Is Fat Shaming A Problem In America?

Sup my fellow nerds,

Had an amazing weekend here in Monterey, California. The weather here is amazing and there's so much to do. Anyways, I'll make another blog about my amazing weekend with my girlfriend coming here and the sex we had, but that's for my blog...for now I wanna talk about something that ills me.

When I was a the Del Monte Center with my girlfriend, we went to Cold Stone Ice Cream before we went to watch Prometheus, while in line there was a heavier girl holding up the line with ordering many cups of ice cream for her friends, the girls behind her started to make comments about her not needing to buy more than one. The girl looked upset and hurried out after she got her ice cream cups.

The people in our line laughed and didn't think anything less of it. My girlfriend just stayed on my phone reading through the random news and looking at Google Maps to find what else we could do before I had to head back to the base.

Anyways, after that I noticed it happens a lot in this country.

I visit a pretty underground website called Reddit, I can't link it because some of the stuff are NSFW but on there many people talk about this trend of "fat shaming", apparently more than half the US population is "fat, overweight, obese" now and the "skinny, normal, in-shape" say it's bad and go out of their way to shame them.

On the website called Reddit they talk about how only 1% of the fat people are fat due to medical conditions and everyone else is overweight because they are lazy. Then the "anti-fat-shaming" crowd comes in to say that everyone who is fat is due to medical conditions. It's a fascinating fight.

Anyways, as Giant Bomb is the best place to ask about deep social issues, I wanted to know what you guys think of this "fat shaming in America".

How do you people in European countries like UK, Germany, and Canada see the "obesity epidemic" in America?

wait are you serious about the reddit part?

@connerthekewlkid said:

wait are you serious about the reddit part?

What do you mean? I found out about Reddit a few months back and my friends told me not many people go there. It's where all the memes are made and stuff.

@KaosAngel: oh no im just saying its actually pretty popular and there are alot worse sites (cough 4chan cough)

@KaosAngel said:

I'll make another blog about my amazing weekend with my girlfriend

Stopped reading here.

It is their own life and if they want to be fat and unhealthy then no one is stopping them. That girl does not need to eat all the ice cream and can benefit from exercise and not eating so much fatty food, but if she is happy the way she is then who cares about what others say.

@KaosAngel said:

@connerthekewlkid said:

wait are you serious about the reddit part?

What do you mean? I found out about Reddit a few months back and my friends told me not many people go there. It's where all the memes are made and stuff.

I thought 9gag made all of the memes

As someone who is overweight and wants to lose weight, I see no problem in fat shaming. Is it a problem? Dunno, I don't really get out much, and even when I'm at college, the university I go to is big enough that it requires so much walking that most people are at least not-obese (and even in my case, I'm only kinda overweight).

I imagine it's probably a problem everywhere. No one anywhere wants a person to be anything but the ideal. Everyone needs to be fit, tolerant, have high morals, be conscientious, intelligent, and so on. People can't not meet norms otherwise those that strive to meet those norms freak out. It's really dumb isn't it?

@TheHumanDove: @TheHumanDove said:

@KaosAngel said:

@connerthekewlkid said:

wait are you serious about the reddit part?

What do you mean? I found out about Reddit a few months back and my friends told me not many people go there. It's where all the memes are made and stuff.

I thought 9gag made all of the memes

>:[ thats not funny

@NoobSauceG7: She was buying it for her friends though, they were waiting outside because half were talking on their phones.

@TaliciaDragonsong: This is a apparently a serious issue in the country. Did you know the Military won't even take you here if you're over-weight? It's turning out to be a problem for the military.

Fat shaming is good since otherwise people think it's ok to be fat. If being fat becomes normal then we're in trouble.

@connerthekewlkid said:

@KaosAngel: oh no im just saying its actually pretty popular and there are alot worse sites (cough 4chan cough)

Reddit is exactly like /v/ and /b/ only slightly more ''moderate'' in it's presentation, the mentality is very similar though.

Well its their choice so they should expect it by now....  I know its hurtful but if they cant use those insults as motivation to lose weight and improve their lives, the fat people are to blame arent they?

Yes, being overweight is a problem and mostly it's due to non-medical issues. There is some proof that you can be genetically more prone to being or become overweight, like gingers. But for the most part, it's in your own hands.

She didn't deserve it but I think people have the right to point out in some way or another that being overweight is not ok, at least medically speaking.

Fat people should be shamed because it's a sign of laziness and inability to care enough about yourself to stay healthy. There are obviously some cases where it's not their fault because it's medical, but that is very few and far between. Sometimes it's actually a kid's parents fault for letting the kid get fat, but the point is there is always someone to blame when it comes to being overweight. I am the only person in my family that has stayed in any kind of shape and it is purely out of self motivation. I see no problem in the ridicule of fat people because their weight is fully in their control.

Wait a minute, KaosAngel is still around? What the fuck is going on right now?

@the_OFFICIAL_jAPanese_teaBAG said:

Well its their choice so they should expect it by now.... I know its hurtful but if they cant use those insults as motivation to lose weight and improve their lives, the fat people are to blame arent they?

Yeah but I've been doing my research and people are mostly overweight due to social issues, and being made fun of their entire lives. They can't lose weight because chemically the body can't process healthy foods or some shit.

In my country fat peple are loaded into the trains with pitshforks or a trail of ham.  If they are returned they are never same.  At night they scream and keep away the wolfs.  In the day they tremble much and can be used to hang washing on for drying.

You dont know everyone's situation, Just because its easy for you to be thin doesn't mean it is for everyone. Some people have medical diagnoses that creates conditions where they will not be able to lose weight.

I think the problem is that people in general are just ignorant, shocker I know. It's not okay to point and laugh at overweight people, those in your story sound like the lowest form of jerks. Though the people who do that sort of stuff are just assholes and would find another reason to make fun of people if they weren't overweight. There's no helping that. The best we can all do is not fuck them and let Darwinism run its course. The real issue is that when overweight people are encouraged to lose the weight they're often doing it for the wrong reasons. It's not about being healthy, it's about looking good.

@Dagbiker said:

You dont know everyone's situation, Just because its easy for you to be thin doesn't mean it is for everyone. Some people have medical diagnoses that creates conditions where they will not be able to lose weight.

That's what I'm saying. I don't understand how people can flat out blame overweight people for being lazy. Over half the population is overweight now and clearly it's a medical condition that's been going on. Maybe it's because America is the wealthiest nation and we can afford to do it, but then I look at countries who are near our wealth like the UK and Canada and it's not a problem there. Hell, Canada is just on top of USA and they don't have this issue.

@the_OFFICIAL_jAPanese_teaBAG said:

Well its their choice so they should expect it by now.... I know its hurtful but if they cant use those insults as motivation to lose weight and improve their lives, the fat people are to blame arent they?

Yeah but I've been doing my research and people are mostly overweight due to social issues, and being made fun of their entire lives. They can't lose weight because chemically the body can't process healthy foods or some shit.

FORGET ABOUT THE SOCIAL ISSUES, GET TO THE SEX, MAN! DID YOU DO IT, OR AT LEAST TALKED ABOUT DOING IT?!

@KaosAngel said:

@the_OFFICIAL_jAPanese_teaBAG said:

Well its their choice so they should expect it by now.... I know its hurtful but if they cant use those insults as motivation to lose weight and improve their lives, the fat people are to blame arent they?

Yeah but I've been doing my research and people are mostly overweight due to social issues, and being made fun of their entire lives. They can't lose weight because chemically the body can't process healthy foods or some shit.

Fuck me i didn't realise we had a doctor on the forums.

I think it should be a levels thing (coming from someone who used to be pretty overweight) if your a bit chubby you shouldn't really get much grief but obese people should especially if there making everybody wait as they buy up all the fucking ice cream, i mean surely they could get half then and half when they inevitably make a return journey that night.

@DoctorWelch said:

Fat people should be shamed because it's a sign of laziness and inability to care enough about yourself to stay healthy. There are obviously some cases where it's not their fault because it's medical, but that is very few and far between. Sometimes it's actually a kid's parents fault for letting the kid get fat, but the point is there is always someone to blame when it comes to being overweight. I am the only person in my family that has stayed in any kind of shape and it is purely out of self motivation. I see no problem in the ridicule of fat people because their weight is fully in their control.

That's like saying, "let's burn all the Jews, because they choose that lifestyle, and I think it's incorrect." Moron.

@connerthekewlkid said:

@KaosAngel: oh no im just saying its actually pretty popular and there are alot worse sites (cough 4chan cough)

Don't want to derail the thread too much, but 4chan > reddit.

Hard to feel sorry for fat people for being greedy and lazy...

@ThePickle said:

@connerthekewlkid said:

@KaosAngel: oh no im just saying its actually pretty popular and there are alot worse sites (cough 4chan cough)

Don't want to derail the thread too much, but 4chan > reddit.

True, but anything is better than reddit.

@KaosAngel said:

@the_OFFICIAL_jAPanese_teaBAG said:

Well its their choice so they should expect it by now.... I know its hurtful but if they cant use those insults as motivation to lose weight and improve their lives, the fat people are to blame arent they?

Yeah but I've been doing my research and people are mostly overweight due to social issues, and being made fun of their entire lives. They can't lose weight because chemically the body can't process healthy foods or some shit.

LOL, chemically can't process healthy foods? Are you serious?

Btw fun fact of the day; Fat people burn more calories a day than lean people. 3500 kcal's is what fat people burn per day as opposed to 2000-2500 of lean people. I can eat healthy foods just fine, it's just that nobody knows how to make healthy dishes since vegetables get more and more expensive while meat and meatproducts gets cheaper.

I think 'fat shaming' is kinda messed up. However, and I'm trying to think of how to word this correctly, while I don't think being fat is 'wrong,' I think being well aware of the health risks that come with obesity and doing nothing to change yourself (assuming your obesity is not related to a medical issue) is kind of...well...kind of stupid.

@TrafalgarLaw said:

@KaosAngel said:

@the_OFFICIAL_jAPanese_teaBAG said:

Well its their choice so they should expect it by now.... I know its hurtful but if they cant use those insults as motivation to lose weight and improve their lives, the fat people are to blame arent they?

Yeah but I've been doing my research and people are mostly overweight due to social issues, and being made fun of their entire lives. They can't lose weight because chemically the body can't process healthy foods or some shit.

LOL, chemically can't process healthy foods? Are you serious?

Btw fun fact of the day; Fat people burn more calories a day than lean people. 3500 kcal's is what fat people burn per day as opposed to 2000-2500 of lean people. I can eat healthy foods just fine, it's just that nobody knows how to make healthy dishes since vegetables get more and more expensive while meat and meatproducts gets cheaper.

It's legit. They eat unhealthy their entire lives so when they try to eat healthy it doesn't work as it should. Like the body is so used to eating shit, it thinks eating shit is normal. Plus all the social issues like depression and stuff, and constantly being told about it. The body is too stressed to eat healthy.

@ThePickle: im just saying its alot more people who just dont care

@KaosAngel said:

@TrafalgarLaw said:

@KaosAngel said:

@the_OFFICIAL_jAPanese_teaBAG said:

Well its their choice so they should expect it by now.... I know its hurtful but if they cant use those insults as motivation to lose weight and improve their lives, the fat people are to blame arent they?

Yeah but I've been doing my research and people are mostly overweight due to social issues, and being made fun of their entire lives. They can't lose weight because chemically the body can't process healthy foods or some shit.

LOL, chemically can't process healthy foods? Are you serious?

Btw fun fact of the day; Fat people burn more calories a day than lean people. 3500 kcal's is what fat people burn per day as opposed to 2000-2500 of lean people. I can eat healthy foods just fine, it's just that nobody knows how to make healthy dishes since vegetables get more and more expensive while meat and meatproducts gets cheaper.

It's legit. They eat unhealthy their entire lives so when they try to eat healthy it doesn't work as it should. Like the body is so used to eating shit, it thinks eating shit is normal. Plus all the social issues like depression and stuff, and constantly being told about it. The body is too stressed to eat healthy.

Id pay to watch you do some kind of documentary on this.

I'm ashamed to be friends with some of my more rotund buddies.

@Carryboy: Dude just go online and see all the topics on it. The vast majority of people over weight is due to medical.

@KaosAngel said:

@TrafalgarLaw said:

@KaosAngel said:

@the_OFFICIAL_jAPanese_teaBAG said:

Well its their choice so they should expect it by now.... I know its hurtful but if they cant use those insults as motivation to lose weight and improve their lives, the fat people are to blame arent they?

Yeah but I've been doing my research and people are mostly overweight due to social issues, and being made fun of their entire lives. They can't lose weight because chemically the body can't process healthy foods or some shit.

LOL, chemically can't process healthy foods? Are you serious?

Btw fun fact of the day; Fat people burn more calories a day than lean people. 3500 kcal's is what fat people burn per day as opposed to 2000-2500 of lean people. I can eat healthy foods just fine, it's just that nobody knows how to make healthy dishes since vegetables get more and more expensive while meat and meatproducts gets cheaper.

It's legit. They eat unhealthy their entire lives so when they try to eat healthy it doesn't work as it should. Like the body is so used to eating shit, it thinks eating shit is normal. Plus all the social issues like depression and stuff, and constantly being told about it. The body is too stressed to eat healthy.

It doesn't work as it should? Unless you're suffering from Cystic Fibrosis or Celiac disease, everyone can just digest nutrients just fine. It's not legit. The body doesn't remember what you have eaten and what you have been accustomed to, it just digests what it gets. Sure if you eat a lot of fatty foods you produce more bile but that's about it...the body doesn't adapt to what kinds of food you eat, it's maximally adapted to food to begin with.

@KaosAngel said:

@Dagbiker said:

You dont know everyone's situation, Just because its easy for you to be thin doesn't mean it is for everyone. Some people have medical diagnoses that creates conditions where they will not be able to lose weight.

That's what I'm saying. I don't understand how people can flat out blame overweight people for being lazy. Over half the population is overweight now and clearly it's a medical condition that's been going on. Maybe it's because America is the wealthiest nation and we can afford to do it, but then I look at countries who are near our wealth like the UK and Canada and it's not a problem there. Hell, Canada is just on top of USA and they don't have this issue.

If your being sarcastic, all I was saying is that not all of the people you make fun of will be able to do what your asking them to do.

I think the more serious social issue here is how quick people are to anger when waiting in line.

I'll be the first to admit I'm part of the problem.

A lot of the time obesity is a sign of being poor in first world nations since healthy food tends to be more expensive then crap food. You can only eat what you can afford.

Well, there's a problem, though. "But if they're happy, then who cares if they keep making themselves fat?" THEY should care. Ignorance is bliss, yes, but bliss can be deadly. Bliss can reduce life expectancy. Bliss can be hard to enjoy when you have numerous health problems as a result of poor diet. Bliss is costly, as you usually end up buying more food and spend more money on medical bills as results of complications of said diet. Bliss is damaging to your children when you fail to develop healthy eating habits and exercise routines for them - the fat leading the fat, you could say.

I used to be overweight, and even currently am not in the best shape I can be, but I look at these 250-300ish lb people and thank god I'm no longer like them. I don't look down on them, and I don't judge them, but I wish they'd at least ATTEMPT to improve themselves. There's really nothing wrong with people wanting other people to improve themselves, right?

Anyway, an interesting thing I learned from watching a movie called Killer at Large is that one factor of gas consumption is the average weight of the American family. The heavier the household, the more load it is on their vehicles, and the more their MPG is reduced. I have no idea how large a factor it is in the scheme of things, just thought it worth mentioning. :P

I thought you weren't allowed to make threads about fat people anymore!?

Also, yes.

@KaosAngel: Id just like to see the part in the show where your present the graph that shows at what stress levels the body rejects the lettuce, i don't need to research it mind i work in a hospital i can formulate my opinion from that.

@TooWalrus: Really why not?

Some people can eat shit all day and not gain any weight. My friend looks like a skeleton with some skin wrapped around it, and all he does is sit around and eat brownies and cookie dough.

@TooWalrus: It's not. It's a mature topic about "fat shaming" and why it's wrong.

@Carryboy said:

@KaosAngel: Id just like to see the part in the show where your present the graph that shows at what stress levels the body rejects the lettuce, i don't need to research it mind i work in a hospital i can formulate my opinion from that.

If you go on Reddit and the topics that talk about it, the Doctors on there say that due to stress, and medical issues most people have a hard time losing weight. NOT due to being lazy. Most over weight people are due to medical issues since childhood and harassment from peers which caused the stress on them.

@KaosAngel said:

apparently more than half the US population is "fat, overweight, obese" now and the "skinny, normal, in-shape" say it's bad and go out of their way to shame them.

On the website called Reddit they talk about how only 1% of the fat people are fat due to medical conditions and everyone else is overweight because they are lazy. Then the "anti-fat-shaming" crowd comes in to say that everyone who is fat is due to medical conditions. It's a fascinating fight.

I stopped right here. Are you retarded?

@will_leisure said:

FORGET ABOUT THE SOCIAL ISSUES, GET TO THE SEX, MAN! DID YOU DO IT, OR AT LEAST TALKED ABOUT DOING IT?!

Perfect.

When I was fat no one really shamed me, I mostly shamed myself. I ate a lot less in public or at friend's houses to try and look like I wasn't a complete monster. Once I was alone, however, shit got real.