FAT

What's it like to be fat in America?  Is there a difference in the way fat people are treated?  Are the obese treated like second class citizens?  I have personal experience in both realms.  I've been fat, and I've been skinny and I have to tell you that there is a difference in how you are treated by the public-at-large.  

If a person has bulimia or anorexia nervosa, they have an "illness," and public concern for them is great.  "We must help her or she will die," is the mantra of the public-at-large.  The same is not true for the person who is on the opposite end of the spectrum.  "I can't believe she let herself go like that," is the thinking of the same public. 

Fat people are often passed over for jobs because they are not aesthetically pleasing to the population.  Rarely do you see an overweight person in the front office where people can see her.  Her skills are hidden behind company walls.  "We can't lose you in the position you are in now, you are too valuable where you are," is a kind way of saying, "you don't look the part!" Fat people are often viewed as stupid and lazy; often times having to excel far above and beyond their counterparts for jobs.

Fat Americans, whether black or white, are the most discriminated group today.  I've sat and listened to the "gossip" around the work area to find that if there is a "fat person" in the area, they are being made fun of by somebody.  Even children chime in with "Fatty, fatty, two by four; can't get through the bathroom door," with little, if any, correction from their parents.

Like I said previously, I've been on both ends of the spectrum and know that "skinny" people are treated better than fat people.  When I was skinny, I got to hear all the negative things that were said about fat people.  I got to hear the "she's so fat...." jokes that everyone within earshot would smirk at.  They must not have remembered that I was once among the fat of America.  When I was fat, I didn't hear the "she's so skinny..." jokes because usually their weren't any.  Being thin in America is the desired outcome of life. 

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has determined that obesity is a disease just the same as bulimia or anorexia nervosa.  Each is the product of an abnormal relationship with food.  Each has their own set of problems.  While bulimics struggle with their abnormal relationship with food, so do obese people. 

The real objective isn't being fat or skinny, it's being healthy.  Eating fruits and vegetables over chips and dip is, of course, the healthier choice, but sometimes you just want the chips and dip.  It's when it become excessive that it's harmful.  Unfortunately, public opinion really doesn't care if you are healthy or not; they care whether or not you are thin.  When I think about how fat people are treated, it makes me sad.  Beneath all the fat, there is a person - a human - who longs to be treated with compassion. 

One of the things I find sad is that fat people make fun of themselves before anyone else in their presence has the chance too.  They are quick to point out their shortcomings before the public has a chance too.  The public has conditioned them to not like the way they are.    How often have we heard that fat people are "so jolly."  They're not jolly, they laugh just to keep from shedding tears. 

I've used the word "fat" in this post because it is offensive.  The truth is that it shouldn't be offensive, it is just a description.  Skinny is a description and so is fat.  Which one has the more offensive connotation?  Which one invokes the more visceral reaction?