Fat people are stupid apparently.

[mytwopenceworth]

did anyone read that bit in the express about the business man who won't hire fat people because he says they are unintelligent and just smoke fags, drink beer and eat pies all day?

how can people think it's ok to be so hateful and discriminatory.

i hope he gets leprosy and his watnot falls off.

Can someone pass the remote? It dropped behind the sofa and it's too far to reach without getting up.

Flutterbee I don't know what thread you've been reading.

ok sow hwta s happenign here then?

LMAO @ the way this thread has turned out.

Could have wrote the script myself.

are fta peopel stupid lazy or none?

I'm fat (not very) and physically very lazy! Mentally I'm very active - so I reckon it's being clever that makes you fat!

Porcupine, all of those things can be applied to obese, overweight, underweight and normal weight people.

Virtually everyone on this thread agrees that stereotyping anybody is lazy, uncouth, crass and derogative. Unfortuantely, some have chosen to misinterpret well intentioned comments as blithe attacks on the obese and that certainly has not been the case with most posters.

I too think Flutterbee must be reading a different thread.

I think Flutterbees point is that regardless of the so-called 'intention' of peoples comments - many are based on assumptions, stereotypes, prejudices and lack of understanding (or ignorance).

Speedymama, having re-read the thread a number of times, I partially disagree with your comment that... "Virtually everyone on this thread agrees that stereotyping anybody is lazy, uncouth, crass and derogative."... Yes, many may appear to have said that, but my impression is that they think this to every form of discrimination other than that experienced by fat people.

The point is that it should not be the 'intention' that matters in this case, but the way those it is targetted at receive it. Those who are quick to judge others based on their physical appearance might be better served by actually listening to what people are saying. They then might be able to understand why these so-called 'well-intentioned' comments make us 'fatties' angry.

Joash, everybody judges everybody on physical experience the first time they see them. Fat people will judge other fat people or thin people or bald people or people who wear glasses. Fat people are not immune from making judgements.

The issue as far as I am concerned is how that initial judgement is subsequently used once we speak to a person.

I have interviewed people and as soon as they walk through the door, I make a judgement about their deportment, their handshake, how they sit etc. It is only once I start speaking to them that the initial judgements are obfuscated by their verbal delivery, intellect, expertise, experience and overall personality. People who discriminate will not get pass their initial impressions and will seek out traits to reaffirm their initial judgements. That has not been evident by most of the postings on this thread.

everybody judges everybody - now there's another assumption!!!

I have also interviewed people and do not make assumptions about them as soon as they walk through the door. I do make judgements based on their conduct during the interview in conjunction with their original application and in some cases - include any references.

However, I am a little confused as to why your initial judgements would be 'obfuscated'. If an applicants verbal delivery, intellect, expertise, experience and overall personality osfuscate your inital judgements, doesn't that confusion make it even more difficult to maintain a clear perspective during your final decision making?

When you receive an application, you make a judgement about what they have written and decide whether or not to interview them. They walk through the door and you make an intital judgement about what you see. You then speak to them and develop further judgements based on your discussions with them. Following all that, you make a final judgement on whether the candidate is suitable for the job.

If someone walks in to an interview and has pink and orange hair, I would think OK, this person definitely likes to express their individuality - this is going to be an interesting interview.

If someone walked in timidly, could not look me in the eyes and gave me a lame handshake, I would think that this person is shy and I am going to have to do a lot of coaxing to get them to open up and do themselves justice.

We make judgements all the time - it is not an assumption!

Speedy, what you have described is behaviour, not appearance as such!

Flutterbee, I think you lost the moral high ground with your last sentence - completely uncalled for and not exactly accurate. Most people on the thread were having a reasoned and fairly civilised debate.

You may not agree with what others say, and you may rightly want to challenge some opinions and preconceptions, but calling them wankers isn't the way to do it!

Pink and orange hair is appearance

Anyone for a pint and a ruby?

I would, Norfolk, but I'm on a diet

Pink and orange hair is the way you choose to style it that morning/week! - behaviour!

Isn't behaviour how one conducts oneself and therefore may have an impact on ones appearance though?

If I choose not to eat anything for a week in order to rapidly lose weight so that I can look thinner, my behaviour is to starve myself.

Ha ha ha Speedy, I know I'm on dodgy ground with the pink hair, - but you're on dodgy ground with the starving thing!

Right about the eye-contract though!

I don't want to rehash any of the previous arguments, but here's an interesting story to throw into the mix, it was in the news a few years ago.

It was around the issue of whether or not it is discriminating for an airline to make an obese person book double seats on a plane. A passenger was suing the airline for not doing so because she had a seat next to a morbidly obese person on a long-haul flight. Because of the constricted position she was forced to sit in for the flight, she ended up with chronic physical complaints that stopped her from being able to work. She had asked to be moved but the plane was full. The airline's response was that it would have been discriminatory to insist that the obese passenger book two seats.

Your comments please?

I agree, everyone judges everyone else on first appearances. However, there is a huge difference between judging someone and acting in a discriminatory way toward them.

Speedymama - thanks but it is hardly a first step. I have been going to the gym for the last three months and been making healthy food choices, I just joined ww after being made to feel that I was not doing enough to help myself. However, thanks, for your input and advice. I have 5 or 6 exercise dvds but it is hard to do them as I live with parents and pretty much live in my bedroom. They would go mad if I started jumping up and down in my room! I still find it hard to walk the streets as I am just overcoming agoraphobia so I am just going to have to force myself into paying for the gym - where I am going in a minute. I also know that about tactics that help make losing weight easier, I have been on a diet pretty much since I put the weight on around 2000. In fact I have helped many many people lose weight by advising them; the problem is and was never educating myself on how to lose weight, it is keeping my emotions under control to the point where I don't feel the need to overeat. Its not easy but I will continue to try as I have done over the last seven years. TBH this thread has really shocked me into understanding just how badly/negatively people think about obesity so maybe it will help spur me on. All I can do is try.

I wish you all the best Giddyfeet

Oi nowt wrong with pink hair, mine was a year ago I will 'ave you know! Chrysanthemeum pink, to be exact.

The guy who said that obviously has never meet Patrick Moore, he's very clever and is the size of a small whale. That's if he is still alive he must be about 480 by now!

very very clever and very very fat