I started this thread as a joke/troll job which worked beautifully as you can see from the various meltdowns, but to get serious for a second, I will say that the thing that bothers me the most is the outright CHILD ABUSE seen in these obese families. When I see the kids getting effected by their parents horrible lifestyles it really turns off my sympathy switch.
I've fortunately never had a problem being overweight. I credit my mom and dad for passing along skinny genes. I particularly give thanks to my mom providing healthy foods in sensible portions. My stepdad was short and chubby, but not obese. He liked sugary and fatty foods. Fortunately he was physically active, which probably helped him keep his weight in check. As he got older, he actually slimmed down some. I doubt he ever actively dieted.
A former coworker and good friend of mine has always struggled with obesity. I say always because both he and his twin brother were large people from the get go. During the two decades we worked together he was always on some kind of a diet. None of them were successful. Of course, he could have stuffed his face when I wasn't around and I wouldn't have known. He did have a slow metabolism in my opinion. Some folks just exude energy and some don't; he doesn't.
I don't count calories. I occasionally eat junk food (late last night, I had a chip attack and ate two handfuls of Lay's potato chips right before going to bed). I eat when I am hungry and don't when I am not. Today for breakfast I had a glass of orange juice, a latte, and a toasted bagel with salmon cream cheese spread, for lunch I had a glass of V-8 juice, for and afternoon snack I had a "green drink" which is a combination of fruits and vegetables made into a smoothie. For dinner I ate homemade broccoli cheddar soup, salad and a French roll. I have no idea how many calories there was in today's fare, nor do I care. Some days I eat more and other times I eat less. I eat to stay alive.
Some people have food addictions. Other people simply have poor eating habits. There are a number of health issues which can actually contribute to obesity. For example thyroid problems. Menopause and other hormone imbalances can cause weight gain. My wife has health issues which severely limit her activities. She's not fat, but she's not thin either and she doesn't eat much at all. There is no one size fits all, when it comes to what causes obesity. Sure, we can all point to someone who seems to fit the stereotypical fat lazy person and use them as an example as to why people get fat. But they are not everyone.
I especially appreciate those of you who have shared you personal journeys and who seem to have achieved success in losing and maintaining a healthy weight. By sharing your stories, perhaps you will inspire someone who is trying to lose some excess weight and thus help them to do that.
We live in a world where there is much abundance. Many of our food sources have been genetically altered and we have no idea what that might do to us when we eat them. All is all, we are less active as a society. Fast food is unfortunately a mainstay in many of our diets, either because we believe we have no time to prepare our own meals or because we are too lazy to do so. Eat out almost anywhere, and the size of the servings are often obscenely huge. People who would once have been considered overweight are often considered the norm. Just look as the size of some of the backsides of the women who folks post photos of here and who many think look sexy and not overweight. Look at the size of champion bodybuilders today verses a few decades ago. Like it or not, it seems as if everything is getting bigger and, well, fatter.
To answer the question posed in the tread title, yes fat people are real.
