Are you a weight bigot?

Calling someone fat or obese, even under the pretext of being concerned for his or her health, is a form of bullying. Shaming someone in order to get them to lose weight is equally cruel.

And these days, those being bullied are just as likely to fight back…

Take the case of Wisconsin television anchor Jennifer Livingston. She received an email from a viewer recently that said, among other things, “Surely you don’t consider yourself a suitable example for this community’s young people, girls in particular. Obesity is one of the worst choices a person can make and one of the most dangerous habits to maintain.”

Here’s how Jennifer responded:

Last week on my Facebook page, I posted a new commercial from Blue Cross of Minnesota. I was shocked by the ad because it struck me as shaming rather than educating.

Weight bigots hide behind the “…concerned for your health” line because it’s a way to be mean, and act like they are better than the other person… without looking like a bully.  People who are overweight or obese know they have a weight issue… and they are concerned for their health, too.

I know we’ve all been inundated lately with statistics and numbers and information on just how obese our country has become. I’ve certainly written a lot about the problem… you can see some of my posts on the subject here, here and here. But, unless you’re offering some new information that can actually help someone overcome his or her weight problem, think before you speak.

Nobody likes a bully.

 

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