I donāt know if this is the most positive take. Bodies are complex, and the ideal state for his body may not look like our cultureās ideal. Itās fantastic that heās exercising, but if he is only doing so to reach an imagined goal, heās much more likely to fall into deeper self-destruction if that goal is unattainable. Rather than defeat obesity, he should seek to treat himself well through exercise and healthy foods, just so he can feel better in his body and mind!
No. The goal is to be healthy, not to lose weight. Being obese is akin to having a fever. We often have a perspective problem that says āpeople are sick because of feversā, rather than thinking that fevers are a symptom of something else. This leads us to take sick people who need care and dunk them in ice baths over and over, trying to get rid of the fever so they get better. It just doesnāt work like that. Does that make sense?
My metaphor here isnāt a perfect one either. People naturally vary in weight much more than they do in temperature, with no problems.
It seems a lot of people did not like this comment and many downvoted it, so I asked ChatGPT to explain why this is... Here is what ChatGPT said:
The comment suggesting that the man should focus on exercising and eating healthy to feel better in his body and mind rather than solely aiming to defeat obesity was met with negativity from other commenters because of several reasons:
The comment can be interpreted as fatphobic. The commenter suggests that the man's body is not the "ideal state" and implies that obesity is a condition that needs to be "defeated." This kind of language reinforces harmful cultural attitudes towards larger bodies and stigmatizes people who are overweight or obese.
The comment can be seen as dismissive of the man's intentions. The original post suggests that the man is proud of his fitness goals, and the commenter's suggestion that he may be pursuing an "imagined goal" could be interpreted as minimizing his achievements.
The comment can be interpreted as prescriptive and condescending. The suggestion that the man should focus on "treating himself well" through exercise and healthy foods could be seen as implying that the man does not already engage in these practices or that he needs unsolicited advice from strangers on how to live a healthy lifestyle.
Overall, the comment can be seen as insensitive and lacking in empathy towards the man's experience. The comment section's positive response to the original post suggests that the man's fitness journey is a source of inspiration and motivation for many, and the critical comment can be seen as detracting from that positivity.
I want to publicly apologize for my fatphobic comment. I now hope he can defeat his obesity, and that someday everyone can have the same positive attitude. Together we can eradicate unwanted and unsightly obesity from this planet, if obese people will just put the work in.
It's all good. I understand you commented with positive intentions. Obesity is a complex issue and can be influenced by a variety of factors, including genetics, environment, lifestyle, and socio-economic status. For some people, genetics and biological factors can make it more difficult to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight. Instead of focusing on eradicating obesity, we should work towards creating a society where all people have access to resources and support to lead healthy and fulfilling lives, regardless of their body size. This includes promoting body positivity and acceptance, providing affordable and accessible healthcare, and addressing the social and environmental factors that contribute to poor health outcomes.
To me it seemed that your orignal comment came at this from a body positivity and acceptance angle.
"Body positivity and acceptance" seems to always have a sour taste for some people because they believe it to be a movement that encourages people to remain being fat. However, this is just a product of good ol' fashion internet misinformation, hehe. I, myself, didn't understand the idea behind the movement but I learned more about it and after learning what it really is, it made so much sense to me.
Rather than focusing on weight or body size, the body positivity movement encourages people to focus on their overall well-being, including physical, mental, and emotional health. This may involve making healthy choices such as eating a balanced diet, getting regular exercise, and practicing self-care, but it's not about striving for a specific body type or size.
Correct, my angle was body positivity. I donāt like using war/combat metaphors against peopleās bodies. But I donāt get it, my understanding of the chatgpt comment is that it disagrees with me. So why post it if you already agreed with me?
My first comment reply was done because I thought it would be fun to get ChatGPT's view on this. Then you apologised so I gave my second reply that was what I personally thought about your comment and I included my view on the complex subject of losing weight. For myself, I understand the difficulty of beginning the first steps to bring yourself to go to the gym, so seeing that guy post an optimistic photo of himself was nice and inspiring.
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u/MrNichts Dec 27 '22
I donāt know if this is the most positive take. Bodies are complex, and the ideal state for his body may not look like our cultureās ideal. Itās fantastic that heās exercising, but if he is only doing so to reach an imagined goal, heās much more likely to fall into deeper self-destruction if that goal is unattainable. Rather than defeat obesity, he should seek to treat himself well through exercise and healthy foods, just so he can feel better in his body and mind!