According to Gina Kolata's Rethinking Thin, a survey indicated that 25% of fat men and 16% of fat women reported being hit or threatened because of their weight.
If you are one of the people who is against Fat Acceptance because you believe it is unhealthy to be fat, I really want to know whether you think it is okay or not to hit and threaten fat people because of their size. I also want to know how many people think that the solution to being abused for being fat is for the abused person to lose weight.
I often hear people telling others to lose weight so that they can fit in better socially--to gain a spouse, to have more friends, to get a better job. Do these fatophobes realize that condemning fat people to a lower social status can and does result in real physical violence? Once you accept that a demographic is not worthy of basic human dignity, you accept that demographic's inevitable mental and physical abuse. If you have ever vocally taunted a fat person, you bear some of the culpability when that person is eventually beaten by other hateful individuals, because you had a hand in fostering an environment of bigotry and hate.
There is no excuse for this. Change your attitude; don't become involved in verbal abuse of other people, especially when those people are an oppressed group. Speak up when you see other people engaging in the abuse. An environment of hate is no good for anyone, not even for those in the privileged group. Base your self-worth on your positive qualities, not on your imagined superiority over others.
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7 comments:
"I often hear people telling others to lose weight so that they can fit in better socially--to gain a spouse, to have more friends, to get a better job."
Can you even count the number of things you're supposed to change about yourself - like everything about WHO YOU ARE - so that you'll be accepted into society?
It's sure nothing new. :(
Annie,
Exactly! Wear more makeup, wear less makeup, wear high heels, don't wear them THAT high, shorten the skirt, no shorter, shorter than that, wait you look like a whore...
And those are the things we CAN change.
Exactly! "Don't be gay Sparky, don't be gay!" (South Park.) I mean seriously, who the fuck can reach these goals?
You know...I embarked on a weight loss program and sculpting program when I was 16/17 and THAT time it worked. 1000 calories per day, 4X per week on Nautilus and lots of other physical activity. Got back into my skinny jeans and everything. Lookin' fine. You know what? I still had these two little tiny pouches of fat on my hips - each side. If only I'd stuck with it one more month they'd have been gone too.
Y'know what? HAH! And then I had to straighten (then properly curl) my hair, and I had to wear the proper makeup - wait a minute - yes eyeliner, but only this color and only this much and if you wear too much you're a whore, and if you wear too little you're antisocial and if you...
Oh holy hell. Grow the fuck up and LIVE. Eat. Move. Enjoy! Life is SHORT people. Life is so fucking short. Life can be taken away at any time - SUCK OUT THE MARROW!
Carpe diem boys, carpe diem. Suck the MARROW from that motherfucker.
I've never been attacked as an adult, but when I was bullied about being fat as a kid, I was always blamed for the bullying. "You're too sensitive." "Ignore them." "If you lost weight, they'd leave you alone."
Again...I have said it before...my fat isn't effecting anyone but me and my life. It is none of your business why or how I got fat...it is none of your business if I get heart disease or diabetes. It simply is none of your business.
You don't have to like me, or be attracted me. I really could care less.
Go away.
I've said it before (though not here) and I'll say it again: Telling bullied fat people to lose weight so bullies won't hurt them is exactly the same as telling a woman that if she just pleased her husband he won't hurt her.
I think we've gotten past this BS, but most people don't make the connection.
And, Annie, I was always thin, and there was always something "wrong" with me, right up until I got enough confidence that I didn't need the advice. Then, somehow, people stopped giving it without me saying a word.
It's amazing that the fat person is EXPECTED to change in order to avoid abuse. Uh no... The abuser NEEDS TO CHANGE!
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