Fat Shaming: Right... Or Wrong?
The 21st Century has become a haven for “body positivity” - where the age-old practice of teasing somebody for being overweight has become a cancelable offense… but should it be? Is fat shaming wrong? Even more... does fat shaming work? Or should we take a more enlightened approach to helping people take control of their health? Let’s get into this…
Let’s get something clear right off the bat…
I hate bullies.
During my early high school days - I was bullied - and remember how angry and targeted it made me feel.
I used to dread getting up for school - knowing I’d have to see these older kids who made my life miserable my freshman year…
So believe me, I understand the damage that bullying can do.
That being said…
I’m not 100% against it either.
While I would never condone the behavior…
I believe that a little teasing can help motivate somebody or even better - help them find something inspiring about their own character.
It can be a double-edged sword…
But it’s something that I think is necessary for growth sometimes - as long as it doesn’t get physical.
That’s where I draw the proverbial line.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way…
Let’s talk about the topic at hand…
Fat shaming.
For centuries - people have had their weight issues called out by friends, family, acquaintances and strangers alike.
Some, just to be mean…
Others, in hopes of helping their fat friend take control of their life.
But the results are a crapshoot…
Sometimes it’s helpful - while others it’s harmful.
But with the push of body positivity and fat acceptance on the rise coinciding with the American obesity epidemic - it begs the question:
Can we afford NOT to try EVERYTHING?
We’re Getting FATTER
God's honest truth is…
America is fatter than it’s ever been.
1 out of every 3 Americans are overweight…
Of course, a lot of these statistics are based on BMI - and as anybody that takes health seriously knows - BMI is not an accurate representation of health.
To get the BMI score - you have to divide your weight (in kilograms) by your height (in meters) squared.
While it can give you a 30,000 foot view - it’s not really accurate.
Many CrossFit athletes are considered “overweight” - but that doesn’t mean that they’re unhealthy.
Unhealthy is when we shoot past “overweight” and on to “obese”...
That is where things get a little easier to define.
While “obesity” is still measured in BMI - any score over 30 is considered “obese”...
And while some professional bodybuilders would fall under this category with their BMI score - the odds are if your score is over 30 - you could stand to drop a few pounds.
2 out of every 5 Americans’ are obese…
Not overweight - or a little chubby - but OBESE.
And over the past 10 years - Americans that are SEVERELY obese - has gone from 5.5% to 7.7%...
That’s a problem.
Even though America is one of the most technically advanced nations on the planet - with access to droves and droves of information…
Somehow, we’re getting fatter.
Well…
I’ve got a theory.
We’re Getting Too SOFT!
Yes, as a country…
We’re getting fatter.
We’re also getting SOFTER - and I don’t mean in a muscle tone sort of way…
By softer - I mean in the way that we treat people.
It seems that everybody is easily offended these days…
And with the rise of cancel culture - the mere crime of offending somebody - can lead to you losing your livelihood.
So, people are saying less and less about things than they would have even 10 years ago.
Now, I can understand having this mindset in aspects you can’t choose - like sex, race or even height…
But when it comes to things we CAN choose - like weight - it doesn’t make sense.
Weight is ABSOLUTELY under our control…
It takes discipline, yes - but it’s something that each and every one of us has the ability to control.
And I think it’s ok to tease people for their stupid choices.
Of course, you’ll hear the excuses - they’ll try to tell you it’s NOT a choice - but it is.
They’ll say, “I’ve got an injury that prevents me from working out.”
Or…
“I’ve got a thyroid issue.”
Those are just excuses…
If you can walk… you can do some kind of activity.
If you can move your arms… you can do some kind of activity.
As far as thyroids go…
There isn’t a thyroid issue that’s been created that can’t be tamed with diet and exercise.
This was brought to my attention by a friend’s mother who told me, “Thyroid issues? You didn’t see anybody in the Nazi concentration camps with thyroid issues.”
As terrible as it sounds - she’s right. Concentration camp prisoners were all rail thin because they weren’t given access to food.
So, no…
You can control it - you just don’t want to.
But does that mean we should bully them?
Does Fat Shaming Work?
Bully is a strong term…
So, no - we shouldn’t bully anybody.
However, I see nothing wrong with telling people the TRUTH - and if somebody is too fat for their own health and is REFUSING to do anything about it…
You should absolutely say something - at least if you care about them.
Give them some good natured ribbing…
Tease them a little…
Let them know that what they’re doing is BAD for their health - and if they want to live past 60 - they should make some tweaks to their diet and activity.
There’s NOTHING wrong with that…
A little fat shaming DOES work.
There are THOUSANDS of stories about people who have gotten healthy after getting teased…
In fact, there are even stories of people THANKING their tormentors for helping to motivate them to make the necessary changes.
Even if it was just to prove them wrong…
The motivation was there.
Does it work every time?
No…
But it works enough.
Maybe we’ll get back to a place where a little truth isn’t a cancelable offense?
One can hope, right?
“Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.” - John Wooden
Editor’s Note: ??? - not an easy subject to broach - but food for thought, nonetheless. Is Shawn right? Does fat shaming work? It can… and it can also be harmful. If you find yourself on the receiving end of a little teasing - we can help. Our LIPO-6 line has been THE name for fat burning supplements - and has helped tens of thousands of people reach their weight loss goals. See our best sellers and highest rated fat burners HERE.
