wriggles, what? i don’t understand what you’re saying. Why are data showing that permanent weight loss is impossible “defined” by men? I think they are just evidence that arose from a lot of studies. Are you saying only men did those studies? Well, arguably that’s been true of all of science, though at least in the past decades more women have been involved. There were probably some women scientists involved in the more recent studies. Or do you mean only men fail at dieting? That’s a really strange thing to say! Fyi, women “fail” at permanent weight loss, too.

As for the diet/weight thing, after reading this page, I did some aerobic exercise, because I HAVEN’T been doing it enough, and there’s no excuse for that. I eat (kinda sorta) well. Am a vegetarian, eat lots of veggies, etc. Based on my own past history, I can probably expect that regular, healthy exercise will result in my body going down a few sizes. But if it doesn’t, then it doesn’t. Eating well and exercising are something I owe myself, because it’s good for me.

I had a drastic weight loss some years ago. I call it “The Dead Dad Diet,” because after the sudden death of my father I fell into a deep depression and ate almost nothing. I don’t recommend that method for weight loss. Even so, I leveled off at a size 14/16 (which seems to be the norm for the females in our family) which still made me “fat” and “not finished dieting” in the eyes of much of society. But to me, I was DONE. I ate well, I exercised, and that was the weight I was at, and I think I looked pretty normal and healthy. The hell with anyone who tells me that it’s not enough.

there is no way to permanently make a fat person thin

There is no known way.
Maybe it’s the way I’m saying it, but I’m getting fed up with this assumption, that only men define reality, it’s hardly feminist is it?

A group of people who feel that they alone have the right to define what reality is i.e. mainly men, have failed with an idea, and failed to accept reality. Why is our failure our own, and their failure our own as well?
If we complain about priviledge, then why do we keep giving them this one?

Can we please stop pandering to their belief in their innate superiority?

C.
(who would really like cake, if she could find any without artificial flavours in it)

A.
(who really, really likes cake).

I’m honestly pretty convinced that this is exactly what they imagine. And they seem really weirdly determined to hold onto this image, too, even when directly told “that’s not how it is”.

I don’t know. I’m… chubby. I don’t know if I count as “fat” or not, but I’m definitely not thin. And I am willing to bet that I have a healthier diet than 90% of the commenters there. Seriously. I don’t eat junk food, ever, because I’m allergic to a lot of food colourings and flavourings, and in the end it’s just easier to cut out anything processed. I’ve tried calorie counting, and I rarely go over 1200 calories per day. Not because I’m depriving myself, but because I naturally don’t have a big appetite. And I am so sick to death of people not believing this, of the “stop kidding yourself” and “just put down the doughnuts!”

Even when they do believe you, you can’t win. I’m also, while I’m here, thoroughly sick of having (or hearing or reading) the following conversation:

“OMG FATTY, put down the doughnuts and eat healthily!”

“Actually, I have a very healthy diet. I don’t eat any processed food and I don’t eat a lot of ANYTHING.”

“Maybe you’re eating too much fruit! There’s a lot of sugar in fruit! Have you tried giving up bread? You don’t drink whole milk, do you?? Did you know there’s a billion calories in a banana? Have you tried the South Beach diet? Also, I read that lettuce is actually bad for you now!”