Fat acceptance in TNG

[STARSHIPDUDE]

I'm a big dude (1.3kn) and I love Star Trek.

The only thing I dislike about the show, though, is that everybody is skinny!

Compare it to the movies, where Kirk and Scotty were real men! What happened? The heftiest guy in TNG is Riker, but I don't feel like I have much in common with him.

So the big question is - what does the Federation do to fat people? Exercise in the holodeck? Genetic engineering? "Fat planets?"

This has been bothering me since the show came out.

[Stofsk]

This doesn't bother me at all. In fact, guys like Scotty being fat bother me more, but I rationalise it as him being close to retirement and something of a legend so nobody basically ordered him to go onto the treadmill for half an hour each day.

Guys like Sisko aren't skinny, neither are Worf or Riker. O'Brien and Geordie both look pretty average to me, Sulu was more lean than skinny. Chekov, Bashir, and Bones looked pretty skinny in comparison. But I don't really have a problem with this. In fact, this has never really come up as an issue for me before. It makes sense to me that Starfleet would have fitness standards; you don't really see any fat astronauts around NASA do you?

[STARSHIPDUDE]

What about civilians, though?

It just seems a little off given the leisurely lifestyle they would seem to enjoy (and that I'm looking forward to!)

[Stofsk]

Well the Federation is a utopia. They don't have crime, poverty or war on Earth or any of the core member worlds. Vulcans are explicitly mentioned to be vegetarians as well. Replicators might be a great way of controlling the quality of food that you do eat.

The Federation isn't a utopia just because they have cheap energy and magic tech like replicators. There's a change in attitude too. Everyone's pretty well-adjusted. But I suppose you could point to guys like Harry Mudd and Cyrano Jones as being a bit rounder than the average civilian (of course they're archetypally the 'fat merchant trader who is also shifty').

[Admiral Drason]

The Holodeck is a great way to exercise while getting your dose of entertainment. It's pretty hard to be a fatty nerd if your actually fighting D day vs just playing Call of Duty or watching Saving Private Ryan.

[spaceviking]

What about civilians, though?

It just seems a little off given the leisurely lifestyle they would seem to enjoy (and that I'm looking forward to!)

So your ideal future is waddling your fat ass around and eating replicator cupcakes?

[Lord Revan]

also just how much of the civilian side we actually ever see in Star Trek, while they might not be open about it Starfleet is a military organization and with that comes certain rules, especially for this case fitness rules, so you won't end with with the "beached whale" look as simply because you have to meet certain standards.

[Darth Tanner]

If the majority of the Federation eats replicated food then there’s no reason it has to have its traditional calorie content. I’d imagine it wouldn’t be too difficult to program it to serve a non-fat low calories low sugar chocolate fudge cake rather than a traditional artery blocker special.

Also as Stofsk said there could also be controls on what you replicate so as to control your diet.

Medical/technology treatment for being fat could also have more or less solved the problem. Next time you get transported it’ll take ten pounds off you! Also if they can regenerate a kidney with a pill I don’t think weight loss would be that more complicated.

[Thanas]

I'm a big dude (1.3kn)

What now? 1.3 knots?


Also, I assume they have the required technology to keep everybody at a healthy size or just force people to work more. Also, you should not be getting any acceptance for being fat anyway unless it has medical reasons.

[Sea Skimmer]

WW3 would have put an end to the obesity epidemic real fast between all the diabetics simply ending up dead and general starvation. Wouldn't be surprising if anti fat pogroms took places at at times. Its probably just never came back from that because of better diets and keeping people active rebuilding civilization. Contrary to what some would claim, you do not find vast numbers of fact people in cultures which do not have large numbers of inactive overeaters.

[Grumman]

I think the OP's position is based on a false premise. To the extent that things like "fat acceptance" or the "Deaf community" are valid, it is about respecting the person, not the condition. If the Federation's tech level lets people live a lifestyle they enjoy without the usual downsides, what's the problem?

[HMS Conqueror]

Since the Federation is basically Space Obama it is probably illegal to be fat.

[spaceviking]

Since the Federation is basically Space Obama it is probably illegal to be fat.

Wow, I really hope that is a joke. So the Federation is slightly left of centre and lacks will to enact even the most basic of public healthcare programs.

[Aaron MkII]

Since the Federation is basically Space Obama it is probably illegal to be fat.

Are for real? You don't actually know anything about him do you?

man, any of us would be lucky to live in the Federation, no work, free healthcare, the government looks out for you, you can hop planets.

It's fucking paradise compared to anywhere here.

[Instant Sunrise]

It's pretty likely that replicated food is nutritionally balanced to not contain a lot of empty calories or things like transfats or HFCS

Plus, all the examples of civilian life that we see in the federation do not seem to be very sedentary lifestyles.

[Lord Revan]

well we know that at least in theory federation citizens should working on "improving themselves" what ever that means, I'm not exactly that small (192cm, 120kg) but I wouldn't be supriced if physical excercise was more common in federation worlds then in the modern world, plus I suspect that colonies and starfleet vessels had that much hard physical work that you wouldn't that to work out to stay fit.

[tim31]

WW3 would have put an end to the obesity epidemic real fast between all the diabetics simply ending up dead and general starvation. Wouldn't be surprising if anti fat pogroms took places at at times. Its probably just never came back from that because of better diets and keeping people active rebuilding civilization. Contrary to what some would claim, you do not find vast numbers of fact people in cultures which do not have large numbers of inactive overeaters.

I reckon Colonel Green's cadre(called in one novel 'The Optimum Movement') would have something like that on the table if anyone.

ALSO: fat guys defect to the Romulan Star Empire. Then flip again.

[Stofsk]

How is that guy fat?

[aussiemuscle308]

i guess with replicators we finally get asparagus that tastes like chocolate!!!!

[Aaron MkII]

That would actually be pretty awesome.

[Imperial528]

i guess with replicators we finally get asparagus that tastes like chocolate!!!!

Why not chocolate that is by itself a balanced meal?

[Demiurgas]

Technically chocolate is already healthy. (Portion size is what's needed to look after.)

[AMT]

What about civilians, though?

It just seems a little off given the leisurely lifestyle they would seem to enjoy (and that I'm looking forward to!)

So your ideal future is waddling your fat ass around and eating replicator cupcakes?

If it is? Who gives a fuck?

[Eternal_Freedom]

What about civilians, though?

It just seems a little off given the leisurely lifestyle they would seem to enjoy (and that I'm looking forward to!)

So your ideal future is waddling your fat ass around and eating replicator cupcakes?

If it is? Who gives a fuck?

Anyone who loves you and cares about your health?

[AMT]

Anyone who loves you and cares about your health?

Beyond that, since I'm going to assume that spaceviking doesn't feel that way towards SS dude. If someone wants to be fat then that's their choice, isn't it?