I just ran across this UK article about abuse of fat people. The article makes it sound as if there's a rash of beatings for being overweight across the pond, but overall is focusing on the question of why society seems to pile so much hate on people who are overweight.
Personally I've not encountered more than just the looks and stares and the occasional comment here in the US for being fat. Strangely enough most of that I remember occurred as an adult rather than my teenage years (you'd think it would be the opposite, wouldn't you?)
There is definitely discrimination against fat people; we are, along with smokers, one of the last of the "socially acceptable to make fun of" classifications of people. But outright beatings?
That's a little scary. Maybe the story was just focusing on isolated events rather than a rash of hate crimes. I certainly hope so. Has any reader found there to be outright discrimination against fat people in the US?
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I have no proof or experience one way or the other, Barry, but I can imagine that if there is discrimination, it will only increase. People may come to see fat people as well as smokers as contributing to the increase in their health care costs.
ReplyDeleteSociety may come to see fat people as scapegoats. They are a burden on healthcare, no doubt, and the health insurance companies will do all they can to divert attention away from the fact that there is a HUGE amount of waste in their own red tape and internal policies to find as much reason as possible to reject claims. Being visible in public helps increase their susceptibility to such PR campaigns. Doesn't make it right, though.
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