Comments on: "I Can't Believe I Was A Fat Person," Says Ricki Lake

By: Bronwyn

Bronwyn — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 20:14:21 +0000

I see a lot of comments talking about how great it is that she’s lost weight and how “At least she feels good about her body now.”

While I don’t necessarily blame Ricki for her feelings, I think it’s so sad that she really has such disdain for herself as a larger girl; It’s terribly sad that she feels such enormous pressure to stay thing; she may think she’s happy with her body, but honestly, is she really happy with having to watch everything she eats and always worry about staying active? She hasn’t explicitly stated that she’s found ways to enjoy being active, so does she really or is it something she does simply to stay thin?

I would never begrudge someone their weight loss, but honestly? To say that she has better body image now that she’s thin and thus she should stay thin is silly; she still has poor body image, she just happens to fall within the confines of what is “Acceptable”

I don’t blame Ricki; I feel bad for her.

By: Mari

Mari — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:22:33 +0000

He’s going to either have negative concepts about his own body, or he’s going to have unrealistic expectations of how women should look and feel about themselves. Or he’s going to think it is okay to ridicule any woman he may get into a relationship with, that this is normal.

Well said, whoever wrote that comment. I had to change the way I ate and lose about 5 pounds, but only to regulate my period but I agree, life is too hard to be worrying about trying to lose more than what our bodies are comfortable with (i.e. most peoples’ natural setpoints allow them to fluctate between 10-20 pounds plus or minus.)

As far as Ricki Lake is concerned, she lives in that celebrity environment that encourages women to not only focus solely on their looks but on material things that encourage vanity
to the extreme. As difficult as this may sound,
the fatsophere may need to stop relying on celebrities as role models, be they fat or thin.
I for one can’t imagine anything less than HAES because I’m hungry right now. But exercising and eating right are virtues that deserve more attention. I think when people stop worrying about weight so much, they can start enjoying life.

By: Charmaine

Charmaine — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 21:23:32 +0000

While I am aware that my comment may be irritating but I have I have been trying for 47 years to get my butt to grow. I eat in order to accomplish this.

Try as I do to gain weight in the right places it will not go to my butt, not to my legs or my back or my arms ONLY my belly and under my chin. Great.

I stare at women in the grocery store with enormous butts. All I want is to look like them, ya know, curvy. I think larger women are beautiful and I know it’s true cuz when I see them I look at their ring fingers and yep…my point is proven.

By: Susan

Susan — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 04:29:40 +0000

Please, someone explain to me why every time a woman – celebrity or not – loses weight and is all excited about it, she’s the subject of fat women’s scorn.

I don’t know what the answer is, but I feel that way too. I’m sitting here looking at my “before” picture, thinking, “Damn! I don’t believe I was that big!!!” I don’t make negative comments about the way I used to look (for the same reasons Hil outlined) but I can’t help feeling slightly shocked when I see old photos.

By: Hil

Hil — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 18:48:18 +0000

I’m going to give Ricki a pass for admitting that she still feels pressure to be thin…I think that’s human, especially if you live in Hollywood. But I am very disappointed that she said she “can’t believe” she used to be fat. I lost some weight recently (a much smaller amount, but enough that most people noticed) and I am very, very serious about never making negative comments about the way that I used to look. What kind of message would that send? That people who are my former weight are gross and unhappy? Ha! I think people too often feel that they can insult themselves all they want and don’t think about the way that those comments might come across to others. I think Ricki should know better.

By: Adult Weight Loss Camp

Adult Weight Loss Camp — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 17:59:40 +0000

I have a lot more fun watching another talk show host’s yo-yo’ing—she’s more focused on the internal and spiritual and that helps.

By: Morgan

Morgan — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 12:08:04 +0000

If Ricki Lake can lose that much weight, other women can too. Of course she has it easier than most because of all the money that she has, she can afford to pay personal trainers, nutriotionists and the like. Still, she lost more than 100 pounds and has kept it off for a year. I am curious to see how she will be in 5 years’ time, but I hope she stays slim. She looks so much better and clearly feels better about herself. She should serve as an encouragement for others who feel unable to do anything about their weight.

By: Kellie

Kellie — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 04:50:45 +0000

You know… I really didn’t take Rikki Lake’s comments to be offensive. I remember when she had her talk show, she was always very outspoken about losing weight and being active and how much she loathed being a big girl. She was kind of like a white Oprah where her weight was concerned (uh with a lot less credibility and star power) because it went up and down on national television.

Yay for her for losing weight and feeling good about herself. Not everyone has a body positive image. In a perfect world… maybe. But for now… weight is a humongous issue for some people.

In my opinion, we should try to be happy with ourselves no matter what. Whatever makes us happy as individuals …makes us happy. kwim?

In other news…

Has anyone seen Sarah Rue lately? She has been on the Big Bang Theory as Leonard’s girlfriend and has gained back a little weight! She looks fantastic! (I always thought she looked better with some curves!)

By: lisa-marie

lisa-marie — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 20:49:03 +0000

What’s wrong with Rikki Lake losing weight, looking amazingly beautiful, and being happy as a “thin person”? Why is everyone so down on her? Is it jealousy? Envy? What? Because Rikki said she can’t believe she was once fat? So what? Hell, I can’t believe I let myself get fat in the first place, let alone that I’m STILL fat! Please, someone explain to me why every time a woman – celebrity or not – loses weight and is all excited about it, she’s the subject of fat women’s scorn.

By: laurie

laurie — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 19:26:33 +0000

I can completely relate to what she’s saying — to me I don’t hear her hating herself or turning her back on who she is or even taking a stand. I just hear a woman who like many struggles to accept her size and has some fear.

I fear gaining back weight I’ve lost. I know I have the capacity to eat away all my emotions and gain 30 pounds in a single month. I have done it. It doesn’t mean I am taking some stand on the issue of fatness or size acceptance or anything, I just still have some struggles with my own body, my own issues, my own coping skills.

To me it’s refreshing to hear someone in the spotlight say — yes, I work on staying this size, whatever it is and yes, I have some issues and fears and insecurities and I am working on it.