My Response To Fatphobia Claims
I was scrolling through reddit today and came across this post saying I have “fatphobic tendencies”. This was really hard for me to read and caused me to take a critical look back at my previous comments regarding obesity, bariatric treatments, and diet recommendations (Keto, intermittent fasting, vegan, etc.) Our culture demonizes people for their weight, from rogue marketing pushing “ideal bodies” in media to a lack of representation for large bodied people on stage and on screen. That being said, I am a doctor, and my job is to help people live longer, healthier lives, and often those results can be achieved through a variety of tactics that will reduce the weight of people who suffer from obesity. It’s a fine line between helping my patients and making sure they don’t feel judged or criticized for the way they look, and I’m working hard to get it right.
ORIGINAL REDDIT POST: www.reddit.com/r/antidiet/comments/hq0lfh/i_really_want_to_like_dr_mike_on_youtube_but_he/?sort=top
COMMENTS ON BARIATRIC SURGERY REDDITOR REFERS TO:
fistream.info/work/videot/qMlqf6eohWi0uKM
RESEARCH ON OBESITY AND WEIGHT IN REGARDS TO HEALTH:
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK379120/
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5704829/#:~:text=Bariatric%20surgery%20has%20proved%20to,LAGB)%2C%20reported%20inconsistent%20results
www.cochrane.org/CD003641/ENDOC_surgery-for-obesity
uihc.org/health-topics/how-effective-bariatric-surgery
MY APPEARANCE ON PHIL DEFRANCO’S SHOW DISCUSSING FAT SHAMING: fistream.info/work/videot/f8WIf8KpqGPHqp8
MY NUTRITION PLAYLIST: fistream.info/main/PLJRbJuI_csVAMq2VPr96h6TL4Y98rfznM.html
I LOVE reading your comments and take your suggestions seriously. If there’s a subject you want me to discuss or something you’d like for me to react to, leave a comment down below. Many of my videos have been born out of suggestions directly from you, so don’t hold back!
-Doctor Mike Varshavski
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** The information in this video is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images, and information, contained in this video is for general information purposes only and does not replace a consultation with your own doctor/health professional **
This isn't fat phobia. Fat phobia is insulting and belittling a bigger person. The difference is for example in my opinion bullies at school laughed at my weight and told me being fat was wrong A Dr was concerned about my eating habits and how quick I put on weight because of a heartattack. One person was mean which is fat phobic Dr was doing his job as a medical Dr. No one fat phobic cares about your health, they just think being fat is disgusting because there disgusting people who want to hurt you
From what I have personally seen, I don’t believe that Dr. Mike is fatphobic. However, you absolutely must understand how someone could misconstrue his message when they’re in a vulnerable place. I understand what he means but I am also an eating disorder survivor and quite honestly, my defenses go up when someone starts talking about weight loss. That is because it has been weaponized by diet culture against people like me. I am unapologetically anti diet, but that doesn’t mean I don’t think that you can healthfully lose weight through life style changes instead. I think that as a thin person Dr Mike has to watch how he comes across because it was people who claimed to be looking out for “health concerns” who drove so many of us to nearly killing our bodies with eating disorders.
Is this really where society is going? Doctors can't even help you lose weight for your health?
POV: your looking for someone who think Doctor Mike is fatphobic
Don’t listen to them Mike, literally everyone who says you are fatphobic are only saying that because they are too butthurt because they can’t lose weight
He’s a doctor. It’s literally his job to tell you what is and isn’t healthy. Fat phobic is when you criticize someone constantly, when you say they aren’t pretty, aren’t worth anything just Bc of a number or a size. My doctor has always spoken with me about my weight in a way that is helpful. I live a much healthier life now. I’m not strict but I go to the gym regularly and I eat healthy regularly but I do have a day or two to just enjoy certain foods I don’t eat on a consistent basis Bc it’s not good to eat consistently. I realized how my body reacted when I was over 200 pounds as someone that is 5’2” and was in no means a muscular person. I was just overweight. I had trouble breathing, sleeping, moving, working. It’s NOT good to be overweight like that. If you eat right and exercise as your supposed to and you’re still a litttle overweight according to BMI, and your doctor says you’re healthy, then remember that BMI is a point of reference but not an end all to the discussion. It’s about being healthy. Telling you the facts that it’s not healthy is not equivalent to fat phobia. My step dad almost died Bc of his obesity. It, along with many many years of heavy smoking and drinking, has caused him lung, heart, and liver issues. Most of his heart issues stems from being overweight. He has to undergo surgery Bc of gastrointestinal problems. Once he started eating better, a lot of those issues calmed down a little. He still drinks and smokes heavily though so he was surprised was eating better did for him. At some point society has to stop saying that being told you’re overweight by a doctor is a bad thing just Bc it’s not what you want to hear. It’s rough to hear those things but sometimes it’s necessary to save a life.
I really don't think any of these things are what makes certain doctors fatphobic. The problem with fatphobia among doctors is that too many doctors can't see past the fat body. No matter what the issue is, some doctors will tell the overweight patient that they're having this issue because of their weight, ignoring unrelated and dangerous illnesses. It took a lot of courage for me to finally seek help for my depression when I was 18. I left my doctor's office in tears because he told me to just lose weight, instead of refer me to a psychologist. According to him, all my problems would disappear if I was thinner.
fat phobia, why would I be scared of a fatass, what are they going to do chase you?
Also can you please show me where you got that PFP? I would also like to use it
😂
eat less than u burn. its that easy/hard
I have watched a few of Mikes Videos, so far everything said seems accurate too me, from advice from other doctors to personal experience. PS on Intermittent Fasting i have done this for years with Zero negative effects. as for obesity, its not healthy, loose the weight and stop crying about people calling you fat.
I am a student nurse and I love how educational his videos and reactions are. When physicians or nurses are giving you health teachings about weight management, nutrition, and balanced diets it is not because we are fatphobic. It is because we see it as something necessary for your health and as a lifetime preventative measure for most diseases, especially heart diseases. As a nursing student, I am able to understand these facts and apply them to myself, because I myself am in the obese category. We mention these measures to you because we believe it will help you. It is not something that we say because we want to make fun of you. Be reminded that if you take offense to what your physicians say, be wise to think about it first before you react. We only want what's good for you.
Theres no such thing as fatphobic it's called trying to help people survive
The flaky bra ultrastructurally float because goat extracellularly doubt through a boundless rock. fresh, deserted fisherman
ppl should really know how to comprehend
sorry that you even had to make this video Dr. mike
As a dietetic intern, thank you so much Dr. Mike for putting the video out into the world. Getting a BEHAVIORAL COUNSELOR on the treatment team really can make a difference for a patient. When I wrote my practice treatment plans in school I loved referring patients to other professionals: mental health providers, exercise physiologists, certified personal trainers, physical therapists, dentists, social workers, SNAP/TANF/WIC/Medicaid benefits, reputable sources of information, and so on. Lastly, thank you for calling us registered dietitians and not just "nutritionists."
Somebody has to talk about this to give FACTS and to HELP people! He wants people to have a amazing life so PLEASEE do not criticise him for this because he isnt fatphobic and neither aew other doctors! They are trying to help you so please dont think Doctor Mike is a fatphobic.Hes only here to help.❤
I was confused on where you are got the comments then you said reddit then i was like" well thats your problem" reddit is toxic as hell
This is stupid. Fatphobic... 😂. Yeah Dr. Mike is just a bigot who hates fat people by doing his job. Ok 😂
You know what I got teased that I was obese. It HELPED ME LOSE WEIGHT and my life is better. We don't need to tease obese people but help them.
Hey Doctor Mike, fat person here. I watched your video about the gastric reduction (the one from TLC) and your responses to it were actually very kind and understanding and actually has me currently considering having this done for me. I always feel disheartened by other people telling me this is healthy or w/e as it's actually making me struggle a lot.
You should react to a Greys anatomy covid episode!
Yea rinnska sounds like a womans name, not surprised
I have obese parents!... I care💗 about them & they don’t consider me “fat phobic” though being afraid of being fat is an understandable phobia towards fatness!
Gotta be honest, the person who said that they've only had one doctor not suggest weight loss, there's probably a very good reason they are suggesting weight loss. I'm overweight, I know it and I've worked at it. But it actually rarely comes up with my doctors. It's been mentioned when related to something it affects (for example, I'm at a risk of high blood pressure because it runs in my family) but unless it's something that is impacted by weight I rarely hear it. I went through a lot of appointments back in october about some health issues. Probably at least a dozen appointments with 4 different specialists just trying to find out what was wrong with me. The only time my weight was brought up was in relation to a scan showing a fatty liver (which wasn't actually related to my issue at all but was just a finding the doctor wanted me to be aware of). People need to stop acting like even the suggestion of losing weight is fat phobic. There's a difference between suggesting weight loss for health and just mocking someone for being fat.
I don't think "fat phobic" is a correct term here, I think perhaps "Fat prejudiced" would be more accurate. I believe that a majority (not all, but a majority) of Doctors see a fat patient in their office for the first time automatically switch to certain assumptions and act accordingly, often without even taking a simple test or blood pressure. Perhaps Doctors need to learn more in exploring the issue first before coming up with a diagnosis. If someone fat like me comes in with a broken toe, your first initial response to "lose some weight" is offensive (not to mention effing obvious!) and assumptous... how do you not know that one is already trying and working at losing weight? Stop making snap judgments without even exploring the issue at hand first.
go lose weight lmao
i love how much Dr. Mike clearly cares and he doesn’t want anyone to take his advice the wrong way
Doctor Mike: Watch what you eat so you can be H E A L T H Y! Person: hEs fAt ShaMinG
Good thing he didn't skinny shame! 😮
Chances are the people that accuse Doctor Mike of fatphobia are the same people that believe essential oils cure diseases and the earth is flat
can you get bariatric surgery if you're not morbidly obese? I am gaining weight but I know if I try and go on a diet I will end up being anorexic again. I really want to get a gastric bipass.
I listend to a podcast which talked about feminism and body positivity. The female speaker said that it is wrong and fatphobic to be afraid of getting fat. Why is that? Of course I'm afraid of putting on weight, not because it makes me a bad person, it obviously doesn't, but because it makes me an unhealthy one. Another thing that they claimed is that you can be skinny but still smoke drugs so that would be unhealthy too. And I'm like, yes? What does that even mean? Of course consuming drugs is dangerous but that has nothing to do with being skinny
Umm, there's a reason why they call him Dr. Mike.. DOCTOR MIKE! Meaning, HE KNOWS WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT! Just because a bunch of Instagram influencers are redefining health in their own twisted ways doesn't mean you get to challenge a DOCTOR'S medical advice! I watched the video in which Dr. Mike featured the reality TV guy. How hard is it to understand that he was stating facts? This guy is making videos and providing such valuable info for free people! If he says smoking is bad for your lungs and leads to respiratory diseases, will you say he is addiction phobic? Gosh! The body positivity movement is hugely misinterpreted. People are normalizing obesity like never before. Remember how plus size women started to shame Adele when she lost weight? Bullying or shaming someone into hating their bodies is definitely wrong. But that doesn't mean accepting obesity (a proven catalyst for various health problems) and celebrating it is the solution! The bottom line, even if someone is overweight, they can consult doctors to improve their health. They can take steps to improve their health. It's not about looks people, HEALTH HEALTH HEALTH! Sure, they can temporarily be happy about their bodies long enough to make efforts in a positive direction. After all, no one has to hate their present form and wait for a better body structure to make themselves happy!
OBESITY DOESNT MEAN CHUBBY! OMFG. IM SO TIRED OF HEARING HE’S TALKING ABOUT CHUBBY PEOPLE BLAH BALH BLAAAH it’s so FRUSTRATING! nO ai ya.
Doctor: You need to change your diet Overweight patient: I took it personally and now my day is ruined
do people not understand that there’s a difference between being fatphobia, and promoting a healthy lifestyle?
Um....didn't he go to school for this? Wouldn't he know about this stuff?
"He's done videos where he's tried certain fad diets for 30 days but I've never watched them so I don't know where he stands on keto for instance.". That is the most ignorant of them all. Like how are you going to criticize someone for doing something, but not watch the video to see what they say about it. In those videos you even mention they aren't for everyone.
Every profession has people who had to study very hard to make it through to graduation. Those people often view all their hard earned knowledge as basically gospel and thus, happily stop obtaining new knowledge as soon as they get their degree. In their minds, unless new information comes from the governing body of their profession, it is false and even dangerous. The very idea of evolution in their field is utterly intolerable to them.
Ppl think just because you state a fact like being obese gives you more health risk, your attacking them personally. No that's not the the case doctors are informing you. I myself a a bit overweight and I don't snap everytime my doctor says "hey you could use losing some weight your at risk for high blood pressure or high blood sugar". It's just not what what they are doing it's perspective you want to feel justified and like it's not your fault so you lash out. Which is ok is a normal response but if you want to get better you have to realize that but on the other hand if you don't care about about your weight while not recommended is your right.
Being so obese that it’s affecting your health is bad Being so skinny that it’s affecting your health is bad All he’s done is try to help people be healthy, that’s not fatphobic
I’m obese and dr.mike has been beyond helpful
HE SUPPORTS HEALTH
Said it before, I’ll say it again. It is not fatphobic to be concerned for someone’s well-being, and it’s not fatphobic to offer treatment plans or options to someone who isn’t at a healthy weight-especially as a DOCTOR
basically a bunch of snowflakes "didn't like" what Dr. Mike spoke technically about obesity
Fat people just use that as an excuse to not get their lazy asses up and try to lose some weight
Thanks for the BMI info. Im a really lightweight guy but I eat like a madman everyday yet ive been 5'7 since junior year of highschool and was considered underweight from a BMI standpoint until this year, so it took me 6 years to be qualified as average weight for my height ahahh. Now I know that BMI doesn't really cover everything. Thanks.
Maybe where this comment is coming from is someone who was triggered by this sort of content. Just speculating here but people with certain eating disorders such as Bulimia or Anorexia (or professionals who have treated these disorders); after they are in recovery are told to stay away from videos like the ones described in the Reddit post and can feel quite passionate about it. Certainly not faulting Doctor Mike just showing a different point of view.
There's a very big difference between being fatphobic and being concerned about other people's health.
That redditor is a dumb ass.
I had a female GP doctor tell me, "When a man sees a woman walk down the street he sees a beautiful woman--unless that woman is fat, then all he sees is a fat woman." That was a fat-shaming comment. That was applying a value on my appearance and sex appeal, not providing a consultation on my health. Everything I have heard Dr. Mike say in his videos has been from a medical standpoint and has never offended me in the least. BTW, I changed doctors.
i need to lose 25lbs, this video is inspiring me to lose it.
my mans on the couch spend his years of studies to get insulted by a woman/men on the internet telling him how to be a docter smh. he's the one with a doctors degree, not your chips eating **gluteus maximus** typing that message on reddit.
Doctor Mike: Educates millions on their health Redditors: Oh its that fatphobic doctor
Big people thin people be you as long as your healthy being you.
my gosh. These people who say that Mike is fat phobic will be looking like the people from Wall-e in a year.
Godamn you pulled the " something came in the mail today"card
All bodies are beautiful. However, in some cases it can be dangerous to your health. Never be ashamed of your body but if you feel uncomfortable, ask your doctor if it is unhealthy and if you need to do something about it.
fatphobia is the shaming of someone for being fat. this isn't shaming. it's "hey this maybe isn't the most physically healthy for you."
The wakeful criminal characteristically pass because freeze symptomatically shade upon a divergent geometry. available, spiritual ptarmigan
Yes
The fact that you need to explain to people why being obese is unhealthy is quite baffling.
Fatphobic? GTFOH. Some people just look for reasons to be offended 🙄
I agree with you, but i also feel like these people writing these posts need to go to a psychologist before losing weight. A lot of obesity stems from people having a bad childhood or abusive relationship or parents. It's hard to believe in diets if eating less would be harder for you than to 90% of other due to an eating habit.
Most those reddit posts sounded like the excuses people tell themselves to blame or dismiss doctors in general. They also sound like they probably watched your videos looking for a reason to make baseless accusations that you were a bad doctor because you were saying things they personally didn't want to hear...
You don't need to address land whales. The best thing is that you'll outlive all of them.
I told my friend who desn't get this and sent me this vid to show how doctors are terrible (she is actually really smart but can't change her opinion for some topics...) that I if I were a doctor and someone told me that I was fatohobic bc I want them to be helthy I would tell them straight up: sure keep it up, see you in the ER when you are having a heart attack
Thank you! Some think any doctor who comments on weight is fatphobic. That is ludicrous.
how is someone telling you that u need to loose weight when ur fat being fat phobic ? i mean being fat is a sickness so its just health advise.
reddit could be a much better place, but it can't because of the ignorant morons already on there
Being fat has little to no health benefits, he's a doctor of course he is going to advise and encourage his patients to lose weight if their weight is negatively affecting their health
Doc Mike. Here in the reddit post. What people mean by Fatphobic is not about shaming them for being fat. They WILL call you Fatphobic if you even CALL them fat. That's it, you call them fat and you are Fatphobic. You can only not be Fatphobic if you call that overweight person normal.
You for a family pediatrician. I would really like my Doc to know what is eat and help me control my diet in a way that helps me achieve my goals. Isn't that the point of a dietician/pediatrician.
Imagine say Someone is a Fatphobia because he's being a Good DOCTOR
Yeah This Fatphobia movement is sort of ridiculous, because they're trying to normalize obesity also I don't want to say this but it's true but technically it's obesity for women, you hardly ever see "body positivity online in recognition of an obese man". As an overweight person myself this fatphobia thing annoys me, being overweight is one of a few factors that makes my life way harder, especially when you have extremely judgmental family. I've tried diets, more exercising and still I'll probably lose about 1-2 kilo's a month max, but I've also been on the other side of being anorexic, and both are terrible. Even with exercise (currently being overweight) I've gone up to the saitama workout (100 push ups, sit ups, squats, and 10km run 3 days a week), this only lasted a month (as 7 days a week would be a bit much, but I did do 5x the push ups and sit ups).
Sorry mike, every FIstreamr eventually goes through a controversy or false claims that people will believe.
While mocking people for being fat is bad, we shouldn't be pretending being fat is benign or good.
Y’all need to learn something... when someone praises somebody for being obese it’s not helping do you not want them to me healthy???
He points out that you should watch what you eat because he is a doctor he has never said anything offensive about people who are over weight. He is simply concerned about people who are over weight as it can lead to many many health issues, and as I said he is a doctor so he is obviously going to point out that maybe you should be careful what you eat to be careful that you don't cause health issues by your weight.
Can't please everyone especially people who didn't go to med school. People would always find a way to dislike you. And there'll always be people you wanna believe them.
Yes because unlike you, dear commenter he doesn’t have the constitution of a child.
my doctor ia a dr. house type. "So did you loose some weigth by now?" "Yes 15 Kilos!" "Fantastic. Now loose 15 more and you only got 15 more to go" hat said hes also impressed how healthy i am considering my weight. That said in my family literally everyone is strongly obese and yet my grandparents lived to 90 years of age / are still living and 90+ years old
I cannot BELIEVE that doctors have the NERVE to tell me that snorting my self-prescribed powderised weapon-grade plutonium is BAD for my health. I AM LITERALLY SHAKING.
you can see how pissed he is in the intro
people are literally taking words adding phobic to it for things that are soo little. there is racism there is homophobia because its against a big part of society. but there isnt fatphobia or other thingsphobia. its just called discrimination and judgement. theyre not killing you for it
can i just say that this is mainly happening in the usa people dont think its a worldwide thing
i agree that is some fiels like medicine you can make mistakes as a professional and still learn a lot but someone with no knowledge about the subject and complety wrong based on experiences and years of study cannot say that
Dr Mike is not fatphobic😒 He’s a doctor that cares about our health...
Here’s the thing as well, none medical professionals who comment on your weight (whom don’t know you, not family or friends) even trying to be “helpful” can easily be called fatphobic, because they aren’t doctors, they don’t know you personally or any conditions you do/don’t have, they don’t know if that’s just the way your body holds weight or anything about you, they just look at the “norm” and assume you are unhealthy. But DOCTORS should not care about the “norm” or your attractiveness or comparing you to anyone. They look at it from a medial standpoint and assess the risks. The difference between “regular” people and doctors, is very large.
As someone who is overweight with 2 obese parents who medically can not lose weight without surgery (which they cant afford), these sound like a bunch of fat people who cant handle the fact that if they keep going the way they have been, they will die.
This kinda reminds me of the woman that called a man fatphobic because he lost weight
That person was clearly troll. Expecially when he said that he'd never watch your videos.
I love Dr.Mike. And his professionalism.
I’m fat and working on my life. I can honestly say that fat shaming has pushed me to lose my first 10lbs and many more to come I was lazy and depressed had no motivation I didn’t even care about myself. So for me personally fat shaming works
Same for me buddy good luck on your journey to a healthy lifestyle bro
You didn’t do anything wrong you’re a doctor doing your job the best you can. People are just too sensitive and insecure. Don’t let that bother you 😉
why is everyone using fatphobia incorrectly
Discuss with your doctor but better yet, get a referral to a Registered Dietician in a clinical setting (not a "nutritionist" or Instagram nutrition "expert", these RDs are medical professionals who have years of education, internship, and practical experience to earn their title).
To be honest, why is this even a topic? why does someone take that "you need to loose weight" against a DOCTOR when he is talking from a health standpoint and backed with scientific explanations??? Do you expect as an obese person for Doctors not to touch that subject when talking about your health?? Why is it being taken too personal as if this doctor said something derogatory?
I'm fat and I know that OBEsity ain't healthy at all mentally nor psysically*
He could've just said this person is dumb and they're sensitive and don't know what fatphobic is
I just wish people could recommend how to lose weight without making it sound like rocket science 💀
"it's not capitalism, it's rogue evil marketing" ....um, dude, marketing is a part of capitalism.