I use to not worry about what i was eating as i had a good metabolism but i use to have salt on everything possible, after seeing a TV show about the effects of salt on the heart i practically dont watch it anymore.

I don’t have great self esteem because i can’t shake the image out my head that women want men with huge sixpacks and muscles on top of muscles.

I know this isn’t true because i have a lovely girlfriend who loves me for who i am but when the media portrays an image of the ideal man/woman i think some people are more susceptable to believing it.

Most people should ideally eat healthy balanced diets and do a bit of excercise, or so that is what we are told. But i believe that human life is so short that we should live it how we want, eat what we want and be happy.

We should not be offended by the media about image because at the end of the day the thing that is behind every slogan, every picture, every move and every game is the company behind it is out to make money by exploiting every niche market available.

Sorry for making this so long, been reading a few different blogs on the matter and been putting it together in my head

Thanks for reading my comment

So by all means, WELCOME! Ask questions. That is the point. Ask questions of us, ask questions of the mainstream media. Form your OWN opinions. All of these concepts ARE very gray but here I am taking what research we have, finding more questions to ask; posing possible answers and trying to have discussions.

Even here on the “Fat-o-Sphere” we are not all of the same mind; that would be impossible! We all come from different backgrounds, different life experiences. So assuming that what I was pondering here was some sort of “attack” is unwarranted.

Weight IS NOT a black and white thing. You’re right. That’s why I am questioning the media’s (and those who accept the media’s spoutings unquestioningly) VERY straightforward black and white reactions to weight, health and obesity. That’s why I’m here. Like a little mini x-files of fat. Feel free to join me here in the quest for truth and understanding.

Oh, and I don’t spend hours and hours a day obsessing over my looks/weight, nor am I judging candidates on their hips/hair/makeup. I don’t see how having a normal level of concern over my looks and weight automatically makes me this self-hating, miserable monster that obsesses over it and cannot possibly have any other interests in life. Weight is NOT a black and white thing, there are gray areas, and it IS possible to be sane about it, and yet still care. Anyways though, best to all of you, and I hope you are happy and healthy regardless of your weight.

Thank you for this! Nodding at Twistie’s comment as well.

The question, I think, is what happens when you become focussed on one thing to the exclusion of others or when you give one topic so much weight that others are eclipsed. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing – just a thing. My blog is overwhelmingly devoted to my experiences and musings as an overweight woman. This doesn’t mean that I don’t care about politics or unicorns; it means that I want to blog about one main thing and – for the time being – that thing is fat.

Similarly, I co-host a radio show which deals with movies and pop-culture because that is something I’m passionate about which lends itself well to the radio discussion format.

I have no idea what point I just made. I think there’s one in there somewhere.

Yes, you can think about looks and politics in the same day. You can also think about ponies and rainbows and serial killers all in a day. The question becomes one of how much time you choose to devote to each potential subject du jour.

So if you spend several hours a day thinking about personal appearance, clearly you will have less time to consider the intricacies of political struggles and policies, and vice versa.

Yes, I do think about personal appearance every day. It’s part of my job, since I’m a fashion and lifestyle blogger. But I do recognize that it leaves me that much less time to consider public policy, just as my curiosity about Jack the Ripper leaves me a bit less time to think about my hobbies of baking and lace making.

It’s a matter of finding a balance that works for you as an individual. For my part, I keep half an eye on fashion trends, but mostly I trust my own taste and spend more of my time informing myself about the world around me.

If I’m clean and neatly dressed, then I’m happy with my appearance. That takes about ten minutes a day. That’s plenty of time for me to worry about how I look. I spend another hour or so thinking about how to help other people look good, feel good about how they look, and plan the pretty parts of their lives.

The rest of my life is devoted to a wide variety of topics including: politics, art, literature, video games, history, food, lace, Project Runway, my husband’s rock band, grand opera…and a million other things. Which takes precedence is a matter of choice, whimsey, and proximity.

So yes, I absolutely agree with you. You can’t concentrate on everything at once. We all have to decide our own priorities. Mine echo yours more closely than those of someone whose main priorities have to do mostly with appearance.