The Stigma Surrounding Obese People

[lemonlimetime]

For many obesity is a struggle that's all too real. Sad, but true. And the thing that hurts worst of all is the rude and evil comments that come along with this skin of shame.

We might not all realize it but in general people tend to be more negative towards overweight people, even when it's not intentional.

A lot of people categorize obese people as slobs or lazy. Which isn't always true. Obese people could be lazy and slobs, but that doesn't mean they all are. Many obese people simply just lucked out and got a slow metabolism. Traits like being messy or lazy have almost nothing to do with whether or not someone is obese. It's simply just a common stereotype.

Often times I will hear people say things like, "If you're overweight you're just too plain lazy to actually go to the gym to lose weight." Or something like that. Which again- isn't always true! I'm not really sure why a lot of people say overweight people choose to be overweight and that if they really cared about losing weight they wouldn't be fat. Which is not always true. A lot of people don't really realize that metabolism plays a HUGE roll in whether or not someone is overweight. I know my sister is actually really really athletic, but she's still overweight. She eats better than anyone else I know and is in pretty much every sport our school offers, yet it's very hard for her to cut the calories because she has a very slow metabolism like several others in my family. Luckily I got blessed with a faster metabolism, but I can still feel the constant struggle she goes through with being overweight.

One of the main causes for all the rude comments towards obese people is simply media.

Believe it or not there's a lot of jokes about bigger bodies in lots of movies, even children's movies. One movie that's full of fat shaming is Norbit starring Eddie Murphey.

Honestly this movie lives off of fat jokes, obviously targeted towards the main character- Rasputia. From her getting called a whale, to barely being able to fit into a car, this movie is loaded with things that shame Rasputia for her size. this wouldn't be the only body shaming movie Eddie Murphey has starred in. How could we forget about The Nutty Professor?

Sure, but now let's look at a movie that's targeted towards younger children- Wall-E.

For anyone who bothered to watch this movie you'll know that for one- it's pretty messed up. But you may also notice that all the humans in this movie are so overweight they can't even walk. They simply make them all overweight because the humans don't do anything except watch television and eat food, which pretty much fits the stereotypical obese person.

Obviously, like I said before, it's just a stereotype, but a very common one.

Obesity is also an easy laughing stock. Why do you think so many movies crack jokes about obesity? Truthfully, obesity should not become a laughing matter, but more something that people recognize as a problem and try to solve it in a positive way.

So it's time to stop categorizing obese people and calling them out for it, and it's time to lend a helping hand. If you know someone who's obese, or if you are, do everything you can to help them in a positive way!

[Rainie_]

Im sorry to say this but, a vast majority of obese people are so fat because they eat too much fatty foods, junk, sugary foods, you name it. And there is a reason why there are wayyyy more obese people right now than when my grandmother was a young adult, heck even when my mum was young it was uncommon to see obese people.

I do understand that there are few, but very few people who have some kind of condition that makes them unable to lose weight. And there are those who go are on medication for instance for mental health (etc.), they may make you more hungry than usual, or mess with your metabolism. But what you have to think about is, when you go on these meds, it is important for you to exercise while taking them, and also if your meds make you hungrier, you have to fight off that feeling of hunger and stick to how much you actually need to eat every day. "I was hungry" is NOT an excuse. And trust me, I've been on several meds before that had "hunger" and "weight gain" side effects. And I had to fight off that hunger, it was a struggle but it left me with a body that I love.

I think people don't realise how much sugar they actually take in on a daily basis. Check your morning cereals and you realise, woah 30g sugar in one bowl to start your morning. And then comes your snack with a chocolate bar or a pack of chips perhaps with 10g fat and high amounts of salt in just one small package. Then comes lunch then dinner, a can of coke (26g of sugar). A LOT of people make these mistakes, even just some people who may eat well but drink coke every day wonder "why am I gaining weight?"

Obesity SHOULD NOT be accepted, it is UNHEALTHY and DEADLY, yes I said it. there's no time to sugar coat anything here when someone's life is on the line. Facts are facts, obesity is bad, full stop, and yes you can prevent it from happening, you can also lose weight but it is a struggle, you just have to fight through it and not give up.

[ejx629]

As someone who has always struggled with my weight, it's always nice to see someone with some insight and understanding, Thank you 😊
I'd also add that thyroid problems also cause weight issues.
I don't have any thyroid issues but it does run in my family.

[lemonlimetime]

You're welcome :)

[lePoivre]

As someone who used to be borderline obese, I can say that a lot of it is indeed choice. Eating healthy foods will make you healthier, certainly, but you make the decision on how much of it you eat. I had a problem with eating too much food and it was because of people saying things like, "Oh it's just your metabolism" or "You're just naturally a large person and there's nothing wrong with it" that kept me fat. I didn't WANT to reach a healthy weight, so I didn't for a long time. It wasn't until I noticed bits of cellulite forming on my arms and that I was heavier than my sister (who's taller than me) that I made the decision to eat as much as my metabolism could process and workout everyday (or at least every other day). It's also a good thing to know that you can raise your metabolism with exercise and by building up muscle mass. People like your sister should be fine with how much they eat because they're burning a ton of calories with exercise and it's better to be safe in that case than starving, but for the majority that aren't, don't try to excuse them for something that they really can change.

[TheGeorge]

Wall-E is a lovely movie that is not making fun of obesity at all, but rather addresses our concerns for the future. While it's true that there are a lot of stereotypes in our everyday life, I feel a lot of people dismiss serious issues, such as obesity, too easily. If you want to have an intellectual debate you cannot ignore the facts. It's a huge issue and, if left unaddressed, will become an even bigger problem for society in the future. But it's very difficult to initiate such discussion when everyone immediately starts to scream "stereotype" and "I'm not lazy" and so on. This is all beside the point and just restrains more meaningful considerations.

[TJ-Laser]

"Obese people could be lazy and slobs, but that doesn't mean they all are. Many obese people simply just lucked out and got a slow metabolism"

what a load of bullshit. to loose weight, you simply need to burn more calories than you consume. Its that simple. This is coming from a guy who was fat. If I've managed to loose 2 stone in 2 months then anyone can.

Sure, there are some exceptions, but the excuse "I have a slow metabolism" is just that - an excuse. the majority of fat people are fat because they take in more calories than they burn.

[TheDevilInside]

One thing non-obese people never seem to understand is that by fatshaming obese people, you are doing way more harm than good. In fact, I doubt that any good will be done at all by fatshaming. Read my take on this: www.girlsaskguys.com/.../a22054-this-is-why-you-should-never-fatshame-someone (BTW, this is not a self-promotion, lol It just fits really well with what I wanted to say here)

[angelling]

Nice take. I really dislike people who claim obese people are just "lazy" and "don't want to work out" but then when they do go to a gym they're made fun of and ridiculed for their size even though they're working out and trying to lose the weight.

[lemonlimetime]

Thank you. And yes I agree.

[dartmaul15]

got to agree there.
I'm not a fan of letting your body deteriorate. But by going to the gym they're trying to stop that.
At the gym THEY are the ones deserving a high five and a pat on the back, not the gym rats.

[SirenDep]

Nicely stated! For some people it's harder to loose weight than the rest of us, either for physical reasons, or for psychological reasons. There exist people with different priorities than loosing the weight, or people who don't know anything about proper nutrition, because school doesn't teach us about it sufficiently. Of course, everyone is able to loose weight, but it's their own choise to do so.

[LightsOff]

Although I do agree that the stigma is out of control and that it's wrong that obese people are constantly made fun of, you really need to educate yourself more on what metabolism really is.
theconversation.com/mondays-medical-myth-my-slow-metabolism-makes-me-fat-4962

[prettylittleblossom]

Interesting artical however, actual medical studies published in reputable medical journals (NEJM for one ) state otherwise.

[ConsultantIsBack]

I didn't read, I just came here to say Fat Acceptance is bullshit and we shouldn't body shame or hurt people's feelings, but we need to realize that destroying bodies from the inside-out and creating a host of health issues is not something to celebrate, in fact, it's a problem that needs to be consciously corrected, with healthy eating choices and lifestyle corrections.

[GirlsLie]

Really nice take, I will never understand why people feel it's ok to shame other people based on appearance/weight.

[Noxifer626]

Good take. Most fat people have actually done loads of exercises that didn't work. The vast majority of diet programs are ineffective too.

[PiuBelloAmante]

didn't read, being obese is a choice...

[TheDevilInside]

So is being an ignorant illiterate asshole

[PiuBelloAmante]

@TheDevilInside Yes, it is. But at least i live a healthy lifestyle and while these obese people create excuses for the laziness and gluttony, they are amassing a bunch of health issues.

The strong should live and the weak should die
Obesity is a choice, there is absolutely no excuse for becoming that big ever

[TheDevilInside]

Blah blah blah. Asshole will always be asshole. It's do pathetic if you have to put someone else down in order for you to feel good about yourself. Being skinny doesn't necessarily mean you're healthy, especially not if you have one toxic heart and attitude.

[PiuBelloAmante]

@TheDevilInside sorry that you are fat
I am not skinny by the way I am muscular lol
And I have respect for overweight people who make choices and decisions to reduce their weight

I have no sympathy for those who let them selves get heavier than 300lbs

[Gommers]

It's like running a marathon, you don't just get up and do it one day; it takes years of work to get to that level of fucking disgusting.

[PiuBelloAmante]

@Gommers great analogy

[Bards]

Gr88888888 take