Size discrimination is an important social issue. I have chosen to comment on an article I read that concerns this subject matter.
I read an article by Mary Ray Worley. The article is called “Fat and Happy: In Defense of Fat Acceptance”. This is an article that formulates arguments in protection of the obese. The author cites that in contemporary American society, being fat has been ascribed as a serious personal, social, and medical liability. I believe that many are in accordance with that sincere admission. The author indicates that many believe that fatness is a serious health risk and addresses how individuals denigrate people whom are overweight, and candidly exclaims that our society praises thinness and denounces full-figured. Thin is correlated with self-restraint and self-respect. Whereas heavy indicates self-denigration and a lack of discipline. These predominantly held views impinge on the mental psyche of the vulnerable overweight being.
Social ostracism and self-hatred are a habitual part of most fat people’s lives. In our society today there is an unremitting insensitivity and humility that leaves the overweight hopeless. They are apprehensive to exercise in public for fear of ridicule, and they neglect to seek medical assistance because they will be scrutinized on their size irrefutably. She insists that “pressures like these must certainly contribute to the shortening of many fat people’s lives”. [1]
Her article sheds light on the medical and scientific communities’ take on fatness. Researchers from these disciplines conclude “that body size is primarily determined by one’s genetic makeup,” [1] but despite their own findings, they recommend that fat individuals should try to lose weight, based on societal preoccupations with thinness and the difficulties scientists endure when making recommendations that are not congruent with their conclusions.
In contemporary society, individuals are “bombarded with images of pencil-thin women, and size discrimination is a common occurrence that constitutes much more than name-calling or staring.” [1] Her literature revolves around a central theme, the rejection of fat, and how our society tries to manipulate in its quest to assimilate. Her argument that fat is not a medical liability is justifiable. Paul Campos, author of “The Obesity Myth: Why America's Obsession with Weight Is Hazardous to Your Health”, is among the most vocal critics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He remarks on a press conference where Dr. Gerberding, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, issued a rare and curious apology. She apologized for the mixed messages and contradictory studies regarding the dangers of obesity, acknowledging that flawed data in several CDC studies had overstated the risks. Campos believes that the efforts to portray fat as unhealthy and unacceptable are driven by junk science, hatred of fat people, and a profit-hungry dieting industry. Campos charges that "almost everything the government and the media [are] saying about weight and weight control [is] either grossly distorted or flatly untrue,". [1] These statements are all in agreement with what Worley is affirming.
Additionally, Mary’s discovery of self-love and refusal to “conform to someone else’s ideal” [2] is encouraging. She voices that being fat isn’t a handicap rather a disposition and cites that size correlates primarily to genetic makeup. Her entire article focuses on learning to appreciate one’s self regardless of skeptics, Worley sermons to eliminate shame and self-hatred.
On a final note, I am in agreement with the goals of the NAAFA to educate, advocate and support in effort to end size discrimination in all its forms. Their plight to reshape society in which people of every size are accepted with dignity and equality is important. Our cultures priorities and preoccupations need to be cast into the limelight and examined. The societal message that obesity is the mark of a defective person has to be changed. If we can collectively change the perception of fat people, we will be doing a great service for all humanity. The psychological consequences of weight bias are so grave, that as future educators, we must address the issues of body image within our classrooms, and illustrate that everyone is beautiful regardless of difference.[1]
The images above both reflect Mary Worley article and represent full-figured women embracing their size. Fernando Botero, the famous Colombian painter creates beautiful oil works of robust women; I appreciate his vision, so I thought I would include some of his pieces. I also included an image that depicts the standard of beauty from earlier times, when shapely women were idolized and considered fertile and affluent. I, additionally added a video, this video addresses that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes, and ethnicities.
1] http://www.naafaonline.com/dev2/about/Brochures/WeightBiasPolicyRuddReport.pdf
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