Scrolling through the pages of any magazine filled with ethereally beautiful models, or seeing a perfectly chiseled hero save a petite damsel in distress in the latest blockbuster hit, can make any average person squirm with insecurity. Most people have some aspect of their physical appearance that they are not quite satisfied with, it’s only human nature. One of the most common issues people are dissatisfied with is their weight.

As someone who struggled with weight issues as a teenager, I can totally relate, and guys can be just as insecure as girls about their weight and the way they look. Even though I kept busy playing sports in high school, it didn’t balance out the awful diet of pizza, soda and general assortment of unhealthy snacks that made up most of my calories, and it showed. I easily topped out at over 200 pounds (at 5’9”) going into my senior year and was filled with insecurities that translated into several aspects of my life.

For a while, I just accepted it. What could I do, I wasn’t some famous actor or model who could pay to have a nutritionist and trainer whip me into shape. I blamed several things for the way I looked, including the media. I blamed everything except the cause of my issue: me.

It wasn’t the media that was ordering a large pizza -- all for me -- every weekend. It wasn’t the people who were in good shape getting that large soda for me on the way home after practice. I was the the one causing my own weight issues and insecurities.

Once that realization came crashing down, I decided to take responsibility for the position I was in. My actions were what caused my issues, and through new actions I could change them.  

Several years later, I am better, both physically and mentally. I made health and fitness a priority and learned discipline and how to take responsibility for my own actions through the process. I still have the occasional large pizza, but I've learned how to have a healthy balance in my life, rather than consistently over indulging. I got to a level where I felt good about myself and was medically healthy. 

I shared this story, which I have not told to many people, for several reasons. One, is to show that I understand the struggles of being overweight, the teasing and the constant insecurities. Two, is to show that I understand the time and dedication it takes to break bad eating and lifestyle habits and know how much easier it is to make excuses and blame others. Three, I hope that by sharing my story, my article is not immediately discredited because it is written by a guy because, in my experience, proponents of the issue I am about to dive into like to accuse men who write about this topic of being misogynistic, or they say that the only goal is to shame every woman into being a blonde airhead with an impossibly thin waist and large bust. 

The point of this article is nothing of the sort. It is about people finding excuses for issues they have the power to change, promoting an unhealthy lifestyle for future generations and refocusing the discrimination onto those who lead a healthy lifestyle -- which brings me to the fat acceptance movement.   

I know it’s not realistic for everyone to be walking around with bulging biceps and flat stomachs. I know not everyone can dedicate time every day to go to the gym. I know that not everyone who is a part of this movement is obese or overweight and are in it for the anti-bullying aspects. But there is no reason that people cannot make small changes in order to get their health in check. There is no reason to accept obesity as a goal to strive for. 

One of the biggest issues that the fat acceptance movement ignores is that obesity isn’t a trivial genetic quirk, like a larger than average nose or another physical characteristic that has no bearing on a person’s health. Even though obesity comes with numerous health issues, like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and a shorter life span, the numbers of obese people are continuing to grow worldwide. 

According to the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013, the number of obese people worldwide has gone from 857 million in 1980, to 2.1 billion in 2013. In the United States, roughly one-third of the adult population is considered obese and over one-third of children and adolescents are considered overweight or obese, making the United States the most obese country in the world. 

It is sad that, despite all of our educational, medical and nutritional advantages, which many other parts of the world don’t have, our country takes pride in being the most overweight. It doesn’t look like the U.S. will be losing that title anytime soon, as younger generations are already matching the adult obesity pace, and it’s not likely that they will change their lifestyle once they hit adulthood. 

One reason change is difficult is because when someone tries to make a lifestyle change, they are ridiculed just as bad as someone who is obese. Eating a salad instead of a slice of pizza has become taboo. Snarky phrases like, “What, are you on a diet, or something?” can be very discouraging, especially when coming from friends. It’s as if a desire for self-improvement is now considered a negative quality. 

When someone sees progress with a lifestyle change, it is often met with comments like, “You only lost that weight because you’re, like, full on anorexic now,” and “You look gross, you need a hamburger,” rather than support and encouragement. Apparently, deciding to work out and eat healthy is no longer acceptable, even if it is just to be healthier. It's like the only reason a person can have for wanting to work out is because they are vain and narcissistic, not because they actually enjoy it or want to get in better shape. 

People have all the tools they need in this country to be healthy, but they also have an endless supply of excuses. Unfortunately, the fat acceptance movement is just another one. There is nothing wrong with not looking like those magazine models and movie stars, in fact I think pressuring everyone to look like that is ridiculous, but there is no benefit to promoting obesity as a goal to strive for. Why can’t this movement be about people who are simply healthy? Being healthy doesn’t mean having a six pack, it means keeping your lifestyle and diet appropriate for the highest possible quality of life.

I’m sure there are people out there who will turn their noses up at this article, but there is no ignoring that obesity is a problem -- one which cannot be remedied by blaming other people. It is a real problem that needs to be addressed as the global health issue that it is.

The fat acceptance movement is trying to ignore the health issue and change society’s image of what a normal person looks like, but by going from one extreme to another.They are trying to make being overweight the norm which, if current health trends continue, could become reality. However, they claim to be about “size acceptance for all.” On the web page of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, the organization's goals are as follows: 

"Founded in 1969, NAAFA is a non-profit civil rights organization dedicated to ending size discrimination in all of its forms. NAAFA's goal is to help build a society in which people of every size are accepted with dignity and equality in all aspects of life. NAAFA will pursue this goal through advocacy, public education, and support."

After looking over their website, I was only able to find issues about overweight people. They claim to be about size acceptance for everyone but, apparently, that only includes sizes of the plus variety. I struggled to find anything about people who might be considered too skinny, who also face a social stigma, or any resources for them to be a part of the size discrimination movement. Maybe that is because if someone started a skinny acceptance movement they would not be taken seriously.

Size and weight discrimination are an issue, but it is not something that can be fixed by promoting an unhealthy way of life. Instead, why not fight for businesses and schools to support their workers and students having a healthy lifestyle? There are countless organizations and movements that promote an active, healthy lifestyle and acceptance. There are programs which help build self-esteem and encourage participants to improve upon themselves. These are movements that should be getting support. The fat acceptance movement shouldn’t.

It's great that there is a community of support for people to turn to when they need help or have been bullied, but this support should also extend to encouraging each other to be healthy. I understand why people gravitate towards it, now; it’s easy, it requires no change and makes you feel accepted. But, it’s just a short term solution, a type of temporary bandaid to the global health issue of obesity. The sooner we address obesity as an issue, the sooner solutions can be found.

Image courtesy of http://socialmarketing.blogs.com/r_craiig_lefebvre...