The 'H' Word: What About Gainer Health?
The response among gainers and encouragers to the topic of health ranges from indifference to crippling concern. If I were to generalize, I would say health is taken less seriously in the gainer community as a whole than perhaps it should be.
You've seen the articles. Perhaps it was in your own research, or that of a concerned relative, but you've seen the news article regurgitating the abstract of a scientific study with photo of a torso-only fat guy unsuccessfully squeezing into his clothes.
To us, it's rather attractive, but to the world at large, it symbolizes the unhealthiness these articles describe in dire detail.
Yeah, we're predominantly gay, and we like a belly on a guy, so we're used to bucking traditional conceptions. But where does the reinventing norms end and the ignorance of science begin?
Any answer to this question will cause someone offense, whether because I'm perceived to be putting limits on your gluttony or because I'm telling a civilian that his campaign against obesity is unnecessary.
But as you've probably pointed out to someone, the fat=bad/thin=good dichotomy is an oversimplification at best. Even the infamous WebMD cautiously admits that being overweight is not mutually exclusive with good health.
I think it's beneficial to try to get to the bottom of this issue. Be forewarned, I am no medical expert, so take what I say with a grain of salt, preferably scattered over a large meal.
Accept that Gaining is Unhealthy
Welcome to Unpopular Gainer Thoughts Ground Zero. But it's true: eating yourself into obesity is not, in itself, a healthy activity. Your doctor will give you grief for your weight at some point. But it's professional: doctors are trained to tell you what is good for your health.
You might think, what about that "overweight and healthy" thing you mentioned earlier? These articles are talking about people who are 20, 30, or 40 lbs overweight. We defy such minor girth with ease. Some of us boast gains measured in the 100s of lbs, which is hardly what WebMD means when it discusses active overweight people.
At some level, you have to compromise between your need for your body to operate and your need to possess the body you desire. That point will vary based on your lifestyle and philosophy, but that's a discussion for another post.
Don't worry, this is the only buzzkill point. My indefatigable realism has a flip side to it.
Make Gaining Healthier
Once you accept the reality about what you're doing, you can move forward by making choices to ease the burden you're placing on your body.
Walking, eating quality food, lifting weights - these are duties we all, myself included, are guilty of shirking. We associate these things with the annoying weight-conscious people in our lives who are so excited to tell us about how being gluten free has changed their lives. And this is unfortunate. Those people shouldn't ruin what is, at its core, a good thing even for people who want to be fat.
Many of us like to gain with junk food, and while I'm not advocating the banishment of junk food from your diet, I am saying that moderation is worth consideration. You want to enjoy that luxurious fat for as long as possible, and as difficult as it is to care deeply about such things when you're in your 20s, believe me that the 50-year-old you is going to be thankful for any good habits you can form now.
Accept Dissent
But whatever gainer health philosophy you end up forming, it is important to accept disagreement, from gainers and non-gainers alike. As patronizing as that sounds, I'm sure the majority of gainers have run into folks that advocate eating habits they are uncomfortable with. Whether someone wants to stuff you with donuts daily, or he chides you for indulging in the occasional Taco Bell, these people make the gainer community a worse place.
Make the decisions for your body that you believe are best for you. Make those decisions apart from what someone else thinks is hot or disgusting (even apart from handsome and intelligent bloggers like me). But likewise don't force your health opinions on others. The variety of opinions on this matter is a natural part of life as a gainer.
So go and enjoy yourself, and don't let dissent ruin your enjoyment of gaining, or your estimation of your fat, lovely self.
You've seen the articles. Perhaps it was in your own research, or that of a concerned relative, but you've seen the news article regurgitating the abstract of a scientific study with photo of a torso-only fat guy unsuccessfully squeezing into his clothes.
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| Staying fit is easier if you're a Sim. |
To us, it's rather attractive, but to the world at large, it symbolizes the unhealthiness these articles describe in dire detail.
Yeah, we're predominantly gay, and we like a belly on a guy, so we're used to bucking traditional conceptions. But where does the reinventing norms end and the ignorance of science begin?
Any answer to this question will cause someone offense, whether because I'm perceived to be putting limits on your gluttony or because I'm telling a civilian that his campaign against obesity is unnecessary.
But as you've probably pointed out to someone, the fat=bad/thin=good dichotomy is an oversimplification at best. Even the infamous WebMD cautiously admits that being overweight is not mutually exclusive with good health.
I think it's beneficial to try to get to the bottom of this issue. Be forewarned, I am no medical expert, so take what I say with a grain of salt, preferably scattered over a large meal.
Accept that Gaining is Unhealthy
Welcome to Unpopular Gainer Thoughts Ground Zero. But it's true: eating yourself into obesity is not, in itself, a healthy activity. Your doctor will give you grief for your weight at some point. But it's professional: doctors are trained to tell you what is good for your health.
You might think, what about that "overweight and healthy" thing you mentioned earlier? These articles are talking about people who are 20, 30, or 40 lbs overweight. We defy such minor girth with ease. Some of us boast gains measured in the 100s of lbs, which is hardly what WebMD means when it discusses active overweight people.
At some level, you have to compromise between your need for your body to operate and your need to possess the body you desire. That point will vary based on your lifestyle and philosophy, but that's a discussion for another post.
Don't worry, this is the only buzzkill point. My indefatigable realism has a flip side to it.
Make Gaining Healthier
Once you accept the reality about what you're doing, you can move forward by making choices to ease the burden you're placing on your body.
Walking, eating quality food, lifting weights - these are duties we all, myself included, are guilty of shirking. We associate these things with the annoying weight-conscious people in our lives who are so excited to tell us about how being gluten free has changed their lives. And this is unfortunate. Those people shouldn't ruin what is, at its core, a good thing even for people who want to be fat.
Many of us like to gain with junk food, and while I'm not advocating the banishment of junk food from your diet, I am saying that moderation is worth consideration. You want to enjoy that luxurious fat for as long as possible, and as difficult as it is to care deeply about such things when you're in your 20s, believe me that the 50-year-old you is going to be thankful for any good habits you can form now.
Accept Dissent
But whatever gainer health philosophy you end up forming, it is important to accept disagreement, from gainers and non-gainers alike. As patronizing as that sounds, I'm sure the majority of gainers have run into folks that advocate eating habits they are uncomfortable with. Whether someone wants to stuff you with donuts daily, or he chides you for indulging in the occasional Taco Bell, these people make the gainer community a worse place.
Make the decisions for your body that you believe are best for you. Make those decisions apart from what someone else thinks is hot or disgusting (even apart from handsome and intelligent bloggers like me). But likewise don't force your health opinions on others. The variety of opinions on this matter is a natural part of life as a gainer.
So go and enjoy yourself, and don't let dissent ruin your enjoyment of gaining, or your estimation of your fat, lovely self.
This is a brilliant article. ;) I too think health is swept under the rug in the gainer community. Some gainers purposely become unhealthy as part of the kink, and I can respect and even understand that, but it's repulsive to me personally.
ReplyDeleteI'd rather be around, because:
-I have an ambitious career planned out.
-My family and acquaintances love me for my personality and intelligence.
-I am monogamous.
And perhaps most importantly:
-I want to partake in the trend known as "LGBT parenting."
I used to want to be a standard gainer. Now, for health reasons, I think it's better to be a muscle chub (plus it's even more attractive to me).