I am not about body shaming, fat shaming, or making anyone feel any less special because of their weight or how they look. That's just plain stupid, and anything done to make anyone feel less than awesome is not something I want to do. However, saying that obesity is not a problem, or celebrating obesity as normal is not something I see as healthy for our society and its people.

I understand models being plus sized. So many people in the US are plus-sized, that to market effectively to them, plus-sized models need to display plus-sized clothing and wares. I think that since so many people in the US are obese, products and goods marketed to this often ignored and overlooked segment of our population should be represented accordingly. That doesn't mean I condone obesity.

To the contrary, I have declared all-out war on obesity. I am doing everything I can to educate, inform, and help people who are obese and no longer want to be that way. I write these blog posts daily in an effort to put information out there on my diet, motivation, and to let people gain a glimpse into what it took for me to lose 150 lbs and to go from being obese to being thin and fit.

Celebrating obesity is something I believe is far more harmful than beneficial. Like I said when I started this article: fat shaming is bad. But celebrating obesity as something that's normal and to be accepted is another thing entirely. Obesity is not a natural state for humans to be in, and obesity is responsible for an increase of 40% to 80% in risk of dying from cancer among both men and women. If we normalize obesity, it will cause more people to believe that it's okay to not concern themselves with living a healthier lifestyle and losing the weight which will lead to an earlier death.

I've mentioned in an earlier blog post about how our own government is behind the times and still recommending a low-fat diet and espousing the fallacy of whole wheat grains being heart healthy. The media doesn't do people any favors when they create click-bait headlines like "Coconut Oil Is Unhealthy According To The American Heart Association." The fact that most nutritionists consider coconut oil unhealthy as compared to the average American speaks more to the fact that the diet and nutrition industry in the US is still very far behind the times in regards to the latest research in nutrition science than to any alleged ignorance on the part of average Americans. While average Americans may be mislead and misinformed on the harmful effects of low-fat diets, grains, and sugar, at least they understand that coconut oil is healthier than vegetable oil.

Obesity isn't something to be ashamed of. I was obese, and I felt embarrassed and ashamed, and I felt that way because of the glares I would receive when out in public. I felt ashamed of what I had allowed myself to become, and that led to me even more harmful habits like not going outdoors as much, and not wanting to get exercise by walking. Instead, we need to help obese people by treating them as people with a health problem that can be tackled through diet. I know there is a small segment of the population that has issues that make them obese, but that number is very, very small. The rest of the obese people earned their obesity honestly: through a carb/sugar rich diet. Through some good information, guidance, and support, we can help obese people get healthy again, lose weight, and to live healthier, more fulfilling lives.