"Choosing" to be big? Not necessarily.

[firecat]

I don't think most people can subconsciously control their weight for psychological reasons. Scientists have done studies of twins (raised together and apart) and their weight is usually very similar even if they have different lifestyles and had different upbringings. The conclusion to a study like this is that weight has a very large genetic component.

I'm uncomfortable with the notion that most people are subconsciously choosing their weight, because that implies if you are big, there is something wrong with your head.

There are enough people who think there is something wrong with my body because I'm big. I don't really want them to all think there is something wrong with my head too!

Relating it to sexual orientation: At one time I had all sorts of psychological theories about why I couldn't make up my mind whether to be with men or women. Then a smart therapist said "Maybe you're just bi." I realized all my theories were unnecessary -- I didn't have to make a choice.

In other words, having plausible psychological theories about why one is big doesn't necessarily mean that's why one is big. It means that one feels the need to justify being big. That's understandable in a society that believes there is something wrong with being big.

Comments

[feline.livejournal.com]

Curious what qualifies as a "good girl"...as by some definitions I'm certainly not one...

If you mean the fact that I don't drink alcohol, do drugs, or sleep with every person that comes along, I guess I'm a "good girl"...

Then again...

If you consider someone who snubs her nose at what society says she should be, has had group sex and attended parties for sole reason of finding a sexual partner, posts "cheesecake" and nudes to a website, and has even been an amateur BBW picture free site chick a "bad girl", then I guess I am one.

As for threesomes and group sex, my husband and I have already been down that road. It doesn't interest him as it is about as fulfilling to him as the average one-night stand, which feels incredibly empty to him. I've also see the look on his face and had discussions with him after. Taking him down that road doesn't interest me and empty sex lost it's thrill for me a while back. It was only fun because he was with me.

I think you've met more expressivley bi women than I have that aren't catty. Most of the ones I meet are just as catty as your average heterosexual. Then again, my experience with lesbians has been the same. And I hung out with several of them when I was in High School....

[feline.livejournal.com]

Bah...now it posts...wierd......

[xp85goblin.livejournal.com]

Ya gotta remember any definition of "good" coming from me is probably suspect to a lot of people. I have a strong streak of herecy. I think about my values and suprise, suprise, I often come to different conclusions than most people. If you derive your notion of what is right and wrong just based on "adherance to social norms", then I would be considered an amoral sociopath (or an maybe someone with a sense of ethics that are too demanding, and thus make people uncomfortable and angry(I never can tell, people on the 'net have acted toward me both ways at once in the same breath))

My experiance with Queer women has been mostly positive, although one girl who I dated briefly, and cared about, although really wasnt attracted to enough to sustain a relationship, had some pretty rotten experiences with her fellow Queer women after she was through dating me. Last time I saw her, she was pretty bitter. Possibly my good experiences come from the fact that my tendency toward herecy makes a pretty good twit filter. dunno.

As to your relationship with your husband, I find your attitude more understandable from my own frame of reference than his, although my brother has a similar attitude to your husband's. My attitude is, "If you are going to risk strong negative or just overly strong emotions, your finances, your health, your freedom and possibly your life and get in bed with someone, why not light the afterburner and break the sound barrier as it really doesn't cost that much extra risk or maintainance". But it sounds like your husband views sex as "an expression of love and commitment" rather than "rocket sled ride". I have gotten flames aplenty for my "rocket sled" paradigm for viewing sex. But then, I could end up married to someone with the "warm fuzzy" view of it myself....dunno...romance has very little to do with wisely wieghing options and tradeoffs and coming up with cost effective result. And it frustrates me no end.