# The dangers of stretch marks and loose skin should be emphasised more. Also, fuck anorexics. **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 8, 2012, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dangers-of-stretch-marks-and-loose-skin-should-be-emphasised-more-also-fuck-anorexics/640417 "2012-11-08T22:51:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dangers-of-stretch-marks-and-loose-skin-should-be-emphasised-more-also-fuck-anorexics/640417/21 "2012-11-09T13:44:40Z")
If you feel this is an important lesson, that would have made a big difference to the younger you, then you are certainly more than entitled to talk it up and impress it upon your own children with whatever gravitas you feel it deserves. However, adopting such a thing as policy, for the larger population is ill advised, in my opinion. There is a crisis concerning young girl’s body images pervading this society. Spreading more self loathing around, hardly seems a wise solution. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dangers-of-stretch-marks-and-loose-skin-should-be-emphasised-more-also-fuck-anorexics/640417/22 "2012-11-09T16:30:51Z")
> [@Simple\_Linctus](#): > > … If we need to make people uneasy about weight and this leads to much less obesity yet also a tiny number of extra anorexic deaths, then from a purely utilitirian viewpoint that is the way to go. Well, the OP has convinced me that she knows nothing about anorexia, AND that this country needs some compassion education just like we have sex education and anti-smoking education. Christ. Having grown up with a swim teammate who developed anorexia in highschool, I know that disease did _serious_ damage to her health for the rest of her life, even after she was in recovery. Fragile bones, eroded teeth, infertility, as well as cosmetic damage such as hair loss that was much less concealable than some stretch marks. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dangers-of-stretch-marks-and-loose-skin-should-be-emphasised-more-also-fuck-anorexics/640417/23 "2012-11-09T18:02:33Z")
Because clearly, \*clearly \*- some minor skin disfigurement is more disabling than a life-long psychological condition that can result in death. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dangers-of-stretch-marks-and-loose-skin-should-be-emphasised-more-also-fuck-anorexics/640417/24 "2012-11-09T18:06:47Z")
Stretch marks and loose skin are inconveniences, not health risks. If education is needed, then it should be for actual health issues, not vanity. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2012, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dangers-of-stretch-marks-and-loose-skin-should-be-emphasised-more-also-fuck-anorexics/640417/25 "2012-11-09T18:33:10Z")
> [@CandidGamera](#): > > Because clearly, \*clearly \*- some minor skin disfigurement is more disabling than a life-long psychological condition that can result in death. I was starting to think that I had misread the OP, because it came across as “Let’s talk to kids less about the life-threatening condition that has nothing to do with me; let’s talk to kids more about the vanity issue that I learned about too late.” Seriously, what the hell? ---
**Author:** ![cman89](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e0b2c6/32.png) [@cman89](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cman89)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2012, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dangers-of-stretch-marks-and-loose-skin-should-be-emphasised-more-also-fuck-anorexics/640417/26 "2012-11-12T14:27:27Z")
While I certainly dont think excess body fat is attractive on anybody, the real “danger” of being overweight or even obese is internal. From joint problems to cardiovascular stress to metabolic disregulation, the carrying around of too much body fat is a health issue that should be addressed given its rapidly rising prevalence in this country. I dont agree in weight discrimination per se, but I believe that societal pressures to avoid obesity can have both a goos purpose and a harmful one. As for stretch marks, that is merely an extra symptom of a serious issue, so for me, that is low on the list of negatives for being obese ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2012, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dangers-of-stretch-marks-and-loose-skin-should-be-emphasised-more-also-fuck-anorexics/640417/27 "2012-11-12T14:57:59Z")
Fat shaming is not helpful. It doesn’t help prevent fat. It doesn’t help heal fat. Shaming is about the least motivating behavioral modification technique possible for long term change. Know what does motivate kids? Fun. Movement. Exercise that’s disguised as play. So restore recess, stop the fearmongering that makes people keep their kids indoors, turn off the damn television/videogames/computer and let kids walk to school again. Are you still going to have fat kids? Yep. But at least you’ll have fat \*active \*kids, and they tend to be healthier than fat sedentary kids. We do teach an awful lot about nutrition to even very small kids now. What we don’t seem to be doing is much movement. We tell them it’s important to exercise, and then we tell them to sit still in their chairs for 6 hours a day. Guess which lesson they learn? I think we need to move past the fat thing entirely and look at functional capacity. Can you run, jump, stretch, climb stairs and carry loads without getting out of breath? Is your blood pressure okay? Is your blood sugar stable? These things, we’re learning, tell us far more about whether you are “healthy” than your BMI, and the range at which people can be healthy spans a far greater BMI than we previously thought. WhyNot, Normoweight kid/fat adult ---
**Author:** ![al27052](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/41988e/32.png) [@al27052](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/al27052)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2012, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dangers-of-stretch-marks-and-loose-skin-should-be-emphasised-more-also-fuck-anorexics/640417/28 "2012-11-12T15:18:07Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > This should be fun. But to point out the obvious, we really don’t understand how weight regulation works. If we did we wouldn’t have a society where 85% of the population thinks they are too fat and are unable to change it with any meaningful degree of long term success. > > Energy regulation probably evolved 3+ billion years ago, and is based on tons of redundant, complicated signals that we are only beginning to understand. If you think more ridicule is going to solve anything you are wrong, the only thing that will provide a meaningful cure for obesity is comprehending the biochemical signals the body uses to regulate bodyfat and weight, and finding ways to manipulate them. Besides, it is better to be a society full of fat people who are ok with themselves than a society full of fat people who hate themselves and each other. > > We have anti-fat education, it is called the outside world. There is a reason girls start wanting to diet in 2nd grade. There is no lack of understanding. I eat a nearly 100% raw diet, mainly fish and fruit, few condiments, one food at a time, and pretty much NOBODY who eats the way I do is obese. Sure, there’s the one person in ten thousand who can still be pretty heavy eating that way, but that’s their unusual genetics. Eat like our ancestors did 100K years ago, and you almost certainly won’t be fat. There are two factors stopping people from eating this way now, though. First is addiction to unhealthy foods–you develop a taste for overcooked foods when you are raised on them, even though your body doesn’t instinctively like them, and grains and dairy have opioids, which are highly addictive. Second is ignorance–people don’t know how to deal with those unhealthy cravings effectively. Eating a diet that is very high in good-quality fats, i.e., wild-caught fatty fish, for instance, reduces cravings pretty effectively. Nobody ever listens, though, they just make ignorant objections or ridicule me, then move on. And that’s OK. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2012, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dangers-of-stretch-marks-and-loose-skin-should-be-emphasised-more-also-fuck-anorexics/640417/29 "2012-11-12T23:02:56Z")
> [@al27052](#): > > There is no lack of understanding. I eat a nearly 100% raw diet, mainly fish and fruit, few condiments, one food at a time, and pretty much NOBODY who eats the way I do is obese. Sure, there’s the one person in ten thousand who can still be pretty heavy eating that way, but that’s their unusual genetics. > > Eat like our ancestors did 100K years ago, and you almost certainly won’t be fat. > > There are two factors stopping people from eating this way now, though. First is addiction to unhealthy foods–you develop a taste for overcooked foods when you are raised on them, even though your body doesn’t instinctively like them, and grains and dairy have opioids, which are highly addictive. > > Second is ignorance–people don’t know how to deal with those unhealthy cravings effectively. Eating a diet that is very high in good-quality fats, i.e., wild-caught fatty fish, for instance, reduces cravings pretty effectively. > > Nobody ever listens, though, they just make ignorant objections or ridicule me, then move on. And that’s OK. The obesity rates among vegetarians are about 6%, I think they are about 2% for vegans. That is vs the 30-40% rate for people who eat a western diet. I’m not denying that what you say is true. However I don’t know if it is realistic to say everyone will sustain that kind of lifestyle change anymore than abstinence is a realistic way to prevent STDs as a large scale public health initiative. If you can do it that is good. I personally don’t know if I could. Even if I did I would still be fat, just less fat. My point is that if people can’t sustain the kind of lifestyle you do on a permanent basis, the next best thing is to reprogram their leptin, ghrelin, T4, T3, etc. levels after a weight loss to look like they did before the weight loss. That will make weight maintenance far easier to succeed at. According to this, vegetarians are on average 13kg and 5BMI units lighter than meat eaters. > **[Vegetarians have longer life expectancy than meat eaters, finds study](https://www.nutraingredients.com/Article/2012/10/16/Vegetarians-have-longer-life-expectancy-than-meat-eaters/)** > > Following a vegetarian diet could mean you live more than nine years longer than you might by consuming meat based diets, according to new research findings. So again, not denying it. But since we are evolved to pursue foods high in salt, fat, and dense macronutrients asking people to bypass that in favor of a diet which is full of foods with low macronutrient ratings is a massive uphill climb, you speak of our ancestors but our ancestors who passed up foods that were calorie dense and full of sugar and fat in favor of plants didn’t survive long enough to be our ancestors. But again, kudos to you for doing it. If I had major health problems (which I do not at the moment) I would probably do it to. Right now I don’t have the motivation I guess. Your point about food cravings was interesting. Do you have a book or studies to back that up (ie, how to fulfill food cravings for unhealthy food in a healthy way)? I don’t eat a lot of fish, but I take 10g a day of fish oil tablets. I can’t say I’ve noticed anything from them (but I’m in my 30s so I guess I don’t have a lot of problems that fish oil would help me with). I don’t really have cravings for sugary things (cakes, candy, etc) or salty things. My cravings are more for red meat and breads. And diet soda. According to this those things would be due to a craving for iron and due to opioid releases from food. [http://rawfoodsos.com/2010/01/30/cravings-what-do-they-mean-and-when-should-you-listen/](http://rawfoodsos.com/2010/01/30/cravings-what-do-they-mean-and-when-should-you-listen/) Are you eating a paleo diet? ---
**Author:** ![al27052](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/41988e/32.png) [@al27052](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/al27052)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dangers-of-stretch-marks-and-loose-skin-should-be-emphasised-more-also-fuck-anorexics/640417/30 "2012-11-13T04:55:56Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > The obesity rates among vegetarians are about 6%, I think they are about 2% for vegans. That is vs the 30-40% rate for people who eat a western diet. I’m not denying that what you say is true. However I don’t know if it is realistic to say everyone will sustain that kind of lifestyle change anymore than abstinence is a realistic way to prevent STDs as a large scale public health initiative. If you can do it that is good. I personally don’t know if I could. Even if I did I would still be fat, just less fat. My point is that if people can’t sustain the kind of lifestyle you do on a permanent basis, the next best thing is to reprogram their leptin, ghrelin, T4, T3, etc. levels after a weight loss to look like they did before the weight loss. That will make weight maintenance far easier to succeed at. > > According to this, vegetarians are on average 13kg and 5BMI units lighter than meat eaters. > > [Vegetarians have longer life expectancy than meat eaters](http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Vegetarians-have-longer-life-expectancy-than-meat-eaters-finds-study) > > So again, not denying it. But since we are evolved to pursue foods high in salt, fat, and dense macronutrients asking people to bypass that in favor of a diet which is full of foods with low macronutrient ratings is a massive uphill climb, you speak of our ancestors but our ancestors who passed up foods that were calorie dense and full of sugar and fat in favor of plants didn’t survive long enough to be our ancestors. But again, kudos to you for doing it. If I had major health problems (which I do not at the moment) I would probably do it to. Right now I don’t have the motivation I guess. > > Your point about food cravings was interesting. Do you have a book or studies to back that up (ie, how to fulfill food cravings for unhealthy food in a healthy way)? I don’t eat a lot of fish, but I take 10g a day of fish oil tablets. I can’t say I’ve noticed anything from them (but I’m in my 30s so I guess I don’t have a lot of problems that fish oil would help me with). > > I don’t really have cravings for sugary things (cakes, candy, etc) or salty things. My cravings are more for red meat and breads. And diet soda. > > According to this those things would be due to a craving for iron and due to opioid releases from food. > > [http://rawfoodsos.com/2010/01/30/cravings-what-do-they-mean-and-when-should-you-listen/](http://rawfoodsos.com/2010/01/30/cravings-what-do-they-mean-and-when-should-you-listen/) > > Are you eating a paleo diet? Thank for the intelligent and thoughtful response. I eat a RAW Paleo diet, to be exact. I eat maybe 1-2% cooked food, roughly, usually for social reasons. I’m not against cooking in any absolute sense, but I do find that the heavier cooking methods like frying, long-time boiling, etc., don’t give me the light, healthy feeling that I get when I eat mostly raw. In addition, they kill the healthy bacteria that tones your immune system and repopulates your gut. AGEs, or advanced glycation end-products, are also a consideration. In addition, I (as do many people) find that eating raw improves aerobic capacity, which is a pleasant side effect. As far as documentation on the use of fat to control cravings, I’m sure there’s some stuff out there, but it’s simply common knowledge in the rawpaleo world. Eat enough good fats, and you’ll find cravings to be much more manageable. From what I’m reading, your diet seems very low in healthy fats. I suggest ocean-caught fatty wild fish, and perhaps some fatty organs and cuts from wild game or 100% grassfed animals. Totally unrefined coconut oil can also be helpful for some people, in moderation. It’s saturated fat, but your body needs some of that, especially in warmer weather and sunnier climates. Coconut oil also revs up your metabolism _very_ effectively. It’s used for weight loss by many people. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dangers-of-stretch-marks-and-loose-skin-should-be-emphasised-more-also-fuck-anorexics/640417/31 "2012-11-13T08:29:02Z")
> [@Simple\_Linctus](#): > > Saggy looking skin just looks old - I never saw loose skin of the kind you can expect if you lose weight past the age of about eighteen. I wasn’t even aware of the idea until I was at university (I think). > > If you mean stretch marks, I don’t think I ever saw them at old people at the beach. Although you have to remember I have probably been to the beach far less than you! I guess you didn’t know what they look like, or looked for them. I don’t know a single woman above age 12 who does not have some. Mine are barely noticeable any more, but hey, when you go from being the second-thinnest girl in the class to adult curves in three months, marks happen. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dangers-of-stretch-marks-and-loose-skin-should-be-emphasised-more-also-fuck-anorexics/640417/32 "2012-11-13T09:59:47Z")
My husband has stretch marks on his leg, from when he went on a bycicle riding holiday and really muscled up his leg. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dangers-of-stretch-marks-and-loose-skin-should-be-emphasised-more-also-fuck-anorexics/640417/33 "2012-11-13T10:11:36Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Working around power equipment, there is the loose skin concern. Safety tip of the day: If you are offered a job as a lathe operator in a nudist colony, think twice. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dangers-of-stretch-marks-and-loose-skin-should-be-emphasised-more-also-fuck-anorexics/640417/34 "2012-11-13T13:47:42Z")
> [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](#): > > Safety tip of the day: > > If you are offered a job as a lathe operator in a nudist colony, think twice. Never cook bacon over a campfire while naked. Yes, this \*is \*the voice of experience. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dangers-of-stretch-marks-and-loose-skin-should-be-emphasised-more-also-fuck-anorexics/640417/35 "2012-11-13T13:51:21Z")
Actually, there are health dangers to the extreme folds of skin that the very obese are often left with after a whole lot of weight loss. Bacteria and mold gets in those skin folds, and besides smelling awful, can lead to some pretty icky skin infections which can, if left untreated, turn into sepsis. But that’s an incredibly removed gross-out fear to try and motivate a person with. Think about it. If “screaming baby at 2 am, you’ll never date again and your parents may kick you out of the house” doesn’t motivate them to use condoms, this will not motivate them to keep their weight in check. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dangers-of-stretch-marks-and-loose-skin-should-be-emphasised-more-also-fuck-anorexics/640417/36 "2012-11-13T13:52:08Z")
Not as bad as nudist hot dog related mistakes :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dangers-of-stretch-marks-and-loose-skin-should-be-emphasised-more-also-fuck-anorexics/640417/37 "2012-11-13T14:01:35Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Exercise that’s disguised as play. I’ve had this phrase going through my mind for a day and a half. We are truly down the rabbit hole here, people. ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dangers-of-stretch-marks-and-loose-skin-should-be-emphasised-more-also-fuck-anorexics/640417/38 "2012-11-13T14:09:38Z")
> [@](#): > > I think that a lot of obese people, including myself, were less disciplined about getting fat on the basis that we could always lose weight later. Pointing out the fallicies of that - and from a cosmetic POV rather than health POV as the former matters more at those ages - could halt a lot of early weight gain. On the other hand, it might promote a defeatist attitude among people who arguably should lose some weight for health reasons. > [@](#): > > The long term conseqeuences of _temporary_ obesity are definitely _not_ made clear. Perhaps, but I think part of the problem is that overweight people who are middle-aged have a fantasy that they can lose weight and get back to the way they were at age 17. That’s simply not going to happen – even if they get back to the same weight, their body will be flabbier and their skin won’t look as nice. Or they will have an overly muscular look like Madonna. Even if they had stayed the same weight between ages 17 and 45, they will be a lot less aesthetic. ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dangers-of-stretch-marks-and-loose-skin-should-be-emphasised-more-also-fuck-anorexics/640417/39 "2012-11-13T14:13:06Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Fat shaming is not helpful. It doesn’t help prevent fat. It doesn’t help heal fat. Shaming is about the least motivating behavioral modification technique possible for long term change. Do you happen to have cites to back this up? Anecdotally, it seems that a lot of people who maintain their weight or who lose weight are motivated at least in part by shame and potential shame of being fat. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dangers-of-stretch-marks-and-loose-skin-should-be-emphasised-more-also-fuck-anorexics/640417/40 "2012-11-13T14:15:44Z")
> [@brazil84](#): > > Do you happen to have cites to back this up? Anecdotally, it seems that a lot of people who maintain their weight or who lose weight are motivated at least in part by shame and potential shame of being fat. Yes, insofar as \*nothing \*motivates most people to lose substantial amounts of weight for long. But no, I’m not going to spend the time to go look for support for my claims before the OP supports his. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dangers-of-stretch-marks-and-loose-skin-should-be-emphasised-more-also-fuck-anorexics/640417.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dangers-of-stretch-marks-and-loose-skin-should-be-emphasised-more-also-fuck-anorexics/640417.md?page=3)