Why is fat predujice socially acceptable?

Question

Why is it that people will walk right up to a fat person in public and say nasty things right to their face? Do people in this day and age really think the true worth of a person is measured by numbers on a scale? What do these people get out of trying to cause pain and embarass others? Fat people just want to be productive citizens, be happy and live their lives like anyone else. It saddens me that there are those who get their kicks out of hurting innocent people.

Answer 1

many people still feel that somehow being fat is a choice, and that people who become fat are just lazy and have no will power.

Answer 2

Although all prejudice is deplorable, I think people are very generous with prejudice against the overweight because it is a condition which seems to signify certain (less than desirable) character traits of the individual. For example, that the fat person has no self control (when it comes to eating), or that the person is lazy, or cares little for his or her appearance. Also, obesity is not a race, religion or culture. It's a condition, which can (in most cases) be eradicated, or at least ameliorated to the point where the individual is healthy, and looks his or her best.

I think that's why.

Answer 3

There are a lot of people who are fat because they are unhappy. I know this from personal experience. You eat because you are unhappy, then you feel like a failure for eating crap, and give in and eat some more. No one can improve themselves (weight problem or in any other way) if they cannot see themselves as having worth to begin with. By degrading these people, you only make it more difficult for them to fix their problem. Food addiction is an eating disorder just like anorexia, yet somehow we as a society have sympathy for the people who refuse to eat, but none for the people who can't refuse. It's a very sad irony if you ask me,

Answer 4

Well, I haven't really noticed people getting all up in fat people's faces. But I know what you're getting at.

I think the reason people are more prejudiced towards fat people than towards, say black people or gay people, is because fat is seen as a choice. People don't choose to be black or gay, but people have control over what they eat and how much they excercise. when people believe that being gay is a choice, the prejudice is always there, right? Yes, we all know it could be genetics that make a person fat, but that's not as definitive as being born with a certian colour of skin.

Many people get fat from not taking care of themselves. Take one look in the houses of one of these people, and into their work lives and you can see that they are just a mess. Not because they are fat, rather they are fat because they are lazy and just let their whole lives go to ****.

That said, stereotyping is the wrong way to think and especially to speak. But the human mind is lazy and wants to generalize everything right?

Answer 5

First, people should NEVER accost strangers and attack them personally. A person who does that is sick. It is not socially acceptable. At all.

Second, I personally might be upset to see an obese (overweight by 70+ pounds) person because
a) Personal experience tells me they are not all that happy (the types that stay home all the time out of shame and subsequently spend their time eating the emotion of shame)
with themselves. They are ESPECIALLY not happy with the people around them. That is not "living their lives like everybody else."

b) I'm a little bit angry b/c I know what their indulgence has cost them, their loved ones, and taxpayers in general. I see down the road to my grandfather who lost a leg to diabetes. I see my sisters kids wallowing on the couch in lethargy b/c they were raised by people who thought simple carbohydrates were the primary food group, and didn't want to by hypocrits to raise their children with good food values. Mostly I see pain. Guilt rules the day and causes problems for (most of) these people. And i get angry because it's something 9 out of 10 of them have control over.

And I have seen a lot of friendly, nice people gain substantial amounts of weight. The majority of those people's personality changes with the weight. They become more bitter, less sociable and MUCH less charitable with their own hearts.

Answer 6

well first off, I love you for asking this question. I'm over weight and I cant tell you how many times people snicker at me in public, and even go as far as to say things to me, or about me (like the fat effected my hearing). I hate it that anorexia gets treated like a serious problem and everyone feels so terrible for them, but if you're fat then youre just a pig and stop stuffing your face. I have a condition called PCOS. One symptom is being over weight. I've literally been over weight my entire life. But nobody bothers to ask that before they make fun of me. Everyone just assumes I eat way too much, and that I'm lazy, and gross, and costing them thousands in health care costs. The truth is, I'm not lazy, I eat normally, I shower, every day, and I dont cost anyone a dime in health care, except myself, on the rare occassions that I do visit a doctor (which has never been weight related). You'd be a horrible person if you made fun of people for their religion, race, sexual preference, etc, etc etc...but if you make fun of them for being fat it's funny and everyone laughs. People need to get over their ignorance and accept that we cant all be 47 pounds. Im sick of people thinking im some fat lazy slob and a drain on society. I know people who are half my weight, and cost about 100% more than I do in insurance costs, but nobody just looks at them, and instantly views them as a drain on society, and wonders how much of their hard earned money is going towards THEIR medical bills.

But, I've spent my entire life caring about what people thought of me, and worrying about going places because of the things people might say. I've gotten over that. Im a nice person, I dont hurt people, and I care very much about my friends and my family. If people want to decide to dislike me right away, because I fit into their idea of beauty, then its their loss, and theyre not worth my time.

Answer 7

I honestly think it's because of the media. We are constantly bombarded by beautiful, flawless and skinny people in movies and on TV and the overweight people are not seen as valuable. But I agree with you, they are just human beings and we all come in different shapes and sizes. And whether you are 100 pounds of 300 pounds, everyone is beautiful.

Answer 8

i've never had this happen to me, done it to anyone, or seen it done...however, just the fact that people talk about it being done makes me feel like a lower-class citizen cuz i'm not size 000 or something. i'm not huge, but i feel huger than i am because society makes me feel that way.

Answer 9

Is it socially acceptable? I don't think it is, it's very rude and personally, I don't see this happen in a socially acceptable manner. I know that it does happen, but don't think it is accepted by most people.

Answer 10

i would tell them do u they like the taste of your fist, bc they have some nerve making such a rude comment.