# How Fat is Too Fat? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 30, 2012, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622 "2012-11-30T22:47:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![LurkerInNJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ed655f/32.png) [@LurkerInNJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkerInNJ)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2012, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/121 "2012-12-02T23:15:22Z")
> [@mage-girl](#): > > I think my main culprit is lack of exercise. But I can’t afford a gym membership (I’m on disability) and I don’t live in the safest neighborhood so walking is not the best idea. Literally, I live right next door to a rooming house. Plus, I have a bad back that I’m in PT for. So, how am I supposed to exercise? Anyone got an answer for that? You could walk in a circle around the kitchen table or the sofa. Literally. Walk from one end of the house to the other, over and over. Sit on the couch and do arm circles. Unless you are a quad, you can exercise. The Pentagon Channel has some great workouts. If you don’t have cable, you can get the workouts online: [http://www.pentagonchannel.mil/Shows/FitforDuty.aspx#](http://www.pentagonchannel.mil/Shows/FitforDuty.aspx#) you can do a lot of their exercises at home with hand weights, a band, a chair, and a medicine ball. If you don’t have that, you can make do with homemade sandbags and a plastic milk jug filled with water or sand. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2012, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/122 "2012-12-03T00:36:57Z")
> [@mage-girl](#): > > I would like to point out that often losing weight can require extra money, which is not something everyone has. > > You would think, “hey, I’m eating less, I’m going to save on groceries!” Not necessarily. You’ll probably be picking up more fresh fruits and veggies (which are more expensive than canned) and lean protein, which does cost more. Heck, Mom and I only got to have chicken breasts this month because WalMart had a sale! > > When you’re on a limited income, like some of us, there isn’t a lot of room in the budget for “extra” stuff. And weight loss can seem like an “extra”, particularly if you’ve got multiple doctor bills breathing down your neck (like me). > > Most of these bills are for problems that are not obesity-related. Even my sleep apnea might not be totally caused by obesity, surprisingly enough; on a recent doctor visit he said I didn’t have a lot of room in the back of my throat for some reason. Probably related to the fact I had to get my wisdom teeth removed, and then another bunch removed too. My head is too small I think. Weird. > > I just checked out the Medifast web site… The hormone doctor had wanted me to go on that. It costs over $300 for 4 weeks worth of meals. Not counting shipping. That is my food budget for the month. I wouldn’t be able to do that plan anyway; I have some food dislikes that are over 30 years old. You are not going to get me to eat fish or mayonnaise, period. Yuck. > > I don’t eat out much at all, and I think my main culprit is lack of exercise. But I can’t afford a gym membership (I’m on disability) and I don’t live in the safest neighborhood so walking is not the best idea. Literally, I live right next door to a rooming house. Plus, I have a bad back that I’m in PT for. So, how am I supposed to exercise? Anyone got an answer for that? > > The sad thing is that I was normal weight until high school. I blame puberty. Well, a little. -\_^ There’s always the revolutionary, money-saving diet of eating the same foods you’ve been eating, but less of them. It seems like someone always pops in to these threads to say how they can’t afford to eat better and lose weight, or they can’t possibly exercise. It may seem that way when you’re discouraged by the situation you’re in, but instead of looking for reasons why it won’t work, try looking for ways to make it work for you. P.S. I don’t know anyone who has succeeded in keeping off the weight they lost with Optifast. I think that type of liquid diet is doomed to failure, because there’s no way to incorporate it once you’re done losing weight. P.P.S. I’d be willing to bet that the sleep apnea will improve if you lose the weight. Knowing you may have a small throat should be giving you more incentive to lose weight, not less. ---
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2012, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/123 "2012-12-03T01:18:37Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > And I doubt that any other user would have seen me being sneered at. It wasn’t done loudly, but it was definitely malicious. Just because you haven’t seen it doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. Some gyms are worse than others. I’ve been overweight or obese most of my life (lost it, regained it, lost it again - regained it. Now trying to lose it again). I tried the gym but found it just wasn’t to my liking - I prefer to outdoors and waking around looking at the scenery or riding my bike (wieght training was good). While I don’t recall being sneered at or abused I certainly _expected_ to be. Because the kind of people who have been giving me shit about being overweight for years also tended to be the ones who were the biggest gym junkies. I tend to be an introvert anyway and the prospect of subjecting myself to more taunts and abuse (after years of it at school and after) always made the gym a less than appealing prospect. ---
**Author:** ![MsBatt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@MsBatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsBatt)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2012, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/124 "2012-12-03T02:01:36Z")
Weight-loss surgery is a viable, medically sound alternative for many people. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it—or at least researched the hell out of it. ---
**Author:** ![Hbns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hbns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hbns)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2012, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/125 "2012-12-03T02:14:23Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > **Hbns** the currently obese and unfit are hard to treat. Prevention is always more effective and usually a better investment. The fact of the matter is that targeting the obesity is rarely successful. It requires huge resources for little health gain. Could not agree more. With issues of public health, prevention should generally have a lower associated cost. I agree obesity is the symptom, and that treating the symptom seldom addresses the root cause. > [@](#): > > OTOH targeting fitness is more often successful, has huge health benefits for little governmental or insurance company cost, requires little but time and effort from the individual, has mental health benefits as well, and may bring about better results on the adiposity as well than do traditional “weight management” approaches. I agree that targeting fitness is the best fiscally responsible broad based approach both in the short and long term. Save the more expensive medical and psychiatric solutions for those cases at the margins that aren’t reachable with the broad based approach. > [@](#): > > Government cardio mandates? You get that with the death panels maybe? No. Just the health professionals and the media trying to modify the message from the scale to the behaviors. Look at that, you do have a sense of humor. How effective can a media campaign be without resorting to marginalizing and ostracizing the unfit ala the the anti tobacco campaign? ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2012, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/126 "2012-12-03T04:31:41Z")
Glad we can find some common ground. As to how effective a positive messaging media campaign can be, the answer is fairly clear. Pretty effective. This may upset your political sensitivities but it turns out that the ads for Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” campaign [are pretty effective](http://www.yaleruddcenter.org/resources/upload/docs/what/bias/Public_Perceptions_Public_Health_Campaigns_IJO_9.12.pdf) and work significantly better than marginalizing and ostracizing (which as per cites already provided are already known to increase obesity rates, not decrease it). > [@](#): > > RESULTS:Participants responded most favorably to messages involving themes of increased fruit and vegetable consumption, and general messages involving multiple health behaviors. Messages that have been publicly criticized for their stigmatizing content received the most negative ratings and the lowest intentions to comply with message content. Furthermore, messages that were perceived to be most positive and motivating made no mention of the word ‘obesity’ at all, and instead focused on making healthy behavioral changes without reference to body weight.CONCLUSION:These findings have important implications for framing messages in public health campaigns to address obesity, and suggest that certain types of messages may lead to increased motivation for behavior change among the public, whereas others may be perceived as stigmatizing and instill less motivation to improve health… > > … Despite widespread prejudice induced by societal weight stigmatization, there nevertheless remains a perception that stigmatizing obese persons will instill motivation to engage in healthier lifestyles or is necessary to raise public awareness about the seriousness of obesity … Although this perception may be common, considerable evidence demonstrates that individuals who feel stigmatized or shamed about their excess weight engage in higher calorie intake, unhealthy eating behaviors, binge-eating patterns, as well as avoidance of exercise, 15,22,52 which can reinforce weight gain and impair weight loss. Thus, public health campaigns that communicate stigmatizing, shameful messages could inadvertently make the problem worse and harm those most in need of help. The current findings provide new evidence to suggest that the public does indeed perceive such messages to be stigmatizing, inappropriate and ineffective, with lower intentions to act upon the messages’ content. > > In addition, it was found that public health messages that instead focus on making behavioral changes (for example, increased fruit and vegetable consumption, increased physical activity) in a non-stigmatizing way received the most positive ratings and highest intentions for compliance. Of interest, messages that were perceived to be most positive and motivating made no mention of ‘obesity’ at all. This suggests, perhaps, that people may be more amenable to improving their lifestyle behaviors when the emphasis is on health, rather than body weight per se. … Results of course are what matter, and the result of the “Let’s Move!” efforts, combined with other efforts at _multiple levels_, have been as cited: halting the rise of pediatric obesity and even beginning to reverse it. This is simple stuff that every decent parent has learned: kids respond better to be told what _to do_, not what _not_ to do, coupled with making it easier for them to do it. Adults too. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Dord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3be4f8/32.png) [@The\_Dord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Dord)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2012, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/127 "2012-12-03T07:51:26Z")
I’ve been overweight all of my life an the most obvious advice doesn’t work for me, well because my brain says “I’M HUNGRY! FEED ME!” and my enlarged stomach doesn’t feel fullness until its too late. I paid the price: I’m diabetic now (I was diagnosed last week) and I’m pretty much forced to eat less-than to near-normal amounts of food (no over-eating) with very little to no simple carbs and drink sugar-free flavored waters or water. I’m slowly getting used to healthy vegetables, but carrots give me that throw up response if I try to eat them. I’m thinking of investing in more whole grains like barely to replace rice. ---
**Author:** ![Weedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/weedy/32/301_2.png) [@Weedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weedy)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2012, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/128 "2012-12-03T12:04:55Z")
> [@Mississippienne](#): > > I eat small meals four or fives times a day. I get hungry frequently, so I might get cereal when I wake up, then a bit later a banana as I head to work, then I might buy a pizza slice or a sandwich at the food court while I’m at work. At home, I fix a hamburger steak with gravy and a side of canned vegetables, then at night I’ll eat a bagel or a PB&J or something like that. I don’t starve myself so I’m not ravenous when I sit down to eat, so I don’t stuff myself until I’m about to puke. > > \ > I am proof that your options are not “eat yummy and be fat” or “be slim but eat like a bird”. That really doesnt look like much food to me. If that is all a skinny person gets to eat every day for the rest of their life, then I guess I will stay fat. I would be hungry and miserable from lunch-time onwards. ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2012, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/129 "2012-12-03T12:58:27Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > These are medical programs that are straight up setting the goals as realistic ones and are several months long or longer, often with longer periods of follow up. These are not things that people do to be ready for next month’s wedding or High School Reunion. These are not bizzaro diets. These are programs that spend much energy trying to teach the long term changes that will be required to maintain weight loss. Part of every one of these programs is setting realistic goals and some have including psychological counseling. I decided to check out this claim and I am skeptical. The study you link to sent something like half of the subjects to popular weight loss programs like Weight Watchers. In fact, Weight Watchers was specifically mentioned. I then went to Youtube and searched for Weight Watchers ads and picked the first one which did not feature celebrities. [Here it is](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XU0zFFZ28Xs) As you can see, it features a man who used Weight Watchers to lose 109 pounds. I searched him on Google, apparently his starting weight was 294 pounds. So you see, Weight Watchers definitely promotes the fantasy of recapturing your lost youth; becoming one of the thin people; etc. And why not? They are a money making operation and that’s what sells. Nevertheless, I maintain as a non-expert that this is the absolute wrong mentality to have in connection with a weight loss program. It’s just common sense. Look, I don’t know the right way to lose weight permanently, but I do know what’s wrong. And of the weight loss recidivists, a lot of people are doing stuff that’s clearly wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Hbns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hbns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hbns)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2012, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/130 "2012-12-03T18:40:01Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > This is simple stuff that every decent parent has learned: kids respond better to be told what _to do_, not what _not_ to do, coupled with making it easier for them to do it. Adults too. Agreed, this is a good approach during development. How does lack of fitness in the adult population get addressed? Positive reenforcement is the proven method for long lasting behavior modification, however the anti tobacco campaign seems to have gained momentum when it went to negative imagery and messages. I can’t help but wonder what serious a nationalized fitness campaign would look like? “Eat well, exercise daily, live well!” or “Get off your butt honey, no one likes gluttony!” or “Be smart, start exercising!” ---
**Author:** ![Mississippienne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d2c977/32.png) [@Mississippienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mississippienne)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2012, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/131 "2012-12-03T20:08:27Z")
> [@Weedy](#): > > That really doesnt look like much food to me. If that is all a skinny person gets to eat every day for the rest of their life, then I guess I will stay fat. I would be hungry and miserable from lunch-time onwards. Wait, what the hell are you eating? I’m talking about how I might get a slice of pizza, how is that too paltry for you? What, do you dip the slice in lard or something? It’s not like I live off crackers and tofu, fer chrissakes. ---
**Author:** ![Michael63129](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3da27b/32.png) [@Michael63129](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael63129)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2012, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/132 "2012-12-03T20:25:52Z")
> [@Mississippienne](#): > > Wait, what the hell are you eating? I’m talking about how I might get a slice of pizza, how is that too paltry for you? What, do you dip the slice in lard or something? It’s not like I live off crackers and tofu, fer chrissakes. I think **Weedy** means that a single slice of pizza isn’t that much, although that also depends on how big a “slice” is; when I have pizza (from the store), I eat two slices, with the pizza cut into eighths (the box says there are 6 servings, so that is 1.5 servings). On the other hand, some people might eat an entire large pizza at one sitting (a day’s worth of calories, more or less) and consider that to be a “slice”. ---
**Author:** ![Weedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/weedy/32/301_2.png) [@Weedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weedy)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2012, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/133 "2012-12-03T21:11:32Z")
> [@Mississippienne](#): > > Wait, what the hell are you eating? I’m talking about how I might get a slice of pizza, how is that too paltry for you? What, do you dip the slice in lard or something? It’s not like I live off crackers and tofu, fer chrissakes. Id probably eat more than one slice, or eat a sandwich plus something else. I brought it up because skinny people often say they eat whatever they want or similar things, but if you look at what they eat, it turns out they dont want very much. Compared to what I would be eating if I ate whatever I wanted. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2012, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/134 "2012-12-03T21:14:41Z")
> [@brazil84](#): > > I decided to check out this claim and I am skeptical. The study you link to sent something like half of the subjects to popular weight loss programs like Weight Watchers. … Fair enough points. ---
**Author:** ![Kaio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c68b51/32.png) [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2012, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/135 "2012-12-03T21:25:46Z")
> [@Michael63129](#): > > I think **Weedy** means that a single slice of pizza isn’t that much, although that also depends on how big a “slice” is; when I have pizza (from the store), I eat two slices, with the pizza cut into eighths (the box says there are 6 servings, so that is 1.5 servings). On the other hand, some people might eat an entire large pizza at one sitting (a day’s worth of calories, more or less) and consider that to be a “slice”. Perhaps he missed that she’s eating a pretty big dinner? Like Mississippienne, lunch is a lighter meal for me because eating a lot mid-day makes me sluggish in the afternoon, and I’m just not that hungry that early in the day. I won’t have more than a sandwich, perhaps with some baby carrots, and the mid-afternoon snack would be a granola bar or some fruit or something. If I ate a slice of pizza (assuming a NY style slice you’d get at your standard take-out place), I’d be quite full and likely would need to skip my mid-afternoon snack. Two slices and dinner would be more like a snack. Dinner, on the other hand, is my “main” meal and I eat quite a bit more during the evening meal. Not everyone is like this – so if he’s looking at pizza for lunch and thinking that’s nothing, I can see that if he’s used to lunch being his main meal and dinner is the equivalent of a sandwich. Regardless which way you do it the daily intake works out to about the same. ---
**Author:** ![Kaio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c68b51/32.png) [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2012, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/136 "2012-12-03T21:31:20Z")
> [@Weedy](#): > > I brought it up because skinny people often say they eat whatever they want or similar things, but if you look at what they eat, it turns out they dont want very much. Compared to what I would be eating if I ate whatever I wanted. A person does adjust to eating smaller amounts of food over time, as long as you’re still eating enough to support your activity level. I’m not ravenously hungry all the time, and part of my strategy is to stop eating when I’m full (which I’m actually not awesome with, but hey). However my activity level is also enough to support more food than average, I think. I don’t count calories but at a rough estimate I probably eat 2300-2500 calories a day. It’s definitely more than 2000. I couldn’t eat that much if I weren’t running 45+ minutes every day, though, plus have some lean muscle mass that means I burn more sitting on my ass, too. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2012, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/137 "2012-12-03T21:53:15Z")
> [@brazil84](#): > > I decided to check out this claim and I am skeptical. The study you link to sent something like half of the subjects to popular weight loss programs like Weight Watchers. In fact, Weight Watchers was specifically mentioned. > > I then went to Youtube and searched for Weight Watchers ads and picked the first one which did not feature celebrities. > > [Here it is](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XU0zFFZ28Xs) > > As you can see, it features a man who used Weight Watchers to lose 109 pounds. I searched him on Google, apparently his starting weight was 294 pounds. You need to re-watch that commercial. The couple together lost 109 lbs. and the wife alone lost 53 lbs. 109-53=56 lbs. > [@](#): > > So you see, Weight Watchers definitely promotes the fantasy of recapturing your lost youth; becoming one of the thin people; etc. And why not? They are a money making operation and that’s what sells. > > Nevertheless, I maintain as a non-expert that this is the absolute wrong mentality to have in connection with a weight loss program. It’s just common sense. > > Look, I don’t know the right way to lose weight permanently, but I do know what’s wrong. And of the weight loss recidivists, a lot of people are doing stuff that’s clearly wrong. Of course Weight Watchers sells the fantasy of being one of the thin people. They’re in the weight-loss business. What the hell else are they supposed to sell? Weight Watchers tends to show younger people in its advertising because its membership tends to skew older. They’re trying to dispel the notion that it’s just for older people, so they’re playing up their online-only program (which is what this commercial is for) and showing younger people in commercials and advertising for their regular meetings program. That being said, Weight Watchers’ focus is, and has always been, about adopting a healthier diet and modifying behaviors. If you can do that successfully, and if you stick with it (which isn’t that hard), you will lose weight and you will keep it off without trying all that hard. It’s the people who look for the easy way out and stop when they hit their magic number who gain it back. ---
**Author:** ![LurkerInNJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ed655f/32.png) [@LurkerInNJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkerInNJ)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2012, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/138 "2012-12-03T22:03:21Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > I’ve had a few patrons sneer at me, which I can handle. I’ve been told that I had no right to move slowly in the pool (which was not the lap pool, but the water aerobic pool). I’ve been told that I should just stay home and stuff cookies into my mouth until I die, because there’s no hope for me. I’ve been mooed at. OK, I can handle that, it happens in general public places, most people are quite nice but there’s always a few assholes who think it’s hilarious to make fun of someone who’s different. I’ve had people make fun of my walk, too. However, when I go and ask a gym employee how to use a piece of equipment, or just what the etiquette is, I don’t expect to be ridiculed and told that if I had been hitting a gym regularly that I’d KNOW how to do this simple thing. > > So I got a Cardio Cruiser, which squeaks (apparently this machine is prone to squeaking) but otherwise doesn’t make any wisecracks about my weight or fitness level. > > And I doubt that any other user would have seen me being sneered at. It wasn’t done loudly, but it was definitely malicious. Just because you haven’t seen it doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. Some gyms are worse than others. So you are saying that in a gym, you were: 1. sneered at by other patrons 2. told you had no right to move slowly in the aerobic pool, and I’ll assume this wasn’t in the middle of someone’s class that you weren’t a part of 3. told that you should just stay home and stuff cookies into your mouth until you die, because there’s no hope for you 4. mooed at, and not by stray cows 5. had your walk made fun of 6. ridiculed when you asked an employee for instructions on how to use a machine 7. ridiculed when you asked an employee about gym etiquette 8. told flat out by an employee that if you had been hitting a gym regularly that you would KNOW how to do whatever simple thing you were inquiring about I’m really astonished that your local gyms, businesses that make their money getting people in shape and keeping them in shape, allow this to happen since you and other large people are their target market. It amazes me that myself and other hardcore gym goers have never witnessed such conduct. In 30+ years of working out regularly, I’ve never set foot in a gym that would tolerate such conduct from a patron, never mind an employee. Frankly, in my gym, the trainers practically fight over who gets first dibs on the fat chicks because they tend to be the best customers. The women start working with a trainer, have positive support and encouragement and see results. They bond with their trainer, keep losing weight and shaping up, and begin to make all kinds of changes. The ones that don’t get scared and quit, it’s really something to see how they change over a year or two. Not just physically but mentally. Once that switch is flipped and they see what their life could be like, they don’t stop. They don’t have any more excuses, just goals. And they blossom. In 30+ years, I’ve never gotten tired of watching it happen. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2012, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/139 "2012-12-03T22:34:42Z")
> [@](#): > > I’m really astonished that your local gyms, businesses that make their money getting people in shape and keeping them in shape, allow this to happen since you and other large people are their target market. It amazes me that myself and other hardcore gym goers have never witnessed such conduct. In 30+ years of working out regularly, I’ve never set foot in a gym that would tolerate such conduct from a patron, never mind an employee. Apparently, the target markets for these gyms are people who want to hit the gym for an hour each day, and who are already in shape. They don’t want the fatties, and they sure as hell don’t want anyone with any mobility problems. I had to learn that people are expected to wipe down the equipment with sprays and towels on the SDMB, for crying out loud. I mean, I asked if there was something that I was supposed to be doing other than just hopping on random pieces of equipment, and NONE of the gym staff was interested in telling me anything like that. Now, it wasn’t very many people who gave me shit about my weight and fitness level, but I figured that the gym wasn’t interested in my money. I asked about meeting with a personal trainer a couple of times, but nobody was ever available. I was supposed to get a couple of sessions free for signing up, and possibly I would have become a regular, but I guess that being available was too much of a chore. So, like I said, I got a Cardio Cruiser, which works fairly well. It’s just one machine, and so I have to do some other exercises as well, but it’s good for stamina. I don’t have to fight traffic for 45 minutes to use it. I can use it whenever I want to. Sometimes I might have to remove a cat or two first, but that’s pretty easy. And the thing cost less than half a year’s dues, not even including the sign up fee. And what is up with sign up fees, anyway? In one gym, I was supposed to get three private training sessions for signing up, but in the other two, I was just told that this was the way it was. ---
**Author:** ![Modern\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@Modern\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Modern_Master)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2012, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622/140 "2012-12-03T22:42:09Z")
What happened to being happy with your body? Shame on people who are satisfied with their body and don’t feel like running on the hamster wheel. \*Tsk Tsk \* [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fat-is-too-fat/642622.md?page=8)