The Student Room Group

Is stigmatising being fat such a bad thing?

Poll

What are your beliefs?

Should we be less sympathetic and more candid when it comes to overweight people? Should we be so accepting of something which, after all, is unhealthy and should really be more actively discouraged?


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We shouldn't aim to ostracise. After all smokers get a free ride. But this modern paradigm of acceptance is myopic.

Posted from TSR Mobile
I'd like to see a lot more done about it. It's unhealthy, and it does affect other people because the health problems it causes put a lot of strain on the NHS. How exactly we go about sorting it out is up for debate, but we definitely shouldn't be accepting it.
Reply 3
We shouldn't bully fat people simply for being fat, but they certainly shouldn't expect handouts. And anyone who's on board with the fat acceptance movement needs to get on the treadmill.

Fatties gotta learn.
Reply 4
Original post by AntisthenesDogger
We shouldn't aim to ostracise. After all smokers get a free ride. But this modern paradigm of acceptance is myopic.

Posted from TSR Mobile


Well smokers are often criticised and not mollycoddled like fat people. Obesity now kills more people than smoking and to top it off fat people aren't unjustifiably taxed to the hill like smokers.

Both smoking and being overweight should be discouraged but at the moment it seems perfectly acceptable to criticise smokers but yet criticising someone weight is taboo


Posted from TSR Mobile
Reply 5
An awful lot of people are obese in the UK, and even more are overweight. I doubt many of these at all are so unhealthy that they actually require NHS help, (I doubt anyone who's only overweight ever has weight related issues, it tends to be morbidly obese people, which is far different from 'fat'), so I doubt the NHS argument is valid, also many people go to the NHS because of smoking and alcohol, and we don't stigmatise them (especially people who drink and party, yet I see people go to A&E for getting too drunk and doing something stupid, but that's just cool apparently).

So onto the other point, not all fat people just started one day to eat loads, some of them (especially kids when you see it) were raised by overweight people themselves and just developed bad eating habits. Of course this should be dealt with and people should try to have healthier diets, but making young people (or anybody) feel horrible for how they choose to enjoy food will just make them feel like utter crap, and we shouldn't scare people into doing what's best for them because it seems unfair to make people feel terrible about themselves.

It has no bearing on you whether some random person is fat or not, so why fuss at them about it? If they want to eat themselves into unhealthiness, then making them feel like crap probably won't help, it'll just make them sad which, guess what!, will make them eat more! If it's someone you know/care about, the situation is different and should be handled delicately, but this question wasn't about that.

If you really think fat people don't know the health risks then that's far from true. Many fat people aren't nearly dying anyway, and the last think they want is everyone to just think of them for their weight, and fussing at them over and over to lose weight will just make them feel worse. If they go on a diet give them support, tell them how great they're doing, and they may keep it up longer, but making them feel bad in the first place won't make them feel any better and often won't drive them to lose weight.

Argh I could rant more but I swear I've seen this topic so many times, except usually worded in a more mean way than OP, so yeah..
Wtf is wrong with some of the replies here ._.

Ok, being healthy-weight is healthy etc. but no need to make people feel like crap about it, I'm sure not everyone is fat because they want to be so, you don't know if their parents brought them up like that, you don't know if they have a medical condition, if they have low metabolism, if they've been abused in the past and saw food as an escape.

If you truly want to help them, then we should work together to encourage a healthy lifestyle IN GENERAL rather than shove it down certain people's throats...

It's like me saying, "is being racist towards blacks a good thing for society? You know, because they steal and commit crimes?" Do you realise how stupid it sounds =_=
Reply 7
Give them support and see if they improve. A doctor should be able to tell after a while if it's caused by a medical condition or due to their own doing. I think after a 6 month period, you'll be able to realise if said patient is committed and you see small improvements during regular appointments. If they fail that, then maybe a grace period of say 3 months to give them a second chance and if that fails then there's very little hope.

It's almost like school, you've got to do the work too in order to achieve your targets. Shouldn't expect the teacher to spoonfeed you. If you screw up, it's most likely to be your own doing. After all it is your life.

Posted from TSR Mobile
I use to be one of the self-righteous people who judged others for being overweight.

Then I became ill, house bound and started taking medication associated with weight gain. My weight balloned. People's reactions varied from shunning me to spitting at me in the street or leaning out of car windows and shouting "fat ****". Losing the weight was one of the most challenging things I've ever done.

So, yeah, I'd rather show sympathy towards an overweight person than be critical of them. Anyway, being overweight is not a particularly great indicator of health at the individual level. Lifestyle factors like diet, smoking, alcohol intake and activity levels are far more important.
Losing weight when you are obese is much harder than maintaining the lifestyle you've always had. Nobody wants to be fat. They just don't realise that a healthy lifestyle is possible - even easy - to maintain, if you go at a pace that suits you. They start off on a fad diet, or trying to run 5k with no training, and assume it's all impossible.

Support - yes.
Telling people it's not ok, and that they can change, but it has to come from them - yes.
Getting people to start young, and improving PE in schools - definitely.
Targeting girls, and telling them it's ok to lift weights and get fit - yes.
Helping ex-military / ex-active-job people adapt to a less mobile lifestyle in old age - yes.
Targeting the junk food industry and giving poorer people access to information, gyms and healthy meals - yes.

Shouting at a fat person you've never met, on the street, when you have no idea of their situation and have never had to make that change yourself - no.
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by Frannoooooooo
That's completely different. Racism is irrational discrimination, stigmatising being fat is discouraging people to be in an unhealthy state.

Also, saying 'they steal and commit crimes' is compeltely different from stating overweight people are unhealthy. The former is an offensive stereotype and latter is a medical fact. If I had said 'because they're lazy' then you'd have a right to say that, but comparing what I said to targeting a minority because of a difference for which they had no control over is wrong; overweight people are condemened not for an irrational reason, but people they are unhealthy and have arguably ended up like that by choice.


THAT'S MY POINT!

Not everyone has a choice when it comes to obesity, sometimes it's genetically disposed like your race
Original post by AntisthenesDogger
We shouldn't aim to ostracise. After all smokers get a free ride. But this modern paradigm of acceptance is myopic.

Posted from TSR Mobile


Quite, quite.
Original post by R Dragon
THAT'S MY POINT!

Not everyone has a choice when it comes to obesity, sometimes it's genetically disposed like your race


A genetic predisposition isn't a prophecy. People with greater propensity for obesity should be helped to keep their weight under control, much like people with a predisposition to high cholesterol.
Being fat is fine; it's their choice and there shouldn't be any action whatsoever.
Reply 14
Original post by R Dragon
Wtf is wrong with some of thereplies here ._.


Ok, being healthy-weight is healthy etc. but no need to makepeople feel like crap about it, I'm sure not everyone is fat because they wantto be so, you don't know if their parents brought them up like that, you don'tknow if they have a medical condition, if they have low metabolism, if they'vebeen abused in the past and saw food as an escape.

If you truly want to help them, then we should work togetherto encourage a healthy lifestyle IN GENERAL rather than shove it down certainpeople's throats...

It's like me saying,"is being racist towards blacks a good thing for society? You know,because they steal and commit crimes?" Do you realise how stupid it sounds=_=


Being racist and being overweight are not comparable. Stoptrying to make ‘fatism’ or ‘fatphobia’ a thing.

I agree that certain medical problems are a hindrance andpeople should not be stigmatised for it. However, when fat people try to pushfor acceptance because they are fat and try to promote their lifestyle then Icannot accept that; Fatties gotta learn.
Original post by TurboCretin
A genetic predisposition isn't a prophecy. People with greater propensity for obesity should be helped to keep their weight under control, much like people with a predisposition to high cholesterol.


I agree, but you shouldn't have to resort to stigmatising them publicly


Original post by Evening


Being racist and being overweight are not comparable. Stoptrying to make ‘fatism’ or ‘fatphobia’ a thing.

I agree that certain medical problems are a hindrance andpeople should not be stigmatised for it. However, when fat people try to pushfor acceptance because they are fat and try to promote their lifestyle then Icannot accept that; Fatties gotta learn.


Sigh
Just to add to my previous post: I actually think it's possible to have a society where being fit is normal rather than exceptional. It's about changing attitudes, and helping people overcome their fear of exercise (and of course extra help for the minority with actual medical problems).

There must be a tipping point. I can see why people leave the house and see all those demographics with a high risk of obesity (middle aged women, poorer families, etc), and think that if they fit within one of those demographics, it's ok - even expected - to be overweight. There's also a wide acceptance, particularly amongst girls, of being 'skinny-fat'. The best way to show people it's not ok is not to shame them - it's to reach the tipping point where they go out, and see that they are in the minority. Show them that everyone can do it, and surround them with supportive, fit, healthy friends rather than negative, overweight friends.

I also think it shouldn't necessarily be labelled as a 'health drive'. You can do that to some extent - 5 a day and the couch to 5k are absolutely fantastic inventions, because they show people how to fit health into a busy daily routine. However, you can also just give people access to real food, cheaply.

Instead of offering the same old burgers plus an optional bag of apple, McDonalds should be offering hot soup, or lasagne, or shepherds' pie - meals that taste just as good, are just as cheap to make, and probably just as full of calories, but may have once seen a vitamin.
(edited 9 years ago)
Reply 17
Original post by RDragon
I agree, but you shouldn't have to resort to stigmatising thempublicly

Sigh



There can only be one solution:

Original post by Okkefac
An awful lot of people are obese in the UK, and even more are overweight. I doubt many of these at all are so unhealthy that they actually require NHS help, (I doubt anyone who's only overweight ever has weight related issues, it tends to be morbidly obese people, which is far different from 'fat'), so I doubt the NHS argument is valid, also many people go to the NHS because of smoking and alcohol, and we don't stigmatise them (especially people who drink and party, yet I see people go to A&E for getting too drunk and doing something stupid, but that's just cool apparently).

So onto the other point, not all fat people just started one day to eat loads, some of them (especially kids when you see it) were raised by overweight people themselves and just developed bad eating habits. Of course this should be dealt with and people should try to have healthier diets, but making young people (or anybody) feel horrible for how they choose to enjoy food will just make them feel like utter crap, and we shouldn't scare people into doing what's best for them because it seems unfair to make people feel terrible about themselves.

It has no bearing on you whether some random person is fat or not, so why fuss at them about it? If they want to eat themselves into unhealthiness, then making them feel like crap probably won't help, it'll just make them sad which, guess what!, will make them eat more! If it's someone you know/care about, the situation is different and should be handled delicately, but this question wasn't about that.

If you really think fat people don't know the health risks then that's far from true. Many fat people aren't nearly dying anyway, and the last think they want is everyone to just think of them for their weight, and fussing at them over and over to lose weight will just make them feel worse. If they go on a diet give them support, tell them how great they're doing, and they may keep it up longer, but making them feel bad in the first place won't make them feel any better and often won't drive them to lose weight.

Argh I could rant more but I swear I've seen this topic so many times, except usually worded in a more mean way than OP, so yeah..


Being overweight when young isn't much of a problem, however being overweight much of your adult life will pose problems at older age. Chief among the problems would be ankle, knee and possibly hip issues. Just as likely to be possible would be spinal related issues. All of which will cost the NHS loads of money.

Overweight also generally increases the likelihood of having hypertension.
Original post by Frannoooooooo
How is it? You cannot be born obese, genes don't determine your weight, and being overweight is something you can change unlike race.

Nobody who is obese has a genetic predisposition to being overweight?

:confused:


Genes play a crucial part in determining your appetite and metabolism. Which consequently can lead to obesity.

http://epirev.oxfordjournals.org/content/29/1/49
(edited 9 years ago)

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