New Rule: Fat Acceptance | Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)

[@hardhittn8063]

Wow, he is so right. I went to the Cardiologist December 2019 and weighed in at 374lbs. He looked at me and said, "how many 400lb 55 year olds do you know". I said none. He said, "that's because not many exist". The comment hit me right between the eyes. The previous month my family Physician diagnosed me with diabetes. I changed everything. I ate mostly green foods like lettuce, cucumbers, avocados, spinach etc. I eat meat occasionally when I really crave it but I never eat sweets or dessert. Today I am 195lbs without a trace of diabetes. Nothing tastes as good as being healthy feels.

[@thebr0wnhornet]

That’s really all it takes. Congrats on turning it around. I never got really overweight but about 5 years ago I started eating mostly veg, lost 30 or so pounds, weigh about 7 pounds more than I did in college, and the only exercise I get is walking the dog, taking the stairs, and playing disc golf.

[@middleagedCFCL]

Well done! I watched a video some years back in which a 40-something man was told by his doctor to buy a coffin, because he would need it within five years. Sometimes you just need to be scared enough to take action.

[@hardhittn8063]

@@thebr0wnhornet Thank you.

[@hardhittn8063]

@@middleagedCFCL Thank you.

[@ljss6805]

Like a boss! Good job, mate.

[@percyj2463]

As someone who has been trying to lose 70 pounds in order to join the military for last 4 years, this is certainly an under-discussed topic, and I’m sure as hel not going back to 300 pounds. I was unhealthy when I was trying to starve myself thin, and not working out with just my bodyweight. Thank you Bill for talking about this. By the way, only 24 pounds to go, and loving every single step.

[@zakbagans2661]

If you’re real, I’m happy for you. My dad has been 450 lbs my whole life. He wants to lose weight. He can’t. It’s 100% a mental challenge

[@Z.DeAllen]

Keep going, homie! I dropped 50 lbs, but that was _after_ I was in the military. Avoid alcohol while you're enlisted; that's what made me gain all the weight.

[@kristn6513]

Congrats, my friend. I gained 20 while in hospital for 2 months. Room service wouldn't stop me from ice cream...they tried but I'm tricky! Mot tricky enough to lose those 20.

[@42042O]

Good for you. It’s hard to lose 10 pounds even. Good luck and stay on the path.

[@percyj2463]

@@zakbagans2661 I’m about as real as can be. And there is no real advice that I could give, only he can fully commit to the journey that is weight loss, but I would recommend “Can’t Hurt Me” by David Goggins. I picked it up last week, and it has been a huge shift in my perspective.

[@lilah66]

As someone that went from 340 to 173 pounds at 6'1" and have kept it off for 10 years so far I can tell everyone it was the best thing I have ever done. No gastric bypass I just kept my mouth shut,

[@beckyg9831]

you are an inspiration!

[@DrJohnnyJ]

That takes willpower. Congratulations.

[@timdehoog5584]

That is amazing! Congratulations man.

[@againstthepods4316]

I have low glacymia I have to eat it’s not that simple STOP JUDGING ME

[@fartnoise1467]

@@againstthepods4316 you dont have to eat the whole pizza tho

[@spotieotie]

I am obese man, and I approve this message.

[@aeromedical6750]

I’m obese as well. I’m currently about 40-45 pounds heavier than I should be. I’ve been busting my butt over the last 3 plus months through better food choices and amping up my exercise level. I’m down 25 pounds and feel so much better. I encourage you to commit to your health. You can do this.

[@nickbarcheck1019]

@@aeromedical6750 I've lost close to 30 pounds and still feel like shit. Still have a ways to go.

[@christopherwheeler688]

@@aeromedical6750 Well done. You seldom hear anyone say, 'I'm down to a normal healthy weight and I feel worse than I did when I was 40lb heavier'. I wonder why.

[@aeromedical6750]

@@christopherwheeler688 - EXACTLY!!! This whole “fat acceptance/body positivity” crusade is a toxic message to our current obesity epidemic. I’m sorry, but if you are obese, you should not be accepting that as a way of life and then demand that society conform to your unhealthy lifestyle. I am all about treating others with dignity and respect. I would never go out of my way to fat shame anyone. However when these fat activist crusaders try to pawn off “You can be healthy at any size” and then demand that I celebrate their fatness, I have to draw the line. I will continue to call “bullshit” when they spread this moronic message.

[@marjorieferrer9520]

I’m just gonna throw this in here ,I understand you all. Year2022 last week of January , I stopped going to work and had to take leave of absence , a very long one . I was diagnosed almost every month with horrifying diseases, heart disease , interstitial lung disease, Graves’ disease, high blood pressure, etc, and I think in October I became a full blown diabetic type 2 with osteoarthritis and had to get injections in my knee just so I can walk without a cane. In January 2022 ,I was 126 lbs 5’4 woman with a very active life. By September I was 160lbs.with no job. When I got diagnosed with diabetes is when I started to really get worried and took control. I ask my endocrinologist to give me time to work on my diabetes and she agreed to my request . This January just a few weeks ago i reversed my diabetic diagnosis and hyperthyroidism ( graves disease). How you ask? Since November of 2022 I started intermittent fasting . I only drink pure water for 16 to 17 hours then eat real food for 7 hours . But I choose food that are actually beneficial and sensible, a good balance of meat , veggies, fish , and fruits. Once a week I would eat like normal. I go to the gym 4/5 x a week for a couple of hours , I am now 143 lbs . The 20 more lbs I need to lose is so much easier to achieve now and my goal is to totally get my blood sugar level to non diabetic stage and to hopefully stop the progression of OA. I am at 6.2 aic which is prediabetic level. I also am working on fixing my lung problems tho doctors said it’s irreversible, I will still try. Unfortunately after a year I have to let go of my job but that I am also working on fixing .. I’ll just make a job for myself. Intermittent fasting , real discipline, enormous amount of hard work, and a lot of optimism got me to where I’m at now . I just want you all to know anything is really possible. You’ve all overcame the most difficult part already..now I wish you all well and good luck.

[@jottrn2359]

I'm a nurse and tried to warn people that the patients on vents in my icu almost all had one thing in common... Obesity. I got slammed in comment sections and a reddit post got down voted into oblivion. Even doctors who were quick to shame anyone who didn't get vaccinated would not dare tell people that obesity was a huge risk factor for severe illness or death from COVID .

[@g.d.graham2446]

I can only imagine

[@myfriendgoo2816]

You think the obese people didn't know that already? C'mon. I'm willing to bet that you've informed zero people they were obese who didn't already know it and zero who didn't already know it's hurting their health. How young do you have to be to not know? 7? 6? I realize it's your job and personally would not fault a doctor or nurse for telling me that. (Thank you for your service). Thanks to our dysfunctional health care system I was uninsured for 13 years before the ACA and got all my care in Thailand. Those doctors could be absolutely blunt calling out excess weight. I always lost weight over there because of eating less-UNhealthy foods that at least weren't as bad as here, and getting a lot more everyday exercise just getting around for work. Yet all we get in the U.S. is blame-the-individual because of our cultural bent. After 60+ trips over there for business, I'll probably retire to Thailand. It could add years to my life.

[@AKVonn]

Thats y, not i, not my wife not my Herbalife friends got that shot. Not the 1sr, the 3rd, or the 5th . 4 Modiable Risk Factors. 1 No Smoking 2 Healthy BMi, low body Fat. 3 NUTRITION ! u r wat u eat . 4 Exercise.

[@annestovgaard681]

There was so much misinformation and crazy conspiracy theorists all over the media. So I think they just didn´t want to feed them more? So a comment like that, might make people not getting vaccinated, if they think only "fat" people die... of course being obese makes everything worse, but I think most people already know that. And you don´t change people´s weight with a comment, but you can change the amount of people getting vaccinated.

[@jonjonson5730]

@@myfriendgoo2816 the OP's point isn't that the individuals don't realize their obesity; it's that many doctors and keyboard warriors on Reddit are so ready to die on the hill that we should all ignore the fact that over 70% of covid d3aths were overweight people, while simultaneously blaming unvaxxed people. You can't have it both ways.

[@NWBwana]

This is the Bill Maher America really needs. Great segment, and glad to see you back at your best.

[@anabanana3857]

@MP In general, I’ve found Americans to be poor critical thinkers (I’m American), evidenced by our extreme politics/black-and-white cognitive distortions. Anyhow, I’ve found foreigners (I’ve traveled loads) to be more intelligent overall and I think it’s conditioned (not genetic). Good news is our brains are plastic.

[@rodmac81]

Yeah, i feel the same. I thought we had lost him there for a while but he has bounced back. Common sense and truth always prevail.

[@valinorean4816]

he and Bill Burr tell it like it is!

[@austinlittke7688]

Yea, I've enjoyed being able to watch Bill Maher again now that he's not being too emotionally attached to politics and partisan. For years he devolved into a liberal left wing nutcase and wasn't even funny anymore. Now he's funny again and more grounded.

[@docsavage8323]

Agreed

[@meganmac4680]

Completely agree. As a mother of two young kids it is a constant battle to fight off everyone trying to give them shitty foods. It takes effort to make homemade meals every night (that they often don’t appreciate) after working all day. Thank goodness my husband is on board because I have so many parents say who cares all the time.

[@shawnwright5332]

Rocking it Mom 👍🇨🇦

[@DerekBolli]

Your kids will thank you in the years to come 👍

[@ddale20]

Everyone complains about 'fat shaming.' No, you should be ashamed that you're not trying to do something about it. We say health care is a right, right? Well, so is taking care of ourselves. You would be surprised how our health care system gets better.

[@jimwerther]

While you're at it, using appropriate language is also part of good parenting.

[@HomeAtLast501]

That's what Bill doesn't get --- it's not about gluttony, it's about processed foods that are intentionally designed to be addictive. If the news media tells us all to just eat non-processed foods, including tons of fruits and vegetables, they could lose ad revenues from processed and fast foods producers.

[@JOHN----DOE]

My father was a fat 90-year-old (made it to 93). He was a sugar addict who got away with overweight and obesity for 70 years, but in his 80s he had hypertension, diabetes, macular degeneration (then, it meant blindness for sure), and Alzheimer's (brought on by blindness and diabetes). His quality of life was terrible during his last decade. It's not just how long you live. It's quality of life, and if you're fat you WILL suffer for it. Contemplating his fate made me lose and keep off 40 pounds. It can and must be done.

[@wombat5252]

That's some good genetics then if he made it that far by being fat. He must have at least ate his greens 🤣

[@luciamarston8804]

OMG there's always One Smart Alec.

[@childwaters]

@@wombat5252 He loved GHW Bush because he shared a revulsion against broccoli. And any other veg that wasn't drowned in some kind of sauce or glaze. Our 1950s meals were meat and potatoes, with occasional corn and carrots (and, of course, Wonder Bread, a.k.a. cardboard). He THOUGHT he was eating something healthy when he had fruit cocktail with sweet sauce poured on it. I had to do aversion therapy on myself in adulthood to get into eating veg, and am still not great at it. He was also quite a walker (2 mi. a day into his 80s) and extremely smart (tested I.Q. of 200 in high school), so he had some cognitive reserve and never did get any cardiovascular problems except hypertension. But nothing is worse than Alzheimers (now often called Diabetes 3 because it's an insulin-metabolizing problem) coupled with blindness.

[@realnaturephile]

Statistically, he was an outlier. You’ll find outliers in virtually any sample size you can pick.

[@donnarichardson7214]

@@realnaturephile But he WAS an obese 90-year-old. They do exist.

[@chrisgreen6331]

And so people are clear, Bill isn't talking about having "the perfect beach bod". He's talking about actual health. You don't know how serious this issue is until you hear a doctor tell you "you'll be lucky to reach 35 if you don't get this in order". I also find it wild that people will debate healthcare in America, but not bring up our biggest cost. That is preventable diseases that are almost exclusively caused by our unhealthy habits.

[@carolyn4407]

absolutely!

[@BB-wl8qr]

This.

[@Propfaqs]

When the doctor tells them that, they sue the doctor for ‘intentional infliction of emotional distress’.

[@ancalyme]

He points out people should have a flat stomach lol A flat stomach isn't a function of health.

[@abnmp7865]

@@ancalyme He didn’t say that. It was a Tshirt. He said ‘you do you’.

[@m.collier708]

I struggled with it most of my adult life. But I finally got mad at myself at 44 yo and decided that my kids & wife would SEE me instead of hearing stories about how fit I used to be when I was young. I'm now down 85 lbs. from my heaviest weight of 287 and I feel like a teenager again. EVERY SINGLE ASPECT OF MY LIFE HAS IMPROVED AS A RESULT. My only regret is that I wasted 20 years being fat.

[@markfrost2707]

great job!

[@metalgearkirby9427]

@@markfrost2707 (and great job to you too for saying great job) c:

[@jms6605]

I hear you brother, same here, keep up the good work.

[@Wilde_Wolfe]

My story is almost identical except I was 35 and 255lbs... In one year's time with enough determination... I'm now 180lbs and have more energy than I've ever had.

[@m.collier708]

@@Wilde_Wolfe Awesome... good for you man. Happy for you.

[@hyacinthlynch843]

"You not a freedom fighter if you want to keep eating donuts." 😂 Spot on, Bill!

[@LesterMoore]

Oh wow. Have you seen some of our police of late? Couldn't outrun a ground sloth.

[@timkeller0000]

@@LesterMoore Have you seen some of these people who think they're state militia? They don't have to.

[@melanieeccles9602]

"Blood on your hands, full stop". "Asking your doctor not to weigh you is like asking your dentist not to look in your mouth." This is all so absurd! You nailed it Bill Maher!

[@Avarcirith]

The dental thing really got me. Arguing obesity is fine and a natural body type is like saying cavities are natural and shouldn't be combated-- with a teeny tiny percentage of medical exceptions, both are the direct result of bad lifestyle choices and lack of willpower.

[@sharigilliam1391]

People whos ansesters were exposed to pesticides are at higher risk for obesity. Stop eating inorganic until after you reproduce

[@adamneedham4828]

Bill I lost 175 lbs because of your comment about being part of the Healthcare system problem. Thank you for your cruel yet truthful inspiration! I will be at your show Sept 11th in kansas city. I'd love to show you what a little truth can do for someone. 175lbs in 1 year and all I did was change what and how much I eat and get up off my ass and exercise. Look forward to seeing your show. Hope you can see me.

[@lah6739]

When I was child in the 60s an overweight kid was rare. A few years ago I was showing a friend's 7 year old my grade nine class picture and he asked me if there was a special class for fat kids because there were no fat kids in the picture. Overly processed food and fast food (all for our convenience) and the portion sizes in restaurants in the US (one meal can feed two people) are a big part of the problem.

[@sicknado]

its not for convenience its to get us addicted, and it worked.

[@Ameborl]

Yes and it's crazy the medical establishment isn't on top of it and on every front news story. This shows me that Big Food is too powerful, they give too much $$ to politicians as well as Big Pharma. Big Food is Kellogs, Kraft, Cola, Frito-Lays... if you follow the $$ to the top its only a few companies making our food.

[@candicabral3767]

Meals in the US in restaurants are definitely enough for two people. I admit I don't have a huge appetite but quite frequently, when my fiance and I go out, we share a meal. And it's usually more than enough for the two of us. And he's a good size athletic man.

[@MrChickennugget360]

in the 60s most families had a mother who controlled what their children ate. When women entered the work force children began to get fat on fast food, and treats. Traditional family meals were around a table at set times of the day- children today don't often eat at the table and often don't stop snacking.

[@suemiller9506]

Same here - most kids my age were slim. But we also walked or rode bikes to school and ran around outside when we weren't in school. We ate too much candy and chips and such, but we were also very active.

[@eliparker3136]

It's good to see Bill focusing on non-partisan issues that really everyone should be focusing on. I am a conservative and continue to watch Bill just for new viewpoints on common issues. But lately, a lot of the things he brings up have been spot-on and I think everyone should dig deep and get behind. When we lose people like him who are using their platforms to raise awareness on non-partisan issues, then who else is out there to do it? There was a TED talk from a man in the army back in 2012 and he was an early whistleblower to how obesity is becoming a National Security issue and the recruitment pool is getting hard to pull from. FYI, the fitness test just to get in the army is super easy. Like you can be basic levels of fitness and still pull it off so the fact that kids between the ages of 18 and 24 are struggling should scare a lot of people. Parents, this starts at you. Get the kids up and take them to the park or for a walk. Get them active and give them the desire to be active. It's like Wall-E in real life.

[@TheUPnorth45]

We appear to be losing the concept of good old common sense and addressing glaring problems. He is doing good work.

[@christerry1773]

I wish there was more discussion on both sides of bi-partisan issues, but media isn’t going to do that unless there’s a political advantage.

[@knightrider6473]

As a conservative I have been noticing lately that Bill has been seeing things with a lot more common sense.

[@thehippiesage]

I thought of Wall-E the moment he started talking about it. Truth on all points!

[@Floruxman]

I agree with you 99%. But I have to point out that even though exercise and getting out of the house is always good health advice, the main target if you want to keep a healthy weight is to watch your diet.

[@glogirl7]

Perfect timing. I'm 75 and just returned home after working out!! No pride, just joy.

[@kendisarcher5807]

Thanks Bill, as a physician I'm so frustrated when my patients complain of joint pain or fatigue and just want medication. Some are so oblivious that being 50 pounds over weight is the problem. I really appreciate this segment. Keep speaking truth to power.

[@paulabukhalil3880]

My spine doc told me that every 1 lb. of body weight contributes about 4 lbs. of force on the spine. I imagined hearing audible creeking and cracking of my withering spine at that moment.

[@skipmars7979]

There's always the "as a physician" comment from??? "Keep speaking the truth". Let's reminisce about the "vaccine" and lockdowns from the med community. What Bill had to say was great common sense. Something we have strayed from.

[@russellfleming8227]

My physician advised me to eat five servings of vegetables and work up a sweat twice a day. Simple advice and it worked. I thanked him at my last checkup.

[@Ronniezim]

@@carterseanjohn approximately 90% of cancer is primarily linked to dietary choices. Another fact people don’t want to face.

[@zoobrizz]

Joe Rogan has been saying this for years

[@billintex001]

"At some point acceptance becomes enabling." One of the most profound truths I've ever heard. And applicable to so many of today's hot button issues.

[@ma2566]

Sometimes he takes the enabling thing a little to far, like in religulous he said just by saying a private prayer you’re enabling death around the world caused by religion

[@billintex001]

@@ma2566 100 percent agree with you on that one. My faith is important to me. Bill is atheist sadly. But as far as all the identity disphoria going on these days I think he is correct on the accepting/enabling comparison.

[@JJJJ-dc3np]

Actually how fat somebody is or what they do with their own body is none of your business. You can try to spin some complex made up reasons why it is your business but actually it is none of your business.

[@abandoned-mines-novascotia]

@@JJJJ-dc3np *Three things* : 1) Others bodies being our business had ZERO to do with Bill's monologue. He even said the words "you do you". The point of the monologue is the NARRATIVE in 2022, related to obesity. The far left has taken positivity to an extreme - to where it's essentially taboo at this point in history to judge, insult, discuss, or even suggest a national change, related to the obese - or else it is "hate" or "bigoted" against (the worst lie) "those who cannot help it". So yes, the degradation of societal norms and expectations/responsibilities that keep peoples improving/healthy/successful... you know, GOOD things... is everybody's business. If not, the whole of society around us crumbles in yet another way, as we head toward the dystopia as depicted in the "WALL-E" movie. 2) We recently went through 1-2 years of total shutdown (depending on where you live) due to a pandemic. The rationale behind ceasing most commerce, and everybody staying home, was based on the core reasoning that we were curbing/minimizing the number of deaths. FOR ME that meant 1.5 years with near-zero income, as my business (and it's employees) were stuck home. I LOST SIX FIGURES during that period. PS: I am a fit healthy strong-immune-system person who never got vaccinated, and still haven't had covid (to my knowledge) to date. All my employees, triple & quad vaxed, have had covid 2-3 times, so far. WHY DOES ALL THIS MATTER? Who were we staying home for? Who were we protecting? Mainly two groups - the elderly, and the vulnerable. Guess who made up 70%-80% (depending on area) of covid deaths in America? The obese. Essentially, I was stuck home and gave away $125,000 into the ether, essentially in "solidarity" for these people. Not me. THEM. So they had some kind of 'better safety' of potentially living. I have no choice but to think, that in a perfect world of zero obesity - those 70-80% would have survived, with their immune systems strong/stronger. In turn, had the death toll been 80% less than it was, the outcomes would have ended lockdowns in only a few months. Because deaths would have been rooted essentially to the weak elderly (who didn't want any lockdowns, risk & time were more valuable than fear, and valued normal life in their final years). SO YES - A COUNTRY WITH OBESITY LEVELS LIKE WE HAVE, ** IS INDEED ** MY BUSINESS. The obese *directly* cost me six figures, as I was quite happy to fend for myself in the risk of normal life, alongside the normal & healthy, and not stopped working. 3) For bodies age 18 and under, THEY are INDEED my/our business... as parents... and we have the duty/responsibility to at least deliver a healthy human to age 18, with the best nourishment and habits we can provide... then it's up to them to carry the torch or f^ck it all up. It's their adulthood. But it's our kids, until that point. Raising good adults is where health & diet & exercise lessons can be taught early. So yes, they ARE our business. What they do with their body IS our responsibility - at the very least as their parents - but societally (schools, physical education, sports programs, role models) we all need to promote this again. Sure, after 18 they are on their own. But today in 2022 - I haven't seen a health PSA ad on television, KZbin, or streaming service in 15+ years. Like section (1) above - the narrative has been turned on it's head today. Nobody dares promote healthy messaging for youth, for fear of backlash, stressing out youth, "marginalizing" people, etc etc etc. All the typical crybaby rhetoric against ANYTHING normative, hierarchical, targeted, or goal-oriented. What we see in 2022 is what "anything goes" extremism looks like. Remove any & all goalposts, and this is what we get. Complex chaos. Directionless youth. So are these "spun complex made-up reasons" ??? I guess to a social deconstructionist , absolutely. 2022 is deconstructionist candyland right now. *WHICH IS WHY WE HAVE THE PROBLEMS WE DO*

[@JJJJ-dc3np]

@@abandoned-mines-novascotia 1. Yes those are your complex made up reasons. 2.I too was never vaccinated and never got covid. I am 68 and healthy. I also lost over $100K. The lockdown was not done to protect those at risk as you suggest though. In fact focusing on those at risk probably would have saved lives. Instead the entire society was punished. 3. so your complex made up reasons are just that...you were not punished due to people who were obese, you and I were punished due to incompetence and governmental control. In fact government interaction increased deaths 4. so as I say you just demonstrated the complex made up reasons I predicted. 5. lets get back to my basic value - what others do with their own bodies is none of your business. You might think it is because government interferes and you assign your harm to say, fat people, or whatever, but in fact it is incompetence elsewhere that makes you think people conducting their own lives freely in some way harms you 6. but people using their bodies as they wish does not harm you. look elsewhere for the explanation of your harm. Again, LOOK ELSEWHERE for the explanation of your harm. A person riding a motorcycle without a helmet does not harm you. Obese people do not harm you. A heroin addict does not harm you. The harm comes from elsewhere. I hope you see my point.

[@devn3813]

He is right. It takes willpower and work to lose weight. It isn’t just about the way you look. It’s about health.

[@singerrb4984]

It doesn't take willpower!!! It takes eliminating all processed food and eating only organic (if affordable) produce and eating only grass-fed meat products (is affordable). You will be amazed how quickly you begin to feel better. Look into fasting. It's amazing! I lost 100 lbs. with little effort when I cut out processed poisonous food products!

[@devn3813]

@@singerrb4984 very true but calorie intake trumps all regarding weight, but organic food is important for health

[@thomasmayo5750]

Our willpower is drained by the demand of the rat race. it has only gotten faster, and we buy in with every penny we churn

[@tonymurray814]

@@singerrb4984 thank you, if only more of us discovered this!!!

[@EduardsESA]

how dare you

[@Brody400]

“You can make believe you’re fighting some great social Justice battle for besieged minorities; but you’re really doing is enabling addicts.” That is one of the most true and haunting statements from this video.

[@carriegraham6385]

'you're not a freedom fighter because you want to keep eating donuts'

[@CorenaG]

@@carriegraham6385 You can be a freedom fighter with an addiction.

[@Jay-jb2vr]

💯💯💯💯

[@JET7C0]

I mean, and also obese people are barely minorities in America, since now closing in on half, or 42% of US adults are obese, and a further 30% are overweight, meaning just 28% or about 1 in 4, are a normal AKA healthy weight.

[@chdh6556]

@@CorenaG nobody today is a freedom fighter, the last freedom fights were black people from the 50’s 60’s. What we have today is, whatever the fuck you all are, I call you jokes

[@DorvellTStewart]

I’m a 5‘9“, 32 year-old male, weigh 250 pounds (most of it largely concentrated in my waist and thighs,) fully acknowledge it’s because of my terrible eating habits and yet, I’m with Bill on this one. Barring medical conditions like hypothyroidism which, yes, causes substantial weight gain that’s hard to control (from my limited understanding of a condition I don’t have, anyway,) I agree it’s time for things to change. Of course we shouldn’t make fun of people for being overweight, but we also shouldn’t continue to ignore the very real health risks that come with it. I genuinely want to lose weight and get in shape; first thing I can think of is to start taking daily walks and working on eating better. it won’t happen overnight, and I know that, but it’s time to work towards it!

[@zachparade2791]

Best of luck on your health journey! I lost 70 lbs. during the pandemic. I started with walking and adding fruits and vegetables and cutting soda, so I think you have a great plan! You got this! 🍀

[@SDCB754]

Yes, do some basic exericses too for three times a week, i.e. push ups, squats, etc. Modify when you need to. You got this!!

[@Buttlather]

Hypothyroidism is completely treatable with bioequivalent hormone. It's weird how often this is cited as a legitimate cause of obesity.

[@myfriendgoo2816]

6'0, 244, and I have 27 more spins of the earth than you. You sound so much like my 32-year-old self. I don't want to discourage you in any way but would just point out that you must be prepared to make any changes permanent and that you also can't feel deprived or your chances of success drop. Our culture is VERY much a blame-the-individual one, but through more than 60 trips to southeast Asia for business and weight losses EVERY time without trying, I've come to appreciate just how much the deck is stacked against you in the U.S. because just about every item on a grocery shelf will be problematic in some way and all the car dependence means that people must do exercise in ADDITION to other things rather than in the course of them. I plan to retire to Thailand because it could add years to my life.

[@rangvald4036]

The thing with hypothyroidism too is that it is stupidly simple to diagnose and treat. It is at the very bottom of my priority list when I am treating patients. Levothyroxine once a day and blood tests to adjust the dose and then once yearly once an appropriate dose has been established. You don’t have hypothyroidism and become 400 pounds. You’ll get sick and end up in the hospital and be diagnosed long before it gets to that point.

[@draughonc]

Thank you Bill. Probably the only person in media that can get away with speaking this truth.

[@29sentz]

Since Bourdain got bumped off.

[@valinorean4816]

he and Bill Burr

[@sierramikebravo7332]

Why is that, anyway?

[@JettBlast]

And Dave Chappelle...He say what I am thinking with many issues!

[@jrfeil23]

Joe Rogan.

[@SDCB754]

Mad respect for saying what no other tv host would dare to say.

[@myfriendgoo2816]

The rugged-individual culture in the U.S. and the bent toward blaming the individual and making things about willpower (strongly rooted in Puritanical and Calvinist roots) hasn't changed at all, even for atheists like Bill. There are more fat people now, which is why it seems so "daring," but I have a hard time remembering anything BUT 100% blame-the-individual. It's what we've always done and still do as a country. It's been such a long running failure in this instance that I can only conclude Bill would rather be "right" by doubling down on it than solve the problem. The only thing that's changed is a little less bullying and open shaming. They're still thinking the same thoughts but not verbalizing as often. That's IT.

[@Shark-hn4mv]

@@myfriendgoo2816, will power matters. A lazy society is an unproductive society and eventually a failed society. This rule is true whether you're atheist or religious. Reality doesn't care about religious beliefs.

[@zoobrizz]

Joe Rogan has been saying this for years

[@Bradgilliswhammyman]

Eh fat shaming has been a fetish with Bill for a long time, he makes comments about it in almost every episode..gets old.

[@lindaslattery8341]

@@zoobrizz 🙄

[@JavierCR25]

Thank you Bill, thank you for putting this out there! "Woke" culture is about not taking responsibility for anything, even their own lack of self care and unhealthy habits.

[@trudycarter9363]

I am 85years old and work two hours out every day 1 hour swimming and 1 hour walking!Some days I am so tired I can barely fix my breakfast but a little rest and Iam back feeling so d am good Iam back the next day doing 2 hours again of exercise@

[@judeirwin2222]

I don’t use the term woke and I think it has become a catch-all for whatever some people don’t like. It’s lazy to use a word you never define. Taking responsibility for yourself has nothing to do with politics. Nothing. I repeat, nothing. It’s a sign of maturity and reason, and those two characteristics are notable by their absence throughout America.

[@ssesf]

...except using the "correct" pronouns.

[@riviriel]

My mother died when I was young from being overweight. No one is doing anyone any favors by hiding or shying away from the consequences of weight. We should never shame anyone for being overweight, we should always seek to understand why, and do what we can, when we can, to help. I wish everyday I was able to know her as an adult, but unfortunately I never will. I don't blame her, and I understand the causes, which has become one of the many life lessons she gave me in her limited time. For that I am forever grateful, and hope that we can all learn from what science has been able to teach us on this incredibly important topic.

[@BB-wl8qr]

Sorry for your loss. This is the point of all of this. Society should not enable society to make even worse choices and force feed false informtation to 'make them feel better'. Give them facts and let them choose. Your mom was the same person fat or thin, she would have just had a chance to be that person for a longer amount of time, which is what I got from what you said. That's the point we should be making here. This isn't an aesthetic, judgmental thimg.

[@dougpatterson7494]

Sorry for your loss. That is good that you are aware of this and doing your own small part in changing attitudes to encourage healthier lifestyles.

[@PacificSword]

Well said David. People also need to remember that everyone has a different set of circumstances. I was gifted with "can't get fat" genetics. I eat literally whatever I want and if I just don't work out at all, I end up looking like a skeleton with a light layer of padding. My wife on the other hand, is in a constant fight, counting calories and exercising furiously. This isn't an easy issue to discuss because we're not all starting at the same place.

[@marygard4608]

I grew up in a family where the women got fat and the men died young. My dad, rail thin, smoked and drank. He died when I was 8 years old. Big chest buster. He was 48. My fat mom died at 79. I think the problem here isn't so much fat as we've reduced our mortality with anti-smoking and better vehicle safety. We are living longer, but we are less useful because we are more sick than ever.

[@jessmore9870]

@@PacificSword You might get checked your thyroid checked out.

[@cdclemensen]

“You’re not a freedom fighter because you want to keep eating donuts” sums up how crazy the social media culture has gone in the last few years. Brilliant.

[@EMAN00619]

When we got to the point that more people were dying of obesity than starvation in America, there was no turning back.

[@cdclemensen]

@@EMAN00619 excellent point

[@user-uy3eq5hg1s]

Imagine body shaming someone for losing weight and becoming healthy. Crazy stuff.

[@Marijuanifornia]

America legalized weed to win World War II. It's on film at an official government website: catalog.archives.gov/id/1682 The 1942 USDA film *Hemp for Victory* was made just five years after "Marihuana" was outlawed, and then banned from public broadcasts to this day so that all of US society would accept the war on drugs and the Fascist police state. We pay billions of dollars in taxes each year to arm cops like soldiers to beat and kill Americans over the same Cannabis Sativa plant that was used to defend this country through every war from the Revolution to World War II. Nothing on social media compares to the craziness that is US Federal Cannabis prohibition.

[@DBBMed]

But Bill she said she did. She said she owed men a flat stomach

[@davidcarr7436]

As a boomer, I can say that growing up there weren't fast food restaurants, three on every block, and while there was junk food, it didn't take up a complete aisle in the grocery store. Technology didn't keep us attached to a screen 20 hours a day and kids were actually sent outside to play and told NOT TO BE HOME until supper; so we played. Convenience has morphed into dependence, entertainment to sloth. We are eating our way to a bad end.

[@nickcox1408]

Stress has alot to do with it

[@phongphong4640]

@@nickcox1408 as well as boredom.

[@jaimhaas5170]

I agree with most of what you say although the food was just as crappy but not in the same volumes. All my morning cereals were complete crap and most of what we ate at school was close to crap. We did not have online and that is the biggest difference.

[@jaimhaas5170]

@Therese McNally oh yeah it was. Sugar has been added along with corn syrup to most everything since the 70's ... I know cuz that's when I got addicted to it.

[@jaimhaas5170]

@@nickcox1408 not really. Same stresses today as in the 70's...maybe more gender issue confusion but "stress" is not a good or viable excuse to gain weight.

[@Wilde_Wolfe]

Great Video!! Helped me have this conversation with my teenagers.... they thought "Body Positivity" was the same as self confidence and respect. I corrected them. They are smarter because of it. Thank you!

[@shannonsmith8784]

I’m watching this while on a stair climber at the gym. My Thanksgiving pants phase was 10 weeks of studying for the bar exam. I was at my desk studying every moment I had and not eating well. But I got it done, passed, and then had to break the bad habits. Honestly it wasn’t easy, but taking things one day at a time helped. Thankfully I feel significantly less anxious and depressed now. Working out is worth it!

[@phongphong4640]

Congratulations!!!

[@adonayaklilu4683]

Welcome to a noble profession.

[@kantraxoikol6914]

it's pretty common sense if you're not moving, stop eating

[@jamesw657]

It so is. I have lived an almost entirely sedentary lifestyle for at least the last 10yrs and recently started keto over a month ago, started going to the gym 5-6x/week and have lost 30lbs in just over 1 month. I'm omw to the best shape of my life and I have more energy, sleep less and just feel better overall. If I, a daily pot-smoking, former 18yr cigarette-smoking, former 10yr opiate addict, who sat on his ass doing nothing for 10+yrs can completely do a 180, then I believe anyone without serious mental conditions who isn't, like, grossly obese can do it as well. I really just followed Shia LaBoeuf's advice lol ("JUST DO IT!!!!!!!!!"), I forced myself to make a decision and somehow it worked. And I really am one of the laziest and most undisciplined people I've ever known lol. Just felt like oversharing lmao 🤷🏼‍♂

[@esrapk]

@@jamesw657 This inspired me so much. I will start exercising tomorrow! Ty :)

[@matthewabsher2764]

As a person who struggles with alcohol, I can absolutely say that my extra pounds are due to that. Do I want people to "affirm" me in my bad life decisions? Absolutely not.

[@GeronimoPlaz]

Good for you. You'll get there. Keep at it.

[@BlogueiraVintage]

When we have a problem and we ignore the problem, we have two problems. You will get over it! 🙏🏻

[@kurtsudheim825]

Hope you've got some family it friends to help you get through, unless they're the ones that pushes you there. But that there's somebody, who will help you get over it in time. You at least know what the issue is, that's step 1

[@rodneyskelly5960]

Buddy Good comment.I had a give up the booze or die verdict and took it seriously.This was because of the non health side effects-lost jobs, academic failure , lost relationship etc. My point is that addiction is not ok even if you believe you are physically healthy. It is like jumping off a sky scraper and saying''so far so good" when you are in mid-air.

[@a.m.pietroschek1972]

You are an obese alcoholic? Most German alcoholics are nearly as unhealthy-slim, as our heroin-addicts tend to be. 🤔

[@sharynfuller828]

I don't always agree with you, Bill, but you've got this one spot on. Bravo.

[@pbm___000]

It was nice to read this comment. Too few people listen/watch/read opinions they don't already agree with. Bill often challenges my beliefs, sometimes to the degree I need to read up on a topic (from a trustworthy source of information). Sometimes its obvious he's just biased, or uninformed. Other times, I find it was me. I like Biden due to his tolerance and curiosity of others. Seek first to understand. Truly what the world needs.

[@susangage2954]

Thank you, Bill! This needed to be said and I hope those who are regularly letting themselves go will finally see the light and pay attention to their health. They only have one body and it is precious, so it shouldn't be neglected and treated like garbage.

[@brianmouland209]

Had I not changed my ways 50 years ago. I would not be posting I would be dead

[@michaelsciarretta8684]

As a fat person myself I am not proud of my weight, in fact it is my greatest shame and I am constantly enraged by it. I have been trying to lose weight for a long time and it keeps rebounding back. Losing weight and successfully keeping it off is probably the hardest thing you can do because your own body fights you the entire way. Weight loss is by itself is a full time job and is way more mental than physical. You have to have a clear and non-stressed mind to lose weight because stress actually keeps weight on your body. This body positivity movement needs to stop NOW. No one should be proud of being overweight, in the long-term it's going to make your ass very dead. Adele needs to be celebrated like she just won the Grammy for Album of the Year. Rebel Wilson should be celebrated for losing weight like she just won the Oscar for Best Actress. Losing weight is way harder to do then win an Academy Award or a Grammy (just ask Michael Moore or Lizzo). There are several issues as to why so many people in the U.S are overweight and obese and one of the reasons is GREED. It's actually very profitable for many large corporations to keep Americans fat and sick. It helps keep food producers, health insurance & and Big Pharma very profitable. It's a dark a vicious cycle, food companies make food addictive which makes people fat and unhealthy which keeps the healthcare industry profitable and then those people die from obesity related issues and keep the casket and funeral business profitable. Another problem with the obesity crisis in the U.S is that it is also a class problem. In the old days, being obese was rare and a sign of wealth and power. Today, we have the opposite problem, the wealthier people in the U.S can keep their weight off because they have more time to exercise, don't have as much stress about everyday problems and can use their wealth to purchase healthier and higher quality food. Poorer and middle-class Americans tend to work long hours and many of them in sedentary jobs that burn no calories. Poor Americans also tend to live in food deserts where there are not many grocery stores in the area with affordable nutritious foods like fruits and vegetables. If you want to help people to actually be body positive tell people who are overweight that they need to lose weight as their life depends on it because it does. Left unchecked obesity will become type 2 diabetes, cancer and eventually death. To learn more about obesity please go to www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html.

[@CKBrooke]

This comment needs way more Likes.

[@michaelsciarretta8684]

@@CKBrooke thanks

[@Comment8r]

👍

[@shannawilliams9172]

Sometimes it's not about pushing the plate away but medical issues.. no one should be shamed about their body... stupidity is a pandemic... geezus fucking christ

[@myfriendgoo2816]

@@shannawilliams9172 What Bill is calling acceptance and celebration is really just fewer people openly shaming fat people or taking it upon themselves to point out to the person they're fat (as if ANY fat person didn't know already). The thinner people are thinking the same thoughts but just not verbalizing as often.

[@iandhr1]

I was overweight for a while. I made modest changes to my diet around portion control and started to exercise more. I lost a bunch of weight and I can now go for an hour on the elliptical machine. I feel both mentally and physically better. Yes, there are issues that poor people who live in food deserts often don't have access to healthy food. That is a problem that needs to be solved. But Bill is right. Maybe if we change the language around how we talk about this issue would help solve the problem. Instead of calling it "fat shaming" call it "health encouragement."

[@Seththebot]

A can of corn is still $0.89 and found at any local grocery store. Families can be on a limited budget and still eat healthy. Could it be slightly less convenient, yes, but its still a choice people make each day.

[@nefaristo]

I'm from Italy and for a while I kind of believed this widely spread story, that poor people can't afford healthy food in the us for whatever reason. Giving it a second thought, i find it extremely unlikely. You have all kind of climate, and winter vegetables would come frome the same kind of greenhouses... The prices can't be so different. If anything, some food might be a bit more expensive because it's less eaten, therefore economy of scale can't fully kick in? I can't believe this would make broccoli unaffordable :) Or it's just a false belief? Maybe raised from the confusion between healthy and "organic"? (which has no real biological meaning and it hasn't been proven to be healthier than standard food btw) If the fat -poor correlation is true, might also be that people with poorer self discipline would do worse both in studies/work and at taking care of themselves, everything else being equal. But I'm speculating and I don't even know if the correlation is true (though I'd bet it is).

[@googleplusisterrible4837]

Keep it up!!! Great work!!!

[@donnewton7858]

@@nefaristo Conversely, the "bad food" that they supposedly CAN afford turns out to be the most expensive choice most of the time. Especially the "fast" kind, which they eat by the ton.

[@someguy2135]

One more reason to switch to a plant based diet. "CONCLUSIONS The 5-unit BMI difference between vegans and nonvegetarians indicates a substantial potential of vegetarianism to protect against obesity. Increased conformity to vegetarian diets protected against risk of type 2 diabetes after lifestyle characteristics and BMI were taken into account. Pesco- and semi-vegetarian diets afforded intermediate protection." Mean BMI was lowest in vegans (23.6 kg/m2) and incrementally higher in lacto-ovo vegetarians (25.7 kg/m2), pesco-vegetarians (26.3 kg/m2), semi-vegetarians (27.3 kg/m2), and nonvegetarians (28.8 kg/m2). Prevalence of type 2 diabetes increased from 2.9% in vegans to 7.6% in nonvegetarians; the prevalence was intermediate in participants consuming lacto-ovo (3.2%), pesco (4.8%), or semi-vegetarian (6.1%) diets. After adjustment for age, sex, ethnicity, education, income, physical activity, television watching, sleep habits, alcohol use, and BMI, vegans (OR 0.51 [95% CI 0.40-0.66]), lacto-ovo vegetarians (0.54 [0.49-0.60]), pesco-vegetarians (0.70 [0.61-0.80]), and semi-vegetarians (0.76 [0.65-0.90]) had a lower risk of type 2 diabetes than nonvegetarians."- Study found on PubMed, NIH. Title, etc. follow-"Diabetes Care. 2009 May; 32(5): 791-796. doi: 10.2337/dc08-1886 PMCID: PMC2671114 PMID: 19351712 Type of Vegetarian Diet, Body Weight, and Prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes Serena Tonstad, MD, PHD, 1 Terry Butler, DRPH, 2 Ru Yan, MSC, 3 and Gary E. Fraser, MD, PHD 4

[@markplain2555]

As a Canadians visiting our family down South, we were shocked at 1. the amount of food placed on plates at any restaurant, 2. at the marked difference in people's waistline in a matter of months between trips. Hey we are NOT perfect ourselves, and generally we follow American trends - this trend is scary.

[@gwenechotaylor96]

Yes. My husband and I (from Canada) love the Desert areas in the States but the first time we went I learned pretty quickly to order the child portion meals. The amount of food is almost obscene. No wonder so manypeople are fat.

[@patricktjia]

at least you guys have a universal health care and the Americans do not but they act like they have one

[@scottmandel20]

One of the first things my wife and I noticed when we moved down here (USA) from Canada was the large portion size at restaurants. We actually laughed out loud at one meal at how big the portions were. We used to say "God bless America!" with a smile.

[@zoobrizz]

My two Canadian friends are both obese 🤡☝️

[@someguy2135]

Americans have a higher percentage of meat and dairy in their diet than almost any other country. One more reason to switch to a plant based diet. "CONCLUSIONS The 5-unit BMI difference between vegans and nonvegetarians indicates a substantial potential of vegetarianism to protect against obesity. Increased conformity to vegetarian diets protected against risk of type 2 diabetes after lifestyle characteristics and BMI were taken into account. Pesco- and semi-vegetarian diets afforded intermediate protection." Mean BMI was lowest in vegans (23.6 kg/m2) and incrementally higher in lacto-ovo vegetarians (25.7 kg/m2), pesco-vegetarians (26.3 kg/m2), semi-vegetarians (27.3 kg/m2), and nonvegetarians (28.8 kg/m2). Prevalence of type 2 diabetes increased from 2.9% in vegans to 7.6% in nonvegetarians; the prevalence was intermediate in participants consuming lacto-ovo (3.2%), pesco (4.8%), or semi-vegetarian (6.1%) diets. After adjustment for age, sex, ethnicity, education, income, physical activity, television watching, sleep habits, alcohol use, and BMI, vegans (OR 0.51 [95% CI 0.40-0.66]), lacto-ovo vegetarians (0.54 [0.49-0.60]), pesco-vegetarians (0.70 [0.61-0.80]), and semi-vegetarians (0.76 [0.65-0.90]) had a lower risk of type 2 diabetes than nonvegetarians."- Study found on PubMed, NIH. Title, etc. follow-"Diabetes Care. 2009 May; 32(5): 791-796. doi: 10.2337/dc08-1886 PMCID: PMC2671114 PMID: 19351712 Type of Vegetarian Diet, Body Weight, and Prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes Serena Tonstad, MD, PHD, 1 Terry Butler, DRPH, 2 Ru Yan, MSC, 3 and Gary E. Fraser, MD, PHD 4

[@richdmj]

Outstanding! I have been struggling with weight loss for awhile now. I will not excuse myself with the lie that I look great as I am. I will continue to struggle and fight; I will conquer, be healthy, and fit.

[@slightly_handy2109]

As someone who has been obese for a majority of my life, the issue is that the average person doesn't know what a healthy amount of food is. I had to go to a dietician to understand just exactly how much I was over eating, and how my eating habits were affecting my metabolism. I've lost 20 pounds of fat over the last month just by eating 2000 calories or less every day. People don't realize that the average serving at a restaurant is between 1000-2000 calories for 1 meal, and realistically, most don't want to know. Healthy eating should be taught in schools from a very early age, and parents need to be educated on it in a way that doesn't alienate them.

[@NoName-ml5yk]

to be honest anyone of reasonable IQ understands that if you are eating a couple of pieces of fruit for breakfast and a salad without a gallon of processed dressing for dinner you're going to lose weight.

[@chessplayer0106]

Congrats and keep it going! Yes it's true that a single cookie is like 150+ calories, so 10-12 cookies is all the food you would need *for an entire 24 hours*!

[@verseau8360]

Try Keto! Watch KZbin movie called “The Magic Bullet”. Watch videos by Dr Eric Berg and Dr Ken Berry

[@someguy2135]

Instead of focusing on how much you eat, I suggest considering the type of food you eat. Here is a video which describes a study which produced results similar to stomach bypass surgery, while allowing the participants to eat as much as they wanted of the whole plant foods. kzbin.info/www/bejne/j6PWc6OGfcd7osk Link in the description.

[@milliemouse6525]

Actually, healthy eating and nutrition used to be taught in schools! It's called Home Economics. And don't tell me no, I was a home ec teacher!

[@milton7763]

Love how Bill keeps pounding on this subject. Also prefer this approach of not too much shaming but pounding on the facts

[@rh-bd6wv]

@@hunterwinslow558 boo hoo

[@xhagast]

Fact: If you weight over 300 pounds it will be dangerous to incinerate you after you croak of a stroke or heart disease. Not saying anything here, just stating a fact. No shaming intended. Another fact: hippos look better than humans in clothes for people who weight over 400 pounds. Just an observation.

[@milton7763]

@@hunterwinslow558 I’ve seen bits where Bill really is shaming people that are fat and particularly those that are obese. This bit was not that. At no point did he complain about or belittle fat people. What he did do was call out and shame people that enable severely unhealthy lifestyles. I’m not as extreme as some people on this issue. I have no issue with a magazine having a large woman (never seems to be a man) on the cover or in their ads. What I do have a problem with is people pretending it’s fine to be obese and acting as if there aren’t serious health consequences. As to causes of this increase in cases of obesity, anyone from outside the US can tell you the portions served in restaurants, particularly fast food chains, are insane. The constant offering of junk food and processed snacks everywhere, including in schools and the constant commercials for it are the other great contributors.

[@SunofTruth]

@@hunterwinslow558 People should replace eating with exercise. Unleash your stress and anger through weightlifting, pushups, punching bags, hot yoga, etc.

[@Narweeboy]

One of the few good things about the pandemic lockdowns is that I got myself into fitness after 15 years of unhealthiness and being way overweight. Dropped 15kgs and counting, and couldn't be happier and healthier. At no point in the last 15 years, I had tried to pretend being overweight should be accepted. Having no will power to get some control, and been there, is not something that should be accepted.

[@myfriendgoo2816]

Good for you! Now comes the hard part: keeping it off. If you can say after 5 years you've maintained it, you'll be ahead of 95% of people.

[@jangovin1]

Bloody good on you. Here is hoping that you can maintain that throughout. I myself am counting 22kgs down, and just another 3 more to hit my target.

[@juliejensen7370]

Hope you got vaxed too. Covid variants are going to kill a lot more. No, it's not my business but neither is my or anyone's weight.

[@jangovin1]

@Gay Benny 22 kilograms

[@mattmcclellan4011]

Congrats! Most people would tell you it was the other way around. That's awesome you were able to zone-in and take care of a goal you had for yourself when we were almost caged into our homes. That takes great discipline :)

[@yzwme586]

More people need to say this on big platforms. It is completely unacceptable to have fat acceptance. It's like I'm living in the twilight zone.

[@haileyquinnzel]

If you’re anti science just say that

[@yzwme586]

@@haileyquinnzel what?

[@haileyquinnzel]

@@yzwme586 this does not need to be said on big platforms, bc fat shaming makes the issue worse

[@yzwme586]

@@haileyquinnzel If it's not said on big platforms then nothing is done about it and it gets worse. It needs to be addressed for people to realize that this fat acceptance is BS. There's nothing good about being obese.

[@haileyquinnzel]

@@yzwme586 science says otherwise.

[@jenniferedmonds7069]

I am a long term care nurse. Residents who are 90, 95 or even 100 are not overweight. And if they are they have dementia.

[@myfriendgoo2816]

I also found that getting Covid 1.0 before the vaccines and losing my sense of taste and smell for nearly a year can do wonders for weight loss. Not recommended, though.

[@Valicroix]

Good job Bill. I've loving all the fallout that this is causing. Ignore them and keep up the good fight. I'm lucky in that I've never really been that heavy but I understand that it can be hard to control it sometimes. But to weigh 350 or 400 pounds, claim it's OK and have the audacity to whine that the world has to change to accommodate your out of control bulk is complete insanity.

[@jasonscottmarkowitz]

I know bill wont read these comments, but im happy to say im down 50lbs since March 2020, w/ an add on of 7lbs of muscle. I guess the pandemic had the opposite effect for me, but if i can inspire others to do so, it would be my honor. Thank you bill. Long time fan.

[@myfriendgoo2816]

I lost about 20 pounds because of Covid. Though that came from getting Covid 1.0 before the vaccines and losing my sense of taste and smell for about 9 months. That can do wonders for weight.

[@JennyJeong425]

I'm not Bill Maher, but I read your comment. I just wanted to tell you that you're awesome.

[@kerwinbrown4180]

Good job!

[@richoombie]

My dad had a success story like this too, I'm inspired by people who took the pandemic as an opportunity to make change happen

[@bYtealiEnSzen]

Congratulations! I dropped 75 lbs. From 240 to 165. Started by walking and transitioned to running. Started around 2020.

[@amritsaini2853]

“Have you ever seen a fat 90 year old?” With one question Bill has brought reality to the debate.

[@gotz2bfitnatural]

Coming from someone recovering from morbid obesity, addiction to food (in my opinion) is one of the hardest addictions to kick. Food now a days is engineered to make you crave it. I feel like I’m in a constant battle to eat crappy. And it’s not a stretch to get my fix. Every corner has what is calling to me. Additionally the foods I crave are super high in calories. For so long my idea of a true serving size has been skewed. However in my road to recovery, I’m learning how to eat in moderation as well as being happy with what a true serving size is versus the super size version that I’ve adapted myself to.

[@jhb139]

Addiction to food is considered one of the hardest addictions to quit because you need to eat to survive and often the foods available and a reasonable cost, if you're in the US, always have added sugar. Even canned veggies have added sugar. What really needs to change is the way companies manufacture foods so that it's possible for someone to buy healthy foods at a fair price.

[@theschoolsurvivalguide4544]

Exactly. It's legal to spend billions marketing poison food and people act like we should know better. Our parents never warned us that corporations were out to kill us.

[@paulg6170]

Hang in there!!!

[@MusgraveRitual]

Well said - I will add, and many people who move from abroad, or visit the US can confirm - they put so much sugar in everything here, it's crazy. When I first came to US everything tasted sweet to me, including thigs that are not supposed to be sweet in any scenario. I really believe this adds to the problem and difficulty to lose weight, along with all the things you listed. I even think that sugar might be that ingredient that "makes you crave it'.

[@MusgraveRitual]

@@jhb139 Ha! I just said the same thing, and then saw you already commented on the sugar.

[@MichaelSmith-lr8cp]

Bill is right of course - but there is another factor that is wildly different between present day and 1969. The amount of sugars / carbs in our food has increased by an order of magnitude. A 'normal' American diet is hundreds of grams of carbs and sugars daily which will inevitably lead to insulin insensitivity, diabetes, and likely obesity. American diets were widly different 50 years ago, and the obsession with high fructose corn syrup has been devastating.

[@DadWorksVA]

While this is true, it is also true that access to natural sugars has increased. You can find healthier options easier than ever before such as raspberries blueberries bananas and vegetables available year-round. This is all about making the right choices, and recognizing that we have to limit ourselves because every American, even those in the poorest areas, have an abundance of calories available to them. As Bill mocked USA today for claiming science hasn’t figured it out- yah right- its always been calories in-calories out.

[@pisces031372aj]

Agreed. While it doesn't take away personal responsibility and healthy food is accessible in some places, not everywhere in America, the food we eat today is not the same as the food we ate 70 years ago. To ignore that fact is irresponsible. A lot of factors contribute to the growing American waistline, not equally but they also shouldn't be discounted. Some food additives, besides sugar, have been said to interrupt the bodies normal processes. The US allows crap that is banned in Europe into our food chain, crap food, fruits and veggies and meat. There are a lot of contributing factors.

[@Rhino4272]

High fructose corn syrup is just sugar, our bodies don't know the difference as it's all processed the same. Any nutritionist who actually has a degree will tell you that.

[@someguy2135]

I agree. I avoid foods with excess added sugar. On the other hand, eating fruit as part of a whole food plant based diet is compatible with an ideal BMI and gives other benefits. Not juices, btw. Whole fruit! Here is a video which describes a study which produced results similar to stomach bypass surgery, while allowing the participants to eat as much as they wanted of the whole plant foods. kzbin.info/www/bejne/j6PWc6OGfcd7osk Link in the description.

[@wherethehoochiesat4210]

While this is true anyone can be responsible and look into their diets and learn to burn off what you eat. It’s that simple

[@andyl8055]

When I visit the United States I have to adjust the way that I order food at restaurants. Back at home I can get a main, a side and an entree (what the US calls appetiser) and it's reasonable. In the US, any single one of those is usually more than I eat at any meal of the day and I typically order a main and go halves with my partner.

[@Joelsellers29]

Don't forget here in America, there are the Free Refills at most restaurants. I know in Europe, that most restaurants do not offer this option.

[@firsttheycame0211]

We've had this conversation with our daughter, who isn't fat by the way but has friends who are. When my wife and I were kids, we are 60 now, there were very few fat kids at school. I can think of one from my year but I believe she had a disorder of some sort - by which I don't mean she couldn't stop eating! Parents didn't feed us crap, in the UK the only take-away was the local chippy. We were always out playing and our parents didn't worry that they didn't know where we were. Now uber eats will bring you anything you want and people go shopping in sweat pants because normal clothes won't fit. Don't expect me to believe you're happy with your weight when you can't bend over to tie your shoe laces

[@gregvassilakos]

Bravo! I have a relative who has bought into the "body positive" movement. We had an argument about the health impacts of obesity. She will no longer talk to me. I have another relative who is showing signs of severe diabetes. She won't go to a doctor because she says doctors only want to talk about her weight.

[@SWpurgatory]

It's her funeral. You tried.

[@bxi1547]

You can’t help people who don’t want to be helped.

[@wrylife57]

@Bear Spicer This! Jim Fixx, the father of aerobic exercise, vis-a-vis jogging, by all accounts a healthy, fit human, dropped dead of a heart attack--WHILE jogging.

[@Shvabicu]

@Bear Spicer the fat peron will still meet that end far sooner. The dosage makes the poison.

[@GeronimoPlaz]

Easy solution: Let these morons die, and ignore them as they do. Their children will know why it happened and won't repeat it it with their own kids. Same could have been said during covid, and the world would be a much better place moving forward right now.

[@tangolizard]

You have no idea how scary this really is. I’ve been taking people to the operating room two days a week for 22 years. Bariatric surgery. I’m pretty clear on what solve this problem and I’m glad Bill had the courage to speak frankly about it.

[@SWpurgatory]

When my mother had bariatric surgery about 20 years ago, she had to jump thru hoops, see counselors & nutritionists before ever being approved. Now you can staple your stomach & cut your tits off on a whim. In ten years we're gonna see some crazy fallout from all this enabling.

[@michaellovely6601]

A coworker of mine plans to undergo weight loss surgery and she isn't sure which procedure is best for her. I suggested that if she is afraid of surgical knives she could undergo the gastric balloon procedure. By definition; the gastric balloon procedure is where a silicone balloon is inserted into the stomach endoscopically (through the mouth) and inflated. The tube is removed and the balloon is left in place. This balloon creates a feeling of fullness which means you eat less. It's perfect for people who are scared of undergoing gastric bypass surgery, gastric sleeve surgery, or the gastric band procedure.

[@noex100]

@Bear Spicer Not eating is hard because people are busy? This is EXACTLY the kind of excuse is Bill is talking about. People have zero accountability these days. ZERO.

[@noex100]

@Bear Spicer LOL, yeah, I'm ignorant. Cool. The fact is, eating less calories than you burn each day is easy if you try. Eating less or eating low-calorie alternatives is not another "thing to do" in a busy life, it's literally a slight adjustment. A person who really wants to could lose 100 pounds in about 2 or 3 years. Most people who should lose that amount, though, don't ACTUALLY want to lose weight, they want to keep indulging in junk food and never want to exercise, ever. That's the truth. People have soooo many excuses and they're plain BS. If you eat fewer calories than you burn on a routine basis you WILL lose weight, this is plain fact.

[@noex100]

@@jj1825 I'll take your word for it and believe you; but recognize you are a very small minority. The vast majority of obese people do not have any such condition stopping them from losing weight. And please stop with the dramatics: eating 200-300 fewer calories than you burn on a daily basis will not "kill" anyone. And it's ironic to talk that way when obesity is one of the leading "killers" in the US (everything from diabetes to heart disease to immune deficiencies). I'd be a lot more worried about getting "killed" like that than from undereating.

[@maureensorrell3729]

I work as a substitute teacher and noticed that a working class school had a huge tolerance for chips and candy and a lot of weight issues. I wrote on the board "You Are What You Eat." Later, the principal there told me that a child didn't like the way I spoke to the kids about making healthy choices. It was shocking because I am a mother who would not allow my children access to treats that frequently as those 4th graders who marched out daily with family sized bags of chips; whereas the more affluent neighborhoods had much less obesity and kids eating fruits and vegetables at recess.

[@ryanmussell739]

I can’t find the study, someone did one on childrens sizes comparing poor to rich schools in California. The poor schools children had a lot more weight. But surprising they were also a lot taller.

[@itsybitsybear]

This is so strange to me since chips and candy are way more expensive than things like apples, celery, carrots, in season fruits, etc. I honestly don't understand why there is a big argument stating that junk food is more cheap. I find the opposite is true. But maybe it's the area I live in? Anyone have any thoughts on this so I can understand where that argument comes from? No judgment, just trying educate myself.

[@arthurfrayn7619]

Most healthy/natural food is cheap except meat, unless you go organic, (still cheaper than health problems though). It's requires more prep, planning and cooking because it lacks preservatives. People point at organic and say it's too expensive as an excuse, but non organic natural is still way better than processed it just takes effort/planning.

[@rhsharp]

Was this in LAUSD? I taught there for many years and witnessed what you described.

[@linakeke]

@@itsybitsybear same! My comment was going to be that as a low-income earner, I can't AFFORD to eat unhealthfully. 😂 When I do find myself in an emotional slump and go, Screw it, and buy whatever processed junk I want from the grocery store and whatever fast food meals I want, my credit card bill is scary and awful. 😂

[@dougrobblee]

“There are no victims, only volunteers.” - Robert Anthony

[@deanfiora4227]

Tell that to somebody who was raped.

[@karenwilliams978]

I hope you are not including young children in this.

[@unakennelly]

The bitter, jealous swipes at Adele when she lost weight (and looked absolutely amazing) utterly blew my mind. What the hell?! And whenever someone posted "Well done, you look fabulous", there was always an insistent, aggressive response of "And she looked fabulous before she lost the weight too". No she didn't. She was always lovely looking, but she was obese. Imagine being so pitifully insecure.

[@RocStarr913]

It shows the kind of people that were drawn to Adele in the first place. It wasn’t so much about her talent, but that she had made them comfortable with their own obesity and in a sense, they felt she took that away from them. It’s part of why Adele doesn’t have the hits that she used to and why Lizzo has essentially taken her place on the song charts.

[@unakennelly]

@@RocStarr913 yep. She wanted to be healthier, she also has children to think about, so she improved her health. Now she won't struggle to climb steps or a short hill, she won't experience stabbing pains in her knees when getting out of bed or walking down the stairs, she won't have obesity-related sleep apnoea, she won't have scary sugar crashes, she'll find clothes shopping easier, she'll have more energy. The only downside is in the heads of people who won't commit to weight loss (which I know is hard, but so is being very overweight).

[@gokux75]

That's the consequences of the "representation matters crowd". They live through celebrities and fictional characters to the point where any drastic change is seen asa threat to who they are personally.

[@ccmarcum]

@@RocStarr913 What about Chrissy Metz? She looked like a walking refrigerator.

[@mattpierard]

Adele's fellow Brit blue-eyed soul singer, Alf Moyet, did the same thing, lost a lot of weight and made herself healthier. Most of us fans supported her, but that was over 20 years ago. Nowadays, she'd probably get slammed for it.

[@mundusdominium9316]

Everyone has their demons and addictions. The first step in getting better is acknowledging that you have a problem. No one is perfect but we all should try our best. If you fail once that's ok, if you fail twice or more that's ok too. What matters is that we never stop trying. The light at the long road tunnel is there and it feels so damn good once you finally start seeing it. When I was close to accomplishing my goal the euphoric state was unbelievably satisfying. Far more than all the most delicious foods I ever ate combined. Immediate gratification is not worth it. That later but better one is far better. I also thought I was far gone. I used to get massive adrenaline rushes tremors and body shakes when I was about to indulge in my addiction. But I fixed it, even after failing so many times, I fixed it. Let's try to stay positive and never stop trying.

[@maryl234]

If you're always failing and NEVER improve, that would make you a failure with an endless list of excuses. Try harder. Just like Bill M. states - it actually takes effort to change.

[@wandering_user2]

I went from 254lb down to 210, and I'm still trying. It's the mental barrier that requires the most work. The exercise is just a better use of time than sitting around.

[@joshk.6246]

"No one is perfect but we all should try our best. If you fail once that's ok, if you fail twice or more that's ok too. What matters is that we never stop trying." Amen, Lets apply that, always try to be doing our best, about everything in our country and lives as well.

[@davidjacobs8558]

yet, the libs love to call Trump Fat, when he isn't that obese compare to average Americans.

[@SWpurgatory]

People believe it's their right to never be uncomfortable now.

[@MTG776]

When I was a kid growing up in Australia 1980's, we had only one Fat kid in the entire school (Funnily his mother was from the USA). The Sports teachers forced him to play rugby, he hated it at first but he went on to represent the state a few years later and even played for the Jr. National team for 2 games as a reserve... He also lost the weight (Fat).

[@thomasmayo5750]

Kids are not a part of the equation, they are victims of their parent's trauma... and on and on for all of us. It is what we do as functioning adults. Sadly, more and more there are fewer and fewer "grownups". Life can be too easy.

[@myfriendgoo2816]

Good that they turned it into something constructive. Most U.S. kids just get shamed and bullied. The fact that this is affecting kids and even animals (yes, animals) argues strongly that it's more than just a matter of individual willpower and something's going on with the food itself.

[@JennyJeong425]

My mother and I are Australian, and I spent part of my childhood in Perth. My mother was naturally very thin, like the rest of her family, until she moved to America. Then she stopped working, stopped driving, didn't make many friends, and she started stuffing her face as a means of comfort. She's been a Type 2 diabetic for 35 years. And she's one of the few Australians I know who are obese.

[@deniseg-hill1730]

There was 1 overweight lady in the next village to the one I grew up in but she had thyroid problem. Im 72 and I never saw any fat people at the schools I attended from 5 to 15 or at college or at work.

[@snowbunny783]

@@myfriendgoo2816 it’s willpower. Don’t eat sh!t foods don’t get fat. Period.

[@rabbidbabies4094]

I was damn near 350 at one point. I’m now down to 210. I feel fantastic. The struggle is still there but I’ll never stop fighting it. Life has become better since I’ve dropped the weight.

[@Jester0879]

I went from obese and full of health issues 3 years ago to now being in the best shape of my life. 9% body fat and have built muscle. The health issues have gone and I feel great. It was no fad diet or other nonsense. Just changing lifestyle habits, exercising and eating better. Health and fitness is simple yet hard, hard in the beginning. As you change your habits it becomes easier and something you can maintain for the rest of your life (which will be longer and of a much better quality).

[@brettbecomesautistic]

I am on the same journey Robert, thanks for the encouragement. Being obese was hell on earth. That these activists say that its cool and not a problem blows my mind. Maybe it is different because I was slim and fit before and then developed a food addiction gave me perspective. Now that I am a healthy weight and getting fit I am so grateful for all the inspiring people online who support people on a healthy path to recovery.

[@raidergainzx5290]

The secret people dont talk about once you adopt being healthy...being healthy is more addictive than junk food once you build the habit

[@DuckTheHeel]

Idc

[@eschwarz1003]

That's challenging; but wonderful you made it. Congratulations!

[@TheMFingCoo]

Great segment. If only someone would’ve been saying all of this for the last 5 years…..

[@CCR971]

You're right. The fat pride thing is nuts, and relatively recent. The normalization of obesity has been going on a lot longer than that. Why do I have to be squashed against the plane window or hanging into the aisle because someone else might get their feeling hurt if they are made to book two seats? Do I get a discount for only getting half a seat for an 8 hour flight? I assume most people don't want to die young, but ALL obese people die young as well as getting all kinds of preventable diseases like heart failure, diabetes, blood clots, strokes etc. etc. It's less of a risk to smoke ffs! (Not that I condone smoking) but the fact that you are more likely to die from obesity should wake some people up!

[@silly8395]

you mean last 50 + ? usa is fat as hell

[@Propfaqs]

We are a jelly-filled nation.

[@wellhello6618]

"You're not a freedom fighter because you wanna keep eating donuts" 😂Gold.

[@zoobrizz]

Joe Rogan has been saying this for years

[@sickbrain]

Absolutely right. There's a middle ground between "body shaming" and obesity celebration.

[@powerboatguy2308]

You are correct, not right to attack people personally for their weight, but we should not be putting overweight models on the covers of magazines or having pop culture tell people it's OK.

[@repentandbelieveinJesusChrist3]

Repent to Jesus Christ “‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”” ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭21:4‬ ‭NIV‬‬ U

[@maddworld3317]

Ya but that's what's happening with the rainbows- it's one thing to advocate something as normaI, it's another to force glorification. Groups become protected that can't recieve any criticism about anything

[@ReverendMaryEMicari1]

@@powerboatguy2308 Have to disagree there. Why shouldn't all people be on magazine covers?

[@drugsarebad97]

@@ReverendMaryEMicari1 unless its a health magazine highlighting the dangers of obesity , then why would we celebrate them.

[@TheGavric]

I was in Italy for two weeks, in June 2022. I didn't see morbidly obese people on the street in any of the smaller cities we visited. It was rare that I saw someone that would be considered chubby or chunky (10% or less of the people we saw). When we did see a morbidly obese person in the major cities, 99% of them were from America or the UK. When I go anywhere, here in Texas, the rate at which I see significantly obese or morbidly obese people is greater than 50%. The difference was immediately evident and remarkable. I don't believe in body shaming, but being realistic is important. One does not have to be aggressive or cruel when discussing the topic of weight or imperfections, but one should not lie or condone. Just as Bill said, people who say they're body positive or, "I don't body shame," actually mean that they're making excuses; for themselves or someone else. The behavior is textbook enabling.

[@Shvabicu]

Coastal Italy for example is among the areas with the highest life expectancy. You need not wonder why.

[@kurtsudheim825]

Agreed, but the body shaming implies your being mean, if they're bit doing it to hurt your feelings, & are trying to help help, that bit shaming, not with weight, but another issue, I had a woman tell me something with a problem I have that Sunkist nobody ever had, one of the few was my mom, but she would just be mean to me, this women has actually told me a few times & I think it may have helped

[@kurtsudheim825]

@@Shvabicu the whole dieting thing, the wing info from 50 years ago telling is bit too easy fat, I forget the guys name, but a large point overlooked was the Mediterranean diet, they use a ton of oil alone, & there are fast Greeks & Portuguese, but it's an "acceptable" amount.

[@bdflatlander]

I had the same experience in Paris - the majority of the Parisians I saw were slender and fit looking. The ones who weren’t were mostly American tourists. What was interesting was even though we ate in restaurants for the 8 days we were in Paris I lost 5 pounds and my wife lost 7 pounds. Some of that was from all the walking we did but I have heard that the French don’t allow the chemicals in the diets of the cattle and chickens that are used in the United States to fatten them up faster but also fattens up the Americans who eat beef and chicken. I am disgusted by all the obese and morbidly obese people I see every day (I live in So Cal). If the French and Italians can do it so can we Americans.

[@divxxx]

That's right. The highest areas with up to 12% obese people are the southern regions of Italy. They are also poorer than the north and center. But the big issue in the south I think it's related to food. Southern food is much richer in fats and carbohydrates, and they also tend to deep fry much more than in the north. However yes, when you walk around you don't see many obese people. You can see overweight people, of course.

[@amieschantz9596]

Many years ago, in the late 1990’s, Bill Maher spoke on an episode about High Fructose Corn Syrup. I did a bit of research then, and stopped eating anything with HFCS. I changed very little else, and now am healthier than I was then, and I weigh less too. Lots of experts have been saying sugar is sugar, and that HFCS is just the same but it really isn’t. Thanks, Bill.

[@myfriendgoo2816]

You've got more sense than most people posting here for not seeing it ONLY as a matter of individual willpower. Bill needs to get Dr. Robert Lustig back on to set him straight. There is some personal responsibility needed here (not denying that), but this 100% blame-the-individual approach has been a long running failure we keep doubling down on.

[@terryowen6759]

If you look at labels, they now have to include added sugar. It can be insane how much is in processed foods but your right, they can't tell me high fructose corn syrup isn't worse

[@adam_p99]

Hfcs is banned in my country

[@really3470]

@@myfriendgoo2816 yeah but people can make the choice not to eat the massively poisonous food that is available. Even in food deserts. Hell, just being vegan is like 90% of the way there.

[@5kids1goldfish]

The food industry INTENTIONALLY markets addictive processed foods, low in nutrients. Obesity is a form of MALNUTRITION, driven by a profit-oriented capitalist market. Even the government lies about what constitutes a healthy diet with its "researched" recommendations. (Why do bread, cereals and pasta have to be "enriched"? Why do we have to have so much dairy product-- and why are "healthy" dairy substitutes full of chemically bonding "gums" that mess up digestion?) Mental illness/depressive disorders are largely a function of starved brains that do not get the necessary nutrients. Vaginal births give exposure to healthy microorganisms to colonize throughout the body, and breastreeding establishes 100% perfect nutrition-- but the cesarean endemic and moms forced back to work disrupts the foundations of health. Add overdependence on antibiotics to the toxic food market and you can see why chronic obesity is a foregone consequence. It's not primarily about willpower. Americans in poverty especially have less access to an affordable non-toxic diet. There are other countries that prohibit sale of food with junk added, but the USA promotes it. Unhealthy people drive the profit-oriented medical industry.

[@mhofferber]

When I turned 36 I was overweight and my doctor told me my cholesterol was so high I would need to start on Lipitor. I said f*ck a bunch of that. So I went full on vegetarian, started fasting every 2 months for 3-5 days, and started walking for at least 30 minutes 4-6 times a week. And in 6 months I lost 60 lbs and every metabolic indicator which was either elevated or borderline was nearly perfect. Was it easy? Nope. It takes self discipline and dedication. But it's 100% doable. Changing your diet, limiting or eliminating indulgences like alcohol and sugar, and incorporating even a modicum of activity can make a drastic change. It's about health, not beauty. Even though I have to say that now, at 38, I'm in the best shape I've been in since college. Do YOURSELF a favor, not society. It's not as hard as you think to just...not eat. Hunger only lasts for about 30-60 minutes before your body decides it's not face-stuffing time and resets your hormones. And you can do it at any age. And to one of your larger points, Bill, my doctor never ONCE asked about my diet. It was just "take the pills and you do you." After making the changes to my lifestyle, I've never heard a single thing about medications or lab results. You can do it if you really want to. I promise. :)

[@cindi7228]

Wow!! Love this

[@justsomenobody889]

I mean, it is a little tricky because not every person who is fat is "letting themselves go". Subclinical hypothyroidism, low testosterone, cortisol dysregulation, and estrogen dominance are all rampant in our society, not to mention our foods are tainted with hormone disruptors and chemicals that ruin our microbiota. Almost no one in the country has a healthy microbiome and most are chronically underslept (which raises cortisol and appetite). There are many, many people out there who CANNOT lose weight with despite their best efforts, and they go around feeling like they are unlovable failures despite how hard they try. You can't know how hard they've really challenged themselves, so I don't think we should always hesitate to be judgmental. Myself, I have lost and gained massive amounts of weight -without trying- several times for varying reasons due to chronic disease... trust me, it can be VERY complicated. Personally if a person is a bit fat, I figure they might just be lacking in discipline, eating crap food, being lazy, or not getting enough sleep... but if someone is VERY overweight, or has a strikingly high visceral adiposity with low muscle tone despite being moderately active, to me that's a sign that they have an underlying health condition and they need some serious medical help. Research is learning new things about this every day, but we still have a long way to go. That said, I do think it is good to encourage people like you have, because a lot of people need that inspiration to get themselves going. Bare minimum, even if you don't lose weight, diet and exercise is crucial to feeling better and surviving longer if you are obese.

[@Everettel]

I think being vegan for 17 years has helped me keep my weight down, at 71 years old I'm very healthy.

[@bobbyd9319]

@@justsomenobody889 lots of excuses, maybe that is one big problem. Every fat person I know eats junk and doesn’t exercise!

[@dextersmithbsee]

Awesome! At 53 years of age, I will be taking your advice.

[@coryhuff8083]

Dang Bill, you earned some respect with that straight forward, no bologna segment. Funny and true to yourself as always.

[@musicauthority7828]

This Country has become the land of making excuses.

[@mr2001wilson]

Bill is spot on. The rate of overweight and obesity have skyrocketed. I was a child in the 1970s. People did not look like this. The burden on the healthcare system of medical issues caused by obesity is tremendous. An unnecessary burden. If people had a little self control, a lot of health problems could be prevented. Our bodies are not equipped to handle 100 extra pounds of fat. Our hearts, lungs, joints are all stressed. I’m not saying everyone should look like a supermodel - just not 100 pounds overweight.

[@john7787]

Real issue is not cultural but rather republican policies: weakening the FDA and allowing companies to avoid listing critical facts on their products, and ofc poverty and wealth inequality...working 3 jobs to make ends meet means you have no time to work out and you buy the cheapest food products which are the worst. But bill is deflecting because "anti woke" is fun

[@DegreesOfThree]

Fat people may be sicker in the long term, but in the short term, they are much better prepared for a famine or supply chain disruption. If grocery stores were empty for a year, it's fat people that would have the last laugh, while everyone else withered away.

[@liia9736]

I grew up in the 90s and people didn't look like this. Self control definitely plays into it, but additives in food , whatever weirdo chemicals in our environment/water , out of control portions insidious advertising , sendentary lifestyles ect. We have a very unhealthy culture.

[@williamherman9065]

@@cowmath77 OK, that may very well be true. But please, for the love of all that is holy, PLEASE do not pretend that the biggest reason for the unfathomably high rate of Obesity isn't the food, laziness, Entitlements, and decisions of the people who are obese. I am not saying Hyperthyroidism doesn't affect many people who may be obese, but they are the exception, not the norm.

[@TexanIndependence]

The US military is projected to shrink by about 40% in the next few years because of the massive obesity rates among it's traditional recruitment pool of southerners and conservatives (who tend to be obese more). So it's a national security issue too. The problem is so significant that Congress is looking at instituting a draft to fill the recruitment gap rather than just let the US military be cut down to half in size. That in turn has exposed the problem that everyone can just avoid the draft by claiming to be a woman, so that's why just a few weeks ago there was a big push in Congress to pass a law requiring women to be drafted and blown up in foreign wars too. So this weird mixture of a woke Left (generally less obese) that can freely identify as women and conservatives who increasingly don't want to sign up (the recent LGBT army recruiting ads ain't working, nor did the vaccine mandates, or "purges", etc.) and even of those southerners/conservatives who still want to volunteer, the majority of them are too obese to serve, that mixture is a potent cocktail that is literally destroying the US military's ability to recruit right now. In 3-4 years the US military will shrink by 40% if nothing dramatic is done to reduce obesity or change the recruiting strategy. So when you see Congress start forcibly drafting men (and possibly women) to serve in the army to fill those gaps rather than give up global hegemony, I'll say I told you so!

[@user-uy3eq5hg1s]

"You're not a freedom fighter because you want to keep eating donuts." Oh man that line is hilariously true. Losing weight is a matter of exercising for 45 minutes continuously each day, drinking mostly water and saving the sugary crap as an occasional treat instead of a daily routine. Some overweight people will say stuff like "that doesn't work for me" ... give me a f'ing break.

[@sdscipio]

🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾

[@guymontag2948]

People can be overweight for a variety of reasons including ones which make it incredibly hard for them to lose weight. Most of us, myself included, can drop the pounds as long as we have the willpower but many are not so fortunate.

[@bcon2608]

@@guymontag2948 people are overweight because they eat too much. Full stop. It’s a simple math equation. How many fat people were there in 1900?

[@guymontag2948]

@@bcon2608 Sorry but that's just not always true. I was fat and it was because I ate too much and I could fix it by eating less but some people eat less and all they do is throttle down their metabolism and maybe even gain weight by eating less. It's pretty messed up. Just because something applies to you doesn't mean it's the same for everyone else.

[@invoc173]

Exactly, eating healthy and spending even a little bit of time exercising goes a long way. I mean if you really want to eat something sweet, eat a goddamn orange

[@vaunniethayer1484]

Soft drinks, fast food, snacking and sweets. Grew up in the 60s, only ate at meal time, no pop in the house ever or candy except on a special occasion. This was just normal life. You really looked forward to meals because you really were hungry. Look back at old photographs , it’s startling, everyone is thin.

[@NikolaosEnmetanoia]

I mean, Maher, you are awesome! How much should you be loving America and its people to talk the truth this way. God bless you

[@atticusmcfly]

As a type 1 diabetic, I can't afford to cheat or let myself go any time of year. Being (relatively) healthy is a lifestyle I've been forced to live for the last 12 years but I wouldn't want it any other way. Junk food and sweets do nothing for me. I know that's not the case for everybody but you can't complain about feeling like crap all the time or your chronic health issues if your main sources of sustenance are fast food, bags of chips, soda and alcohol. Produce, protein, hydration, moving your body, fasting, eating at specific times of day, supplements, stress management(lol). Those are the keys to longevity and good health. I just bought 4 pounds of grapes for $6 and 7 large peaches for $3.50. I also saw a 2 for $7 deal on double stuffed Oreos. Choose wisely. Alright, I'm getting off my soapbox. Tell the folks at Denny's I said Hello!

[@metadegen]

American diet leads to American healthcare leads to American prescription drugs

[@atticusmcfly]

@@metadegen Exactly! 🤑

[@myfriendgoo2816]

Good for you, though it sounds like you're having to pass on just about everything on the shelves in most grocery stores and read labels very carefully. From your description it sounds like the deck is really stacked against you. Maybe we should change some of that.

[@atticusmcfly]

@@myfriendgoo2816 I'm not necessarily 'passing' on anything. I just genuinely love eating healthier food. Believe me, I do indulge but it's very rare. I have this one rule that when the seasons change, everything I eat that day will consist of absolute garbage; White Castle, Burger King, IHOP, chocolate cake, cookies, a sub sandwich, a big bag of chips, etc. I'm like a pregnant woman on coke. I go to bed feeling terrible yet completely satisfied. 🤣 yolo

[@taskcasburn6086]

Well put. I remember hearing a health expert talking about junk and processed foods being a big part of "emotional eating" they are comfort foods people love to indulge in as a temporary satiation for filling a void in their life. And I believe that is the case for many who struggle with over consumption of these processed junk foods. It's the dopamine and mental connection made between the association with these 'guilt' pleasure foods and the idea of a reward for feeling unsatisfied or miserable in life. It basically comes down to eating that junk to mask a feeling of inadequacy in another area of their life. And you almost always feel guilty after indulging in over eating that junk. Self control is a real problem for many people these days. And though, I don't necessarily agree that shaming these people is a constructive approach to encouraging them to change their habits, we can't just outright accept self destructive behavior and move the goalposts and measuring stick of healthy living, just to accommodate what is a lack of self control and/or dealing with one's underlying issues. That being said, food companies putting sugar in everything imaginable is not making it any easier for people trying to get away from unhealthy refined sugar, in everything. We could definitely stand to see some reform in the way food is processed in the west.

[@karenmoses6504]

As an obese woman I actually agree with this. There is a Difference between acceptance and celebration of obesity. I don’t want to be obese and I fight it everyday.

[@bighead6763]

Intermittent fasting helped me. Look into it.

[@likemy]

try intermittent fasting like the other commenter suggested, and get a pedometer (step counter). Cheap ones can be had on amazon for ~20 bucks. Find a route you like and walk a few miles every day. Modest changes to your lifestyle over time will result in big improvements.

[@rastrosus5176]

Right on. Myself and friends tried a lot of different diets and exercises routines but until we counted our calories (very accurately using a food scale) and took in less than we burned nothing happen. Once you burn more than you consume, which means exercising while hungry a lot, you will lose weight and quickly. Good luck and I know you can achieve your weight goal.

[@bdflatlander]

Good for you. Best wishes, hang in there and fight the good fight!

[@KneeJerkish]

@@bighead6763 No. Fasting, boot camps, and other drastic measures do not work because they are not sustainable. A sensible diet, thirty minutes of exercise a few times a week, really is all it takes to stay healthy.

[@UnclePengy]

My late wife let herself go. She used to say, "if you loved me, you'd love me the way I am." Except I didn't marry her the way she was, and as she continued to let herself go it literally affected our marriage. She used to be offended that her doctor's chart said "morbidly obese." She thought that was a slur! She was so out of touch with her weight problem that one day she was surfing the internet and unironically and with no concern whatsoever said, "Oh look, I weigh the same as a baby elephant!" Eventually, her obesity caused complications for her immune system, letting benign viruses in her system just waiting for their chance to shine come out from behind the curtain and kill her. All because nobody dare express to her their concerns. So yes, we need to stop the nonsense. But sadly, we're still in this culture where everyone thinks they have a right not to be offended, so that's not likely to happen anytime soon. And more people are going to die before it gets better.

[@bdflatlander]

I’m sorry for your loss. Sadly, yours was not an isolated case. Life is so busy for so many people that exercising, since it is a “voluntary” (it really isn’t but let’s just continue on) it becomes a very low priority. Also, for the vast majority of people, humans follow the path of least resistance. Exercise is hard and takes effort, so that is a natural disincentive for most people to do it on a regular basis. People are also good at rationalization: yes, they know they are overweight or higher but so are a lot of other people. And look, I have two teenagers at home, I work part time and I am the spouse that is saddled with 90% of the housework so that’s why our house looks pretty unkept most of the time. When I worked I got up a little early on a workdays and exercised for 25 - 30 minutes. Even a little exercise like that plus practicing portion control helped me stay is pretty good shape. I’m sorry, but being excessively heavy is just not good for your health and longevity.

[@patriciamullin5555]

Your slants are always well thought out…you are not only informative but cut out all of the “fluff “and laced with humour so as everyone can see your viewpoint as necessary…what an incredible balance. That is why I love you so much 🎉❤😂 keep it up

[@domenicrenzi7459]

Bill is completely right I was a lobbyist for New York State school food Association. this was addressed 15 years ago why the students in the school system will be coming obese. we had changed the school lunch room system to include salad bars wheat bread and healthy choices. But this is also up to the parents they have to monitor what their children are eating. And children must socialize get outside and play. please get off the iPhones. thank you

[@corytheviking5239]

I'm in healthcare, and I 100% endorse this segment.

[@andrewguida8995]

Everyone needs to feel good about everything. Scary place to be when people dont accept reality.

[@jaimhaas5170]

It's why that Zuckerburg dude is a mulit millionaire...if there was ever a disgusting business to be "fake" in that's the one.

[@JJJJ-dc3np]

Reality is that actually how fat somebody is or what they do with their own body is none of your business. You can try to spin some complex made up reasons why it is your business but actually it is none of your business. Reality.

[@jpalmer1967]

@@JJJJ-dc3np It's my business when your fatness is costing the healthcare system thousands.

[@powerboatguy2308]

None of our business? We just the Covid death rate and hospitalizations sky rocket because almost half the people getting admitted into hospitals with Covid were obese. Pretty sure my tax money went to some of the coverage for their care. Now, if they sign a document refusing healthcare for their "fat" related health issues, then I will agree with you.

[@jstos3675]

@@JJJJ-dc3np = Fat Acceptance Enabler

[@mariaavery1212]

Thank you Bill, I hope people are listening ❤❤

[@johnfauvergue707]

I think Bill is merely talking about how society goes overboard at the risk of hurting someone's feelings and throws logic out the window.

[@someguy7424]

Emotions taking priority over logic? Yep, that’s modern American society for you.

[@lennonacid]

It's the same thing with this Transgender Saga that we're currently going through too. Science and logic are surely missed.

[@myfriendgoo2816]

What Bill is calling acceptance and celebration is really just less bullying and shaming openly. The fat people are not seen as heroes, not getting laid, and there has been no change whatsoever in the societal approach except for people being less likely to verbalize what they're still thinking. It's a small step, not a sea change.

[@xhagast]

Logic, science, reality, sanity AND health.

[@robi6317]

@@lennonacid uh yeah no its not. there is a subset of society - the right wing christians - that would literally execute the trans and gay community if they could, so dont even remotely compare the two. they only use the bible, not emotions OR logic OR science OR reality. these people have been in existence for a long long time, but the nitwits on the right dont seem to get that. so i find your term kind of ignorant and ridiculous

[@DT-5150]

Thank you Bill for bringing this issue up again and again. We are literally eating ourselves to death. Look at pictures or film of Americans in the 50s thru the early 90s. Hardly ANYONE is overweight. Now today it’s commonplace to see 10-12 year old kids that weigh as much as full grown adults. Scary and very sad what we accept now as “normal”.

[@myfriendgoo2816]

Hmmm....has human nature changed, or has the food changed? Maybe it's less socially acceptable to bully fat kids than it was back in the 70s or try to shame them openly, but that's not the same as acceptance or celebration by any stretch. The thin ones think the same thoughts but don't say them now. That's all it is.

[@milesb72]

And people in pajama bottoms and flip flops grocery shopping all year round. Burdens on healthcare.

[@jonathancowan4009]

So what?

[@XenoGuru]

A lot of people in this country lack discipline. Because they were raised without it. Too many weakling parents that would rather encourage or celebrate whatever their kids want to be; act like, or do instead of "be abusive" to them. And by "be abusive" I mean show them resistance and disappointment when they're making poor life choices that could inevitably have dire consequences. But society has come to also believe that disciplining a child is "abuse". Growing up I got the pants whooped off of me for making mistakes. And I have no criminal record; did 20 years in the military, do good deeds for people without expectation of repayment. Too many people are over-sensitive; what ever happened to "tough it up buttercup?"

[@milesb72]

@@XenoGuru couldn’t agree more. I didn’t know helicopter parenting and awards no matter how bad they performed would lead to them now leading the workplace into a lazy man’s paradise. Very quickly, too

[@stevemoore6853]

I gained a shit ton of weight during lockdown, and when I saw a picture of myself I was ashamed of myself. It's not attractive nor healthy to be overweight. Don't celebrate being fat. It's not healthy and fat is not pretty.

[@ChipEichelberger]

Jim Rohn taught that disgust is a powerful motivation.

[@thomasmayo5750]

Is why shit stinks

[@myfriendgoo2816]

Nobody's celebrating, except maybe Sports Illustrated (an outlier). It won't be "celebrated" until those people are getting laid, and unless they're married that ain't happening. Bill has done more segments about incels than anyone but hasn't made the cross-topic connection, apparently.

[@patrickmcglinsky1433]

Probably the smartest, best and most important New Rule segment I've ever seen, and done with wit & charm as always. Should be broadcast nationally at dinner-time on all local news stations every weeknight for a month.

[@Kisamaism]

Bill has addressed this many ways over the years, folks. This particular snippet is a purely social angle. Previously, he's ALSO talked about processed foods. About drive thru. About healthy food access. About portion control. Etc. This piece is about saying that you don't just give up and accept your new death at 50 and get all body positive up until your inevitable early demise. This is about taking charge of the conversation. This is a fight on many fronts, and this focuses on just one of those fronts.

[@amberturdcoloringbook1733]

👍

[@SWpurgatory]

I bet they'd picket Supersize Me if it was made today

[@frankom2862]

Actually, Bill Maher has serve to the woke mop and critize people that talked about these topics in the past. Then he is again wrong and 6 years late in a topic. Body positivity is for women, man are not include on it, to a sis man is still require to be in shape.

[@frankom2862]

@Bear Spicer I worked in marketing , I gained weight, and I lost my job. I was fired by a gay dude (supposed to be tolerant), always mentioning how gross are fat MEN and all the women around him even the fat ones agree with it. For example he said, I quote "when I s*ck a d*ck I don't want have a disgusting belly over my head". For a while recuitres look at me as bad just getting in the interviews. Then I lose weight and I got back in shape and immediately I started to get job offers again, as my curriculum is impressive. So I don't promote be fat because of the health issues, but don't tell me that women suffer more being fat, when since a fat boy is at primary school they will receive more bulling and worse type of bulling, than any fat girl.

[@frankom2862]

@Bear Spicer of course is not about being gay or straight, is about horrible people. But you see, how you change your speech as soon as I mentioned that guy was gay you jumped like that's not possible, and all my team was gay and women, I was the only straight guy and they bully me and mistreated me, and even I received some sexual harassment from some of my team coworkers(try to touch my p), HR said they couldn't do anything about it, they mentioned LGBTQ+ rights and don't want to have an scandal, so not everyone in any community is wonderful. But for you that means nothing, because fat acceptance is focus in women and you care until is not about you. There are tons of man attracted to fat women, more than women attracted to fat men. What happened sometimes the personality of the person is awful and that's why people don't date them but the fat person will use the excuse that "is not me is because I'm fat". Btw normally fat women don't want to date fat men, when I was fat I listened fat women say is handsome but is too fat, but now fat women always flirt with me, so how to explain that 🤷🏽

[@MelissaDougherty]

Wow. This is refreshing. "...When acceptance becomes enabling."

[@senister14]

Not really he said this before. Then James Gordon got upset and made it a big deal.

[@JJJJ-dc3np]

But take the next step. Instead of acceptance or enabling how about just minding your own business? What others do with their bodies is not the business of others. Bill should know this. Adults should know this. Minding your own business is the ultimate value.

[@someguy2135]

@@senister14 James Corden.

[@someguy2135]

Here is a video which describes a study which produced results similar to stomach bypass surgery, while allowing the participants to eat as much as they wanted of the whole plant foods. kzbin.info/www/bejne/j6PWc6OGfcd7osk Link in the description. The video also covers other health improvements of the participants in the study.

[@scambammer6102]

@@JJJJ-dc3np exactly. fg comic like Bill Mayer making fun of fat people is exactly what nobody needs.

[@jackmatyas9245]

Thank You for addressing this. As a surgeon for 40 years I can tell you how much harder it was to bring someone through surgery solely based on obesity. I started to tell my patients that operating on obese people could be as dicey as driving your car from the back seat. When the hospital lift team failed to get applicants because of recurrent back injuries, you know there is a serious problem. Keep it up Bill.

[@NPK476]

Why are so many people in the medical profession afraid to speak? I remember doctors being honest and blunt when I was growing up in the 90's. It seems a patient's feelings are more important than health now.

[@markg9401]

I'm in healthcare & I messed up my back bec of morbidly obese patients. & I'm pretty strong. But the risks from obesity is not only in surgery obviously. It's literally in every aspect of living.

[@christerry1773]

Why? Lol take a look at the world around us. Where people are offended by simply waking up in the morning! Nobody says anything about it because they can’t. If a dr said that today, he’d be fired before the day was over.

[@memyself898]

@@NPK476 because working in a hospital now is akin to working in hospitality industry. My wife is a nurse at a large hospital and finds it disgusting that the hospital seems more concerned with customer satisfaction than actual customer care.

[@NPK476]

@@memyself898 I'd much rather be unhappy with a rude receptionist and terrible bedside manner then you know, dead.

[@petegarza2025]

Hey Mr.Bill,As a former "FATTIE" who at one time tipped the scales at an astonishing 350 pounds and now by the grace of GOD and some much needed self determination and a lot of humiliation I now weigh 190 pounds and I feel great but it definitely was not easy by any means at all...Yes I was laughed at behind my back and it sure as damn HELL did not feel great but sometimes we all need a turning point in our lives that will "WAKE US UP" and change our lives for the better and mine was a massive stroke I suffered back in 2013 which pretty much nearly killed me which goes back to my earlier reference on obesity...God bless everyone out there who is struggling with a weight problem and you have my total support 🙏🙏🙏

[@kamalaji1008]

Absolutely 100 percent correct, Bill. You are one of the few people I've heard push back on this nonsense of glamorizing obesity. It also affects the mind and I believe can impair people's judgements.

[@Robert-lx2gl]

Not even close to being correct. Many people who have been "fat" their entire lives outlive some of the "healthiest" looking people.

[@zaprowsdower9471]

Some people have struggled with being overweight their entire lives. It is callous and mean-spirited to point fingers and blame someone for a condition they can’t change. Even though they’ve made considerable effort. Maher is uninformed and wrong. Being overweight isn’t a flaw in someone’s character. And there’s nothing wrong about making someone who is overweight try to feel better about themselves.

[@PL-up5ig]

@@Robert-lx2gl And? Anyway overweight cause multiple health problems and reduce your lifespan. A lot of healthy people die from multiple reasons (car accidents, cancer, viruses, etc) but that doesn't change that obesity is bad for your health.

[@seanbrown9048]

Fat is gross!

[@zoobrizz]

Joe Rogan has been saying this for years

[@profweigand]

One of Bill’s most right-on rants ever! The “American Dream” has made Americans the fattest and most unhealthy people in the world.

[@tonycatman]

I'm not a huge fan of his. But he just delivered this monologue in front of a live audience, 70% of whom would have been overweight. That takes some balls. He's won my respect.

[@Waingro808]

@@tonycatman True. I wasn't expecting his audience to clap lol

[@Johnny_Savage]

@@RockBrentwood in many Polynesian cultures fat has been considered for centuries a signal of social status, so people get fat deliberately. It's not comparable at all.

[@profweigand]

@@RockBrentwood Sorry, "Rock," but you're the one who's going back to the drawing board. My comment specifically says Americans are the "fattest AND unhealthiest people." But you only focus on the word "fat." I'm confident that if you include statistics on infant mortality, mental illness (especially depression) and obesity-related lifestyle diseases you will find that Americans are the fattest AND unhealthiest humans on the planet. Recognizing the truth is the first step toward real change.

[@johntechwriter]

@@Waingro808 It's because they're in denial about their own obesity.

[@lysseast2380]

Yes! 👏 This whole thing drives me nuts. I struggled with anorexia and at that time no one was telling me that I was healthy at any size. We as a society understand being severely underweight is unhealthy, but try to pretend it's totally fine to be the opposite. Doesn't make any sense to me.

[@brittanyb9221]

I too think this “fat acceptance” is comparable to telling an anorexic they look good and to encourage them to “do you”.

[@smelltheglove2038]

Imagine if you were growing up today and instead of anorexia you had gender problems and the doctors advocated for you to mutilate your body…. The same type of at risk girls that struggled with anorexia twenty five years ago are now diagnosing themselves with “trans” and doctors are forced to “affirm” that diagnosis, by law, in many cases. To “affirm” is to chemically castrate or perform double mastectomies, give irreversible hormone blockers that cause severe premature osteoporosis. It’s criminal.

[@josephkovalcik8266]

I sincerely believe that most of our problems including gluttony, along with the general attitude of people stems from have things too good for too long. We've let ourselves go because we have just about everything we want. There is little adversity in our lives, no depression, no world war. I believe that human nature thrives on adversity when there is none, we create our own.

[@sydbarrett5975]

Don't worry, two more years of Biden and everything will suck just as much as you need it to for adversity and depression to make triumphant returns!

[@anton5138]

Then 2008 should have spawned the best time since long. That was pretty depressing economically.

[@bobbrown8155]

@@anton5138 How old are you? If you are relatively young, you really have not seen bad times. 2008 was bad but not really bad. Things have gotten much better in my lifetime. In the clip Bill Maher shows a summertime outdoor concert from 1960s where many people are topless and slim. He implies that they were more food conscious. No, the reason is because they didn’t have as much food as we have. Now, everyone can eat as much as they want. And they do, and they get fat. I remember how shopping carts looked when I was a kid, and now I look at the shopping carts in Costco. They have five times as much food in comparison with the old days.

[@brushcreek42]

@@bobbrown8155 I think a big part of the problem is people eating out so often. Most restaurant fare is high fat and not all that nutritious. When I was a kid in the 50s, we very seldom went out to eat. Obesity was uncommon in those days.

[@anton5138]

@@bobbrown8155 Then I'm certainly not as old as you are 😄. But I was more commenting on 'no adversity in our lives' in the response of Joseph Kovalcik. At this moment food is still in plentiful and payable supply indeed. I did graduate in 2008 and it was impossible to start a life then. No jobs, no income, no housing (still very difficult). I could live with my parentes and here in The Netherlands a 'werkstage' was populair. An internship after finishing tradeschool or college so you could get 'work experience' to increase your changes of getting a job. You basically worked for free and didn't get anything in return. The market price for labour was simply 0,0 for a few years. That time was maybe nice if you had a job but certainly not if you had to get started. After a few years that got better and I got an actual job. Juist in time before the 'eurocrisis' hit. That definitely was a lost decade. Now that is not a world war or something like the great depression but the statement that there is 'little adversity in our lives' that I was responding too is a little bit to easily said for my taste. That was more my point. But more on topic, let's see if there is adversity ahead on the food front. There is a war between the largest exporters of grain. Our present government in The Netherlands has orderd about 50% of cattle farmers to go out of business, is working on harvest restrictions for crop farmers and the EU demands an additional 10% of all farmland to be 'given to nature' and wants to impose 'farming without fertilizer' as tried in Sri Lanka. The Eurocommisoner Frans Timmers, who is pushing this agenda, has gained a lot of weight since a few years. As if he knows what is comming.......................

[@teflongoon]

I was shopping in sports shop about 7 years ago and tried on a North Face jacket. I usually wear a Large, or an XL depending on the brand. I tried the L first and I was swimming in it. So I tried a Medium and fit (with room to spare). Having not been a Medium since Grade 9, I mentioned this to the staff. His response: "Oh yeah, we adjusted our sizes, so what used to be Large is now Medium. The old Medium is now Small and the old XL is now Large. And XL is just bigger." "What about the old small?" "We don't make it anymore." It's only a matter of time until they started making inches longer, so everyone still has a 34 waist.

[@unclesamzbastardsonu.s.b.s9315]

Hey! I just had this happen yesterday when I was winter coat shopping. I normally wear a large. It was too big. I thought maybe it was the style/ cut of the coat. I tried several styles and brands, and they all were too big. I tried a medium, and it fit perfectly. I'm 6ft and 180-190lbs. No way should a medium fit me.

[@FamilyManMoving]

Try being a legit small, with an athletic frame. My shoulder to waist ratio makes is nearly impossible to buy anything that doesn't look like I'm wearing a loose bag around my midrift. They are still out there, but the clothing is expensive and hard to find. I'm at the point when I find a shirt that fits, I buy ten of them. I have entire drawers full of, "next year's shirts".

[@teflongoon]

@@FamilyManMoving Hey, but at least fat people will feel better, right? 😒 (I'm not sure why companies think XXL's are more important than S's. Oh wait... there's more of them nowadays!)

[@teflongoon]

@@unclesamzbastardsonu.s.b.s9315 Yup! You're basically the same size as me (6'1", 180).

[@FamilyManMoving]

@@teflongoon Amen. I found Express, Guess and other "young person" shops best to shop. I walk into Express, buy 20 polo shirts, and make the 19 year old behind the counter laugh because she doesn't see a lot of half-century "jacked" guys shopping her part of the mall. Thing is? I'm not jacked. I just have low body fat, and a V taper. Not a muscle and/or gym freak. The size charts move along and up the generational tree in the USA. The group with the largest cohort of people not consistently overweight are the under-25 crowd, but even there they are a shrinking minority. So if you are looking for clothes, consider yourself "Forever 21" (I think they are ladies only, though, but you get the idea). Just act your age and skip the really trendy stuff. Nobody wants to see me dress like a teenager. I stick to the basics - pants, dress shirts, polos and Ts.

[@petecartwright5211]

My granddaughter put me through an outlet mall experience recently and we had a great time. But what struck me, as we were walking through the parking lot and then inside, we were the only people in the place that didn't need some sort of weight intervention. I'm not exaggerating, either. It was obvious, too. We must have looked out of place. It was so blatant it caught my attention immediately. I asked her if she noticed it and she just shrugged it off, but virtually every man, woman, and even the children I walked past were not just overweight, but obese. We saw some normal-sized kids and a few teens but that was it. The adults were, for the most part, grossly obese. One was riding a scooter chair and the butt cheeks overflowed the seat by a good 8 inches on either side. No exaggeration. I didn't say any more while there but it was surprising and it was real.

[@ccmarcum]

This reminds me of when I was forced to return to the US from Europe, because of Covid two years ago. It was like being in an old Twilight Zone episode. Everywhere I went publicly, people of all ages were waddling around like beach balls, belly stuck out and back arched. I couldn't believe it. Employees, mostly young women in doctor's offices or the hospital, were incredibly overweight. Where do they buy pants to fit those enormous buttocks? In Sam's Club, there was only one normal person among the aisles. Brace yourself because in Europe, where I taught school, there are NO fat children. Maybe some chubby cheeks, but everyone looks normal. A beer belly on an old guy here and there. It is truly frightening.

[@tiger751]

Damn

[@bdflatlander]

What you described is depressingly common these days. I am 69 and my BMI is in the normal range. I practice strict portion control and I exercise 5 days a week. It’s not easy but it’s absolutely worth it to me. When I was a kid in the 60’s I don’t recall seeing the incredible number of obese and in some cases severely obese people that I see today. Some of these obese people may only experience relatively minor health issues until they hit middle age but as their bodies age their obesity will cause them severe health issues. And, if they don’t have the money to treat it, taxpayers will have to pick up the bill. Wake up, people!!!

[@russellfleming8227]

I noticed that once when dining out. Tables filled with people too large for the chairs.

[@richardminaya816]

@@bdflatlander If they eat less, they'll have more money and lower health care costs. BOOM.

[@michaelhoard9548]

I had a customer come in a couple years ago and was having a hard time breathing and said he wasn't feeling good but he didn't know what was wrong. I looked on the counter and he was buying two bags of chips, two bottles of coke, two king size Reese's cups, and two other candy bars. I was thinking of myself that is part of the problem. Several months later he came back in and had lost a lot of weight and turns out he was diabetic and had to change his eating habits.

[@firstlast8258]

Rookie numbers

[@texasbluebonnet4303]

You were quite gutsy Bill, discussing Fat people. I remember being the heaviest I had ever been in my life when I was pregnant, I couldn't imagine carrying around that much weight on a daily basis forever.

[@michellelekas211]

Hey, as a smoker I am sick of all of this. Hey, Drivers put more toxins into the air while we pay for your highways with out cig taxes. Grrrr

[@UncommonSenz]

“Have you ever seen a fat 90 year old”? That hit me🤦🏾‍♂️

[@gizmomatsuzaka6861]

I've been saying those exact words for years!

[@alicia.george]

It’s cool that you brought this up again. I’m an ex fat acceptance ally smh. Before I turned 18, I didn’t see the point of recreational sport leagues for adults but at 24, I can see the value in it because most adults don’t work out and having a fitness community is so beneficial. I think parents should exercise with their kids more, and make a conscious effort to make nutritious foods for their kids and teach them how to make stuff. Also I think people should experiment more with exercise because gyms aren’t for everyone, I’ve been active my whole life thanks to school & recreational sports, and using my bike is my primary transportation.

[@myfriendgoo2816]

I dunno what region you're from, but here in the South the high schools are of a fair size and kids know if they'll make a team or not by 10th grade or so. Most won't (only so many positions), so they get relegated to PE, which is a joke on resources and seriousness vs. athletic departments and the varsity team. Then they go on to WATCH sports but not play as adults, and it's also hot and muggy a lot, anyway. The BEST participation in the country is in the sparse states where schools are smaller and everyone's on a team or there's no team. That'll carry over as adults, which is why places like Alaska and the Dakotas do so well.

[@donrobertson4940]

@@myfriendgoo2816 we have as many teams as we have kids wanting to play. Most kids just want to play a game with their friends and have fun.

[@meganbaker9116]

School in general is one of the culprits: horribly unhealthy cafeteria food, candy used to bribe kids to do meaningless work, and the severe curbing of free play and outdoor time so they can do more of that work and take stressful tests. When kids went to school for six hours and two of those were spent at lunch and on the playground, they were a lot happier and healthier. But riding your bike for transportation: right on!

[@CCR971]

Kids learn their eating habits from their parents. I see kids all the time with sodas in their lunch boxes, string cheese (which isn't fking cheese!), chips, cookies and god knows what else. They are literally being taught to die young by their own parents!

[@sourabhjogalekar3842]

I believe fat acceptance is being funded by the McDonald's and dunkins of the world...business that's how they'll make their money

[@buddhaganesh6318]

Completely agree. The worst is watching parents allow their children to become obese. Truly disgusting when a nine-year-old little boy has bigger breasts than a grown woman.

[@aristophanesghost3839]

Pot and kettle there, Buddha.

[@AlexDiesTrying]

There are worse parental crimes but I still agree. Fattening a child up is damaging.

[@Robert-lx2gl]

@@aristophanesghost3839 Completely disagree because neither you nor Bill Maher have a clue about the physiological reasons a number of people are fat. Not all of is because they overeat. Yes, some people don't take care of themselves and are overweight, but many are not that way just because of that. Metabolism plays a huge part in the why of it.

[@mdimascio]

Parents allowing their young kids to get fat due to unhealthy eating are terrible and its abuse in my book.

[@aristophanesghost3839]

@@Robert-lx2gl have you seen Buddha?

[@kris13iam]

Spot on Bill

[@jdubya181]

The fact that high fructose corn syrup is the main ingredient of almost everything you get at the grocery store now doesn't help.

[@Nixerman]

And calling those who don't want to date fat people fatphobic is just beyond me. 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@homerj.simpson7562]

Don't you know? Everything you're not enthusiastic about is a "phobia" these days.

[@markg9401]

Yep I choose to date fit women. I find them attractive. I just saw a video where if you don't date trans people, somehow you're 'transphobic'. These words don't mean anything anymore although arguably they never did.

[@DuranDuran31]

Even in the police department if you look at most of police officers today there obese and having problems. There used to be a standard you had to do a certain amount of push-ups a certain amount of sit-ups and be able to run a mile in a certain time before you even allowed to be a police officer and then maintain that every year. They couldn't do it it's called it fat shaming calling it prejudice. If you're a police officer you have to be in shape it's part of the prereq. But lawyers are screwing everything up blurring the lines keeping everything in the gray

[@jfkst1]

Law enforcement standards are embarrassing. They need merit based pay incentives.

[@brushstroke3733]

That was only true when they got hired. After that, they were always free to suck down as many donuts as they could while sitting in their cars avoiding criminals.

[@antonioscolotti8558]

That's why they would rather shot you than chase you. Because they can't run!

[@hindelrunefaust7856]

Well clearly we just have the rename obese police officers into Meat Shields

[@tammyjohnson1927]

I agree if you are a police officer or in the military there should be standards in New York City now police officers don't even get drug tested if they smoke weed they can still be hired. Keeping your weight down and staying fit is a struggle but it's one worth doing. But at some point no matter how healthy you are you're still going to die.

[@pierrebibeau9861]

Ref: Adele - Because people are jealous of her taking the means to lose weight while they do not have the mindset to act accordingly. It is easier to blame others for your own lack of audacity.