Because our society is so incredibly thin-obsessed and fatphobic, sometimes people get confused and think that a fat body is a walking invitation for their judgments and comments. If you’ve been pointed to this blog post, you may be one of those people. Don’t worry, I’m here to help.
First of all, other people’s health is not your business unless they ask you to make it your business. It doesn’t matter what you think you know about someone’s health, it doesn’t matter if you know something about someone’s health, it doesn’t matter what you want your tax dollars to pay for. Your health isn’t other people’s business, their health isn’t yours.
So, even if you are stating a sincerely held negative belief about fat people’s health, that just makes your anti-fat sentiment healthist and ableist as well as sizeist.
I could go into the research and realities about weight and health, but it doesn’t matter. No matter what stereotypes you personally believe to be true about everyone whose weight in pounds times 703 divided by their height in inches squared is greater than 30, or everyone who “looks fat to you” or however you’re personally making this distinction, other people’s health is not your business unless they ask for your opinion. And not for nothing, but I notice that pretty often the people who want to criticize fat people aren’t interested having other people making judgments about them, or interested in criticizing thin people for their “unhealthy decisions,” so it ends up just being a thin veil for size-based prejudice (since we’re ok with athletes, and rock stars, and cast members of jackass, and people who don’t get “enough sleep,” and choose stressful jobs, etc. etc. )
It’s simply not your place to tell people what they are allowed to look like. Fat people have the right to exist, in fat bodies, without shame stigma, bullying, or oppression and it doesn’t matter why we’re fat, what the “consequences” of being fat might be, or if we could (or even want to) become less fat/not fat. The rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness (including not being concern trolled by sizeist strangers) are not size, or health, dependent.
So if you have an opinion on fat people’s health then congratulations, and keep it to yourself.
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Preach it! Shout this from the rooftops! “Did I ASK for your opinion? Shit no, fuck you very much.” As my husband used to say when anyone asked a nosy, nunya question of any kind. I haven’t used that much lately, I’ll have drag it back out. Rude? You betcha but so was the assumption I’d care to discuss/debate this with them.
It seems that fat shaming has enter the religious arena too. http://www.patheos.com/blogs/ponderanew/2016/10/05/worship-team-needed-fat-people-need-not-apply/
Shameful and sad. It seems (read this as: it is) to be all about the money and the actual gospel has taken a backseat to image and cash. I’m not into organized religion, so I base my opinions on what I’ve seen and heard in the media. This is is way more elitist and discriminatory than being good friends with the pastor’s kids. I was taught, and and as you cited, KathleenBee, that God loves us all no matter who we are, what we look like, or how terrible we sing in church. Just one more way to discriminate against not only fat people but all people who don’t fit their mold. Sad.
So here I go, skating dangerously close to the diet neurosis spiral.
For reasons unrelated to fat, I have to give up caffeine and sweeteners. I’ve tried to do this repeatedly. It’s become clear to me that the point past which I can’t stop myself from consuming them is reached when I have them more often than about once a month. I’ve started my fast from both this morning, and I’m trying like hell not to topple into the resist it–obsess over it–sneak it–beat myself up about it delusion I endured for a while when I was a dieter.
So. Anybody have some happy cheerful distraction sites I could visit between now and my next break from the fast (Thanksgiving)?