"Fat Shaming"

[Gerard Matthews]

I recently came across a rant that had been posted on a training blog by a man named Paul Carter on the subject of so-called "fat shaming" and why the author believes that this is perfectly justified. He goes on to discuss how society has taken the concept of "equality" too far.

I have to say I agreed with some of the comments he made against "participation trophies" and people in low end, unskilled jobs believing they should be entitled to the same wages as a CEO.

What I totally disagree with is the need to humiliate other people just because of the way they look, which may or may not be within their control.

Everybody eats, some more than others. It is common knowledge that many so called "fat" people have thyroid and other metabolic problems. Most of us know people who have the opposite problem: they eat a lot of food but struggle to gain weight due to an over active thyroid.

Additionally most overweight people will suffer from depression and low self esteem, which can lead to so-called binge eating and comfort eating. This can lead to a vicious circle which only intensifies when the person suffers emotional upheaval caused by the unkindness of others.

As far as deliberate lifestyle choices go those made by a "fat" person will more than likely be far less deliberate and willful than those made by a drug user, a homosexual or a person who participates in extreme sports. I have yet to hear of a "fat" person being called "courageous" just for daring to eat what they want.

The person who has become overweight will have to wait a very long time before they can see the results of positive lifestyle choices that some of the other groups mentioned may notice much faster. It is for this reason that I cannot see the logic of how "fat shaming" has become one of the few forms of intolerance that is considered acceptable in modern society.

As for the 'fat shamers' themselves: are we to assume that their motives are pure? Do they really care for the recipients of their criticism, vitriol and abuse and simply want to help them to get better? Are they themselves living healthy lifestyles?

I will give a few examples of the harmful activities a 'fat shamer' may be involved in:

1) Steroid use: Is Mr Carter natural? I would be interested to know.

2) Drinking excessive caffeine and using 'fat burners': A guy I know who once "fat shamed" me admitted that he drank far too much coffee, which could cause heart problems for him further down the road. Similarly those who use other stimulants (legal or illegal) could also be facing problems further down the road.

3) Casual sex and deviant activities associated therewith: Whilst an obese person may struggle to "get somebody" many of the toned and fit brigade are busy humping away giving each other all kinds of VD's.

4) Over exercising: The body can only handle so much weight in the gym and so many miles of shin pounding before something will start to give. The hearts of many of today's Strongman competitors are probably under a lot more stress than the average person who visits Mc Donalds three times a day.


Society has not really advanced at all: people just exchange one form of hatred for another in line with fashions. The hate is still there.


As a person who has been in excellent shape at times and at others been described as "grossly overweight" I can safely vouch that positive encouragement and gently does it are far more effective in helping a person to adopt lifestyle choices than being publicly humiliated and ostacized. If you push a person too far you could see them dangling from the end of a rope, and who would want to be responsible for that?

[Steve Gardener]

The older I get the more my mind changes back and forth on these kinda issues. I was and hopefully still aren't the kinda guy that's gonna walk up and offer up that I think 'you're a fat ****er aren't ya'. It'd be bad enough to do this drunk never mind sober and without asking. It amounts to bullying. Of course, the reason why anyone would 'shame' in any way - fat, tall, short, bigger left ear than the right, is to somehow raise themselves up (because they need to) on the supposed failings of others. As I pointed out to a local girl recently 'if you were the only one with a green handbag and everyone else's was red you'd be the slag with the green bag'. It's part and parcel of the herd mentality.

I'll touch upon the health issue etc in a mo - but look at my last line. Desmond Morris, I think it was, wrote a book called Man Watching (I may be misquoting here). Like others before him he pointed out that we're animals. And as such we do 'herd' in that we gather, sociably, in great crowds (towns, cities and the like). We exhibit the herd like traits.So the frail, old and unfit (inc fat) are considered weak and if we were a herd these would be the victims of predators. As we're humans and have few predators in cities (none lol) we point out the failings of others to improve our status. The higher the status, if only mentally speaking, the closer to the front of the herd we go. All the PC aspects in the in universe go against our nature which is ingrained and innate for centuries. Hell, it's only in this lifetime we've tried to change it. You say as much when you say we've not changed as a society.

In the same more modern terms we also, as you do above, excuse obesity. To say that some have gland issues excuses them. It doesn't excuse others - the majority. And the reality is we seem too fond of looking for excuses. You and I go to the gym. We find the time, the energy, the drive to do so. Unless some scientist suddenly finds us exercisers have a gene which gives us this ability then how do we do it when others do not? Do we claim to have a dis-order (a dismorphia??)? Is it because we're depressed? If we raise ourselves as above herd like behavior and claim to be human and so different (if only because we think) then neither of us, who ARE capable of doing it properly, are any different to those who are not.

I could go on in the vein above but I'm off to the gym to do what I hope is enough to win my next competition. In the meantime I'll touch upon the cost issue of obesity. Fat shaming someone into a suicide seems extreme but then so does the cost to the NHS of obesity. Being overweight is unhealthy and so, without argument, shortens a lifespan. In it's way it's no different to the abuse of smoking, alcohol and drugs - if anything it's equal to and becoming greater in it's impact than all three. When it costs you - a tax payer - more to treat the obese you arguably earn the right to challenge why. Even the obese cost themselves money., From food bills, clothing bills through to paying more for seats on airplanes.

I do like your view above regarding issues that others have. None of us is perfect and we ALL have failings. It's a whole lot easier to point at others and pick over theirs than it is to look inwards and look at our own. It may well be why we do it. I hope this helps.

[Gerard Matthews]

The older I get the more my mind changes back and forth on these kinda issues. I was and hopefully still aren't the kinda guy that's gonna walk up and offer up that I think 'you're a fat ****er aren't ya'. It'd be bad enough to do this drunk never mind sober and without asking. It amounts to bullying. Of course, the reason why anyone would 'shame' in any way - fat, tall, short, bigger left ear than the right, is to somehow raise themselves up (because they need to) on the supposed failings of others. As I pointed out to a local girl recently 'if you were the only one with a green handbag and everyone else's was red you'd be the slag with the green bag'. It's part and parcel of the herd mentality.

I'll touch upon the health issue etc in a mo - but look at my last line. Desmond Morris, I think it was, wrote a book called Man Watching (I may be misquoting here). Like others before him he pointed out that we're animals. And as such we do 'herd' in that we gather, sociably, in great crowds (towns, cities and the like). We exhibit the herd like traits.So the frail, old and unfit (inc fat) are considered weak and if we were a herd these would be the victims of predators. As we're humans and have few predators in cities (none lol) we point out the failings of others to improve our status. The higher the status, if only mentally speaking, the closer to the front of the herd we go. All the PC aspects in the in universe go against our nature which is ingrained and innate for centuries. Hell, it's only in this lifetime we've tried to change it. You say as much when you say we've not changed as a society.

In the same more modern terms we also, as you do above, excuse obesity. To say that some have gland issues excuses them. It doesn't excuse others - the majority. And the reality is we seem too fond of looking for excuses. You and I go to the gym. We find the time, the energy, the drive to do so. Unless some scientist suddenly finds us exercisers have a gene which gives us this ability then how do we do it when others do not? Do we claim to have a dis-order (a dismorphia??)? Is it because we're depressed? If we raise ourselves as above herd like behavior and claim to be human and so different (if only because we think) then neither of us, who ARE capable of doing it properly, are any different to those who are not.

I could go on in the vein above but I'm off to the gym to do what I hope is enough to win my next competition. In the meantime I'll touch upon the cost issue of obesity. Fat shaming someone into a suicide seems extreme but then so does the cost to the NHS of obesity. Being overweight is unhealthy and so, without argument, shortens a lifespan. In it's way it's no different to the abuse of smoking, alcohol and drugs - if anything it's equal to and becoming greater in it's impact than all three. When it costs you - a tax payer - more to treat the obese you arguably earn the right to challenge why. Even the obese cost themselves money., From food bills, clothing bills through to paying more for seats on airplanes.

I do like your view above regarding issues that others have. None of us is perfect and we ALL have failings. It's a whole lot easier to point at others and pick over theirs than it is to look inwards and look at our own. It may well be why we do it. I hope this helps.

A short response for you to put it in a nutshell:

Don't criticize a person unless you are willing to help them. I have helped fat people lose weight and become muscular and helped unemployed people get work. Plenty of people just want to run others down to make themselves feel better and live a completely selfish life. Those people who stand out such as the obese and unemployed are an easy target while we all know that there are many unseen vices.

[Steve Gardener]

Of course. We've both (and still do) helped others of all shapes and sizes in the gym. But you won't have minded a view to stimulate debate.