Why does society hate fat people

[welshcakes4]

For most of my 20s, I struggled with being overweight, mainly because of my unhealthy eating habits and not exercising enough. I definitely turned to food for comfort, especially when I was feeling down. I’ve never really been a drinker, smoker or taken drugs, so food was my go to. I’m 32 now and I’ve completely changed my life around. I’ve adopted a much healthier lifestyle and lost 4 stone, which has made me feel so much happier. Since I’ve slimmed down, I’ve noticed a big difference in how people treat me, especially men, but women too. Their attitudes have shifted, and they seem a lot friendlier now. I know this is a bigger issue, just look online and you’ll see all the nasty comments and jokes about overweight people. I came across one earlier, and it was surprisingly the women who were being vile.

It’s fine to disagree with someone’s choices. I guess the same could be said for alcoholics, drug addicts, etc, but why all the hate and vitriol? Why are we treated like second class citizens? We’re not bad people, we just have our struggles with food. We haven’t killed or harmed anyone. It’s so strange to me that people can get so worked up and angry over someone being overweight. I’ve genuinely never understood this.

This is very true. The only person who is rude and unkind about my weight is me. It’s a cycle of internalised abuse and shame which makes me more depressed and eat more “because I’m fat, ugly and useless anyway”.

I judge fat people in the same way I judge smokers - you must be really stupid to do that to yourself. And I say that as someone who used to be fat. I definitely judged myself.

As a fat man, it was the worse negative thing you could have about yourself on a dating site.

Fat men = lazy, unmotivated, unhappy, don't care about their appearance or health. All things you definitely don't want in a partner.

I have a partner now but I'm still 'obese'. I hate it, all the above things are true and I wish it wasn't so.

Pretty much most people

Weird thing is, when I was very overweight, I used to judge other overweight people. Explain that? I was delusional, and only lost weight when I woke up to myself.

Well you are conflating two things here. You said that men in particular are generally nicer and pay you more attention, more polite etc, since you've been slim. But they probably aren't the same men who were hurling rude insults and openly mocking you for being fat previously.

People who are cruel and mocking are just bullies and usually pretty unintelligent and unappealing themselves. They will do it to anyone they perceive as lesser than them whether it's size, looks, disability or whatever. If you don't stand out in any way you will be left alone. If you have some obvious thing that marks you out as different or unattractive they will bully you for it, because they are bullies. If the bullies have stopped doing this to you, it's because you've stopped standing out and catching their attention as a target for some sport.

I don't think that's the same thing as men in general being nicer and paying you more attention because you are considered more attractive now. We are talking about different groups of men doing things for different reasons.

Jesus

I definitely don’t feel like I hate fat people, just myself.
Pretty sure I didn’t hate them or judge them as stupid before I got fat either. I just wish I’d appreciated the body I used to have more while I had it.

Hmm.
And those of us who like a few glasses of wine?
Or eat junk food?
We all have a vice, don't we?
(I also judge smokers, but for a different reason).

You mean those more overweight than you or the same?
If more overweight, I can sort of understand it as you trying to distance yourself from them.
If I feel bad about not doing housework I watch hoarding videos so I can feel better!