So this is a thing:
And so is this:
I recently read an article about how there are probably a bunch of reasons why people are fat. There’s the “obvious” reason of eating too much junk and being too lazy. But there might be a virus that makes some people fat, and there’s genetics (if you believe in that, which a lot of people don’t), and not getting enough sleep. There’s also the “shh, don’t talk about it” issue of how dieting, which is supposed to make us thin and beautiful and acceptable, actually makes us fatter.
Regardless of how many “causes” of obesity there are out there, here’s the bottom line: Those Google searches up there show that we need to stop putting so much energy into figuring out why we’re fat, and start working on treating fat people like human beings. Think those results are ridiculous, that people can’t really feel that way? Sadly, you’re wrong. A huge number of people believe that all fat people are gross, lazy, and disgusting, that they do not deserve the same respect as thin people, who are all smarter, better, and more successful. Better! That one really kills me.
The human race has spent hundreds of years and trillions of dollars trying to figure out how to make fat people skinny, and we’ve failed about 95% of the time. It really stumps me that we can’t give this up, and instead think about ways to make everyone healthier. If we could just stop wasting so much energy (and time, and money) focusing on fat, we could start the long-overdue shift toward treating people of all sizes with decency and respect.
The other day I was telling a friend that, as a fat person, I never leave my house without steeling myself to be ridiculed, shamed, or berated for the shape of my body. Thankfully, I can go a long time without anyone commenting on my size, but our fat-phobic society has taught me to always, always be prepared for it to happen. Because my body is larger than is currently socially acceptable, it is continually up for public scrutiny and commentary.
We have to change the conversation. We have to start talking about health regardless of size. We have to stop judging bodies – our own, and others’ – in terms of morality. We have to change the results of those Google searches. It’s a tough fight, but I think we can do it. The voices of the body acceptance movement grow louder every day. So, let’s take the advice of our old friend Vanilla Ice: It’s time to stop, collaborate, and listen. Let’s make some change happen, eh?
