Fat discrimination is a gateway to other forms of discrimination

[AnxiousApocalypse]

I'm morbidly obese and have struggled with extreme weight gain due to psychiatric medication I'm on. Currently a UK size 26/28, I put up with a lot of rude, ignorant comments about my weight. I want to start taking a weight loss injection such as Semaglutide or Tirzepatide but am worried about being able to afford the higher dosages when the time comes to increase the dosage. People at work can't seem to get enough of commenting on how fat I am. I've just watched the BBC Panorama documentary about the undercover journalist in the Met Police at Charing Cross. One of the police officers was extremely rude about a fat woman he met off the internet. I also watched a clip of a misogynistic podcaster called Myron who says fat people should be rounded up. People struggle with their weight for a whole variety of reasons, but society deems it acceptable to kick someone when they're already down. I know I'm fat and I want to change that but it doesn't help having people treat you as subhuman.

Op i would not put off taking rh injections worrying about what will happen when you get to s healthy weight, generic versions are due on the market now for wegovy, so I’d start on that see if it works, when you get to a healthy weight you can deal with that issue when it comes, and if its wegovy and it works then the odds are you can affford it if you can now.

as for discrimination, some people are arseholes, they will find any reason to bully someone, size, looks, religion, wealth, skin colour, if there is a difference someone will use it to be a bully, it has always been this way, it is and always has been unacceptable, but these arseholes will always be with us,

I can't say without details of what the comments actually are, but if it's just a comment like 'oh you've put on weight' then that'll more likely be from good intentions rather than bad. You could think of it like how you'd treat an alcoholic friend. You'd definitely make a comment here and there, and he'd probably not be happy to hear them, but your objective is to help him rather than mock him.

So, so true.

It's just that prejudiced people are nasty about any difference. So the person who feels the need to say mean remarks about fat people would also feel fine about picking on people of a different race, nationality or sexuality.

Those cops clearly despise women so the fattist comment was more misogyny. They wouldn't have said anything about a fat white man.

I've had alcoholic colleagues and I would not have made any comments to them about it, because it's not appropriate in the workplace if it isn't impacting on their work. Which it wasn't at that point. So, nothing to do with me.

Saying "You've put on weight" to anyone is so very very pointless. Do you think they don't know? Do you think they think that no one else can tell? How does saying that to them help at all?

What exactly for?

Do you mean the police officer who said the woman was so fat she had “two pussies” her normal one and another basically which was fat encasing it. That police officer??

As a fat person, this is shit. It’s not discrimination

Sounds like a you problem, not a them problem @ufo .

I do wonder when people say that, show me an overweight person who isn't aware they're overweight and I'll show you a male MET officer who isn't a racist/homophobic/misogynistic prick... ie neither exist

Watching people choose to be fat is incredibly frustrating. There are medications and treatments available

I’m not sure that’s true, I have seen so many many threads where women say I’m not fat, I’m just a bit overweight, or now I’ve lost it I didn’t see how fat I was. Or I don’t look fat, I carry it well, no one would guess I’m so heavy, a size 16 isn’t fat. A size 18 isn’t fat, it’s one above the average. BMI is bullshit. We need to be a bmi 27 as we are older. It’s not fat. So many comments. Many many can’t see it or are in denial. And I see loads of people saying you’re not fat, no, when the poster clearly is and has posted an image.

i myself gained weight and slipped into the obese category, i kidded myself i was a size 16 at 5ft 7, as i wore stretchy clothes, I thought i looked fine but sure had gained some weight. I was fat. I looked fat. But the dysmorphia and denial were real; if you told me I was fat I’d think you an offensive fool.

many many people who are fat will not accept they are fat. To the extent they will even look at a healthy weight person and deem them underweight, because if they are a healthy weight then that means they must be fat. And they won’t have it.

so no, I don’t agree with you that fat people always know they are fat.

And what business is it of your's? I can understand how you will be worried about people who you love being morbidly obese. But for everyone else?

I

Nomas you are going to upset people.

A load of posters called someone's husband and fat this and that because they found him lacking. If someone is bad and fat, then many people here think it is okay to insult how they look including their weight.

Do you struggle with understanding boundaries generally, or just when it comes to fat people?

It seems I already have! 😂

I think you said something just to see how many notifications you could get😄

There are, if you can afford them. To be prescribed them, you need a referral to a Tier 3 weight loss service. The problem? Across the country the vast majority are now closed to new referrals because they have a waiting list of 3 years.

Because of this, there has been a recent introduction of a scheme to allow GPs to prescribe them, but only to people who meet 4 conditions out of 5. And actually, the number of people who meet the requirements is a tiny amount because even at a BMI of 47, it is possible to only have one of the other qualifying conditions like type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, or high blood pressure.

As someone who is obese and disabled, I can’t rely on exercise to shift the weight and I am often reliant on my husband and son to cook. I can’t get referred to a Tier 3 service despite being entitled to that referral under normal circumstances because none are open to new referrals. And I can’t afford the injections privately because I’m too disabled to work right now.

So yes, it sucks. I have managed to lose some weight this year and it has taken forever to shift what I have. At this rate it will take years of people like you patronising me because you’re completely ignorant of the reality. I will get there eventually, but it really is by no means as simple as you’re trying to make out.

No, I genuinely think if OP’s employer is complicit in the bullying then OP should speak to her union or a lawyer. The law is on her side.

I’m fat. Been fat all my life. It was a choice.

As a pp said, ludicrous and pointless advice like this helps no-one.

@AnxiousApocalypse I'm so sorry people are being vile to you. You do need to address it with HR though. It's bullying. But yeah, some people do love to comment when someone is fat. Coz ya know, when someone is carrying say, 6-7 stone plus of extra weight, they don't realise it themselves, so they need people to tell them. 🙄

Or you could (if you don't want to report it) say 'oh wow, thanks for telling me I'm overweight, I would NEVER have known if you hadn't been good enough to inform me. Thank you THANK you, THANK YOU!!!!!' Then just scowl at them.

Well we also HAVE to drink (some people will insist in alcohol in their drink) we also HAVE to breathe (some people will insist on breathing through a fag ) and yes we ALSO HAVE to EAT ( some people will insist on eating too much rubbish) it's all about what we CHOOSE to drink, breathe and or eat isn't it really?

Oh, it’s you.

It’s not ludicrous, it’s just two steps ahead of you, because I’ve done OP the courtesy of thinking she has already raised this with her employers and they have done nothing.

It’s absolutely ok to see your union or a lawyer about bullying.

This. Sorry for what you're having to deal with OP.