We often judge others by their waistlines alone.
A sad fact about our society is that fat prejudice continues to exist. More of us are overweight and obese, so we should be less inclined to treat fat people badly, right? Just one problem, according to J. Eric Oliver, author of 'Fat Politics' we aren't really getting all that fatter as a nation. See video below.
The US government policy on what makes for a healthy BMI (body mass index) just makes it seem that way. And BMI measures total body weight in relation to height. It doesn't take into account whether your body weight is mostly from body or mostly from muscle. This means athletes and bodybuilders are labeled as overweight and obese. This means very fit people like Brad Pitt and Gov. Arnold Swartzenegger or lumped into the obese category.
So the theory that prejudice against overweight and obesity should lessen because we're all in the same boat doesn't hold water. But the fact remains fat prejudice is simply wrong. No one should treat another human being poorly because of appearance, body size, or personal choices about health or diet. It's simply none of our business whether someone is overweight, or why they're overweight.
As Eric Oliver points out, being overweight has little to do with mortality. The highest death rates are seen in those who are the most underweight, and then from the heaviest people. The merely overweight are living the longest.
Perhaps the most destructive form of fat prejudice is that of physicians and other health care workers. See video below. These so-called professionals are often the reason why overweight and obese people avoid getting routine health care and often weight until a health crisis develops. Some health care workers have no qualms expressing their personal opinions on weight in what should be a professional setting. Read more, get the links, and watch the videos.
