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Magda Szubanski calls for "fat" people to be protected from online hate speech

<p>Magda Szubanski has called for vilification rules to be put in place for "fat people" online, only to be blasted by her following. </p> <p>The comedian shared the controversial tweet in which she wondered why "fat" people are not "protected" from hate speech online. </p> <p>She wrote, "It's interesting to me that you are banned from attacking just about every identity on Twitter except being fat. Why are we not protected from vilification?"</p> <p>Szubanski was then blasted by several heartless online users, as she received comments such as, "Have another Snickers bar. Sounds like your blood sugar is low," and "Lose some weight then."</p> <p>Despite receiving plenty of support from fans, the controversial tweet saw more personal attacks. </p> <p>"Ever see any obese old people? No, because they all die young. If you are going to do that to yourself, then you will have to accept noticing," another wrote.  </p> <p>"Because you choose to be fat," yet another wrote.</p> <p>Magda was only too happy to call out the backlash, as she accused the online users of dumping their "toxic self-loathing" onto her, as they believe she "wouldn't fight back". </p> <p>"It's pretty clear from the response to my tweet that some people hate fat people because their own hearts are so full of hate that they need to dump all their toxic self-loathing onto someone who they think won't fight back." </p> <p>"Well, not this little fat duck. She got teeth," she wrote. </p> <p>She also went on to say that the online trolls proved her point entirely as many commenters defended her, saying it would go a long way if we were all a little nicer to each other online. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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I’m not overweight – why do I need to eat healthy foods?

<p><em><strong>Alessandro R Demaio, Australian Medical Doctor; Fellow in Global Health &amp; NCDs, University of Copenhagen, explains why you need to eat healthy foods, even if you’re overweight.</strong></em></p> <p>We all have that one friend whose eating habits and body shape simply don’t add up. While enjoying the unhealthiest of meals and a sedentary lifestyle, somehow they effortlessly retain a slender figure.</p> <p>At first glance we may assume these slim people are healthy, but it’s not always the case. So if you don’t have weight to worry about, what’s the impetus for avoiding sweet or salty temptations and eating good, nutritious foods instead?</p> <p><strong>Healthy weight ≠ good health</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/your-heart/know-your-risks/healthy-weight/bmi-calculator" target="_blank">Body mass index or BMI</a></strong></span>, the tool most often used to determine “healthy weight ranges”, was designed primarily to track the weight of populations.</p> <p>While it’s a simple and useful screening tool when looking at groups of people, it’s not a good marker of individual health. This is because BMI is a measure of our height and our weight, and the ratios of their combination. But weight alone doesn’t discriminate between a kilogram of fat versus a kilogram of muscle nor does it account for body shape and fat distribution differences relating to, say, ethnicity or gender.</p> <p>Just as <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/article/34/5/389/481217" target="_blank">not all obese individuals</a></strong></span> have heart disease risk factors or unhealthy metabolisms (the conversion of food into energy), nor do <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/89/6/2569/2870288" target="_blank">all lean people have healthy ones</a></strong></span>.</p> <p>There’s a well-documented subset of people known as <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/content/47/5/699" target="_blank">metabolically obese, normal weight individuals</a></strong></span>. These people are not obese as determined by their height and weight, but may face metabolic dysfunction such as insulin resistance (which leads to a build-up of sugar in the blood), and like their physically obese counterparts are predisposed to type 2 diabetes, high levels of fats in the blood, heart disease and even some cancers.</p> <p><strong>Food is health</strong></p> <p>The most compelling reason to eat healthy foods is the correlation between good nutrition and well-being. Coupled with regular exercise, eating a diet rich in whole foods and grains, healthy oils and low in sugar and salt, has been shown to convey a number of benefits. These include a <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0081877" target="_blank">longer life with less pain and suffering</a></strong></span>, less risk of back pain or muscular problems and even an increased libido.</p> <p>Food has been identified as an important risk factor for <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-244X-14-132" target="_blank">cognitive decline and dementia in older age</a></strong></span>.</p> <p>A healthy diet combined with physical activity can <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25963237" target="_blank">strengthen bones</a></strong></span> and reduce body aches and pains. And these benefits are conferred irrespective of your baseline weight or age.</p> <p><strong>Health risks aren’t always visible</strong></p> <p>While it might be easy to take solace in a thinner weight, many of the serious health risks associated with poorer diet are often hidden from plain sight.</p> <p>Excessive salt consumption can cause the kidneys to hold on to more water, resulting in an increase in blood pressure. High blood pressure strains the arteries that supply blood to our vital organs including our heart and brain, and <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.bloodpressureuk.org/microsites/salt/Home/Whysaltisbad/Saltseffects#TklJ" target="_blank">increases our risk</a></strong></span> of stroke, dementia, heart attack and kidney disease.</p> <p>Consumption of high amounts of sugar, especially from sugar sweetened beverages, is associated with an <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4405421/" target="_blank">increased risk in fatty liver disease</a></strong></span>, among many other health problems. This in turn significantly increases our risk of liver scarring, heart disease and stroke.</p> <p>Recent research has also reconfirmed a <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.wcrf.org/int/research-we-fund/continuous-update-project-findings-reports/colorectal-bowel-cancer" target="_blank">link between bowel cancer and red meat consumption</a></strong></span>. Processed meats such as ham, bacon and salami appear to be especially problematic.</p> <p>Not only can all of these occur without any visual cues, but they can also develop irrespective of our weight.</p> <p><strong>Our kids’ health</strong></p> <p>The importance of a good diet is not just limited to our own health. Children of parents with poor diets are significantly more likely to <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22089441" target="_blank">inherit similarly unhealthy eating habits</a></strong></span>.</p> <p>And it doesn’t stop there. Through a mechanism called <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/how-epigenetics-may-help-us-slow-down-the-ageing-clock-76878" target="_blank">epigenetics</a></strong></span>, our health and our diet can result in alterations to the expression of our genes.</p> <p>Animal studies have shown <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/how-your-grandparents-life-could-have-changed-your-genes-19136" target="_blank">epigenetic changes resulting from poor diet</a></strong></span> (and other stressors) can influence the healthiness of future generations. Many scientists now believe the same will prove true for humans too.</p> <p><strong>Saving lives, and money</strong></p> <p>Contrary to what many of us think, the latest evidence suggests <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/a-healthy-diet-is-cheaper-than-junk-food-but-a-good-diet-is-still-too-expensive-for-some-57873" target="_blank">eating a healthy diet is actually cheaper</a></strong></span> than consuming the unhealthy foods that now dominate many Australian households.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-016-2996-y" target="_blank">Analysis</a></strong></span> of both wealthier and poorer suburbs in Brisbane, for example, showed the average family of four spends 18% more on current diets than would be required if they could more closely adhere to healthy dietary recommendations.</p> <p>This is not to say eating healthily is easy, accessible or even possible for everyone, but might be more possible than we first think.</p> <p>Not only would adopting a healthy diet be a beneficial investment for individuals and families, it might also go a long way to curbing the <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.pwc.com.au/pdf/weighing-the-cost-of-obesity-final.pdf" target="_blank">major societal costs</a></strong></span> from growing weight gain. The annual costs from obesity already add up to A$830 million in Australia alone.</p> <p>The consequences of poor diet increasingly burden Australians and our health care system. While it’s easy to measure our health based on a reading of the bathroom scales, eating a diverse and nutritious diet will bring overwhelming benefits to everyone – regardless of our current weight.</p> <p>Do you agree?</p> <p><em>Written by Alessandro R Demaio. Republished with permission of <a href="http://www.theconversation.com" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">The Conversation</span></strong></a>.</em> <img width="1" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/90436/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" alt="The Conversation"/></p>

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Airline bans overweight passengers from business class

<p>Thai Airways has installed seatbelt airbags on business class cabins on its new Dreamliner jets. There’s only one problem – passengers with a waistline of more than 142.24cm (or 56 inches) simply won’t fit.</p> <p>According to vice president of Thai Airways safety, security and standards department Flight Lieutenant Prathana Pattanasiri, passengers carrying a little extra weight will not be able to fasten the new seatbelt airbags in a way that meets safety standards.</p> <p>The new airbags will also make flying difficult for parents of young children if they need to travel with kids sitting on their laps.</p> <p>The seatbelts can’t be extended because of the airbag mechanism, the <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/tourism-and-transport/1429426/thai-cites-safety-for-waistline-rule-on-dreamliners" target="_blank">Bangkok Post reports.</a></strong></span></p> <p>Thai Airways has fitted the new seatbelt airbags on business class seats on its Dreamliner 787-9 fleet. It has now imposed a waist size limit on passengers and banned passengers carrying infants on their laps.</p> <p>This isn’t the first airline to take aim at overweight passengers, with European airline Finnair announcing in November its plan to <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/international-travel/2017/11/airline-to-weigh-passengers-before-every-flight/">weigh passengers before every flight.</a></strong></span></p> <p>A <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/travel-tips/2017/01/passengers-should-be-weighed-for-flights-according-to-fellow-flyers/">survey of British passengers</a></span></strong> found that 39 per cent of people believe airlines should weigh people before flights.</p>

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The one thing that’s making you sick, depressed and overweight

<p>Been feeling down? Gained a few kilos? Has your immune system taken a hit? Well, there’s one thing that may just be responsible for all your health woes – inflammation.</p> <p>Usually, inflammation is actually a good thing – it simply shows that our body is successfully defending itself against infection and repairing itself. When it works, inflammation keeps us healthy and happy. When it doesn’t, problems can start to arise.</p> <p>To find out more about the risk factors, signs, dangers and treatment of inflammation, Over60 spoke to dietician, health coach and author of <em>The Complete Anti-Inflammatory Diet for Beginners</em>, Lulu Cook.</p> <p><strong>1. What are the risk factors associated with inflammation?</strong></p> <p>Dietary risks include high intake of added sugars and refined carbohydrates, more significantly than any other factor. High temperature grilling of meats is another dietary risk factor.</p> <p><strong>2. What are the symptoms of inflammation?</strong></p> <p>Symptoms of inflammation may certainly include localised redness, tenderness, and swelling, but more chronic inflammation can be less visible.</p> <p>Diagnosis with auto-immune diseases (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis) as well as conditions such as Type 2 diabetes are good indicators that there is likely to be systemic inflammation as well.</p> <p>Skin conditions such as acne, digestive disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease, and overweight (especially in the mid-section) are more good reasons to have a doctor check your labs for indicators such as blood sugar levels and CRP (C-reactive protein, one of the best indicators of inflammation).</p> <p><strong>3. What are the long-term dangers of inflammation?</strong></p> <p>Long term dangers of ongoing chronic inflammation include development or exacerbation of diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, auto-immune disease, and even some cancers and dementias (e.g. “Type 3 diabetes”, a newly differentiated form of Alzheimer’s disease).</p> <p><strong>4. How can inflammation be prevented and treated?</strong></p> <p>The foundational line of defence for preventing and treating inflammation should be dietary, as the aspects that make a good anti-inflammatory diet are completely complementary with the standards of <em>any</em> healthy dietary pattern.</p> <p>This includes reducing or eliminating added sugar and refined carbohydrate intake, and increasing consumption of vegetables and whole grains, as healthful fibres that help decrease inflammation.</p> <p>Omega-3 fats should be included as well, such as from salmon and walnuts, whilst sources of saturated fats, such as high fat red meat and full fat dairy, should be reduced.</p>

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Woman shares sad account of flying when you are overweight

<p>A woman has given an account of the struggles she faces when she is flying due to her weight, urging others to be compassionate.</p> <p>The writer, who goes under the name Your Fat Friend on Twitter, tweeted a thread about the preparations she must make before she flies and the vicious comments she receives from fellow passengers.</p> <p>“So, I'm on a plane today. Here's what I did to prepare to fly as a very fat person,” she tweeted on Monday. </p> <p>“I researched airlines for their ‘customer size’ policies, many of which reserve the right to kick me off the plane, even after boarding.”</p> <p>“The rest require purchase of that second seat regardless of whether one is available. If I don't buy one in advance, I'll be charged the day-of price. Today, that's $800 one way," she continued. </p> <p>“'I'm charged for that second seat regardless of whether one is available. I pay double for the privilege of staying on the plane.”</p> <p>“Even if I buy a second seat in advance, the airline may still sell it to another passenger. If they do, I won’t be notified or refunded.”</p> <p>The woman brought her own seat belt extender with her on the flight, however, sometimes they can be confiscated by the TSA in the US.</p> <p>“I'm not worried about the embarrassment of asking for a seat belt extender. I know I'm fat," she said.</p> <p>"I'm worried that hearing me ask for an extender will prompt others to complain. If they do, it starts a domino effect of trouble for me.”</p> <p>The woman explained that if passengers complain about her, there is a chance that she could get re-seated, charged double or even escorted off the plane.</p> <p>If she were to get kicked off the flight, she said there are still some airline policies that don’t include a refund or re-booking.</p> <p>The woman revealed that in the past two years, 50 per cent of passengers in her row made a complaint about her size.</p> <p>“No matter what happens, if someone complains, my body will be discussed loudly, with open revulsion, without regard for who hears it,” she said. </p> <p>“As a very fat person on a plane, I am treated like luggage – a cumbersome, exasperating inconvenience. Inanimate and unfeeling.”</p> <p>On one particular flight, the woman purchased a first-class ticket for $900 because the seats are wider and the amount was cheaper than buying two economy seats.</p> <p>The woman could not fit the tray around her body so she was unable to do any work or eat the meal she had paid for. </p> <p>And six years ago, she left in embarrassment after a man complained about her until he was moved.</p> <p>“He got up several times to talk to a flight attendant, pointing angrily back at me. My stomach sunk as I realised what was happening,” she said. The agitated man claimed it was for comfort, highlighting that it would be better for both of them if he moved. However, the flight attendant explained that someone else would be sitting in that spot before he was moved to the seat in front.</p> <p>“I spent the rest of the flight with my arms and legs crossed, humiliated and alone. No one spoke to me or made eye contact,” she recalled.</p> <p>“The flight attendant didn’t speak to me, but gave free food and drinks to the others in my row – rewards for tolerating my presence.”</p> <p>After that flight, the woman was scarred and wouldn’t go anywhere on a plane.</p> <p>She later decided to return to flying as she loves her family, values her job and refused to let other’s perceptions dictate her life.</p> <p>The woman’s penned her dreams about what could be done to spare her from humiliation, which resonated with many others online.</p> <p>She explains that fat people are portrayed as being too loud and taking up too much space, which cripples her life more than others realise.</p> <p>“In that way, air travel is sadly familiar, a microcosm of what happens so often as a fat person," she wrote. </p> <p>“I am watched – and judged harshly – as I try and fail to fit into a space that was made for someone else. I am always too big, always too much, always unacceptable.”</p>

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