this post was submitted on 05 Apr 2024
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"Body type"? Is obesity a body type?
"body type" has always been a general term to express the entire shape, size and proportions of a person, including excess weight and obesity.
When I was obese I couldn't pull off crop tops because of my body size, it was incredibly unflattering, and now that I'm a healthy weight I still can't pull off crop tops because of my body proportions, I have a short torso.
Body type encompasses both scenarios, so it's often thought of as a polite way to tell someone something is unflattering without singling out specific "flaws" in their body.
Until its only used for this because our society sucks and just becomes a euphemism, because we can't have nice things.
That makes a bit more sense. I was initially reminded of the various pseudo-scientific attempts to classify variations in human body shapes, which usually don't factor in great variations in body fat content. The way it's used in the image made me think this was an attempt to frame an unhealthy lifestyle as something inherent that can't be changed.
Even if I were to agree with this rather obvious trolling attempt.
...yes?
"Type" is a word used to categorize things by shared characteristics, in this context, characteristics shared by the human body?
No, like this: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_type
Peak reddit conversation.
ah yes the Ayurveda, an excellent scientific take on the medical condition of the body, my back aches because my Adam's apple is haunted.
What are you trying to say?
you: "is this type of body a body type?"
me: "yes, a type is a type"
you: "no, I meant something really specific" (provides a list of lists)
me: (looking at the list of lists): "this is pure nonsense"
I'm aware that any of the past attempts to classify body types are extremely pseudo-scientific and I've explained as much in a different comment in this thread. The point is that "body type" isn't just necessarily just a generic way to refer to someone's body shape. Plenty of people still believe in that made up nonsense.
Respectfully — that's not what you said, though, until now.
None of what I said implied anything else.
It's an illness.