People who think that others are prejudiced against them because they are fat don’t lose weight.

Of the 2,944 eligible participants in the study, 5% reported weight discrimination. This ranged from less than 1% of those in the ‘normal weight’ category to 36% of those classified as ‘morbidly obese’. There are somewhat more women in the fat category. Men and women reported similar levels of weight discrimination. Those who reported prejudice were already fat, as weighed 2 years before; then gave their estimates as to whether they had been subjected to negative treatment (without actually having to say that it was on account of their being fat); and were then weighed 2 years later; by which time four years had passed and they had gained 0.95 Kg in weight, whereas the majority, who had not reported unfriendly treatment, had lost 0.71 Kg in weight.

http://drjamesthompson.blogspot.com/201 ... sions.html

Reads like a crank disagreeing with another crank. I'm not really sure what we're being invited to comment upon.

Neuroticism undermining self-discipline.

Some people put on weight more easily than others, despite regular exercise and a balanced diet.
Some people lose weight more readily than others, despite regular exercise and a balanced diet.

There are fat people out there because they don't exercise enough and don't have a healthy diet.
There are fat people out there because..................they're fat and they're always going to be fat.

Sendraks wrote:Some people put on weight more easily than others, despite regular exercise and a balanced diet.
Some people lose weight more readily than others, despite regular exercise and a balanced diet.

There are fat people out there because they don't exercise enough and don't have a healthy diet.
There are fat people out there because..................they're fat and they're always going to be fat.

To be fair there are about 99,999 in the first category for every 1 in the second category.

I agree with the sentiment, if not the numbers.

You might be right, I may have misremembered whether it's 1 in 10,000 or 1 in 100,000. It's stunningly high though.

I'm pretty sure it is a high figure, I'll have to look it up sometime.

It does remind me of a TV show ages back where they had a number of overweight people who were being tested to see if they were genetically predisposed towards being overweight. A few of the participants were desperate for the show to confirm they were genetic predisposed and were terribly, pathetically, sad when they found out they weren't. They really didn't want to have to take responsibility for their condition, as they shoved fistfuls of Sarah Lee gateaux into their faces.

Mrs. Lak can put on weight by looking at a piece of cake, whereas my weight stabilized about 40 years ago at 175 and only fluctuates by 3 or 4 pounds either way. I can put on a bit over the holidays but shed it without any particular effort. We eat the same foods, drink a similar amount (though I'm a bit heavier on the beer), and she exercises a hell of a lot more than I do. There's something to be said for differences in metabolism. A couple of times in the past I've had to do a month or two of calorie restriction, when I started to feel a bit sluggish, in every case it was associated with drinking too much beer. I like beer, if that wasn't obvious.

EDIT I have found that recently it's been a bit easier to pump up the belly tire, but I think that's to be expected as one ages. We had about two weeks of pretty heavy drinking after my mother-in-law's 2 month visit, so I'm restricting the beer input for a month or so.

Variable 1: differences in metabolism
Variable 2: differences in neuroticism

The study measures variable 2, and ignores variable 1.

The existence and validity of variable 1 says nothing for or against the existence and validity of variable 2. Or vice versa.

However...

Variable 2, we have great power over.
Variable 1, we have little power over.

Yet, I suspect that few of those feeling that they're being discriminated against for being fat will look at this study and say:

"Ah, I see. This means that I should change myself. Victimhood-neuroticism is probably self-sabotaging."

Because they have a real beef, something that has really happened, to be aggrieved about, right? So, because the beef is real, one should nurse the grievance. Because it just isn't fair. Boo hoo.

My own guess is that all of the fatties have experiences discrimination, to some extent. But that not everybody is equally inclined to go the offence-taking, victimhood-claiming, self-infantilising route.