Fat Shaming is a concept that is often joked about and not taken seriously in society. It is a concept that is so commonly seen all around us, no matter where we go. In a recent video posted by Nicole Arbour, “Dear Fat People,” she begins to insult fat people and state that “fat shaming is not a thing.” In result, the video by Arbour has captured the attention of six million people.
A big portion of the population think that shaming people who are overweight will help them lose weight. In Arbour’s video she states, “If we offend you so much that you lose weight, I’m okay with that.” But in reality, being discriminated against can actually lead to more weight gain. The majority of people who are shamed for being overweight turn to eating for comfort. The stresses that are brought from discrimination make appetite increase, mainly for unhealthy foods. Unhealthy, fatty foods simulate pleasure hormones in the brain so it used as a temporary relieve from the body shaming.
In addition to gaining weight over the stresses of discrimination, shaming someone’s body size leads to lower self-confidence. If a person has a lack of self-confidence they can begin to deal with depression and self-hate.
When a person has a higher level of confidence it leads to a higher amount of happiness, which benefits them and the people around them. There are multiple people that release the stresses of discrimination by self-harm or substance abuse, and it might eventually get bad enough that leads to suicide.
Young girls and boys who are overweight have to grow up discriminated against for their body size. In today’s society it is seen as perfectly okay to degrade overweigh teens. There have been studies done where if an overweight person has the same qualifications as a thin person, most companies will choose the thinner person. This being a key problem in the work force, makes it harder for overweight individuals to find a job. Going into stores that are meant for thinner people results in a horrible experience and bad customer service.
Some people gain weight over tragedies happening in their personal life. One never knows if their parent just passed away or if they were fired from their job. Others can’t lose weight because of a disease. There are multiple diseases that make it very difficult to lose any weight. Fatty Liver Disease is an example of a disease that can make someone gain weight and make it extremely hard to lose any of it. All in all, one should never degrade someone for being overweight and not fitting society’s “perfect” figure.
