Aretha Franklin proud to be a 'big woman'

[sluce]

I am 5'2" and was at one point just under 300 lbs and wearing very tight size 28's. I was still very active and lead a full life. I had healthy blood pressure and colesterol numbers. Was I happy? No. I hated being that fat because I was formerly a small/normal sized woman and saw how others viewed me and I felt embarrased by it. Was I less a person, less intelligent, less kind, less worthy at that weight? No but I was treated like I was. I have since lost 150 lbs and wear a size 12. I am healthier now but I am still the same person I was at almost 300 lbs. Society sure treats me differently now though. People look me right in the eye when we speak and even hold doors for me. They don't laugh and point at me in the mall either. I find it funny that 2/3 of American Adults are over weight yet we still treat morbidly obese people as lesser people. The average sized American women is now a size 14 as was announced this week. A decade ago that would have been a size 16 but thanks to vanity sizing they can now be a 14. Size 14 counts as plus size clothes.

I would like to see Aretha drop some weight for her health but will think no less of her if she stays at her current size.

[MsDark]

No, a decade ago it would have been about a size 12, because the percentage of overweight was less than today. The percentage of overweight/obese has been steadily on the rise for the last 50 years or more. It's just reaching ridiculous proportions now. When my grandparents were kids their parents used to cook everything with lard/animal fat/bacon grease but existed with barely an ounce of extra fat. The big difference is that there was no TV, PC's, and everything else to keep them squat on their asses all day. They rose at dawn and actually moved around and expended energy throughout the day!

[flecjill]

I don't think the actual dress size number matters as much as the weight to height ratio.

[A*O]

I am 5'2" and was at one point just under 300 lbs and wearing very tight size 28's. I was still very active and lead a full life. I had healthy blood pressure and colesterol numbers. Was I happy? No. I hated being that fat because I was formerly a small/normal sized woman and saw how others viewed me and I felt embarrased by it. Was I less a person, less intelligent, less kind, less worthy at that weight? No but I was treated like I was. I have since lost 150 lbs and wear a size 12. I am healthier now but I am still the same person I was at almost 300 lbs. Society sure treats me differently now though. People look me right in the eye when we speak and even hold doors for me. .

.

I'm a little taller, and my top weight was just over 200lb (groan) but you are describing EXACTLY my experience when I was overweight, and then got back to a healthy weight. The Fat Years were the WORST period of my life and I was totally fucking miserable the whole time. Nothing to do with vanity - it was a feeling of total invisibility and worthlessness. A living hell. And I stand by my assertion that seriously overweight people are lying if they say they are happy with themselves.

[redheadlauren]

I hope the obese, fur wearing, absolutely disgusting hog dies a slow, painful death very, very soon. I will dance a jig of glee when I hear of her death!

That's a little extreme, don't ya think? Damn.