Gainers: right or wrong?

[codegal182]

OK, this is something that featured in a piece on Today Tonight (an Australian opinion show on channel 9), that had me honestly gobsmacked and utterly dumbfounded. I couldn't help but want to add my own two cents to this issue.

Mama Mia is a web blog that is run by Mia (woman pictured in the left corner) who is a writer, author, blogger, social

Comments

O.o

[dancergirl17]

....What the heck?! Why in the world would somebody want to gain that much weight?! I understand gaining a little if you're underweight, but 1000 pounds?! o.O *is weirded out*

Re: O.o

[codegal182]

This is what I have trouble understanding. Not to mention, her motivations for wanting to gain the kilos; all to make herself feel good because subscribers to her web site pay her money to do this. She's putting her own pleasure and the pleasure of faceless strangers above that of her children. And I don't know why activists for FA would want to jump on this since um, it doesn't help the cause at all?

[alice_candy]

what the. i don't even. i am shocked. i do not have anything against "fatness" or "being big", in fact, i am rather fond of my friends who are healthy (like, big, soft and cuddly :D) but, but to gain weight just to get money?! i don't get it and i will never understand this... this mentality. is this brought about by underlying mental health issues?

AND SHE HAS A VERY YOUNG DAUGHTER??? Man, sorry, but this is rather...selfish?

this is... disturbing. D:

[codegal182]

I have no idea, I mean, there are fat fetishes and what not... but this is a whole different thing. And I can't really say that she's suffering from mental health issues, I mean, when asked why she does it, she says that she loves it, she loves the attention she's getting because these strangers adore her. While its a mental capacity that we ourselves cannot understand, she can't claim mental illnesses because she is fully aware of what it is that she is doing. This is definitely something that we can chalk up to downright selfishness.

[eloni]

And plain old stupidity? Sure, not a mental illness, but bad enough. You could say she is ignorant, but I'm sure people have told her how unhealthy this is. Ignoring it just means she is stupid and selfish.

[codegal182]

The fact that she doesn't buy into the risks that she runs due to her serious weight problem outlines exactly just how ignorant she is, cause, um, its not like people made those up? They've been tested and are fully supported by medical facts.

[passthatdutch]

Sorry but that's just grotesque. We've discussed about fat fetishism at school (and caused the slighty overweight people to leave the class cause they think they were being attacked ;_;). I would've said "maybe she eats too much and can't help it" but to know that she's purposely eating a lot to gain extra thousand pounds is wtfuckery. What would she gain from that? Nothing but high blood pressure, diabetes, heart failure .. etc.

She's not thinking of her children but only herself.

[codegal182]

This is why I don't understand why speaking out against such a thing as this would be grounds for activists to get all up in arms about. Its not about a lack of fat acceptance at all, its about a woman submitting to the whims of faceless strangers because it feels good to be adored, she gets money for it. Honestly, this actually hurts the cause for FA rather than helps it. I honestly cannot see why there seems to be a lack of comprehension at what the issue at hand really is.

[passthatdutch]

Thank you fo posting this, I wasn't even aware there's an abnormality this extent. And that people are willing to do it for money! She's probably saying she's ony doing it for her kids. Everyone makes choices in life, and obviously not all of them are good.

I also read the blog and I don't see anything that belittles overweight people. And facepalm-worthy at how ignorant shitheads thinks this blogger is making fun of overweight people. Not understanding that whatever this woman is doing to herself will definitely become a health problem

[codegal182]

No probs. The thing with that is she states that she's not doing it for kids. I mean, she doesn't even mention anything about her kids in regards to why she's doing it. She's more concerned about the pleasure she derives from being a focal point to her subscribers. Definitely not a good lifestyle choice.

I know right? I don't understand how people read a clear stance on the dangers of eating too much as a post full of hate and animosity. I think these people need to sit back and think rationally before they jump into action.

Erk...I totally have no words -.-

[madknoxx]

I don't know whether it is right or wrong but what I do know is that certain people nowadays would do anything (and I mean anything!!!!) at all to get instant fame or popularity. And in her case, I'm more worried with her kids than her. Worrying that she's not gonna be able to take good care of her kids is one thing, but what do other kids think about them if they knew her mom is like this? Surely it would affect her kids' socially and emotionally.
I know I'm kinda big too (been getting "oh, you look chubby now!" too often nowdays lol), but enough to know that gaining fat wayyy too much can be unhealthy for me or anyone regardless of whatever healthy food I'm consuming (and yes kids, those slimming pills are a no-no. think about the long term effects). There are many other healthy ways she can get attention if she really feels like she need fans or whatever. She mentioned she's a writer/ or journalist or something similar, right? Why won't she write fics or articles then? =)

Re: Erk...I totally have no words -.-

[codegal182]

Exactly. She's living this up for herself, but how exactly do her kids feel? Do they appreciate the fact that their parent is slowly getting to a stage where she completely loses mobility and becomes bed-ridden? Not to mention the slack they may be getting from the kids at school.

The thing about consuming healthy foods is that it wouldn't make you blow up in such a way. I mean, she's trying to stake a claim in responsibility, in being a good role model, but the reality of the situation really suggests otherwise.

And Mia is the writer and journalist. She wrote about Donna Simpson in one of her blogs.

Re: Erk...I totally have no words -.-

[madknoxx]

Not sure how the kids at school treat them but most of my friend's friends whom she jokes that they gain weight or something related seems to take it too personally even though it was just a joke (and they aren't really fat at all -.-). I would imagine worser had the kids have been the subject of a joke among their friends. They don't deserve it when they should be living a happy life as a kid.

Healthy food can go on by many definitions. We don't know her definition of that kind of food. It could be those super healthy product that's actually not healthy at all. Who knows? Hmm..

You know, this story reminds me of a story I just know this early afternoon. Google "chasethehedgehog" and you'll know what I mean -.-

Re: Erk...I totally have no words -.-

[codegal182]

Exactly. She may be able to handle all the flack, but what about her kids?

There is that. But the impression that I'm getting is that its healthy foods in regards to what it is that diet nutritionists recommend to us. But you're right, who knows?

And my goodness, I had a quick squizz in Encyclopaedia Dramatica. There is so much drama going on there, I can only just shake my head at it.

[parikala]

DAMMIT PENNY, I was just about to post about my utter rage for rape culture, and here I see you posted about a socially relevant entry in your LJ too! That's not on, man! We can't post about sad/rage-inducing things at the same time! It'll be too sad/rage-inducing!

This is my first time knowing about the Gainers... movement(?) though. And I don't even want to talk about this blogger because I just read about a lot of rage-inducing stuff; I don't want to talk about the weird-ass choice to tackle a Gainer-regiment not for the sake of furthering the cause to diminish fat-phobia, but for... titillating your blogsphere. >|

[codegal182]

Gah, I am sorry! But can you please just post it anyway? I mean, I think some exposure is required here. We wouldn't want to be accused of living ignorant lives now, would we?

My goodness, this was my first time being exposed to it as well. I have never come across such an idea of gaining sponsors to watch you eat, that to me just seems all sorts of crazy. And yeah, definitely not the best move to make or support in a fat acceptance campaign.

[parikala]

I think I will need to sleep through it a bit, IT WAS THAT RAGE-INDUCING, BB. I HATE how pervasive rape culture is and it's frustrating when people you like/respect have this mentality that propagates it and you can't really be THAT mad at them because a year or so ago, I didn't even know about this rape culture phenomenon... PRECISELY because it's that pervasive! How can I be mad at these people when a year ago, even *I* took it as fact? And then I get frustrated because... WHY DO WE TAKE IT AS FACT? Argh! It's this self-destructive cycle and I am too tired too now even rant about it.

Pretty counter-productive to me, actually, although obviously, that's a YMMV thing. But, I mean... doesn't it sound condescending? To know that someone out there is using a health-problem you have and making a spectacle out of it, not for the sake of helping general-you, but for... shits and giggles? Extra hits to their blogs? ...Money? O_o

[codegal182]

Oh goodness, it was that bad? OK, now you've honestly got my attention. Rest of you need to, but please post. I want to know about this as well.

Exactly! I'm thinking that "Spilt Milk" isn't really getting the point of the blog, kinda like someone we know who takes something at face value and attacking without really looking at what is being said.