I feel bad for Joy Nash

First, watch the video:


First of all, I do like this video. It's cheeky, funny, and fresh. It's designed to give fat people some confidence and to just accept the word "fat" as not really an insult. Fat is what it is, after all. But I have an objection.

"I weigh 224 and my quality of life has not suffered dramatically."

I have never weighed 224, but 180 at my heaviest, a size 16 plump from eating too much fast food and junk in my morning radio days. My quality of life definitely suffered! My energy level suffered, my BMI was disgusting, and my energy level (or lack of energy and motivation) was just embarassing.

It's not OK to be fat.

Fat is about more than just what you go to the store to buy clothing wise and how people perceive you. Fat is about your health, your heart, your arteries, diabetes, and a whole bunch of illnesses a large waistline brings about.

Following a healthy, balanced diet and staying fit have done wonderful things in my life that I wouldn't trade for anything. Exercise relieves stress and gives me goals to work towards achieving. I love looking in the mirror at my fit body. I love shopping for clothes right now as I'm losing weight. (I'm down to 166 lbs. now).

I admire my growing knowledge of nutrition -- especially as a vegan -- and my sense of self control around things like candy bars and potato chips. It's something I've had to teach myself. But I've overcome my personal challenges with fitness over the years. These are things like food cravings, lack of knowledge about nutrition, motivation, and a horrendous ankle injury. Overcoming challenges gives you confidence and infinitely moreso than trying to redefine the word "fat" because that's what you want to positively identify yourself with.

I have a friend who weighs over 300 lbs., Joy Nash. She can hardly walk anywhere, she huffs and puffs and has to rest. She could probably use a scooter from here on out. She already has a handicapped placard for her car and will give up going places if she can't find a parking space. There was a point where she weighed 224 lbs., but she didn't stop herself from gaining more and more weight. Now she is extremely unhealthy, a borderline diabetic who doesn't know how to eat properly, exercise or help herself in any way. She hasn't made the choice to do so. She didn't at 224 lbs. and hasn't now tipping the scales at over 300 lbs.

It is not OK to send out the message that fat is OK. It's not. It's a prominent health hazard in our society and people need to take responsibility for their size. Learn about nutrition. Learn how many calories you are consuming in a day and how many you are burning off. Find out how to cook some low fat meals for yourself and do some simple exercises. Challenge yourself. It will give you far more confidence than Joy Nash's video ever will and it may also save your life.