What’s Wrong (And Right) About Fat Shaming?

Why Do People Do It?

There’s a strong debate happening all over the world right now. On one side are the people who think that being fat is the worst thing a person can be. They believe that overweight people are bad examples, that they’re lacking motivation, that they’re always unhealthy and that their situation will be a drain on the system. On the other side are people who are overweight and not really worried about it. They enjoy being who they are, and don’t think that it’s anyone else’s business.

The problem is that when people from one side meet people from the other side, sparks fly. And these aren’t the romantic love sparks, they’re seriously angry sparks. They seem to originate from the idea that people who are overweight are open game to be judged or served with advice about how to best take care of their bodies.

It’s likely that the rise of fat shaming is at least partially in response to the growing community of people advocating for plus-sized pride. This is the movement that is concerned with both the acceptance and celebration of people of larger sizes, even if in medical terms those people might be considered overweight or even obese. Fat shamers might even feel that they’re doing their community a service by speaking up against ‘fat pride’. Certainly, it would be a worrying situation where we actively embrace and celebrate a body type and lifestyle that are not healthy.

What Can We Do Instead?

The thing to remember is that there is no place in our culture for a behaviour that makes one group of people feel excluded or prejudiced against. So although some people feel that fat shaming might have a place, it cannot be accepted when it makes larger people feel targeted by others for their lifestyle choices.

What we’re left with then is a blurred line to walk. On the one side, people should be able to live their lives any way that they choose. It seems ridiculous that the body decisions a person makes can be left unquestioned if they’re of normal size, but are open to public debate if they’re obese. On the other side, we have to be cautious about normalising an obese body type. Certainly, there is a place to celebrate the many shapes, sizes and differences that are present in the human race, but above all, we should be prioritising health and well-being of the individual.

For you reader, it comes down to a change in thinking. You might not agree with the lifestyle and eating habits of the obese or overweight people around you. But you need to remember that it’s their life not yours, and that your input is entirely unneeded, particularly if it is critical in nature. The truth is you cannot tell how ‘healthy’ someone is just by looking at them, or what their individual circumstances might be. Just because someone is overweight doesn’t mean they don’t eat healthy foods or exercise regularly, and it certainly doesn’t mean they should be judged by strangers.

So, the next time you go out to make a ‘fat shaming’ comment, think about how you might feel if the tables were turned.

Would you accept fat shaming?