What do YOU know about it?

[wednes]

In case you don't know, I'm what fictional serial killer Jame Gumb refers to as "A great big fat person."

And yet, when I discuss fat, fat-health, HAES, or make the slightest suggestion that weight may involve more than calories in/calories out someone will invariably say some variation of "Of course YOU'RE saying that, you're fat!"
The idea being that I can't possibly discuss issues pertaining to fat people because I'm so goddamn fat. Truthfully, I can discuss anything I want. As a fat person, my jaw muscles are mighty and strong.

The more I think about it, the odder it is that my being fat leads people to think I know LESS about fatness, or the study of weight, health, or anything about fatness and exercise. Someone once argued with me, rather vehemently, that it's impossible to be fat if you exercise every day. By their logic, I'm either a fictional character or a damnable liar.

I can't wait for this stupidity to seep into other demographics. I want to hear, "What the hell do YOU know about giving birth? You've got 17 children?!?" or "Of course YOU think I should go to the hospital for this heart attack--you're a doctor!"

Maybe I'm just feeling high and ranty.

Had a conference with my 9-year-old protege about the anthology submission we're working on. He has some tremendous ideas, a real love of gore and sensational deaths, and a strong sense of character and story. This thing is gonna be awesome. I dig the hell out of this kid.

Oh, and the Alfac meeting I had to sit through at my day job was made worthwhile when they gave me a stupid talking duck plushie.

Comments

[teresafloyd]

Ugh, tell me about it.

The same thing happens to people with disabilities.

Everyone but you is an expert on what you need to do to fix yourself, and if you aren't fixed yet, then you're just not taking the advice offered by your aunt, your cousin, the guy at the bus stop, the clerk in the clothing store. It's your own fault, really.

I keep having people tell me to just go for a walk every night to lose some weight. They tend not to give me any good advice for what to do about the searing pain from toes to knees that causes. I suspect that I'd weigh less if that didn't happen.

[wednes]

Yup. I grow very weary of docs (not MY doc, who is great, but so-called specialists) who make assumptions about my habits without even bothering to ask. I got put on Abilify a year or so ago, and it raised my blood sugar significantly. They wanted to treat me as diabetic, and told me to "stop drinking all that soda immediately." Not bothering to find out that I gave up soda years earlier. When I told them I thought it was the Abilify, they said "No matter what is causing it, you still need to be medicated" as if it's better to give me a harmful med, then another to counteract that harm instead of just finding me a non-harmful med.

And if I'm having issues with bi-polar, the last fucking thing I need to hear is how my bi-polar would lessen if I lost weight. The last time a nurse told me that, I asked her what study she was basing that on (thank you, Ragen Chastain). Her reply? "Couldn't hurt." Yeah well, chocolate covered cherries couldn't hurt either--maybe they should write me a scrip for THAT!

[teresafloyd]

My lovely doctor took one look at me and started talking about how I need to reduce my salt intake and then 'we'll look at getting you on some meds for high blood pressure.'

I asked him if my blood pressure was high because it normally isn't. THEN he looked at the chart in front of him. Let's just say I'm at higher risk of fainting from low pressure than of having a stroke.

It's amazing they haven't given me diabetes - the doctor always seems disappointed that I haven't got it yet. And it is actually a risk. I'm now at least 8 years older than my mother was when she first was diagnosed and many of my family have been younger.

As for soda, well the three to eight sodas that I drink per YEAR has to be what's keeping me fat, right?

[opaqueplanet]

I know. People think they know your health by looking at you. And you tell them "no, actually, my blood pressure is normal, my cholesterol and triglyceride levels are fantastic, and the only issues my doctor has with my health are brain ones." And they insist, "but think of the stress you're putting on your HEART! What about your HEART health?! You're more at RISK." And you're like, "look bitch, I just covered that." And they're like, well ok, but what about your JOINTS? Fat people have way more joint problems than 'normal' people" (and I'm like "normal people"). And I'm like "That's really funny, because when I tore some cartillage in my knee, I couldn't even FIND a knee brace big enough for me. You'd think if all these fat people were having joint problems, and all these joint problems were primarily fat people, that the BRACES WOULD BE DESIGNED FOR FAT PEOPLE. But it SEEMS like they're designed for ATHLETIC people. Almost as if athletic people had the most joint problems of any demographic!"

GRRR

[wednes]

Ah yes, the "Everybody knows" category of perpetuated ignorance. Gotta love it!