Supersize me...

As usual, I find myself procrastinating when I have important things to do. Despite having to be up early for a lecture at nine and then get on a bus for a four hour trip to the capital, am I settling down to sleep? Nah. I'm browsing around the BBC news site. I was about get ready to turn in, until I came across this article. The article concerns a rather appalling attack on an overweight woman on a train in Britain. The assailant referred to the lady as "a big fat pig" before punching and kicking her, because she was taking up two seats on the almost empty carriage. Now let me say first off, this attack was appalling, and there is no justification for it whatsoever. However, it's some of the points later in the article which cause my eyebrows to raise. Well eyebrow, singular. I can only do the one.

As I said, the abuse this woman was subjected to was wrong. Period. Name calling and physical violence against someone for any reason is wrong. However, the attititude of some "weight equality" campaigners in the article has me scratching my head a bit. The article states "The rise of what could be called "fattism" is being met with a backlash from those who are affected, triggering a nascent rights movement." Their campaigning against "fattism" strikes me as a little odd. They appear to be saying that "fattism" is as bad as other prejudices like racism. I find that a bit hard to get my head around. Now as I said, abusing or insulting people is wrong. But are these people saying that overweight or obese people are a particular group that is the same as black people, Asians, gays, etc? I don't quite agree with that.

Now before I get my head bitten off, I should point out that I, as a 5' 7" medium built female, am overweight. And up until two years ago, I was classed as obese. Either clinically or morbidly, I can't remember. Five years ago I weighed 17 stone and had a BMI of 37. Cut off for obesity for my height, weight and build is 30. I know BMI isn't considered the most accurate, but trust me, back then my bulk didn't come from muscle. I'm currently about 26. something, with considerably more muscle. Anyway, the point is I'm "entitled" to have an opinion on this (a friend of mine has his opinions on the cost of the obesity epidemic to the taxpayer dismissed on the grounds that he is a skinny fecker who couldn't put on weight if he ate deep fried lard). So while I feel an empathy with the sentiments expressed by people who are overweight in this article, I take issue with some of the ideas as well.

Trying to class being overweight as the same as being a different race or sexual orientation isn't right, and is actually a disservice to overweight people. The fact is, being black or gay (as much as many an evangelical says otherwise) is something innate and unchangeable in a person. Being overweight isn't, for the most part. Yes, some people may be more prone genetically. Both my mother and my sister are overweight. Not to the extent I was, but it could be seen as something that ran in the family. Another point is that being black or gay (again Bible Billy may want to interject here) isn't bad for you. It won't kill you, whereas being overweight could.

The article stresses the dispair felt by overweight people at their portrayal in the media and society. They argue they aren't necessessarily greedy or lazy; they have health problems, psychological problems, etc. I'm not trying to detract from this. Many friends point out to me that I had to start taking the pill more or less as soon as I hit puberty, and this is known to cause weight gain. Well, yes, that is possible. But there's no point ignoring the obvious truth: I overate and did not exercise. Again, you can say I overate because I suffered badly from depression. I don't disagree at all. Many people close to me turned to alcohol for comfort; I turned to food. That's the bare truth of it. I can cite as many reasons as I like to make me feel better, to make you think more favourably of me, but that's the practical cause of it.

I don't object to people pointing out the factors which can lead to a person becoming obese. I think this is very important. You can tell me I was just a greedy sod, but I know different. It was something bigger than I was, something I couldn't control. I didn't even realise I was doing it for years. For most obese people, it's about far more than greed and laziness. People need to be aware and more understanding of this. I find it not too disimilar to alcoholism. There needs to be an understanding of the underlying causes, rather than just dismissing people as greedy or lazy. There needs to be adequate services available to help people overcome the problem.

BUT. And here's the crux of my objection to some "weight equality" campaigners' ideas: people cannot be helped if they don't help themselves first. The notion of "weight equality" seems to me to add to the victim mentality many people in this position have (my former self included). Like alcoholics, or anyone else with a similar problem, you can bang your head off a brick wall trying to help them, but you cannot do the work for them. While people who are obese should not be abused or ridiculed, we can't sit back and tell them they will be fine if they continue being obese. Some statistics from the British Department of Health:

60% of adults are overweight and 26% are obese

28% of children are overweight and 15% are obese

Obesity surgery on NHS has risen by 40% in the last year

60% of men, 50% of women and 25% of children will be obese by 2050 if no action is taken

Now while I am aware about getting too histrionic about statistics, that is still something that ought not be ignored. Being seriously overweight is a health risk, and those who are should seriously consider trying to reach a healthier weight. I'm not suggesting bullying or insulting people. That will only have the opposite effect. Simply pointing out the health risks of obesity is not offensive. And if people think it is, the problem lies with them. Of course, I fully accept the media portrays a ridiculous image to live up to. I mean, if Catherine Zeta-Jones is the role model for the "larger woman", then I'm completely fucked. This post is aimed at those classed as obese, and is about health risks, not aesthetics. There is of course nothing wrong with being a little overweight. My current weight doesn't pose a health risk to me, but when I was five and a half stone heavier it certainly did. There are huge risks associated with obesity. And there is a huge burden looming for the healthcare systems as well. There's no point trying to deny it.

Overweight people should not be easy targets, or "the last acceptable prejudice" (is it just me, or is EVERYTHING the last acceptable prejudice at some stage?). Like I said, pointing out the dangers, and helping people identify and deal with the causes of their weight problem doesn't have to involve hurting anyone's feelings. However saying they are a special group who have absolutely no control over their lives simply makes them victims, and is the ultimate in political correctness gone stark staring mad. I'll leave the last word to Stephen from the comments section of the article, who sums it up nicely:

"To physically attack or verbally abuse someone for being overweight is self-evidently outrageous and unacceptable. On the other hand, I'm dubious about the increasing implication that over-weight is merely a terrible affliction visited upon some people at random, who have no responsibility whatever for their predicament. As usual the truth it seems to me is between these extremes: that genetic variability will indeed produce widely different weight outcomes in people with identical eating and exercise habits; and that taking personal control over the type and amount of food consumed, and ensuring proper exercise, will keep the vast majority of us safe from obesity."