Fitness Is Associated With Right-Wing Groups—Why Is The Far-Left Obsessed With Fatness?

Apparently, physical fitness is now associated with far-right groups and white supremacists. According to MSNBC columnist Cynthia Miller-Idriss, fitness trends have seemingly been radicalized and are spreading to combat sports, including MMA, jujitsu, and boxing.

Idriss' opinion piece comes after researchers last year "detected a network of online 'fascist fitness' chat groups" on Telegram, "with a large number" of people supposedly "linked to the neo-Nazi Patriotic Alternative," Britain's biggest right-wing group. Interestingly, MSNBC appears to recycle this specific news piece once in a while, so it seems they're in need of traffic on their website.

Nevertheless, health and fitness are always getting tied to right-wing extremism. In late December 2022, Time magazine wrote an article about the "white supremacist origins of exercise," stating that Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy campaigned for exercise by making it look "patriotic" after World War II. The Guardian has also written a ridiculous think-piece on this topic, stating that boasting about fitness and health could lead you to become "right-wing."

But going back to MSNBC's piece, Idriss suggests that extremists and fitness enthusiasts are fixated on the physical attributes associated with traditional ideas of masculinity and the pursuit of physical power. "The intersection of extremism and fitness leans into a shared obsession with the male body, training, masculinity, testosterone, strength and competition," she explains. "Physical fitness training, especially in combat sports, appeals to the far right for many reasons: fighters are trained to accept significant physical pain, to be 'warriors,' and to embrace messaging around solidarity, heroism, and brotherhood." Exactly how are heroism, masculinity, and health negative? In my opinion, these attributes are increasingly being forgotten about by men in today's society – there's a low testosterone epidemic, and many men are porn-addicted and insecure, resulting in their hatred for the other sex.

If liberal media sites often preach about how center to right-wing groups are into fitness, then perhaps the opposite could be said about them: Left-wing groups are obsessed with being unhealthy and obese. This could easily be proven by the numerous articles they release on "fat positivity" and size inclusivity while demonizing fitness enthusiasts. They tell people they can eat whatever they want, as much as they want, under the guise of "intuition," without actually addressing hormonal issues that could cause irregular hunger levels. Ironically, these individuals often "trust the science" and completely disregard the studies associating morbid obesity with certain health conditions and diseases.

Their teachings set a dangerous precedent for their readers. Researchers found that overweight adults had a 55% higher risk of developing depression over their lifetime than those with normal weight. They also discovered that people who were experiencing depression had almost a 60% increased risk of becoming obese. Thus, mental health and being fat seem to be linked. Meanwhile, happy adults tend to opt for healthier diets and lifestyle choices, demonstrating again how left-wing outlets promote nihilistic, destructive practices.

It appears those who lean to the left show more of a victim mentality. They blame external factors and genetics for their weight, accepting that there's nothing that they can do about it. Just as how many conservatives blame everything on liberals, left-wing people blame their problems on everyone else. This type of ideology leads to dissatisfaction, and statistics show us that those who identify as left-wing are more at risk of having a mental disorder. So it wouldn't be far-fetched to say that their media consumption of harmful ideas leads to unhappiness and unhealthy habits (and vice versa).

Extremism, in any form, can be detrimental to individuals and society as a whole. This applies not only to ideological extremism but also to extremes in behavior and lifestyle choices: Anorexia and obesity represent extreme ends of the spectrum regarding eating habits, and they both have negative physical and mental health consequences. The continuation of normalizing unhealthy habits is already visually present in America, with 41.9% of adults being obese. I'm afraid with the demonization of fitness and the encouragement of overconsumption, this rate will continue to rise. And the wide acceptance of other health conditions (specifically those that can be avoided) will be recognized as a part of the culture.

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