Fat acceptance is a form of activity that challenges and exhibits all forms of limitations experienced by people who are overweight in society. The history of the fat acceptance movement started decades ago, and it has experienced many challenges. Its central theme is to help fat people fight the discrimination that they face, accept themselves, and work on their bodies.

** (The term “Fat” used in this article is being used as a descriptive term and not in a pejorative sense. The fat activist movement and community are reclaiming the word “Fat.”) **

Instead of feeling embarrassed, fat people should oppose what society says ill against them and instead feel proud and happy.

Understanding Fat Acceptance – Problems Fat People Face

Fatphobia is an issue facing healthcare practitioners globally. The most affected are fat women, who receive harsher criminal sentences than thinner women. Fat women are also treated with lower salaries and, at times, denied the right to secure college admission. Some doctors ignore fat people’s legitimate health concerns, blaming everything on their heavy weight.

This, in turn, pushes many fat people to skip their medical appointments unless there’s an emergency. Fat people also encounter bias outside the doctor’s office.

They experience discrimination while trying to engage in social activities, such as shopping for clothes from retailers with limited sizes. In recent years, plus-size markets have grown. However, some shops tend to charge more for large sizes as opposed to small sizes. In addition to paying more for their clothes, fat people are also charged more for other services like airplane services. Critics refer to it as the ‘fat tax.’

Trading Body Positivity For Fat Acceptance

Body positivity is the general acceptance of your physical appearance regardless of your shape, skin, size, and height. Much has been said about body positivity, even in social media. Body positivity is inarguably mainstream.

Generally, it’s all about self-love and body acceptance. People have misinterpreted this with some limitations, such as limitations against body size, shape, and other aspects that show an individual’s identity. These limitations majorly exist because body positivity has forgotten its purpose from fat acceptance.

As mentioned, fat acceptance started many years back, and since then, it has experienced different waves. It has become an equitable movement aiming to make body culture more inclusive and different in all its forms.

Body positivity drives you to change how you view your body. It gives you hope that your actions are okay and worth it. Body positivity influencers will make you feel inadequate, challenging you to consider if you belong there.

Body positivity will help you boost your confidence and mood, lowering your negative mindset at the same time.

Effects Of Fat on The Body

For your body to be energetic and function properly, it requires healthy fat. On the other hand, too much consumption of saturated fats can lead to a collision in the blood vessels. Saturated fats raise your LDL, which increases risk factors associated with heart defects and stroke. Fat affects your hormones in many ways. For instance, it can cause inflammation and interfere with the level of toxins in your body.

Fat increases your chances of getting osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a disease that primarily affects the bones by weakening them to the point that they break easily. Osteoporosis is so silent that you can’t notice any symptoms until a bone breaks.

Over the years, people being obese have been hindered from bone loss. Unfortunately, further research showed that one of the obesity-related hormones [Adiponectin] is directly linked to bone fractures and osteoporosis.

People with obese and have high levels of fats in their livers, blood, and muscle tissues are at high risk of osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is mainly associated with women but also affects men with belly fat. Obese men with a lot of visceral fats [fats that live around organs] have relatively decreased bone strength than men of the same weight but with low visceral fats.

Fat is A Threat to Your Hormones

Hormonal imbalances are common in people with excessive belly fat. Fat accumulation around the midsection decreases the level of human growth hormone. An increase in visceral fats can also cause testosterone. A study shows that high levels of androgen hormone found in young girls can put them at risk of health problems like polycystic syndrome in the future.

How your body uses insulin can be affected by excess fats by throwing off your hormones which can lead to weight gain.

Fat Stores Environmental Toxins

Excessive intake of toxins makes you fat which in turn those fats stores excess toxins. It’s therefore advisable to detoxify regularly. Detoxification is not easy, and it, therefore, calls for patience and commitment. Reducing toxins in your body is vital to your health and long-term weight loss journey.

Fat Acceptance – How Do You Shed Excess Fats?

Losing body fat requires a lot of patience, dedication, and hard work since it’s challenging. Many fat diets and fat-burning supplements are said to have worked. Still, the best way is to practice a good lifestyle, modify your diet, and exercise regularly to maintain or attain a healthy weight. There are several ways you can increase fat loss, as outlined below:

Start Strength Training

Strength training is a form of exercise in which you contract your muscles against resistance. It’s believed that starting with a low-impact strength training workout can effectively reduce the body in people with obesity within a short time. Again, resistance training can help preserve fat-free mass, increasing the calories your body burns.

Take Food Rich in Proteins

Food rich in proteins slows down your appetite, thus increasing the fat-burning process. Consumption of food with high-quality proteins lowers the chances of becoming obese. Adding proteins to your diet will lower your appetite, thus reducing calorie intake and all factors that promote weight loss.

Get Enough or More Sleep

Adequate or more sleep is a crucial strategy to help you maintain and reach a healthy weight. Enough sleep also slows down your appetite and hunger levels, thus lowering your risk of gaining weight or excess fats. Sleeping for less than six hours is linked to higher risks of obesity among young women.

Lack of adequate sleep interferes with hunger hormones, increasing your appetite and putting you at higher risk of obesity.

What is Fat Acceptance – Conclusion

It’s not just to love and accept yourself always, but it’s okay to embrace all that it can do. The fat acceptance movement can help you fight social stigma and help you overcome obstacles faced by fat people. Exercise self-love and work on yourself