Hello there.

I walked away from this blog for reasons I don't really know. I got busy with life, school, moving, and I didn't feel as if I had a real focus as to where I wanted to go with this. What I really wanted to write about, or the things I really wanted to share pretty much just jumbled up in my head. I put it on the back burner because while I feel passionate about fat fashion and fat acceptance, I couldn't quite find what it is I wanted to say. I couldn't find my voice.

I spent some time thinking about what it is that makes me mad and what makes me happy. Along the way I realize that I really am a work still in progress, and I always will be. Fat acceptance for me has been a blessing and it has been depressing. In the past 3 years I have been able to look in the mirror and say "I am fat, this is who I am" and ok with it. More than ok, in the last year to be more exact. Other peoples words have less of an effect on me today than they did 5 years ago. 5 years ago I would cry and ask myself why I let myself get this way. Why can't I stay focused on a restricted diet. I would beat myself up and tell myself that nobody would or could love the fat girl. There was something wrong with me.

The truth of the matter is, and I see this now, there is nothing wrong with ME. There is something wrong with the person that thinks fat people are void of feelings. There is something wrong with the person that feels like they are better than a fat person. There is something wrong that people spread fat hate like it is a disease. When I really thought about it, what really makes me angry is the anti fat crowd. The people that think there is something wrong with you BECAUSE you are fat, and that you should aspire to be thin. You should diet, you should exercise, and you should be striving to be the smallest you can be. Because if you aren't small, you aren't worthy of all the good things life has in store for you.

You can be fat and healthy, and I will say that until I die. Fat people can and do eat well, and fat people can and do exercise. Fat does not = fast food for dinner 5 nights a week. Fat does not mean you are gorging yourself on fat foods every single damn day. And being fat doesn't mean you deserve to be the butt of a joke, and you should never be made to feel like you would be ok if you changed.

I realize that I feel sad and overwhelmed that there are people out there that do not get what I am saying. It is a bit depressing to me. I think of how I was before I was ok with myself, and I wonder how many people out there still think there is something wrong with them. How many people are subject to ridicule because anti fat people are so mean. I think that is who I write for. My goal for this blog is to one day, just change one persons mind. Whether is a fat person finally accepting their body, or an anti fat person finally seeing that we are not lazy slobs. I don't care if it takes 1 week or 50 years.

Life Expectancy.

The United State's life expectancy is up. Our deaths are down. Our # 1 killer is down. Yet we are in the middle of an obesity epidemic

The US life expectancy is falling behind other countries. Who should we blame? Lack of insurance, and of course, OBESITY!

• "The U.S. has the resources that allow people to get fat and lazy,"said Paul Terry, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. "We have the luxury of choosing a bad lifestyle as opposed to having one imposed on us by hard times."

That's about the stupidest bullshit I've ever heard. Millions of people around the world have the ability to make the same choices. I hardly see that as a reason to blame ourselves for being fat.

• Adults in the United States have one of the highest obesity rates in the world. Nearly a third of U.S. adults 20 years and older are obese, while about two-thirds are overweight, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.

But lets back up for a second. The National Center for Health Statistics is a part of the CDC. The CDC are the same ones that said OMG! 365,000 people a year in the US die from Obesity!! A couple of months later, that number is more like 112,000. 112,000 out of approximately 2.4 million deaths.

The CDC goes on to say "Because obesity has so many different effects on so many diseases, it is extremely difficult for doctors to identify obesity-related deaths reliably on death certificates. So, instead, scientists use complex modeling techniques to estimate deaths related to obesity. CDC is supporting research to improve these methods."


So there we go. We really cant prove right now how many people have died directly from obesity. We cant tell how many people have a disease because they were obese. The information just doesn't exist.

• Life Expectancy in 2000 was 77.0 years. This is up from 76.7 in 1999. As of 2004 its now at 77.9. We gained almost a year in life expectancy in 4 years. In fact, life expectancy has been up almost every single year since the 1900's. There are a few years it remained the same, but it has never gone down. Ever. In the past ten years, we have gained 2.1 years.

• Deaths in 2000 were down 1.1%. The # 1 killer, diseases of the heart, was down 3.7%. In fact, "From 1980 to 2000, in individuals aged 25 to 84, the age-adjusted rate of coronary heart disease fell from 542.9 to 266.8 cases per 100,000 in men, and from 263.3 to 134.4 cases per 100,000 in women." Deaths in general have been down for years.

We really aren't as bad as they make us out to be.

• Another reason for the U.S. drop in the ranking is that the Census Bureau now tracks life expectancy for a lot more countries -- 222 in 2004 -- than it did in the 1980s. However, that does not explain why so many countries entered the rankings with longer life expectancies than the United States.

Different countries do things differently, I understand that. And yes, there is going to be places that are healthier than us. How about we work on getting insurance for the 45 million people here that go without it? Thats a fine place to start. Instead of dumping millions and billions of dollars into the weight loss industry and obesity research, why don't we spend a little more time and money on caring about the poor in this country.

Another kid has complication from obesity related surgery

A couple in South Texas is suing a doctor after their daughters obesity surgery. I can't believe a parent would put their kid through that kind of torture. I can't believe that a parent would want so much for their child to be thin, they will subject them to surgery to "fix" them.

I feel so sad for this child, in so many ways. I wonder if he or she was made to feel less of a person, that they were bad or not worthy of being happy. I can't imagine projecting such fat hate onto a child, especially when as a parent you should be setting an example of love, compassion, and acceptance. How do you force your child into that kind of world? How can you teach a child that there is something wrong with them just because they are fat?

I hope this kid figures it out one day.

Shoes.com

I have been wearing these shoes all summer. Ive worn them to work at the office, Ive worn them to the beach, Ive worn them several times a week. They are so comfortable, and I was able to snagg them for $20 earlier this year.

I also give Shoes.com two thumbs up.

Old Navy Goes to the Office

I was browsing OldNavy.com and I was surprised to find that they have some tasteful business separates. This is something I would wear....



Women's Plus Belted Pencil Skirt $32.50
Women's Plus Tailored Shirt $29.50
Women's Quilted Tote $19.50
Women's Pointy-Toe Sling back Flats $16.50
Women's Faux Pearl Choker $9.50
Total $107.50

I am currently in love with pencil skirts. They work on such a wide variety of body shapes. It can be dressy enough for the office, or casual if you please.

Igigi also has a great resource on what a pencil skirt looks like, and what kind of shape it works on. Just click on the section that says "shapes" for more info.

I love button down tops, I own many different colors, styles, and shapes. It can be dress with a nice skirt or pant, or many can be casual with jeans or khaki's. A lot of times I wear a cami or some type of tank top underneath

The bag is functional for work. You can throw your papers in there, a lap top or even your lunch. There is plenty of room. The shoes are a change of pace from your regular heels. Give your feet a rest! And for those who aren't fortunate enough to own a strand of pearls, this necklace makes a fun substitute. Have I mentioned how much I love this skirt?