of my closest friends and family develop eating dissorders based on pure emotion and when your in that state of mind food is your drug. Then once most get so fat they enter a self absorbed guilt trip about it and eating salty shitty food is used to fill a void of who they once were. I saw my aunt go through this she used to wear a 00 she was a small little chick now she wears a 16 or somthing.

 

[graniteman]

It becomes a mental issue when they start eating out of the garbage it like. But that does not change my view on them being lazy they are still that. I don't understand what you don't understand? To different topics I thought I was posting on. And I am sticking to what I said in all the threads so be confused. GM stop trolling me please and thank you

Lol! Trolling you? You must think alot of yourself. I was just reading the thread and was puzzled by your position or should I say positions? Seems I'm not the only one. It's kinda harsh to call them fat lazy ****s, then turn around and say it's a ''mental disorder Besides it's a public forum , if you notice people post and other people quote their posts with their opinion. I think you just don't like you're shorts being pulled in public

 

[Fury]

I had a friend who was obese it got that bad for her that her family had to chain the fridge as she was eating herself to death.i remember her brother telling me she was suffering depression and was on meds but the whole thing was really sad as she was such nice genuine person who would help any one in need.she has battled her weight from the age of six.

 

[woodswise]

I agree my brutha not always an excuse but there's a lot of them out there plus there's people that go through things like depression to though I mean all the hormones that are in food have different reactions to people. Think about it say Mary's mothers house caught on fire well of course she's going to be upset well who's there to hold her hand? One of the fast food joints will gladly embrace her with open arms so now she's emotionally eating that shit and you bet it's going to make her feel better lol. I have personally seen quite a few of my closest friends and family develop eating dissorders based on pure emotion and when your in that state of mind food is your drug. Then once most get so fat they enter a self absorbed guilt trip about it and eating salty shitty food is used to fill a void of who they once were. I saw my aunt go through this she used to wear a 00 she was a small little chick now she wears a 16 or somthing.

Don't forget recent studies have shown sugar is as addictive as cocaine and other opiates . . .