To think Prejudice against fat people is NOT as bad as racism.

[goodnessgracious]

To think the article in the Times today claiming that prejudice against fat people is as bad as racism and that it is one of the last socially acceptable forms of prejudice is ridiculous.

Firstly, obesity is normally caused by an addiction and has health implications for the obese person and further implications on society as whole. How can this be compared to racism in any way?

Also, it is not the last socially acceptable form of prejudice because I believe society is just as (if not more) prejudiced against smokers, alcoholics and gamblers and all people with addictions which have costs toward society.

AIBU to think that although it is not right to be prejudice against obese people it is ridiculous to compare it to racism.

Copied article extract below...

"Prejudice against fat people as bad as racism, say scientists "Dr Jackson said that prejudice against overweight people pervaded society and needed to be challenged. “People think it’s one of the last socially acceptable forms of prejudice. You just have to look at the comments section on media reports on obesity to see that obese people are subjected to labelling and even abuse and attack.”

On the Michael Moseley programme they had a scientist on saying it was amazing that we weren't much fatter given the availability of 'perfect' foods (half fat, half sugar) for putting on weight

She said it was a triumph of willpower, mental health and determination that we weren't 90% obese. Because evolutionary biological dictates we should be much fatter.

I am with you, OP. Clearly sneering at people because they are overweight is extremely unpleasant and unhelpful.

BUT, it is clearly not the same as racism and to suggest it is is inflammatory and insulting to anyone who has suffered racism.

Slightly off-message, but I worry that we are moving towards US style attitudes along the lines of 'being overweight is a valid lifestyle choice'. No it's not. It's extremely unhealthy and obesity is growing at a terrifying rate in this country. Being PC is all well and good, but not if it enables behaviour and lifestyles that lead to early morbidity.

AbbieHoffmans makes a very important point. For hundreds of years, human beings have not lived in times of plenty - we are physically and psychologically programmed to eat food when it is available - as much as possible, because it might not be here tomorrow. As a species, is. The west, we have to learn how to live in times of plenty.

Add to that the addictive nature of so much processed food, and how easy it is to get hold of that processed food, and that goes a long way towards explaining why obesity is such a problem.

we are physically and psychologically programmed to eat food when it is available - as much as possible

I'm not sure everyone is?

I think people certainly have bigger/smaller appetites though and it's possible that the more we eat, the more it eventually takes to make us feel full up.

Maybe some people are better at fighting all those centuries of programming than others?

I hate this thread, how often are fat people murdered at bus stops, stopped and searched by the police unnecessarily and given harsher sentences than white people for comparable crimes?

Both are shitty one is undoubtbly shittier than the other.

I'm not sure SDTG because it's not a fight for everyone if that makes sense?

Some people eat more than others, some people eat a lot more than others, so I guess the reasons might be a bit more individual than mass programming.

Hang on, if it was about psychological programming we'd all be shoving food into our faces for at least twelve hours a day!

There are so very many reasons why people are overweight. Some valid, some just down to bad life choices.

It's not as bad as racism because size is totally changeable. I'm not saying it's easy but it's possible. You can't change the colour of your skin no matter how much you cry about it!

Lol flamingo - you're right, the reason I 'decided' to put on 4 stone over 8 months was due to thinking it was a "valid lifestyle choice" - silly me!

Anyway, back to business - have we decided what the hierarchy for discrimination is?

Racism
Disability
Homophobia
Sexism
Religion
Fat people
Smokers
Drinkers
Junkies

Just a few for starters, what order should I assign - from 'never acceptable' to 'perfectly legitimate target'.

I cannot believe that people need clarification as to what it's 'ok' to pick on people for.

KittenOverlord - that is a very insightful and caring post.

Scarlett do you live in fear that somebody might try to murder you because of your weight?

Agree with TheXxed.

It's always horrible and unacceptable to be prejudiced against people, for whatever reason.

But it's ahistorical and rather offensive to compare prejudice against overweight/obese people to racism.

No, of course not.

But that does not mean that I think fat abuse is ok.

I can think that all types of discrimination, abuse and general bullying is unacceptable - which I do.

My best friend is overweight and in an inter-racial relationship.

I can promise you, because I've seen it and heard it personally, he gets mistreated more for being black than she ever has for being overweight.

Anecdotal, yes.

But the point is that there are serious hate crimes involving racism and homophobia.

I've never heard of someone being beaten because he's fat!

Scarlettlovesrhett

Some well-placed "shaming" is not the magic wand you seem to think it is.

Where on earth have I suggested shaming? I have not at all.

You wrote.
"Rather than having a little smugfest and cheering your own (currently) fit and healthy life, you could perhaps spare a thought for all the fat fuckers out there (like me) who are apparently 'deliberately' rolling around the streets because we don't "simply" eat less, move more - maybe acknowledge that it is not that fucking simple?

I have never once said that anyone is deliberately rolling around.

Talk about making up stuff.

Has anyone said fat shaming is ok?

I mean liken to, rather than compare to, actually.

Doesn't obesity cost the NHS millions in health related problems? The NHS is funded by taxpayers. Everyone pays tax in one form or antoher. Therefore obesity affects everyone, as does smoking, as does having an unhealthy lifestyle etc.

Prejudice against fat people is not comparable to racism. People cannot change the colour of their skin or their ethnic origin but obesity can be reduced by changing diet/exercising. I believe there is a very small minority of obesity cases that have a genuine medical cause that cannot be alleviated by changing diet/lifestyle.

A reporter made the headline which intimated that fat shaming was worse than racism, not me.

The OP of this thread ran with that, so now we have a thread whereby we have to say which is worse - I don't like either, so I said that.

Bullying and discrimination are bullying and discrimination, for whatever reason. It is wrong.

I didn't say you did say that op.

I do think you were smug though, and you did say that shaming worked for smokers...

Scarlett

Actually you put words in my mouth that I never said.

Those of you who are naturally thin, and/or able to keep your eating/weight under control, are LUCKY. Even if you work hard at it, you are still lucky.

People who are slim are generally slim due to consuming no more 'net' calories than they need. Luck doesn't have a lot to do with it. Some people are genuinely unlucky and have physical health problems that cause weight gain either directly or indirectly due to medication, but these people are a very small minority of the overweight population.
I'm within the normal weight range (would like to be slimmer) but it has nothing to do with luck. It has a lot to do with me running 15 miles a week and being aware that if I eat 400 calories of chocolate I have to run an extra 4 miles or so to prevent gaining weight.