Posted by Bobbie | Posted in FDS: "Fat Denial Syndrome" | Posted on Mon November 16, 2009
During the years that I have been fat, I have been suffering from a condition known as FDS (or Fat Denial Syndrome). What causes one to suffer from FDS? No one conclusively knows.
The signs and symptoms of FDS vary from fat person to fat person.
FDS has caused ME to:
- Not recognize how fat I truly am;
- Look in the mirror rarely, only when I want to, and at special angles;
- Have a mental distortion that I am thinner and more appealing than I really am;
- Deny how bad my health situation is and how severe it can become (diabetes, high blood pressure, etc);
- Shop in fat girl stores like Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug, etc.;
- Eat large quantities of food and junk without having any consequences;
- Take pictures of myself from the head up, contorting my neck in various angles so my double chin disappears;
- Put “above the neck pictures” as my Facebook profile picture to make old friends think I’m thinner than I am; and
- Miss out on life experiences and friendships I may have otherwise shared in.
The trick with FDS is that you can be affected one minute and cured the next. You can come out of FDS and lose a bunch of weight and then find yourself afflicted with FDS again in no time if you allow yourself to succumb.
How do you cure FDS?
FDS can be cured in different ways for different people. I have found that the best way to cure FDS is to own up to the fact that you have a choice. You have a choice on whether you want to be fat or suffer from FDS. You always have a choice. Behavioral change is big in the long term successful cure of FDS. Changing what you eat, how you react to situations (such as stress triggers), and how you take care of your body can go a long way towards a long term cure or treatment.
Tue November 17, 2009 at 8:49 AM
FDS, that is too funny, LOL!! I totally agree about us having the choice to change! And we are making the right choices. I just keep reminding myself it’s a lifestyle change, not a temporary change. With all the support we give each other, I think we will be successful!
[Reply]
Wed November 18, 2009 at 10:28 AM
[...] to the realization that everyone I have approached to be my workout buddy must be suffering from FDS (Fat Denial Syndrome) or some form of it. They know they have to do something to get healthy but they’re not ready [...]
Mon November 23, 2009 at 8:30 PM
[...] As I introduced myself and put out my hand in greeting, the first thing he said was, “You really ought to rethink having your office upstairs. All of those stairs are awfully hard to climb for someone who has bad knees!” I was shocked. The guy wasn’t suffering from bad knees, he was suffering from OBESITY; with a side effect of bad knees. This guy was suffering from fat denial syndrome (FDS). [...]
Sun January 10, 2010 at 10:22 AM
[...] getting past my own Fat Denial Syndrome, I decided that I needed to put it out there. Yes, I’m a fat ass. Yes, I weigh over 250 lbs. [...]
Thu January 28, 2010 at 8:47 PM
[...] Arm Lift for one? And how about you get to the gym and work those bags of shit so they go away? Fat Denial Syndrome will not help you here. “how to lose underarm fat on an [...]
Tue February 16, 2010 at 1:13 AM
i wish there were more honest posts like this. i confronted my own FDS years ago; shed a third of myself and finally feel comfortable in my own skin. the world of fat denial is growing, and the allure of this suspension of disbelief is strong. fat deniers believe that they can not change, and it’s that hopelessness that makes me so sad for them and all the things they will never be able to enjoy in life.
[Reply]
Anonymous Fat Girl Reply:
February 16th, 2010 at 8:22 am
Thanks for visiting my blog and posting. FDS is a tough thing to admit and conquer. I’m glad that you’re past that. It’s a tough journey.
[Reply]