Does Fat Shaming Work?

Fat Shaming, Fat Stigma, Fat Discrimination… all of these are very prevalent and acceptable in our society. It’s okay to make jokes about the fat girl in middle school and it’s okay to make jokes about the fat politician. It’s okay to directly suggest to an overweight person that they should put down that burger or soda. It’s okay for someone like Katie Hopkins who says emphatically that she would not hire someone who was overweight. You can see the video here of the very controversial Katie.

Fat shaming is everywhere but still more and more people are obese.

In a study by UCL, they found that shaming someone for being fat does not help them to lose weight and in fact can someone who is discriminated against, or fat shamed, is likely to gain weight.

Is it possible that fat shaming is making us even fatter?

Telling a young child they are chubby, need to diet or that they are downright fat has been found to increase their chance of become obese in adulthood. We, as a nation, are afraid of fat and yet we do nothing constructive to help those who suffer from obesity. By shaming someone who is overweight we reject them for who they are. We are telling them they are not worthy of a job, of education, even of love. When was the last time you saw a fat person in an online dating service commercial or represented in an add for higher education?

Why do we fear fat bodies so much? Is it because we don’t like the way they look? Is it because we think fat people are lazy? Do we believe fat people are undisciplined or dirty? Whatever it is it certainly isn’t sexy, no matter how many plus sized models (who aren’t even as heavy as the average size woman) walk the runway.

If we are really concerned about the cost of health care due to the obesity in this country, as some suggest, wouldn’t it behoove us to find a way to help people lose weight, get fit and feel good about themselves without destroying their self esteem in the process.

Instead of shaming a child for being chubby (and let’s face it, it isn’t the child who should be shamed, it’s the parent who let that child eat unhealthy foods to begin with) wouldn’t we be better served if we offered that child acceptance, support and encouragement? I’m not suggesting we accept that some people are just fat and that it is just another characteristic like hair color or eye color. It’s not. Obesity is at an all time high and it contributes to serious health issues like heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

We shouldn’t accept that fat is an alternative or lifestyle choice but we need to understand that those who overeat are doing so because they feel worthless, have been told they don’t matter because they are fat (so why not eat more, at least the food doesn’t judge me and I get pleasure from it) and basically have accepted what society tells them – that they are lazy and invisible.

And dieting doesn’t work. Those who diet generally gain back the weight they lost and then some.

There is a lot we don’t know about fat. Why do some people get fat while others can eat anything they want and remain slim and fit? Obesity needs to be tackled at a young age which can be difficult when both parents have a job so take out or pizza is a common dinner choice. There is much we can do to help those who are overweight get fit — and one of those things might actually be to give them a hug.