Living without shame: How we can empower ourselves | Whitney Thore | TEDxGreensboro
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 พ.ค. 2024
- How do we handle self-perception when our bodies don't match the ideal social image? The answer is to find a way to live without shame.
Greensboro native and dancer, whose viral video, "A Fat Girl Dancing," sparked a national conversation about body image. She has launched the No Body Shame Campaign -- a national effort to help men and women of every variety live and love their lives without shame. She now has her own reality show, My Big Fat Fabulous Life, (broadcast by the TLC network) that demonstrates her success in her own personal journey toward a positive self-image.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at ted.com/tedx
"8 out of 10 10 year olds are afraid of being fat" surely that's good. Just like they should also be afraid of getting cancer, being unhealthy or failing in life. Being afraid of turning into something bad is a good start in preventing it.
Do the other 2 think fat is good? Now that's worrying
the issue isnt that per se. when young people think of being fat im sure they are more likely associating it with shame and ridicule and being bullied. That is the problem. Fat people are still people and body shaming isnt good a really think the emphasis shouldn't be on ridiculing fat people but to educate everyone and be inclusive promoting healthy lifestlyle with no shame and positivity. people are not going to have a healthy mindset if they are forced to lose weight out of ridicule it will lead to resentment.
I agree ridiculing fat kids is wrong but so is bringing up a generation to think it's fine to be overweight when it's not. Health at any size is a bunch of bullshit pushed to justify what (in most cases) is a combination of greed, laziness and self entitlement, we don't accept drug addiction or alcoholism as acceptable lifestyles because they're proven to be bad, unhealthy lifestyles so why are we being forced to accept obesity as the norm?
someone missed the whole point of this talk
+Arya2611 I think it's very sad that so many young girls are scared of being fat, but really that fear usually translates to they don't want a curvier body or a slightly bigger butt than the images plastered throughout their magazines. They want perfection, and that is sad, but fear of being obese like Whitney is a very good thing. We should encourage this 100% in society because personal accountability is the only way we'll stop this epidemic.
+Mike Dee when you're 400lbs like Whitney, the issues of health and stigmatisation are synonymous with each other. She should ask herself what's more important; losing weight so she can live a long, mobile, healthy life, or remaining obese and wasting all her energy on making this ridiculous, repetitive point she keeps trying to make about making people feel guilt for being obese is wrong.
She never said being her size was healthy or good. Only that you should be nice to people regardless of their size
Berlin Wall sometimes being nice to people is telling them it’s unhealthy and you want to help
@@nickmartin6116 sometimes being nice to people is listening to them when they take the time to try to talk to you
@@karrot101 to
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@@nickmartin6116 a .
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17:23 "We think that we have to magically have confidence before we do some thing. But this is backwards. Confidence is the product of action - not the other way around. If I had to wait to have the confidence to do something, I'd never get out of bed." Most don't believe this statement. They believe their (trusted) shame. Thanks for the reminder.
That quote
“I am living a shame free life in spite of a society that tells me I don’t deserve too. “
As someone who's fine through similar experiences I'm disgusted by the comments...this talk was completely inspiring and profound and made so much sense....I'm so proud of her!
*been
I believe it's inspiring, but I think our society is fighting to have balance. I think what she is saying is in order to accomplish anything you have to accept yourself as is. However, the work doesn't stop there. However, more and more people are becoming meaner. Like you said, there is no need for all the negative comments!
I know you want to pat yourself on the back for being such a nonjudgemental hero, but you have to put your dreams aside for a second and apply common sense. This girl has decided to let a camera follow her around and collect a big check, all based on her being fat. She is not at all happy in her own skin so it is pretty ridiculous that she expects everyone else to be comfortable with her in her own skin. Being fat does not make her a bad person but it also does not make her a good person....shitty people come in all shapes and sizes. She makes excuse after excuse, justifies all of her failures and blames everyone else....she is a bad person before she is a fat bad person. She wants to collect the check for being fat and then not being so fat and now fat again...but the public is not suppose to comment on her being fat??? She signed up for it and does not leave a whole lot of room for compassion from people when she acts like a fingerpointing victim all the time.
+Miles Teddy In her Ted talk she mentions the show once...she speaks about life experience and personal feelings...me saying That I'm proud of her is not because I want to be a "non-judgemental hero" . I watched the show and am watching season two and it's NOT PERFECT at all...she cries her,struggles and is often not even worth helping at times but isn't that what most people are like? we live in a society where we are fed the definition of "normal" but the truth is we don't know what's normal anymore... I don't like the negative comments because THEY DO NOT FOCUS AT ALL ON WHAT SHE SAID ---instead people see a fat girl talking about loving herself but look at her size and think she can't possibly do it...she says that once we get rid of shame we can live happier lives this doesn't apply to fat people only...Gay and trans people, people with disabilities and me! can all learn from it. I'm a fan and I've watched her journey and I'm proud of how far she's come...I'm proud of the fact that she's confident enough to share her story front of a crowd and to thousands and not just judge behind cellphones and computer screens
+Miles Teddy also she does not expect everyone to be comfortable with HER...she wants us to be comfortable with ourselves that's the whole point of the talk...she gets a cheque because she has a reality tv show that's hardly a crime in 2016 ...
I felt ashamed that I was weak and chubby, so I started eating healthy and working out. Now I feel amazing. That's true body positivity.
Clayton amen!
Yas
Clayton good for you!! And same here. Xx
Works for me
Yessss exactly
I have PCOS too and I'm only 13 years old, the doctors said it would be hard for me to get pregnant, I told them I would adopted if I can't have a child because if I adopted I give the child a loving family and home.
If you adopt, please learn the child's background (was the child wrongfully taken from their family, what about their culture, health history, etc), research separation and attachment trauma and ptsd, don't think adoption is always clean cut, learn all you can. I am adopted and I have Pcos btw.
Aw you’re the sweetest for wanting to adopt! Don’t worry girl you’re beautiful and can do anything❤️
you're young and still had your life ahead of you. i hope your life will be fulfilled with what you always hoped for ❤
@@ferretsnax I'm 14 and even though I could have kids that are biologically mine, I want to adopt. I find it strange that adoption is seen as a less good option because the idea of people showing their children love and compassion while changing their lives is beautiful :)
Check out Sarah Armide pcos videos here on youtube, compassion and love to you on your healing path. Hugs
Critics don't care about her health. They just need to feel superior.
Period.
At minimum, she deserves respect because she's human like anybody else.
Respect is something you earn, it's not something you get because you're just here. In my opinion, and it is only my opinion, this woman has done nothing worthy of respect.
best comment
haha..i nearly screamed and thought i had a spider on my laptop!!!!
I agree. I never see comments full of senseless hate for all the other people that do unhealthy things & live unhealthy lifestyles. People love to judge to feel better about themselves.
Don't accuse everyone who is worried about her as just being jerks. Some people have experienced and seen the bad affects if obesity.
"Confidence is a product of action"
Right ON!
Amen
So confident at eating, that is.
What action? Sits and eats????
The action being consuming more calories than you burn
Who else saw the picture of her at ten and just thought: how small were the other kids!?!?
Miss. Shrewd anmalas
My mom struggled with her weight& she suffered a lot this way to. She always tried to loose weight but it was just difficult for her. I'm sorry that people are so cruel 😢
I'm sorry for your mom. Groups of society pressure us human beings to be perfect when we will never be.
It's difficult for everyone. Get a grip
All I read in the comments is that she is neither beautiful nor healthy.
This video was actually about neither - people just tend to have the urge to feel superior and seem to get something out of posting judgmental comments. THAT is neither healthy, beautiful or helpful in any thinkable way.
Amen.
She is living her life without caring that you think she is unhealthy or beautiful. That is the point! It shouldn’t matter what you think, it matters what she thinks.
with the amount of reality denial that floats around these "positivity" movements. I'm sure you could convince yourself of anything if you put some floury words behind it. Good luck with that.
AGNES I wish there was a LOVE ❤️ button on here for you!
AGNES this is the best comment i have read in a reaaaaaaally long time
"Confidence is a product of action and not the other way round.." Nice one.
God is speaking to me via you...how blessed you are
@Edwina Hatcher, you are exemplifying the problem. You are assuming that a large person must be eating bad food and being lazy. You did not listen. You do not understand. If it is not your issue, please don't assume that you have the answer. Her size is not a result of her insufficiency. She is more than sufficient.
@@117johnpar, i respectfully disagree. I am a mental health nurse and i can tell you that in my opinion she is not displaying anything i would regard as mental illness. She is positive, realistic, future oriented, with healthy self esteem and despite incidents of severe provocation from thoughtless cruel troglodytes, she is determined to live a full, rich, exciting, and happy life. Sounds like excellent mental health to me
The comment underneath this video are disgusting. The amount of dislikes are upsetting. SHE IS NOT PROMOTING OBESITY. Or is it just people being stupid and not listening at all? If you even bothered to research about her you would know she's actually losing weight. No, not to be skinny or to be accepted but to be healthy. She's saying that you need to be happy with yourself and who you are and try to be happy. She wants to encourage people to stop holding back their dreams because they have disability or fears. No matter if you lost limb, are fat or have scars you should be able to follow your goals and be treated like a human being. And the fact that people go out of their way to beat her up and try to do everything in their power to tear her down is inhuman and sad.
yes maria!
She's pushing a fat acceptance agenda-hence she *is* promoting obesity.
You are comparing losing a limb to being fat? Or any disability to being fat?
Being fat comes from being lazy and scarfing down cakes and pizzas. Don't compare actual body issues with being a fat lazy fuck. Fat =/= healthy.
Have you watched her show at all? Three season in now and she's still not lost a pound. Her trainer that she's been working with for a matter of weeks, FIRED her, because she continued to eat fast food (she got busted when he looked inside her car and saw a shit ton of fast food boxes). She can't get into her boyfriends car, she can't put on her own shoes, and she has to ask for special seats when she goes out. On the health side of things, she's pre diabetic, became virtually immobile when she put her back out due to her weight, and she had a heart scare recently too. There is literally nothing at present which is positive about this girls body. I'm not saying this coz I'm mean or a shamed. I like the show, I like her and I love her mom, but she has to change because this show is actually starting to feel like a prequel to my 600lb life.
The amount of times I cried during this. The most amazing woman. Thank you for existing and sharing your brilliance with us. I admire your strength more than you could ever know.
Her brilliance? She's allowed herself to balloon up to the size of a whale and all the while making excuses - "oh, my PCOS". Yeah, she's a real genius.
@@connorbannion5899
You didn't get the message, right? 🤷♀️🙈🤬
It’s funny that most of the people on this planet are living their life with shame. Even those ones whom we think their body, size, or complexion fits the criteria of beauty. How intimidating!! The gift of not shaming ourselves is what we should always gift ourselves. Thank you for your words, Whitney!❤️
No one should be spit on or beaten.
Merlene Maruyama it’s happening regardless
Isis extremists should. Islam does it to women every day, only they use stones.
Rapists should be
Ironic Mistaeks omg u need to educate urself
Some should. But not for being over weight.
The fact that this video has the most comments I've ever seen on a TED talk really says something about society.
There are a lot of senseless people that want to spew hate. However without trolls this wouldn't be the internet. Good for her for inspiring other people in some way with her life & being able to touch people & connect with them on another level.
Yeah that obesity is an extremely costly, serious and very preventable problem that is second in mortality rates only to tobacco use.
We need to take serious interest in our children and how they treat themselves, help them understand portions and the deadly affects of poor lifestyle. Bullying is never acceptable but encouraging you to stay unhealthy is just as abusive. The only difference is the words don't hurt but the operations to try to save them will.
Almost half of us are obese, it is the reason life expectancy has fallen. One of the reasons my son never met his grandfather. We've all been affected by it, lost loved ones and friends, missing limbs and digits, organs that slowly died.
All preventable in the general population. You don't encourage a meth addict to ignore their scars, depression, irregular eating habits and tachycardia, you encourage rehab. Why would you encourage it in anyone?
Everybody descrimnates and if you're not aware of this then you are not living a well examined life your just as much part of the problem and hipocracy.
Knee Grows I guess you missed the part about PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) you know, something men can’t experience.
@@sweetsambra the only thing she's inspiring is an early grave
I don't care what anyone says, this young lady is AWESOME!!!
shes killing herself
@@Imrightyourwrong Each day that we live, we are one day closer to our death.
@@shawnee1895 Id rather live untill 80 than die before 60 from heart failure 🤷♂️
@@Imrightyourwrong My question to you is, Why did you even watch this, so you can be critical. Regardless of her size OR health, she has a message to share and it is about shaming people aka making them feel bad about themselves.
She’s entitled, annoying, and attention seeking. Getting bullied for glory weight sucks, but her behavior on the show isn’t ok
She has a powerful message that applies to everyone, regardless whether you have or have not the same situation. If you'll just take time to listen to her...
Especially when she said the "nose" thing....the snoze! This! And point to her tiny little nose...you'd see how ridiculous it all seems!
Empathy is apparently a really hard thing for some people to grasp.
I don’t know her struggles even remotely, because I’m on the opposite end of the spectrum. My own family has made fun of me my whole life for “looking like Jar Jar Binks” or “Smeagol”. I lightly exercise or miss ONE meal and shed so many pounds. I’ve been told for years that I just “need to eat a cheeseburger”...If I could just eat friggin a cheeseburger and have the perfect body type, I would’ve done so already. Some people just don’t think before they speak.
Coder boi You’re missing the point. If it were that easy to gain weight, I would. I eat pretty traditional American and Hispanic (Puerto Rican) food often. Everyone’s metabolism is different.
A more powerfull message would be hitting the gym
@YourBakaSenpai you can be skinny and unhealthy. I don’t remember the last time I ate a vegetable or fruit and all I eat is fast food and my weight is stuck at 130 for the past 3 years. I’m the lucky one
She has something I consider critical to having a good life. She is aware of the fact that she and no one else is responsible for her happiness or lack thereof. She knows that it is she that decides her worth, not you or me or anyone else. I can think of entire groups of people who could learn a thing or two from her.
Steven Miller The best comment! Love it, thank you!
Yes this!
Sorry you're incorrect the heirachy decides we all live in it no exceptions
Steven Miller CALVIN AND HOBBES❤️❤️❤️
❤🧡💛💜💙🥰
Whitney, you are such a strong woman with an amazing message and all of these haters just need to open their eyes and ears and realize the importance of what you're saying. Its not about promoting being overweight - its about loving yourself and not being ashamed of who you are.
Well said, SMF813. Compassion, not shaming.
Look, I ain't hating on her, but you are being completely duped if you're buying into this idea that this is who she is. No one weighs 400lb because "that's who they are". Her current physical condition cannot be likened to being gay, disabled or a minority race. Her obesity is completely self inflicted, and for that, she has more in common with an alcoholic or drug addict (which makes sense since clearly she has an active eating disorder). You wouldn't applaud an addict or someone with very destructive behaviours would you? If you had a friend with anorexia you wouldn't be patting them on the back for living "shame free". You'd be begging them to stop and get well. People offering this women support instead of applause is what's needed, as all this "Whitney your an inspiration" bullshit is just enabling her, and thousands of others like her, towards a whole range of undesirable health issues.
SMF813 who gonna promote shamu the whale..be real
This was inspiring and touching to watch. I am going to challenge myself to start living shamelessly and see what happens. Thank you for sharing your story and impacting so many lives.
Yeah. We can do this💪💪
I'm with her. I know what it's like to be bullied and to be bulimic.
If you have kids, be a good parent and keep your kids from being bullies.
what caused your eating disorder?
I am so thankful for this video. I was diagnosed with PCOS at 25, it came with a completely new body and some very painful, scary experiences. But 5 years later, I am seeing more women talk about their struggles and accomplishments living with the disorder. I am managing my own health better.. and so grateful for a new sense of community and recognition.
i don't get why most people in the comments are so negative and mean...if u don't like her then why are you viewing this video in the first place? just peacefully get ur ass of here..
its her life and its her struggle, if u have nothing nice and encouraging to say then just keep ur shitty opinions to urself..☺
Here's the bottom line. Whitney has an eating disorder, and most of the people on here saying how brave and inspirational Whitney is are either not aware of this or are in denial about this. They are essentially applauding a food addict which is no different to applauding a meth addict who spouts the same bs that Whitney does. I certainly don't agree with any of the mean comments on here and no one deserves to be degraded or abused because of who they are or how they look. However, the reason I keep commenting on this post is because I'm trying to correct this attitude of Whitney being a role model. I'm not mean about it, but this no body shame bs she plugs is diverting from the real issue facing the world right now which is enabling obesity to continue. So far, not a single person I have confronted with the truth has even bothered to try and argue with me.
+Kate Steventon I have one question.why do you have 8 subscribers??
+Megan Parker I dunno. I didn't even notice I had any
LOL you want a fucking safe space? Saying people are "Negative and mean" is not an argument.
Trisha Biswas I'm sorry but life isn't nice and encouraging we have to do tough things and that includes throwing away junk food for the better of your life.
It took a lot of courage for her to do this talk. To put yourself up for scrutiny in front of millions of people takes guts and confidence.
Public speaking puts bread on the table or probably more cake in her case
qmasoud, I see what you did there 😂
I think it took alot of stupidity, not courage hahaha
You didn't watch the talk at all. The action gives you the confidence, it's not the confidence that produces the action. She states that herself
@@dandetande288 you need help.
I can’t uderstnd why anyone would feel the need to hurt this beautiful woman she is amazing🎊🎉!!
Jessica Lea Verheyden You're forgetting one thing. Unfortunately, this is society.
@@Fluffadoodle we live in one
Funny enough.
Unless your 5 foot and 80 lbs then you get treated differently. Makes no sense why I'm not getting any response from good people. I hate society
What is the meaning of yolk
I don't get why this speech is getting so much hate. I was also sceptical getting into it, thinking she would defend being unhealthily fat, but I actually don't feel like she did. All she did was talk about body positivity, self-esteem, etc. She was talking about how to love yourself at any size, not necessarily to be content at any size. There's a big difference. I liked her speech, and I for one got slightly more aware of how hard some fat people may have it. No one deserves to be shamed or ridiculed because of how they look, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't lose weight either. I think the perfect combination would be to love yourself all the time, but to not give up losing the extra weight. Just saying.
If you watched all three seasons of her show in addition to this and see the numerous times her poor lifestyle choices are exposed (not to mention all the ailments and limitations her size puts on her), you might feel differently. Her delusion is vast.
Kate Steventon oh, I see :o could you elaborate a bit, please?
I mean, she's not the worst, this person makes it sound like she thinks that being fat is healthy (which she openly states she does not) and is not actively trying to lose weight. I mean, shes a person who doesn't necessarily understand how to be healthy, but I think we can give her props for trying and not blaiming her PCOS on everything.
+CrazyDrawer247 watch her show. I don't believe a car filled with empty food containers constitutes "trying"
I have watched her show thank you. I know she is failing, but again, that doesn't take away from any message she is trying to spread. I am slightly offended that you think the only way anyone could disagree with you is because they are less educated than you.
thank you. so much. I appreciate hearing my thoughts. I'm 70 and it has been a long life of shame.
this is lovely katy, hope you are doing well.
Your words were truly inspirational.
It just shook my basic belief about how I see myself and what I've to change.
me too 😭
Especially that kid in Lebanon. I feel him.
Beautiful! ❤️
I am so sorry you had to go through this. I am Obese myself and I just realized that not all of us have the same experience. This is my first time ever to comment on a TH-cam video but I thought it was necessary to share the admiration I have for your journey! I am so happy for how things came out to be today :D
Thank you, for the talk. You came across, as very warm, stable and honest. Great qualities and the essence of a decent human being.💋💋💋💋all the best to you.
Love her transparency! She communicates her feelings well! She has encouraged me! (hugs)
I hope she encouraged you to eat well and lose weight so you won't look like her ( hugs)
Lauren Sciba ...shut up...you are one more person who not only missed the point of this young woman’s talk, but is perpetuating the problem with her comment. You have zero info about Noreen or what she needs encouragement about. Just shut up.
same here :)
As a child I was overweight and was teased all through school til high school. In high school I was a normal weight. I am 58 now and still carry the cruel words and treatment since I was a child. It never leaves.
You make me happy. I suffer from mental problems that are just part of who i am. They may not be seen by everyone, but they are always with me. You remind me that I may not be like everyone else, but I am a worthy participant in life. Thank you.
Being assaulted for your weight is never ok
tacsmoker heave you ever been on the internet? Everyone has seen it
Especially when your own husband says during a photo shoot..Don't show your body! WTF!?
Yes it is
Being assaulted in general is never ok.
eating yourself to this size and blaming society and trying to justify it is never okay either.
Whitney, I am PROUD of You!! Ignore the NOISE and live YOUR life. You are worthy of love and respect. Keep inspiring others.
How disappointing that this lady caused more negative comments than corporations that destroy environment, use tax loopholes to avoid taxes, companies that unethically sell our private data, corporations responsible for opioid epidemic, deteriorating health care, that’s also becoming unaffordable, just to name a few.
If only some of the indignation was directed to more important issues perhaps we wouldn’t be where we are now. By all means we are entitled to our own opinions, and freedom of speech, but she is a human, a real person, she hasn’t harmed anybody and doesn’t deserve such hateful comments.
Best comment ever
She harms her own body.
Sad to see there are so many thumbs down for such an uplifting messesge. Really does reiterate what she mentioned about society as a whole not thinking she deserves to be out enjoying life.
It's really crazy how I admire her after a 20 min talk!!
Her words went right through my soul....
winterwolf211 took me less to lose respect from her
This woman is much more courageous than the majority of the people in these comments... You are inspiring!!
how is it courageous to be morbidly obese
+theawesomeness983 can you not see ?to stand there and know ppl are judging you and pigeon holing you but standing there nonetheless. .that is brave ..and courageous. .coild you do it ?? If your 'coping mechanism' was so obvious to the world..could you stand up and be so vulnerable? we all have coping mechanisms ..some (like eating) are visible but most others are not. You have one.. we all do .. you get to judge because you get to hide yours.
courage is change.. staying the same is safe.. life is constant change.. the weak stand still. the brave move forward
she also gets paid a heck of a lot more money for it than we do
busTedOaS how do you know how much anyone makes lol big big world out there jeez
I'm breaking down at the moment.. So unhappy with my body. I really appericate this woman 💗
Whitney, if you read this, your speech is amazing. I have just one criticism. Please don't call disabled people "people of differing abilities." We're disabled. Thanks.
Speak for yourself ...not we're ! Nothing wrong with what she said at all,don't end up like the lgbtyuesafhjkkll community....People get resentful! How rude!
I have a great respect for fat people at the gym. They are trying to do something to fix themselves.
You shouldn't because they were the ones who got themselves into that situation in the first place. Can't congratulate people on doing things they should have already been doing.
mrtp haha harsh man.. its kinda true though- "oh you have given up crack cocaine! good for you, you are a hero"
how about skinny people?
Jay p, I think this ultra liberal feminist propagated perspective that no one should be judged in any concrete way and that everything people do is justifiable because we're all unique snow flakes and truth is subjective can become very problematic. I assume you're trying to say that she has a legitimate excuse for being obese. She does not. No condition/disease justifies being obese.
Must I quote the very speaker in this video..." I had grown tired of calorie counting, of the weight loss, of the obsession with food and exercise. I wanted something more to live for." - 11:45
Being fit and healthy is hard work, just like everything else that's good in life. You can't have your cake and eat it too, no pun intended, based on an appeal to pity and manipulation of the idea of justice.
mrtp did you miss the part where she said she was NOT eating a healthy amount of calories and was also throwing up in order to continue her weight loss? Her calorie counting, fitness and weight loss were NOT HEALTHY! That's the point- she was judged for being fat even before she was fat and when she began losing weight people said they were proud of her for being healthy when in reality she was starving herself and throwing up but her OUTWARD appearance was deemed as healthier. I'm not saying that people shouldn't take care of themselves and try and be as healthy as possible, but hating yourself and throwing up and starving yourself for the approval of people who don't know you is not healthy. So it's not being "snowflakey" for her to tell people to love themselves- it's a lot easier to have a healthy lifestyle when you do. But being told your fat and lazy and being body shamed does not create healthy people and does not push people to suddenly live healthy lifestyles, it often makes the problem worse and/or creates new unhealthy habits in the individual. It's so weird to me that people would rather someone hate themselves then to see them do good.
To those who claim Whitney is a "train wreck," that she encourages people to be unhealthy, or that obesity is the answer to your life's problems - you have seriously missed the point of this talk. Her point is that whether you are: tall, short, fat, "ugly", gay, straight or just a mean-spirited internet troll - you need to be happy with yourself based on your own opinion and not on the opinions of others or society. Life is not always a picnic, and this world can be a pretty scary place. Instead of living your life ashamed of the person you are, enjoy the time you have on this planet being proud and happy. Good for Whitney that she understands this and works (yes, works) so hard to live in that light everyday - not an easy feat. I'm sorry for those who feel the need to take time out of their day to spread hatred.
Winston G - Thank you. Your comment has best captured the essence of Whitney has said in her talk - be happy with yourself based on your own opinion, not on those of others. The only problem is that obesity is not a healthy situation, especially as one gets older. I feel that Whitney is probably in denial about her health issues and tries to downplay them. As an "elderly" person, I know that obesity contributes to early death through diabetes and heart disease. Losing weight is not an easy thing to do if you don't know how. I have found a solution for myself and hope that Whitney does too. Shaming has no place anywhere in our lives - just my opinion.
So what if it is unhealthy, she is doing what SHE wants and she is happy. She deserves to be happy whether she is the picture of health or not. AND she doesn't deserve judgement from other people.. No one deserves to be judged in a manner that puts negative labels that affects their life and feelings in our society.
Yeah, I'm really glad about her speech also. I told the Dr. to stop fat shaming me, and asked my type 2 diabetes to stop fat shaming me, and I was cured from all my obesity related issues just by being happy for my 300lb body!! Thanks fat acceptance!
YES!
REEE REE said the fatty. MUH CUNDISHUNZ
You are amazing. Your talk made me cry. Everything you said was so true. Thank you for sharing it with us. Love from Argentina!
I am crying. This is so amazing. I really needed to see this. I am on the journey to really loving myself and it's people like Whitney that make every difference in the world.
I am truly disgusted by the comments on this video. This woman is speaking honestly about her painful experiences on gaining weight in a society where women are ignored, judged, and disrespected for being over-weight. Losing weight is harder than it sounds especially as a woman and if you have PCOS or a thyroid condition. A lot of body shaming going on, but it reinforces what her entire point is... Live your life to the fullest regardless of how society tries to shame you. I love her story and appreciate her telling her story the way she knows it.
I'm disgusted by her, talking about her self inflicted disability as if it's something people should just learn to respect. Obesity costs American tax payers roughly $190 BILLION dollars per year, if that isn't something to be ashamed of, what is?
Yesss, Shaina. The comments on here are so disappointing.
Disappointing because you want to carry on taking up 2 plane seats and only paying for 1?
Well technically, her disability is not self-inflicted. She has PCOS, which causes weight gain. And what does tax money and airline money have to do with this convo. Do you trully understand the breakdown of what ur tax money is going towards? And why does it matter how much somebody else is paying for their plane ticket?
I agree that people should not hate themselves because if they hate themselves they will never achieve anything, but I think a lot of this hostility comes from people who are fed up with the deceitful body positivity movement, which often tries to glorify unhealthy bodies and make them seem less unhealthy. Personally I don't see an issue with this as long as she doesn't pull the "healthy at any size" on us. There certainly are a lot of disgusting people in these comments, though. People who have no desire for rational discourse and only want to hurt others, not help.
Beauty has NO size! She can dance and she is so good. I know this is hard, but she is proving that we can live in our greatness!
Health, though...
You mean live in your delusion.
uh.. yes it does lol
@@connorbannion5899 it is not a delusion to live.
@Connor Bannon, I understand where u r coming from.
Everybody wants to live a good life, but if they choose to live a part of their life in delusion, then they are living on dangerous edge.
Obesity will in this case erode her quality of life as she ages. Mentally & physically she seemed to be addicted to food & that’s a poor indicator of a good life.
“Confidence is a product of action” …thank you Whitney Thore!
Wow... that is the first 20 minute video I have watched without skipping any parts on TH-cam... so inspirational
Whitney, I love you girl! You are truly an inspiration. God bless you.
she is so inspiring. Girl you have blown my mind!
I am also a woman with PCOS, struggling with weight and the hormone imbalance, and I LOVE this woman. She never said she was the epitome of health and wellness. She is talking about self acceptance and love, the innate right and need we all have as living beings, to be treated with respect, decency and love. That we have worth, despite our health status. LOVE YOU AND BLESS YOU, WHITNEY❤️
Confidence isn't some magical thing that you'll feel some day when you wake up in the morning it is something that comes after taking action. mind opener, thanks Whitney
Call it a lie if you like but I've been fat and I've been thin and I'm a lot happier when I'm thin than when I'm fat.
Timothy Fish Can't agree more!!
Yeah I've been both sides too. Much happier when skinny
I prefer to be fatter than thinner. I also think fatter people look more beautiful too.
Never wanted to be skinny. Average. Not fat, not skinny. The best part was the health change. Once again, I threw it out the window.
Timothy Fish, you most likely felt better when you were thinner as well.
I feel like my purpose in life is to love, to show people positivity when they can see only darkness, and to inspire. I weigh over 300 lbs and struggle with intense shame, but can't seem to pinpoint the cause of it. I feel like breaking through it would allow me to move forward and bring my destiny to life. Now to identify my shame and kick it to the damn curb!!
The world needs more people like you.
I cried during this whole speech basically.
She never once said to look like her and that she's healthy. Maybe she's in a healthier state of mind because she doesn't care about what other people think as much. Call her what you want but I think she's beautiful and inspiring. It's about loving yourself despite what everyone else says and what everyone says you should look like. People treated her less than human. No one should be treated less than human no matter what weight. She's aware of what she looks like and she doesn't need other people to validate that for her.
I wonder if you will accept the same argument from a real hard core alcoholic..!!
bogdan78pop thank you for existing!
Thank you , for being a rational sane person.!
bogdan78pop In a way I would accept that argument because it's hard to deal with alcoholism and hear hurtful comments from other people who don't understand your situation or why you're even alcoholic. People fall into alcoholism for so many reasons and all they need is love not hate. They shouldn't be called names and made fun of for something that's hard to control themselves. No one deserves to be treated in an inhumane manner because nobody knows your situation better than you do.
So your expert opinion is that I am an alcoholic , without even knowing me , or meet me .. but just because i pose that question...???
I have PCOS. Symptoms are compounded by weight gain, changing your diet and making healthy changes has removed all of my symptoms. The first thing I did was go to a dietician to get a plan for a balanced, nutritious diet. Cutting out refined sugar was hard but completely doable over time. I think to truly love your body, you need to love it inside and out 🙂It's a two way street.
Kezzo Kav l
Kezzo Kav good for you for acknowledging you had a responsibility , and could take control of your health.
Kezzo Kav : we’re you actually able to cure your pcos completely?
Kezzo Kav i had pco too and now i had my period regulary you know what ive done? exercising
by exercise, i drop my insulin resistance and got my hormone right
@paperback writer i have pcos and i'm really struggling to find a diet that works for me and is sustainable and makes me lose weight.. do you mind me asking what your diet consists of? maybe it's something i haven't tried. sorry if i'm overstepping, i just really want to change lol.
She is very clearly saying that everyone has a free space to live in. Only thing is that you have to find it.
But she is occupying all the space.
Confidence is a reward from action. 🙏🏼 thank you. Deliberate and intentional. Thank you for this so much!
I found that the most powerful as well!
This talk made me bawl my eyes out and realise something I wasn't aware of since high school...Bravo!!!! 👍🏼😭😍
wow aaron you are so edgy
I'm impressed with your verbal skills, you talk so fluently
Yes she speaks very well
Yes!
This put everything into perspective for me so well that I am literally sobbing as I'm typing this. Thank you.
Amen sweetheart ❤️ what matters is being happy with yourself and what you do. Thank you I desperately needed to see and hear this❤️ Bless you 🌈
You are one beautiful, intelligent young woman.
Pcos is caused by excess testosterone.. hormones fluctuations are influenced greatly by insulin, not always because of food. When your adrenals keep firing because of stress the same can happen.
PCOS is completely controllable. You adjust your eating and exercise behavior. It's down to the behaviour of the individual.
Whitney Thore - You are an incredible public speaker....great at storytelling, articulate and confident :)
A good diet isn’t a culture, it’s a lifestyle.
this isn't helping.
@@colorbar.s isn’t helping who?
Pure awesomeness!! Damn she can dance 💃 She was courageous to face Shame!
I LOVE HER SO MUCHHHJJJJJJJ
Such a moving video. By the end I was crying. This is medicine that our world needs.
I'm not overweight but damn I feel this woman on a spiritual level. 😭
@renewer why?
@renewer no I'm just saying I can relate to her.
@renewer ya... it's an expression...
This video isn't about her justifying obesity, it is about accepting any weight, stopping any fat shaming/bullying, because that is never okay. No matter in what circumstance anyone is in, insulting them is never going to fix anything. Body shaming never fixes anything. What you can do, is help them, AND let them know that they are worthy.
This is so well delivered. Also, why is no one laughing at her jokes? One of the only TED talks in recent memory that has moved me to both laughter and tears at points. Incredibly delivered, Whitney.
Anuja Shah cause she a whale
This talk had a much needed impact on my own body image perspective. Thank you x
This was just amazing. I absolutely love the message. This woman has so much courage for speaking up on this. I'd absolutely love to have a coffe with her.
Me too! I wish I had even just a fraction of her strength.
so much courage do die at a young age. so beautiful and powerful of her to take a stand on the social standards of life expectancy.
@SillyU why are you so obsessed with when shes going to die? why are you so judgemental? shes really brave for coming out on such a big stage in front of so many people and talking about all these things, because so many other people in her place hide themselves from society and let other people decide their self worth.
Arwens child yes!
@renewer More of a all you can eat buffet (unfortunately)
If I call her fat, will she get mad? Because that's what she is.
What do you get out of it? Go call someone a cripple. Go call a black man black. Do you look in the mirror?
Tina Pug I don't get anything out of it. Just being objective. Why is being objective so insulting to people these days?
people can't handle criticism very well
Yes, she is fat, and she refers to herself as fat many times. It depends on the context.
If you are having a respectful conversation and call her fat, she would probably not get upset. If you say, "I am really attracted to fat girls," and then refer to her as fat, she would probably not get upset.
If you say, "you're fat and disgusting," most people would have a hard time not getting upset--that's just human. If you say "fat" as you walk by her or say "you're fat" and nothing else--well then, that's not respectful conversation and it's hard to imagine why you would do that with good intention. I think most people would find that sort of behavior as upsetting.
+Tina Pug Lady, you don`t realla put cripples on a par with fat people. Trust me disabled people would say a lot of things aginst your argument. I`m not gonna ad what it is. Think at least for a little
Good on her, power to her. Who said being unhealthy means unworthy? Who said having a hormone disease like PCOS, and insulin issues mean she should be targeted with severe hatred? Why do people hate fat so much? It is her body, her soul is no less bright due to the container. I do believe we have a responsilbility to take care of our body while here on earth just because it makes it easier to be happy but that is so far removed from all the negativity that gets thrown at overweight people. Good on her for facing her demons and being hella brave for getting up on stage. You can really hear her heart in this
Even if her stories are fabricated, they are not "ridiculous." She talks about gaining weight, losing weight, and feeling ashamed of her body. That's extremely common.
And, even if the stories are fabricated to sell products, her story is inspiring to a lot of people, fat and not fat, including me. I think that gives this video a lot of value. If you don't find value in it, that's fine, but you cannot decide for other people if she is "a great inspiration."
Alicia Croft and if you live in a country like Canada with universal health care these people drain the system of its resources more than smokers and drug addicts. It literally costs everyone because of one person's bad choices. And if you think you're not letting down your family that you can't keep up with your kids or might die when you're 30 you're straight up selfish.
Being fat is unhealthy.
Just for you. You brainwashed.
Thentai So is being ignorant, illiterate, Judgmental, small minded, unevolved, and as much as I hate the word...Stupid.
as someone who has struggled with eating disorders since I was 11 years old to this day, I’ve never felt comfortable in my own skin. This video brought me to tears and the message made my heart glow with happiness. Keep doing you girl!
*tight awkward stranger hung* No more disorders. You can do this. And in a month or two if you meausre you can eyeball portion size. You've got this.
Keep it in prespective. Eat everything your body needs to keep you around for as long as possible. It's not a punishment to feed yourself what you need and you don't deserve any punishment that takes away your nutrients or your ability to chase and beat down a bully for spitting at you.
Keep yourself healthy. Keep yourself here. I never imagined how long I would miss the people I've lost. People I've never met, but keep coming back to mind.
*one last squeeze* take care of yourself. Noone else can.
Honestly i had the same belief for so long that thin=happy. But it doesn’t because your weight will never define your worth. I have never loved myself at my skinniest or at my heaviest. Now Im not my heaviest or my skinniest but I’m trying to love myself no matter what. Honestly loving yourself is the best thing you can do ❤️
Thank you for sharing your battle winning story with me, Whitney Thore.
99 Bottles of Bleach She is battling with your ignorance, stupidity and cruelty.
You are brilliant. Thank you so much.
Whitney is such an inspiration to be able to learn to love our true selves. She truly has helped me with that
that was truly beautiful! Thank you for this TED Talk.
TedX *
TED talks are for people who practice discriminatory white science.
Cringe
I am so happy that I stumbled upon this talk. You and your message are beautiful and powerful. Thank you for sharing with the world while inspiring many.
Wow... She is so brilliant. I had tears listening to her... She changed something in me td. Thanks whitney.
Whitney, I love you and your honesty and strength. You inspire me to shrug off bullies and naysayers. Thank you
Her speech is so powerful and moving, even years later. I'm so happy that she gave this talk.
Your message is strong and true. Thank you for being a light in the dark.
Wow She is so brave! Putting yourself out there is so hard! People are always going to judge. I’m glad she doing it! She is a great example of kindness and self love!
Whitney Thore you are beautiful. Keep shining!
Whitney, you are an inspiration and I want to aspire to be like you!!! Thank you for being vulnerable and sharing your story!!!
Shes playing the victim card, another excuse to remain obese and unhealthy. This "love your body" movement is leaving people sick!
You want to be a 400 pound werepig?
People who only have negative things to say, after listening to someone share their life struggle, need to reevaluate themselves. Her message is to not let your body image limit your life, which is a good reminder for us all. But the majority of the comments here are only about her weight. Maybe if that's all you're concerned with, read up a little on PCOS before you cast judgement. Losing weight is difficult in general but someone with PCOS has hormones that literally fight to keep the weight on even with a complete diet change and proper exercise. Having a severe hormone imbalance isn't an "excuse" for being overweight it's a symptom. Maybe show a little empathy for a fellow human being.
PCOS could make you gain 40 pounds but not 400!!! That's an ABSURD excuse! I've seen her on her show make tons of poor food choices (pasta with mayo, pizza, huge bowls of cereal etc.) and she definitely binges. Her weight is from over consumption of processed crap not from PCOS. I have hypothyroid and other hormonal problems but that doesn't give me license to eat ice cream every day and then whine that my weight is caused by my thyroid. What Whitney is claiming is utter Horse. Shit. All this bitch does is make EXCUSES!!
Subtitulos en español, por favor...
I have PCOS and know the struggle very well. My story is kinda similar to hers. I was very tiny in high school and during my freshman year of college I gained a bunch of weight. I was in cheer/dance (which is a lot of exercise) and I was going to the gym and aerobics class. It didn't matter. I kept gaining weight. Back then I had no idea what PCOS was and my only conclusion was that I had an underactive thyroid. My doc said I was too young to have that problem and told me to stop eating an apple with my meal cause it had " sugar". A year later my weight kept piling on and I made my doc test my thyroid. I did have a underactive thyroid and started meds for that. It did nothing. I became depressed and ashamed and had no idea what was going on. Fast forward 7 years and 70lbs later I found out I had PCOS. I literally had to work out like a crazy person 2-3 hrs 6 days a week for 4 years to lose 50lbs. It's frustrating when you eat a clean diet and exercise but from the outside it may not look like it. That much exercise is not realistic to keep up. When I dropped down I started to gain weight back. I realized this was a struggle I would have to deal with for the rest of my life despite being active and healthy. I realized I needed to find peace in that and in myself. So I found yoga. It helped me to find acceptance with the moment, with me and the things I perceive as flaws. I even became an instructor. People might look at me and think that I don't look like the " typical" yoga teacher you see plastered on social media or that I'm lazy. But it couldn't be further from the truth.
The thing that people don't understand is how hard it is to lose weight and how easy it is to gain. Last year I attempted to go vegan and it ended with me gaining 15lbs and cystic acne. Most people don't have the sensitivity to everything we do. It's not all food related. It's toxins in the air, in plastics, on non organic food that all make an already sensitive system flare up. I just started working with a specialist and found out about so many things that don't work well with my body. Over exercise is one of them. Adrenal fatigue, stress on the body and its internal organs, inflammation all go hand in hand with PCOS. Excess cardio and exercise creates more stress and doesn't allow your body to heal properly which can impact weight loss as well. People can have opinions and judge but will never truly know another person or their struggles. It's easy to assume.
I totally agree with you about the exercise thing! She's stressing out her body so much!! There's no need for all that bootcamp stuff! Whitney has a long history of eating disorders that preceded her PCOS. If she just made healthier choices and overcame the compulsive overeating habit (I'm not judging her for this. It's just a habit), took gentle walks, her body would release a lot of the weight and her hormonal imbalances would greatly improve. I think she has an extreme way of looking at things. It always goes back to our thoughts. I have a chronic pain condition (neurological) but I know it goes deeper than my diagnosis. How I think, makes all the difference in my levels of pain. According to doctors I should be in a wheelchair. I am sensitive to her struggles. I have a thyroid condition and a slow metabolism, I have a severely autistic son, the world can be cruel etc. etc. etc. but I choose persevere and be grateful for what I have. I just wish she could overcome her present mindset.
+Abi " I literally had to work out like a crazy person 2-3 HRS 6 DAYS A WEEK FOR 4 YEARS to lose 50lbs. It's frustrating WHEN YOU EAT A CLEAN DIET and exercise but from the outside it may not look like it. That much exercise is not realistic to keep up." if you had to lie just to make a point you should have said something more plausible.
people will eat junk food and drink soda, stay up all night, not drink water yet the second they get online theyre all nutritionists.
This lady is not saying she is a nutritionist... on the contrary she is simply saying: try to be happy with who you are now! Not planning life through the glass of"I'll be happy when I'll be thin or rich or...!!!"
Have to admire her ! Yeah yeah for her !
I guess it is because they are not obese or extremely thin and they know how many burgers they have to shove up their mouth inorder to not get obese.
Exactly omg
just a small note; I know you think of a “nutritionist” as a trust worthy person, however you don’t actually need a degree to be a nutritionist. What you’re actually thinking of is a dietitian, and yes, there’s a very big difference. To be a dietitian, it’s recommended (if not required) to have a masters degree.
In tears, i can relate, and still carry it with me today. Inspired though.
I know right LITERALLY shaking.
jojofromtx did you just assume my race.
@@canisroot8727 You seem to be obsessed about race. What in jojofromtx's comment implied assumption of race? You should work on your comprehension skills.
Lose weight
Firstly, she is so beautiful and credibly amazing. I am so inspired. Be your authentic self! A wonderful motivational speaker. Lastly, Keep doing what you are doing! You are helping many! 🌻No Shame!!