I read an article regarding the A&F story by an obese woman that felt they are being negatively discriminatory by not offering sizes for overweight people. She compared it to racial discrimination at one point, and claimed it was wrong to cater to a specific body size when 2/3 of America is overweight. Unfortunately, I can't find the source for this, but I'll post it if I can. Now, barring the ethical discussion about whether they have a right to do so and to what extent, why is obesity acceptable?
The wealth factor is not a compelling argument, since healthy foods tend to be some of the cheapest available (lean meats, canned chicken and tuna, raw/fresh/canned vegetables, etc.). The time factor is not compelling either, since being at a healthy weight does not require exercise if you eat well. I'm sure impoverished people around the world would find the idea of specifically trying to burn energy from food because you've eaten too much of it to be simply absurd.
There are definitely cases where people are genetically predisposed to having a higher body fat percentage, or have some sort of disease which prevents healthiness, but those tend to be less than a percentage of the whole. In addition, I'm not advocating bullying or harassment. Heart disease is the number 1 cause of death in America, and the number 1 cause of heart disease is poor diet. This isn't a campaign to force people to conform to societal limits of beauty, it's a sincere question asking why we allow, even defend, the ridiculously high number of overweight individuals in America.
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Being fat should be a crime IMO. It's visually disturbing to see someone with no willpower or self control. I would never hire a fat person because they obviously do not care about their life.
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It isnt.
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I don't think it is tho. Lol
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Because food is -blam!-ing delicious.
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TL;DR
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When I was growing up, I grew up in a small town, I rarely saw any overweight people but when my family and I moved to Arizona I noticed throughout the years a lot of overweight people and I always hear the excuse " I have a mental condition". I understand that some people do have an eating condition, thyroid problem, and stuff like that. Another thing I see is fat people parking in handicap specific parking spaces, or when you're at a store and they use the electric carts, then you see an injured person and they can't use the carts. And why I believe obesity is becoming more "Accepted" is a lot of people are.
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Edited by DeclinedA1: 7/20/2014 6:59:35 PMActually, lean meat is more expensive than fatty meat. Not all people have time, or feel like cooking after a long day of work. So they'll go to fast food or put something quick and unhealthy in the microwave. If it was as easy as just eating less, then everyone would be skinny. Think about it, humans are designed to get fat. We begin digesting food in our mouth (saliva contains enzymes that digest starches.) Our intestines contain tiny hairs that increase the surface area and maximize nutrient absorption. Considering the availability of food, it's surprising that not everyone is fat.
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Wait, people on here cry constantly about how they don't have enough freedom anymore and then they contradict themselves by saying that people shouldn't be allowed to be fat? Please shut up, people have the freedom to be as fat as they want.
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How do you pick that profile pic? It isn't between the others, is it?
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It wasn't in Nazí Germany.
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Edited by Kim Jong Il: 5/14/2013 4:22:00 AMWhy do most people here act like fat people killed their family?
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Actually, it is just proof that my plan is working. Only America stood in my way, with the country too fat to do anything but eat, the Chimichanga Uprising will succeed!
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Because ostracizing them isn't going to solve their problem. They will not feel compelled to change themselves for the better. You know what fat people do when they are depressed? Eat.
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Because we as a society are. More worried about offending people than what is actually better for us.
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Edited by Sapid: 7/20/2014 9:55:57 PMIt's not accepted OP, maybe you should look around. Sorry, I'm normally level headed with these situations but as someone who not only has weight problems, but has a family member with an eating disorder because of constant harassment, I don't have sympathy. It's horrible to see the things she goes through and honestly looking at this thread it's quite obvious that obesity is not accepted. I'm not saying, "boohoo" feel sorry for me, I'm just saying there is a lot more to it then go outside and run. Obviously for me it's that easy, and for a good number of people, but when shit hits you it's still shit, whether it's drugs or weight problems. Especially when you grow up in that life style and are too young to understand what you are doing to yourself. It's ten times easier to gain a pound then lose. The biggest issue stems from educating parents and youth, which most campaigns are focusing on now. [spoiler]Although besides legit disorders there's no excuse to be so fat you can't get up or need a motorized chair[/spoiler]
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American portion sizes. Bad habits growing up. Fast food. Cheap, crap, fat inducing frozen food. Binging (yes, that includes guzzling 6 pints on a Friday night). And perhaps the percentage of people who have a naive, childish mind and say 'I can do what I want', and go ahead and order/cook more food than necessary. Boredom. Depression. Loneliness. Comfort. Anyways, relating to the OP, we all have ways to deal with the crap that goes on in our lives - some people comfort eat, some rely on drugs and alcohol.. Live and let live, but I don't think people should just rest on their laurels and get fat.. it's lust laziness in the end. Maybe people's friends are lazy asses too, and instead of suggesting going out, they'd rather sit at home.. Not good inspiration to be around. It seems that nowadays, most of us don't care about motivating others. Or maybe that's just me..
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Edited by Zonda: 7/20/2014 5:20:05 PMYou've started a good debate, OP. I'm a bit on the fence on this one. Eating healthy, when made a habit, is really simple. Same with exercise. Even an hour a day of light cardio is enough to increase your heart capacity to the point where it's not straining to circulate blood in someone who's fairly heavy for their height. However, I wouldn't really enforce exercise and diet protocols. It's their choice, and if they want to eat fast food and not exercise, then they're welcome to do that. Even people genetically predisposed to gaining weight could become elite athletes if they had the motivation to do 25+ hours a week of vigorous training, so for me the genetic argument isn't really viable, unless an expert in Human anatomy and physiology can provide evidence that it's a common issue. TL;DR: There are arguments for and against, It doesn't bother me either way, but I still think the argument about genetics making people fat is just people in denial.
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Fat people are useful. When the zombie apocalypse comes, you'll be glad when 50% of America won't be able to even jog, so you'll most assuredly get away. And then, when you're cold at night and zombies are all around you, you can burn their fat for warmth.
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Because society is uneducated and careless.
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Edited by RickytheKiwi: 7/20/2014 5:04:01 PMI can't believe people think it is okay to be fat. Jesus, it's disgusting. Hell, that is why I decided losing weight in the first place. I still got a little ways to go before I'm down to a healthy BMI.
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Edited by Nemo: 7/20/2014 4:56:14 PMThe better question is, why do fat people get to bitch at me for smoking? [spoiler]OT: Because healthier food is cheaper than fast/delicious food.[/spoiler]
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Its not acceptable to me
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Having an addiction isn't a -blam!-ing choice.
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I really can't stand the ones on mobility scooters. Those things are supposed to be for seniors who can't walk, not a 35 year old whale.
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The same reason cigarette users are, it's none of our business what they do to their body.