Am I the only one on TSR who still thinks fat shaming is bad?

People constantly compare obesity to smoking and drug addictions, which is why we shouldn't 'allow' people to be obese by asking people to accept that their beauty isn't defined by their size.

Obese people are constantly harassed, and called 'lazy' and 'worthless' because they can't lose the weight, but what people forget is that obesity is often a result of a food addiction - although food isn't physiologically addicting, it is psychologically, which is a fair amount of the reason why people can't give up smoking or drugs - it's an emotional crutch. So when you call someone lazy and not worth loving because they eat too much and exercise too little, all you're doing is feeding their hunger, as a large majority of people find comfort in food.

Also, despite the vehement defence that "we don't encourage smoking, so why should we 'encourage' obesity", equally, we don't walk up to people in the street who are smoking, and call them lazy and a drain on everyone else's resources, or tell them that they're killing children in Africa because they're not donating the money spent on cigarettes to charity, and we don't tell them they're not worth loving because of their nicotine addiction. If we don't do that to people who smoke, what makes you think obese people deserve it?

If you don't know someone, you have no idea of the situation behind their obesity - it may be due to grief, depression, a medical disorder, too little time to exercise or eat properly or simply a bad education on healthy eating.

So surely a better way to deal with the obesity crisis is to educate parents and children, adults and teachers to eat healthily and exercise regularly, and motivate people to help them lose weight through encouragement, rather than telling them that their worth is inversely proportional to the size of their body cells!

tl;dr, don't verbally abuse people about something that is none of your business

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Reply 1

simplylldxo

I think bodyshaming in general is bad.

Reply 2

bluebeetle

I agree completely that we shouldn't judge strangers by their weight and we definitely shouldn't harass or insult people who are overweight.
At the same time, however, I think that obesity shouldn't be allowed to become something with no stigma attached, because the vast majority of the time it is unhealthy. While I think that it is nobody's business to approach an individual and criticise their weight, it's still necessary for society to combat obesity (just as it combats smoking) by spreading information and, as you said, educating parents.
Public shaming is definitely an issue though, I get so angry when I see people staring at or making fun of overweight people at the gym or jogging in the street. Clearly nobody is going to be able to lose weight if they're ridiculed when they try.

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Reply 3

HelenaBeat

Eat less + exercise = weight loss

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 4

Tyrion_Lannister

Studies have shown fat shaming doesn't even work

Just *******s looking for an easy target to take their inadequacies out on. It's childish

Dat thin privilege.

Taxpayers business (nhs surgeries etc) so fat shaming is justified.

Reply 7

HeavyTeddy

Original post by bittr n swt

Taxpayers business (nhs surgeries etc) so fat shaming is justified.

Suppose we should start a campaign shaming drinkers since a substantial amount of them religiously go out and get pissed to the point of passing out every weekend, costing the NHS a couple million (actually according to 2006/07 report alcohol treatment has costed the NHS £2.7 billion), right?

Reply 8

bittr n swt

Original post by HeavyTeddy

Yes, especially repeat offenders.

Reply 9

thisistheend

Original post by PhoenixFire17

I certainly hope you are the only one, the less people who think that, the better.

Being fat is of course shameful and I'd expect fat people to do no less than sit in a corner of the room and quietly weep.

Unfortunately, I can't help but see them. It's not possible for example, to avoid looking at something when you haven't seen the thing you're trying to avoid looking. At other times, it's due simply to their overwhelming mass that obscures my field of vision and is so dense that light is refracted around it.

so that does make it my business, kinda.

Reply 10

Mequa

Genetics is definitely a factor in obesity. One's genetic heritage is simply down to dumb luck. Putting obesity simply down to "laziness" is simply deluded. To use it as an excuse for shaming is just an excuse to be a mean-spirited bully.

If anyone should be shamed it's bullies.

Reply 11

tillytots

body shaming in general is bad.

However, I don't think being underweight or overweight should be encouraged. You just have to respect people for their choices.

Reply 12

DiddyDec01

Original post by HeavyTeddy

Sure they cost the NHS money, but you missed something. Where does all that money come from?

It is generated by the sale of alcohol, with generates about £14 billion of tax revenue, which far outweighs the cost to the NHS.

Reply 13

Chicken.M.

I think fat people should learn to accept that they are fat and not find the word 'fat' offensive. It's just a descriptive word.

This shouldn't be something people take offence over.

Reply 14

Tabris

Original post by ChickenMadness

I think fat people should learn to accept that they are fat and not find the word 'fat' offensive. It's just a descriptive word.

This shouldn't be something people take offence over.

This. There's no point in sugar coating the fact that somebody is fat. If you're fat, you're fat.

It's most likely down to lifestyle choice than something like genetics, which is more of an exception rather than the rule, because if it was genetics, I'd be very, very worried about the sudden state of change in the human genome over the last 3-4 generations.

But if that is someone's lifestyle, that's their life entirely. Let them do what they want and big as they want to be. Hell, if there's less shaming, they might actually be honest about why they're fat instead of pinning it on big bones or that box of genetics in the fridge.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 15

Chicken.M.

Original post by Mequa

I agree. They should stop eating so many genetics.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 16

Jebedee

Saying their lifestyle is none of our business is like accepting people that litter and pollute indiscriminately is none of our business.

Both harm the environment in their own way whether it be greenhouse gases or the gene pool.

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Reply 17

username1221160

Unfortunately some people never get beyond the school yard bully stage of their life. When they see weakness in others, they go for it.

Reply 18

bubadeeboop

Saying obesity is bad is not bullying, it is bad; FACT.

No one should be harassed or mocked for being fat, but I'm not gong to go around pretending it's acceptable.

I don't really care if someone is fat, but if someone I know is bitching about how they can't lose weight, whilst stuffing a big mac in their face, or drinking ANY amount of fizzy drink on a daily basis, I'm going to have very little sympathy for them.

The thing is, if you offer advice to someone struggling with weight (for example they are whineing about being over weight and you make a suggestion on diet or exercise) you are immediatly met with a defensive wall, excuses, or emotional responses.

My sister is a perfect example, she complains that she feels fat, but she drinks cola like its water, she says she eats healthy, but by that she just means she eats 'low fat' cereal bars instead on chocolate bars, when ever I try to explain what she is doing wrong or advise her she gets stroppy and I get told to "leave her alone, you'll give her a complex".

I was a fattie as a teenager, I worked at McDonalds and pretty much lived on the stuff for almost 2 years, a snack for me was a £1 4 pack of snickers or mars bars. I was 19 stonne, looking at my family, yes genetics has its part, but it's not a limitation on being healthy. I now sit at 14 and a half stone at 6ft 3, I eat well and take part in sports and exercise ...and my family ( a lot of who are overweight) call me 'skinny' and say things like I'm wasting away.

The idea of what is an acceptable amount of body fat in our modern society has shifted so much from the last century that we are doomed to a health epidemic if we don't do somthing about it.

Reply 19

Mequa

Original post by ChickenMadness

I agree. They should stop eating so many genetics.

Another contributing factor for obesity is past trauma.

Still think bullying obese people is cool? You know, possessing some empathy isn't a bad thing.