Americans Are Starting to Accept Their Fat

We used to look at bodyfat as something almost as evil as, well, lobbyists. But in recent years, Americans have began to accept the fact that they are fat and have revised their ideals of attractive bodies to reflect that new resignation.

Rising instances of obesity have led to Americans being more accepting of excess weight in others and themselves, a survey by market research firm NPD Group has found. The survey, which tracked the changing attitudes of 1,900 people that represent the American population, found that only 24 per cent of Americans found a person carrying excess weight unattractive, as against the 55 per cent that did so two decades earlier.

The irony is that many people still claim that they need to lose at least 20 pounds. I suspect--and the article also mentions this--that the results of the study might have more to do with the fact that 65 percent of the population is overweight. It becomes much harder to reject extra bodyweight when you have some, too.

Many remain skeptical and argue that the findings might stem from the subjects themselves being overweight. Kelly Brownell of Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University felt that the results reflect the resigned attitude of overweight people.

“These studies don't pick up on implicit, unconscious bias. It's like if you asked people around the country if they had racial bias. There's a difference between what people say and what actually happens,” Brownell said.

The fact that the survey also found that overweight youngsters are 50 per cent less likely to go on dates than their normal body counterparts reinforces Brownell's contention.

National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance's Marilyn Wann said that fat people are often at the receiving end of jokes, mainly because consumerism has brought in the concept of physical perfection. “Everyone thinks it's okay to make fun of fatties,” she said.

It's never okay to make fun of someone who is heavy. You have no idea how much pain I see in my clients as a result of their weight and the self-esteem loss they suffer due to other people judging them. I have been guilty in the past of thinking obesity was a self-control issue--often, it's not. There are deeper issues at work--issues which require some emotional self-exploration.

On a related topic, there are some who believe that the health risks of being overweight are exaggerated and that the pharmaceutical industry is behind it. I never trust big pharma, but I'm skeptical of their claims. Read this article and judge for yourself.