Do you hate fat people?

I like to read up on health and fitness. It keeps me informed and educated about a topic I’m interested in. Articles I find interesting are saved and usually linked to in one of my weekend roundup posts. However, I recently saw an article that went beyond interesting reading. It was an opinion piece in the Sunday Herald, a British publication, that discussed the author’s opinion towards people who are obese. The article was provoking in and of itself, but the reader comments that followed it were unbelievable. Here’s the link to the article, the comments are at the bottom.

First, let me clarify my own opinion.  I do believe that the vast majority of people who are overweight have only themselves to blame for their condition.  Obesity is a relatively simple issue.  If calories in are higher than calories out, you’re going to gain weight.  If you want to lose weight, reduce your calories in and increase your calories out.  And yes, before anyone says it, I am aware of the rare few who have real medical conditions that cause them to be overweight.  I’m not talking about them, I’m talking about the rest of obese people who, like me, got that way because of their own choices.  However, the article goes a bit too far and the comments following it certainly do.

There’s nothing disgusting or hateful about being overweight.  It’s a physical condition like any other.  In fact, being overweight used to be a beauty standard back when food was scarce and fat was a sign of wealth and prosperity.  There’s also nothing unnatural about fat, it’s actually one of your body’s most natural functions, designed to save you in times of famine and shortages.

Yes, being overweight is a matter of choice, but many people may not even be aware that they’re making a bad choice.  It’s not like nutrition and exercise are something that’s taught in our schools.  Actually, most of what we know about nutrition comes from advertisements and TV where we learn that sugary breakfast cereals are great and bigger hamburgers are even better!

We don’t have to accept obesity.  We don’t have to tell someone who’s massively overweight that they’re just fine.  The fact is that they’re not and they know it.  However, to go as far as hatred and disgust, that’s a bit much.  Even worse, hatred and disgust won’t solve the problem.  They just drive overweight people away.   If you have a friend or family member who’s overweight, telling them you find them disgusting is certainly not going to be helpful.  Perhaps an offer to help would be better.  Maybe sharing your own experiences and struggles would work.  And yes, being overweight is not an excuse to be rude or inconsiderate towards other people.  It is your choice and your responsibility.  Don’t expect others to always accept sharing that burden.  It’s their choice to help or not help.

Everyone makes bad decisions sooner or later.  We can either hate them for it or be willing to help.  It’s not too hard to see which one of those options is more productive.