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.

(It’s from a program called “Fat Families” apparently, not a virus or anything)

Which people,,only one third of the population is a healthy weight; so people must be refering to other fat people being mean to them, as they make up the majority of society.

How many people on TV look like Dawn French or James Corden, though? They are an exception. Also, they play on the 'funny fat person' stereotype.

How many romantic leads are fat?

Most would've, yes and from a young age.

That's good for you but as you'll know, I wasn't talking about the modern world.

Fat people would also have been less able to protect their tribes from attack, which wouldn't have gone down well.

Yes the seriously obese are safe in TV - Alison Hammond, Lisa Riley etc ( before the weight loss). Nobody comments.
The ones who cop it are the “not thin” or put on a bit of weight. Theres always someone mocked for “piling on the pounds” when they are just a bit out of shape.

They assume fat = lazy. I was called fat by a bloke (who wasn’t exactly slim) on the way back from the school run. For no reason, he just said ‘fat bitch’ as I walked past him. I said ‘yes my cancer medication has made me put on a tonne of weight, but thank you for your kind words.’ And he looked genuinely shocked. It’s that 1. He assumed I was fat due to me being lazy or greedy (it’s the cancer and medication so the weight is coming off now, not that that’s an excuse) and 2. He didn’t see me as a human being

I genuinely think some people don’t see fat people as human beings.

But I don’t care (I do care about my health but not what others think). I may be fat but I’m kind, smart, a good mum, and I’ve built a successful business from nothing but working 16 hour days.

Other people’s opinions are none of my business and if they decide to make it my business I’ll tell them to fuck off.

Who cares what the RF does?

I don't, but it was about tattoo being cheap, chavy and whatever expletive was used. Cheap and chavvy are not the word that tend to be used to describe the RF, that's all 😂

Now that we have the prolific use of weight loss injections, which will become even cheaper and more accessible in years to come, there will be no more fat people, and society hating fat people will be a thing of the past. Fat people will become extinct like the woolly mammoth or dodo bird. It’s all good.

Sweetiedarling7
I can assure you it is.
Nasty comments and sideways glances.People like to find something to single out about a person and feel free to comment on it .
Too fat
Too thin
Thankfully I managed to put weight back on.

For decades, being fat has been associated with greed and laziness. Neither of these are attractive personality traits. Particularly on a social level. Humans have traditionally lived in groups, which have been dependent on everyone pulling their weight and not taking more than their fair share.

At one time fat was seen as good, it was a sign of wealth, it has toggled between fat and skinny being seen as good throughout human history.

People get angry now because they think us who are heavy laden might die younger - so what!! why does it bother them, I sympathise and too can't really explain it.

I have no objection to people’s weight. I do find it tiresome when I’m at the theatre or on public transport and someone who is rather broad in the beam takes up their own seat and half of mine, though.

Maybe the skinny people are just hangry...

What you say carries more weight (sorry) when you're slim too

Suddenly everything I say is gospel

When I'm 14+ stone, not so much.

I'm the same person, saying the same thing

😶

Every time I've been bullied as an adult it's been by an overweight woman. One of them drunkenly admitted that it was because I was thinner and conveniently more attractive. Bullies don't care about beauty standards.

But people with anorexia and bulimia also cost the NHS a lot in time and money. Why are they not hated and shown disgust. I just don’t get the hate of fat people.

Because the number of people that will be anorexic in their lifetime is less than one percent. The number of obese people (obese, not just overweight) is 29 percent. Anorexia is a very dangerous condition, but obesity affects far more people and costs far more money

Because anorexia and bulimia are see as mental illnesses in a way food addiction is not, food addiction is seen as a moral failing.

I had no idea there were so many human evolutionary and cultural anthropologists on MN!

I've found that it's men who exhibit the most outward hatred - men in vehicles or groups of teenage boys who think it's appropriate to call me a "fat bitch/cunt" as they're passing.

I suspect that it's made worse by the fact that I'm visibly disabled, and people assume that it's because of my weight.

(In fact I had an accident when I was a normal BMI that left me disabled, and it's been the meds etc since that caused the weight gain)

Fat people tick off three of the seven deadly sins:

Greed
Gluttony
Sloth

Therefore, all those without sin can cast their own stone.

Ah, to have been brought up worshipping a loving God and walking amongst those respecting His word...

In Victorian times being fat was a sign of wealth, health and status and much admired.

When I was a younger woman people would treat me differently when I didn’t wear makeup or straighten my hair. I’m now at an age where people have stopped looking at me altogether. It’s something of a relief to be able to go out in whatever state and be almost invisible. My 79 year old mother now gets more attention than I do; walking with a stick means most people are considerate and respectful when they encounter her.

It’s a bitter truth that you can’t prevent people from judging other people on appearance.

In Victorian times women wore restrictive corsets, to make themselves look even smaller. Being fat was not celebrated.

This is just incorrect. Not looking emaciated was obviously the beauty standard, but that doesn’t mean being obese was admired!!