Body positivity is not meant to be about promoting obesity, or accepting that it's normal. Body positivity is about self esteem. So many people obviously just don't get it. Articles like the Cosmo one doesn't help though. Often poor self esteem coincides with mental health issues that also coincides with lack of motivation, emotional eating etc. It's also about teaching people that just because some are obese does not mean they don't deserve to be treated with respect and kindness. We are obese, not stupid so we know what effects it has and health issues. People picking on overweight/obese actually make things worse, not better. Bullying, teasing etc rarely helps anyone. Plus obesity is not always caused by poor diet and lack of exercise. There are many factors to take into account. How about you mind your own damn business since you have no idea what the individual is going through. It's between the individual and their doctor.

I think we've become so deranged about body fat, and the conversation has become so toxic, we all need to take a collective deep breath and step back. Let people be. You want to encourage healthy behavior? Then do that. Keep your disdain & disgust to yourself.

IMHO people can't lose a large amount of weight and reduce obesity-related health problems unless they have feelings self-worth. The Fat Acceptance thing can be the first step on a positive journey towards a better self-image and better physical health, it means letting go of feelings of the self-hatred and shame that burden many fat people. Shaming people over their weight accomplishes nothing but ruined self-esteem (or defiance, in my case), but some people won't give up the idea that they can shame the whole world into being thinner.

Body positivity is not promoting obesity and saying "hey let's all get extra fat because that's a good thing". Obese people know it's not healthy to not be able to fit in a chair or to walk for more than 3 minutes. Just like smokers know smoking is bad and just like drinkers know being an alcoholic is not good for you and junkies know drugs ruins your life and will likely kill you. People don't have to be told what's bad for them, they know. Body positivity is about not shaming people for being extra large or extra skinny, not shaming them if they feel like eating McDonalds or a soft serve on a sunny summer day. It's about people being able to be proud of who they are and not judged for their pants size and not having to hide themselves when they are a larger (or smaller) size. It's about everyone having the right to feel good about themselves, no matter what they look like and no matter how many inches their waist is. And even if you cannot fathom that, it's certainly not up to you to judge others. You don't know their life, you don't know what choices they make and why, or what they might be dealing with. They might prefer a larger size, they might have an illness (physical or mental), they might have all sorts of issues you know nothing about. Be kind and whenever you feel like judging other people publicly look at yourself in the bathroom mirror and repeat "it's none of my business, it's none of my business, it's none of my business" until the urge passes

Body positivity is just about loving your body. If people don't hate their bodies, they'll show it the respect it deserves to live a healthy lifestyle. The guy may well be right, but making those people feel bad about feeling good about themselves will likely have a negative outcome, instead of what he's hoping to achieve.

This guy wants change but he is going about it ALL WRONG. You don't encourage people to change by beating them down and making them feel lower than low. And does he -- and his supporters -- not get that fat people understand their situation? Look at the language that is getting used in the tweet: "evil", "lies", a drain on society, "unethical", "disgusting", "low standard of life", a bad example for children. etc. Would you talk about someone you respect that way? I am fat. I work hard to be the healthiest version of myself I can be. My personal best at the gym was 537 days in a row without missing a workout. But still fat. I have a lot of obstacles in my way. But If I walked into a gym and heard somebody talking about bodies like mine in that way, I would feel so utterly unwelcome and targeted that I would lose heart. At least the people who find me disgusting have the grace to keep their mouths shut while I do my best.

God forbid fat people actually love themselves. /s

What I don't understand is whose business is it, other than mine, if I'm fat? If someone is overweight, just leave them the hell alone! Stop f*****g with their heads and telling them they're gross, or telling them they need to do something about their weight. THEY KNOW! Just mind your own bloody business!

Why is junk food so cheap yet food that is good for you so expensive? Why do people make fun of over weight people when they do try to go to the gym and better themselves? Why do people think that body positivity means accepting obesity as a good thing? Why don’t people realize that depression is a major cause of obesity? Why don’t people realize that if people are allowed to love themselves, then they will be less depressed and may start seeking a healthier lifestyle.

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I would like to know if all these people were so outraged when magazines had underweight models all over them? Both are unhealthy lifestyles.

You can tell the guy just doesn’t like fat women because of the whole “PC culture” comment. He doesn’t understand what PC culture even is or what “politically correct” means. It doesn’t mean what he thinks it means. I agree obesity is blatantly not healthy but this guy is clueless.

Obesity is not caused by people thinking it is okay to be fat, and being healthy does not come from hating yourself. So we should focus more on the culture that is creating the problem. Fast cheap processed food, working too many hours, stress, self loathing, etc.

There is a difference between being dangerously obese and not having a perfect body. Body positivity isn’t just about being overweight it’s about other normal insecurities as well. Things like bloating, hip dips, acne, a little extra stomach fat, stretch marks, etc. So I do agree that people should be educated on the risks of being obese but body positivity/body image is still important to have. Being extremely overweight isn’t healthy but having some extra fat is okay.

I’m fat, I get it. I’m also in pain everyday. No, I don’t eat right because it takes too many spoons. I take meds for my mental health which means my physical health suffers. I have absolutely no esteem when it comes to my body. I take no pleasure seeing women in tight clothes that don’t fit. But if they feel comfortable, more power to them.

So many people think that healthy equals a certain clothing size. The body positivity movement is about being able to love yourself and take care of yourself at a size 14 and not just at a size 4. Lizzo is a prime example of how body positivity is a good thing. She turned her confidence in herself at morbidly obese into self-care and adopted a healthier lifestyle, and while she may never be the "ideal" (according to the media) size 4, she can eat healthy and exercise regularly and take steps towards healthier.

There's a difference between "overweight" and "morbidly obese". I know plenty of "fat" people who are that way because they can't exercise or are restricted in ways that means they can't be as active as they'd like. Many people don't have the money to eat well and fast food/ cheap food is full of sugar, crap, fats and no nutrition. That aside - I have lost 2 family members to morbid obesity. This is an eating disorder. It's an addiction, just as being addicted to heroin or video games or gambling is. You can't just stop eating, you can't just get lectured or shamed into stopping anymore than an alcoholic can. One cousin died at 620 pounds last year. It took a LONG long time to get there. Her kids tried. We all tried. Doctors tried. She'd sit and shoot up her insulin while eating, so she could keep on shoving sugar into her. It was horrific to watch. Mental illness shouldn't be blown off with "be happy with yourself". People need help when it's out of control.

I've been a plus size for most of my life. I have PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) and eventually diagnosed with Adenomyosis. Both these conditions affected my weight and lifestyle (Adenomyosis is a chronic condition) About 7 years ago I drastically lost weight, from a UK28 to a UK14. I could not reconcile with the image I saw in the mirror; that's when I realised that I hated my body, not my weight. Over time the weight came back; I now have Fibromyalgia and CFS/ME and my mobility is very limited. Despite this, and the meds I take, my liver and kidney function are normal, I'm not even pre-diabetic, have low to normal cholesterol. I take BP meds due to constriction of blood vessels and I'm waiting for further diagnosis. I love my body, fat rolls, stretch marks, wobbly bits and all. I am overweight but HEALTHY despite my chronic illnesses which are NOT related to my weight.

Everything about this dude is coded as alt-right (aka fascist). The in-your-face American flag background, the stupid hat, the rhetoric ("facts don't care about your feelings"). Bored Panda should not be giving people like this a platform. Also, if Mr. Bly really cared about obesity, he would advocate for larger solutions like more walkable cities, getting rid of food deserts, accessible and affordable healthcare including mental health, etc. He just doesn't want women, especially Black women, like the model in the original ad, to feel good about themselves. Do better, Bored Panda.

I think the point of body positivity isn't about health so much, it's about being respected. I've been skinny and I am now currently overweight due to medication and health issues which forced me to become less mobile. Now I've put on weight I have been spoken to and treated like I am the most disgusting thing they have ever seen. Believe me no one who is overweight knows it's healthy. It's about being seen as a human worthy of love and respect just like everyone else.