To ask what you think when you see a young, fat person?

Nothing

I only notice if there's not enough room for them to sit down on the bus next to someone but they try anyway and then I do feel a bit sorry for them and the person next to them that buses are so poorly designed

i will take a point these friends aren’t overweight

and are saying this to you

The same as when I see any fat adult. Age is irrelevant if you're an adult as you are in charge of what you eat and how active you are unless you're on medication or have a disability etc.

I've never been fat and see no reason for anyone to be fat if they look after themselves.

I don’t think anything as it’s such a common sight but when I see over weight children I feel sorry for them. I also wonder what they eat as my kids eat a lot and aren’t eating particularly healthily at the mo and are still thin ! Hopefully this doesn’t sound judgey.

Nothing. I do worry when I see a very overweight child.

At 26 you can make your own decisions and if you’re happy and healthy then that’s great.

Nothing.

I'm also a bit overweight and have just been diagnosed with PCOS which is known to cause issues with weight. You never know what health issues someone is battling.

It makes me sad that some people are so judgmental as to assume so much from such a tiny snapshot of someone's life.

I do notice, I'll be honest. I'm obese myself so I feel a bit miserable and renewed wish to keep going with losing. Then I think about it on a social level - I work for a stroke team and so I imagine that person might have a stroke and how bad that would be, plus i think about the fact that over 60% of the UK is overweight or obese and what a major health time bomb that is. Just a general rush of negative feelings, but not focused on the person themselves.

At 26 you arent young, you aren't even classed as a young adult as that finishes at 25. I wouldn't give any real thought or even notice you unless I suppose if you were exceptionally large like 600lbs and struggling to move in which case I would think what a shame you are missing out on so much life as you wouldn't be able to access things and how physically difficult your life must be.

If you were actually young, like a child who has no control over their diet or physical activity and you were more than 'chubby' I'd judge your parents as abusive. Ofcourse you may have a medical condition but more often it's poor diet and lack of activity in in my area.

You are probably getting more attention and people being friendlier because you have more confidence, your body language is more approachable, are dressing better as you like your new shape or fitting into nicer clothes etc. No one wants to approach anyone with low self esteem that gives off a "fuck off and leave me alone" aura.

Out walking the other day and I saw a very obese child playing with friends. He was very flushed and I thought that he was struggling. I did wonder why the parents had enabled him to get to this position. I felt sorry for him. There's a whole swathe of children who are going to face a life of health issues, it's plain for everyone to see.

I don't think anything. There are all manner of body shapes out there and none of them are my business, nor are any of them reflective of anything important about the person.

As can be seen from many of the responses in this thread, MN is full of judgmental idiots on this subject. Faux-concern about "health" and "state of the nation" makes it worse, not better, than someone who just owns their prejudice.

Elephant in the room here, but consciously or unconsciously I'd label you as unattractive. Many others would to, limiting your career, limit the best chances of finding a great partner as well as all the health risks (and yes they include Infertility for the donut here who mistook her personal experience for a scientific study). I'd also be disappointed at this countries attitude towards health and nutrition.

Depends how old and how big.

If a minor, I think their parents should have done a better job, but acknowledge they may have prada Willi syndrome in which case it’s apparently inevitable.

If a young adult, but not all that big, I don’t notice much. Unless they dress badly for it.

If adult and huge, I clock it, but think it’s up to them to do something about it.

Thereafter I actively try not to notice.

If they are shouting about fat acceptance (so mostly podcast/tiktok world, I internally note that many of the ‘fat acceptance’ influencers that have popped up over the last ten year are already dead due to their incredibly unhealthy size. Then I go on with my day.

But that's the issue! It is common now.
The 1st time I went to the USA, I was so shocked at the size of the majority of people, particularly kids. They ate massive portions, drove everywhere. Fat was the norm. I remember thinking that there were few in the uk that size, and that generally, we weren't a nation of obese people.
That has changed in last 20 years, and fat is now normalised here

If I think anything, it's that I'm sorry they don't switch their focus from comfort eating too much food, and instead learn to love their bodies and health.

I hope they'll manage to lose it before they hit middle age. Some of the youngsters in my office are very overweight, they get the lift up two floors and it freaks me out. I'm twice their age and walk up four.

If I'm in a cafe I'm there either to get some peace or meet someone- I don't care what other people are doing.

Hasn't this one, or a variant, been done, just recently?

Don't care what you look like. Strangers' opinions shouldn't be important. Do what you're doing for you and your health.

You said that you dress nicely so I’m likely to notice your clothes.

If one part of you is extremely large I might notice that. For example someone with a big bottom, I think we would all notice and think that it is large.
I wouldn’t think badly, just clock it. Same as big ears or a big nose.

If I see an over weight person at the gym or on a run I think amazing, and really have a level of adoration.

Apart from this I don't really have a thought specifically about them in relation to their size- unless it's a child and then I feel compassion as I know the health and also social implications.

I really only notice very overweight people when they are wearing very unflattering clothes. I think everyone can dress nicely for their shape with a bit of thought, size 20 plus in shorts and sleeveless tops, particularly also with badly fitted bras for women, is unlikely to look good.

This