and now someone named Jewel is posting as me. get lost, you meanie. and stop using my name. unless you\’re a lane bryant type of gal too – then we can borrow each others\’ \”Sears for Big Gals\” panties and size 20 dresses…..please be my friend. just please dont use my name. I\’m the only Jewel here!
oh and for the rest of you who are confused, \”blaire\” is my pet name for my naughty place. you can figure out the itch part – i have a salve that should clear it up though.
I\’m troubled that such a respected university measured subjects\’ level of obesity with such a faulty tool. The BMI table measures weight vs. height. Since muscle weighs more than fat, the BMI table often mis-diagnoses scores of people who are fit and far from obese. Therefore, it is quite possible that many subjects in the study weren\’t clinically obese at all. Frankly, I\’m tired of the widespread acceptance of body disparagement in our society. I highly recommend the book \”Fat Politics\” by J. Eric Oliver. It will open your eyes to the financailly lucrative campaign against \”fatness\” and how biased these \”studies\” really are.
that is an excellent point. my doctor keeps telling me i need to lose weight. i\’m gonna have him check under the rolls to see if there\’s any muscle tissue that actually is making me weigh more.
A myth it all is. I am not a small guy, but over the past 17 years, I have used about 12 sick days. While the skinny white boney blonds in the office use 12-15 sick days a year. I would hire an overweight guy over a skinny girl anytime. And as for the Jewels, maybe one of you can change your name to Sybil, so we can tell who\’s who.
Not only is the BMI table an inaccurate measurement tool of obesity, it has also been redesigned and re-released several times, each time with lower and lower thresholds for obesity, essentially defining thousands of people \”obese\” overnight.
Could it be, perhaps, that the number of work comp claims have remained the same, while our definition of obesity has become much more narrow, causing more of those claimants to be classified obese?
Additionally, tools, work spaces, chairs, etc. are becoming much more smaller (airline seats?), so when an employer has to \”accomodate\” an \”obese\” person, it costs them money.
\”Additionally, tools, work spaces, chairs, etc. are becoming much more smaller (airline seats?)\”
Hmmm. Sounds like a grammatically incorrect sentence. It is correct to say \”more small\” or \”smaller\” but \”more smaller\” is not correct. Ever. Just some friendly advise. ;)
My chair has been stuck to my butt for years. Not because of my BMI but because they keep us chained to the desk. How about all the fat cops out there? Did you see the fat ones on the news trying to run to help the VaTech victims? Donuts for everyone!
My own tucus is getting larger because I stay at my desk reading all these posts. Most of those \”fat cops\” are actually wearing flack jackets under their uniforms. I, for one, would welcome a police officer no matter what shape he/she is in. Few seem to be attacking the study anymore. What gives? I sure hope Rosie shows up.
Okay, I was not trying to put down cops. The article was about obesity in the workplace and how it is effecting workers comp. From the news tapes I saw, there were a number of overweight police that were running to get to the victims. I saw one in particular that looked like he was struggling not to have a heart attack. Point being, what good is he going to be when he gets to the victim or to apprehending the criminal if he is breathless and can hardly stand up. You and I sitting at a desk all day are not much at risk of injuring ourselves.
Oh, by the way some of my very good friends are cops and they are overweight and are on diets now because in their department if they reach a certain level they are put in different jobs until they take the weight off.
I wonder if they took in to consideration age at all. It\’s not uncommon for older people to have put on some weight putting them into the overweight/obese category then their younger counterparts and which age comes more physical problems. Are the older and/or heavier individuals inflating the numbers?
I agree that the BMI table is not a perfect indicator for those who are over-weight, but generally, it does give some indication of individuals who carry more weight than their height should allow. I\’m sure, based on the information in the article, it was the most reliable measurement for the study. However, to me, the shocking statistic of the average medical claims costs per 100 employees – $51,019 for the obese compared to just $7,503 for the non-obese – is VERY interesting. Employers may find that hiring the slim and trim will ultimately trim their workers comp premiums.
I understand the points some of you made regarding the limitation of the BMI and the political/monetary pressure applied by the entire diet industry, but it is simply a fact that obese people, truly obese people, have difficulty managing the most menial tasks. I do not believe anyone would argue that medically over-weight people are less healthy and thus more prone to injury/sickness than those who are average weight. I just didn\’t realize how much weight it put on the workers comp system…
Does this mean it is going to be even more difficult for large people (some of whom may be 100% healthy) to find good jobs?
And because of the \”facts\” presented, will employers be legally allowed to discriminate against large people because of their potential damage to the bottom line?
Should employers be allowed to factor a person\’s size into their hiring decisions? According to this article, it sounds like they *may* have a legitimate reason to, in the name of sound business practices.
Obesity is a complex issue and there are numerous causes behind it. For some people, it is a serious problem. For other people, like myself, we\’re just fluffy and completely healthy.
How can a person tell how \”bad\” someone else\’s weight issues are just by looking at them? Does their size really tell the whole story? Will employers now require medical histories along with resumes?
Good questions…that\’s what I thought when I read the article. I\’ve been through ADA training before, but it has been a while. I honestly can\’t remember if obese people are a \”protected class.\” Seems to me they are.
By the way, i LOVE the new Jewel. It just goes to show you how popular you can be with a personality!!
I\’d like to pose another question…group benefits. When you have (normally) over 10 employees, there is no medical underwriting involved. Thoughts on whether this might change?
in response to KLS – Thanks for the kind words. Us big gals need all the positive reinforcement we can get (along with the reinforced seems in my clothing)!
I recently finished my thesis and the subject was how effective the city of San Francisco\’s weight discrimination ordinance was at prohibiting weight discrimination.
There are only a few municipalities in the US that prohibit weight discrimination in employment – the states of Michigan and Washingotn DC and the cities of Santa Cruz and San Francisco, CA. Any other claims of weight discrimination must fall under the ADA and that relies on the perception of the employer that the employee was \”handicapped\” due to their weight. For those who are discriminated simply because an employer does not like their size, there is no remedy – unless they live in municipalities that protect them, AND they can prove it.
Technically, I don\’t believe obese people are a protected class. At least they weren\’t specifically listed the last time I researched it, which was back when Southwest Airlines first implemented their chunky-monkeys-must-pay-for-two-seats policy.
Even though I\’m a big chick, I don\’t really know if the obese should be a protected class. There are certain jobs a very big person just /can\’t/ do because of physical limitations. For example, someone my size (I\’m also tall) would not be a good fire fighter because they often need to squeeze through tight spaces or duck under things in order to hose down flames or perform rescues. Then again, I\’m very able to do a lot of other physical things regardless of my size because I\’m in good shape. But someone wouldn\’t know what kind of shape I\’m in just by looking.
They don\’t let obese people in the military. I think that in professions such as you mentioned, fire fighters, being obese would be too over taxing to them to carry and work the equipment they have to.
I do not think that weight should be a factor in jobs that are not strength or safety related and should not be held against or used to descriminate against fat, fluffy, whatever you are.
Maybe employers that provide incentives to their employees to lose the weight, like contributing to gym memberships, they would get a discount on their insurance rates. Just a thought.
HHmmmmm. Seems to be a grammatical error here. \”Women\” is plural, but \”one\” infers singular. You want one plural woman? That\’s me! I am so much more than one woman, more like one and two-thirds women, since I am only 5\’3\”, 162 lbs.
KLS, i\’m the same way. I\’m a big girl, but I do not feel limited in MY job. of course I sit at a desk all day, so it\’s really of no consequence.
I think Linda has been making good points too.
I think obese people should be protected from unfair firing, (i had a boss who didn\’t like us chubbs) but if it is honestly impairing their ability to do a good job, then why shouldn\’t you be fired???
and as far as group insurance having to go through and underwriting standard. i hope not, i have arthritis…that would drive my rates way up if i had to find insurance on my own (there\’s some sarcasm there, folks)
The reason they do not allow the fluffy softness of heffers in the military is because the generals are just smart enough to realize that a fat person makes for a bigger, slower target.
Convenient when looking for cover from enemy snipers in \”nam\”; not so good of you have a platoon full of chubbies takin\’ fire from a \”50\” and you\’re the only normal sized guy left.
Now you have no one to provide supressive fire AND it\’s not like your going to be carrying out the wounded either.
Next thing you know the whole unit is dead, the battle over, and the war LOST.
As far as planes go, I am all for huge people having to buy two seats on a plane; heck, make it three and throw in a sniff inspection to cut back just a wee bit on those so rude as to embark on a distant journey smelling of elderberries.
Anyone who says they are against it needs to partake in 5 hours of cross country torture with some fat guy\’s third stomach occupying half your chair like a bundt that\’s too big for its baking pan.
Not fun; and it doesn\’t smell too pretty either.
Dare I even mention the safety issues associated with trying to evacuate a plane when some globular corpulent person gets jammed between the seats.
Nomrally you could just climb over them; after all, it\’s usually a shorter trip. But in a plane there is very limited headroom effectively foiling your mountainous excape route.
So now half the plane is DOOMED; stuck just like Willy Wonka\’s chocolate river behind that fat german kid wedged in the suction tube.
Thanks for the… dare I say… belly laughs, Reason. Well said. All normal sized people, and that includes the 5\’3\” 162 lb Jewel, please do not take offense. I, and I believe Reason, are talking about the people with three and four stomachs….
EXCELLENT POST! (except for the typos – I usually am anal retentive and shallow enough that I try to somehow compensate for my low self esteem by listing them all out and trying to make you look foolish, but I\’ll let you slide this time)
Dont know if I like the idea of fatties having to pay for an extra seat though. It\’s the only time I am able to get any physical contact with other human beings, and I dont know if I can afford to always have to pay for my 1 and two-thirds, ample backside.
Have you ever flown to/from Detroit? There are a lot of \”heffers\” on those flights, but I dont mind them so much – I like going to Detroit because I am actually considered quite thin by Michigan standards (Im still a porker in Florida, though)
Wow, what troubles me most is that many of these responses are riddled with such contempt for fat people i.e. how they smell or their existence alone being rude. I wonder if as many fat people use such disparaging remarks when speaking of thin people. In any case, these comments have gone from academic to down right opinionated and unsubstaniated. I have to admit that I\’m very poor at sparring with those who cannot support their statements with factual information or educated responses.
But I\’ve realized contempt for certain groups of people will never go away. There will always be ignorant white people who think they\’re better than black people and ignorant straight people who disdain gay people and so on.
Here\’s the good news. Their hate is their problem. Most of the time, it\’s easy to tune out. Some of them don\’t honestly hate large people, they\’re just making an attempt at a joke. Sometimes it\’s funny, somtimes it\’s just lame and really more of a reflection on themselves than anything.
A few times I\’ve been called out in public by a drunken frat boy or a mean-spirited woman. Do their mean words hurt? A little. No one *likes* being called \”ugly\” or other play-ground-bully type names. But what they say doesn\’t change my joy for life. I mean… consider the source, y\’know.
So don\’t be too troubled, Artemis. As time goes on, I believe society does make some progress in the direction of acceptance and tolerance for all the different ways people look. A history professor once told me that back when frequent famine was a problem for everyone, thin people were often targets for contempt and looked down upon.
~shrug~
Besides, if a hateful person is talking junk on me, it means they\’re giving someone else a break. LOL
How many of us are perfect (no…., don\’t answer)? Look at it this way, overweight people can diet, but ugly, bias & stupid last forever. The next time you talk to someone, try to look them only in the eyes. Might be a revelation!
Ugly, the same as beauty, is in the eye of the beholder… bias and stupidity can be mended by education… nothing lasts forever. Looking someone in the eye will answer many questions… it\’s just difficult for most of my gender to keep the focus there… Women\’s anatomy being what it is…
Now… about this article, isn\’t anyone amazed by the sheer costs over-weight people are placing on our health care system? For goodness sakes, it\’s time put down the milkshake and go for a jog!
Ah, but it does last forever. Those particular people are not willing to change or educate themselves. We are of the same gender and, admittedly, it is difficult at times, but concentrate! Gotta mow the lawn tonight, does that count?
Speaking as someone who has recently joined the heavy set, I can tell you my job had a lot to do with it. Traveling for my company at least 2 wks a month, living out of hotels and eating out daily took it\’s toll. Let me tell you, after lecturing 7-7, joining people for a dinner discussion, you just are not going down to the creepy hotel gym to jog on the treadmill! At home, it\’s high stress, nose to the grindstone. You try to keep lean cuisine in the frig, but that doesn\’t always work. Kids, family…I could go on.
Do I get a break for a gym membership? or other weightloss program? or even a little extra time to do any of the above? Now that would help!
I agree with you to a point, that most everyday workers live a lifestyle counterproductive to a healthy waistline. I know it takes a great deal of energy to eat properly and find the time for exercise, but it can be done. I am the guy on the yucky hotel treadmill. It will be interesting to see if, as you say, Corporate America, will realize the benefit of a healthy work force and encourage and promote a more healthy work environment… Probably not, but it\’s a nice thought.
Sure, it\’s easy to blame the increased costs on the obese, but why can\’t companies see that it is in their best interests, fiscally, to help out these employees. Many of the newer types of diabetes medicines are not covered by some health plans. Obesity medicines and procedures are also rarely covered, considered as life-style medicines or procedures. Corporate America will pay for Viagra-type drugs, but will not pay for necessary drugs or treatments to help those at health-risk for their weight problems.
Does anyone in the U.S.A. believe in taking accountability for their own behaviors? Do you all think you need to be taken care of? Are you so feeble that you cannot count the calories, change eating habits, take time to walk, etc. Now it\’s corporate America who has to be responsible for its employees weight. Give me a break.
Absolutely Ad. No one likes to take or admit any personal responsibility for their own actions. It\’s so much easier to shift the blame to others. This way the newly fat people can wallow in their new found victimhood. I used to travel alot, still slept right, eat right, exercised right and never gained weight. I guess I have self control, respect and integrity and I will be ashamed of myself to blame others for my own inability to control myself and happily live in a life of victimhood.
the thought of workers comp costs relative to her girth. Just don\’t ask her to \’weigh in\’ on a topic.
Damn… if you want to be as slim as her one day, you must be one fat pig.
Those crumbs at the View. She is an American Patriot, loves the Red, White & Blue, has tremendous kindness in her heart and is a good Christian.
It had to be because of her weight.
That\’s funny.
blaire witch is posting as me.
That\’s very original.
and now someone named Jewel is posting as me. get lost, you meanie. and stop using my name. unless you\’re a lane bryant type of gal too – then we can borrow each others\’ \”Sears for Big Gals\” panties and size 20 dresses…..please be my friend. just please dont use my name. I\’m the only Jewel here!
Very mature. I\’m sure you can go for weeks doing this since you have no life.
So, you keep on keeping on…
oh and for the rest of you who are confused, \”blaire\” is my pet name for my naughty place. you can figure out the itch part – i have a salve that should clear it up though.
I\’m troubled that such a respected university measured subjects\’ level of obesity with such a faulty tool. The BMI table measures weight vs. height. Since muscle weighs more than fat, the BMI table often mis-diagnoses scores of people who are fit and far from obese. Therefore, it is quite possible that many subjects in the study weren\’t clinically obese at all. Frankly, I\’m tired of the widespread acceptance of body disparagement in our society. I highly recommend the book \”Fat Politics\” by J. Eric Oliver. It will open your eyes to the financailly lucrative campaign against \”fatness\” and how biased these \”studies\” really are.
that is an excellent point. my doctor keeps telling me i need to lose weight. i\’m gonna have him check under the rolls to see if there\’s any muscle tissue that actually is making me weigh more.
A myth it all is. I am not a small guy, but over the past 17 years, I have used about 12 sick days. While the skinny white boney blonds in the office use 12-15 sick days a year. I would hire an overweight guy over a skinny girl anytime. And as for the Jewels, maybe one of you can change your name to Sybil, so we can tell who\’s who.
Good Point…I\’m considered overweight by my doctor, but most would not consider me obese. I cannot remember using a sick day.
Fat rules….
Not only is the BMI table an inaccurate measurement tool of obesity, it has also been redesigned and re-released several times, each time with lower and lower thresholds for obesity, essentially defining thousands of people \”obese\” overnight.
Could it be, perhaps, that the number of work comp claims have remained the same, while our definition of obesity has become much more narrow, causing more of those claimants to be classified obese?
Additionally, tools, work spaces, chairs, etc. are becoming much more smaller (airline seats?), so when an employer has to \”accomodate\” an \”obese\” person, it costs them money.
And don\’t get me started on insurance premiums…
\”Additionally, tools, work spaces, chairs, etc. are becoming much more smaller (airline seats?)\”
Hmmm. Sounds like a grammatically incorrect sentence. It is correct to say \”more small\” or \”smaller\” but \”more smaller\” is not correct. Ever. Just some friendly advise. ;)
My chair has been stuck to my butt for years. Not because of my BMI but because they keep us chained to the desk. How about all the fat cops out there? Did you see the fat ones on the news trying to run to help the VaTech victims? Donuts for everyone!
lol – i guess it doesnt really matter – they both itch.
Linda, when you need a cop, I\’ll bet you would be happy to see a fat one, or would you wait for the next avialable skinny cop??
The skinny one will get their first so it does not matter.
My own tucus is getting larger because I stay at my desk reading all these posts. Most of those \”fat cops\” are actually wearing flack jackets under their uniforms. I, for one, would welcome a police officer no matter what shape he/she is in. Few seem to be attacking the study anymore. What gives? I sure hope Rosie shows up.
I\’ve fought long and hard to accept myself as a full figured woman and i will not let a story like this affect MY self-esteem.
Amen Rosie! Us badonka-donk types need to stick together. Someone has to keep Lane Bryant in business!
Okay, I was not trying to put down cops. The article was about obesity in the workplace and how it is effecting workers comp. From the news tapes I saw, there were a number of overweight police that were running to get to the victims. I saw one in particular that looked like he was struggling not to have a heart attack. Point being, what good is he going to be when he gets to the victim or to apprehending the criminal if he is breathless and can hardly stand up. You and I sitting at a desk all day are not much at risk of injuring ourselves.
Oh, by the way some of my very good friends are cops and they are overweight and are on diets now because in their department if they reach a certain level they are put in different jobs until they take the weight off.
I wonder if they took in to consideration age at all. It\’s not uncommon for older people to have put on some weight putting them into the overweight/obese category then their younger counterparts and which age comes more physical problems. Are the older and/or heavier individuals inflating the numbers?
I agree that the BMI table is not a perfect indicator for those who are over-weight, but generally, it does give some indication of individuals who carry more weight than their height should allow. I\’m sure, based on the information in the article, it was the most reliable measurement for the study. However, to me, the shocking statistic of the average medical claims costs per 100 employees – $51,019 for the obese compared to just $7,503 for the non-obese – is VERY interesting. Employers may find that hiring the slim and trim will ultimately trim their workers comp premiums.
I understand the points some of you made regarding the limitation of the BMI and the political/monetary pressure applied by the entire diet industry, but it is simply a fact that obese people, truly obese people, have difficulty managing the most menial tasks. I do not believe anyone would argue that medically over-weight people are less healthy and thus more prone to injury/sickness than those who are average weight. I just didn\’t realize how much weight it put on the workers comp system…
…people of size?
Does this mean it is going to be even more difficult for large people (some of whom may be 100% healthy) to find good jobs?
And because of the \”facts\” presented, will employers be legally allowed to discriminate against large people because of their potential damage to the bottom line?
Should employers be allowed to factor a person\’s size into their hiring decisions? According to this article, it sounds like they *may* have a legitimate reason to, in the name of sound business practices.
Obesity is a complex issue and there are numerous causes behind it. For some people, it is a serious problem. For other people, like myself, we\’re just fluffy and completely healthy.
How can a person tell how \”bad\” someone else\’s weight issues are just by looking at them? Does their size really tell the whole story? Will employers now require medical histories along with resumes?
Your thoughts?
Good questions…that\’s what I thought when I read the article. I\’ve been through ADA training before, but it has been a while. I honestly can\’t remember if obese people are a \”protected class.\” Seems to me they are.
By the way, i LOVE the new Jewel. It just goes to show you how popular you can be with a personality!!
I\’d like to pose another question…group benefits. When you have (normally) over 10 employees, there is no medical underwriting involved. Thoughts on whether this might change?
in response to KLS – Thanks for the kind words. Us big gals need all the positive reinforcement we can get (along with the reinforced seems in my clothing)!
lol
Oops I did it again – i am so stupid sometimes. It seems i can\’t spell seams.
lol
I recently finished my thesis and the subject was how effective the city of San Francisco\’s weight discrimination ordinance was at prohibiting weight discrimination.
There are only a few municipalities in the US that prohibit weight discrimination in employment – the states of Michigan and Washingotn DC and the cities of Santa Cruz and San Francisco, CA. Any other claims of weight discrimination must fall under the ADA and that relies on the perception of the employer that the employee was \”handicapped\” due to their weight. For those who are discriminated simply because an employer does not like their size, there is no remedy – unless they live in municipalities that protect them, AND they can prove it.
Technically, I don\’t believe obese people are a protected class. At least they weren\’t specifically listed the last time I researched it, which was back when Southwest Airlines first implemented their chunky-monkeys-must-pay-for-two-seats policy.
Even though I\’m a big chick, I don\’t really know if the obese should be a protected class. There are certain jobs a very big person just /can\’t/ do because of physical limitations. For example, someone my size (I\’m also tall) would not be a good fire fighter because they often need to squeeze through tight spaces or duck under things in order to hose down flames or perform rescues. Then again, I\’m very able to do a lot of other physical things regardless of my size because I\’m in good shape. But someone wouldn\’t know what kind of shape I\’m in just by looking.
Very on the fence about this, I am… obviously.
KLS, you sound big and beautiful…..
Hey there! I\’m a big gal too! \”Full figured\” – lol.
Let me be your Chubby Chasee!
I\’m a one women guy…sorry
They don\’t let obese people in the military. I think that in professions such as you mentioned, fire fighters, being obese would be too over taxing to them to carry and work the equipment they have to.
I do not think that weight should be a factor in jobs that are not strength or safety related and should not be held against or used to descriminate against fat, fluffy, whatever you are.
Maybe employers that provide incentives to their employees to lose the weight, like contributing to gym memberships, they would get a discount on their insurance rates. Just a thought.
\”I\’m a one women guy…sorry\”
HHmmmmm. Seems to be a grammatical error here. \”Women\” is plural, but \”one\” infers singular. You want one plural woman? That\’s me! I am so much more than one woman, more like one and two-thirds women, since I am only 5\’3\”, 162 lbs.
Very informative.
KLS, i\’m the same way. I\’m a big girl, but I do not feel limited in MY job. of course I sit at a desk all day, so it\’s really of no consequence.
I think Linda has been making good points too.
I think obese people should be protected from unfair firing, (i had a boss who didn\’t like us chubbs) but if it is honestly impairing their ability to do a good job, then why shouldn\’t you be fired???
and as far as group insurance having to go through and underwriting standard. i hope not, i have arthritis…that would drive my rates way up if i had to find insurance on my own (there\’s some sarcasm there, folks)
The reason they do not allow the fluffy softness of heffers in the military is because the generals are just smart enough to realize that a fat person makes for a bigger, slower target.
Convenient when looking for cover from enemy snipers in \”nam\”; not so good of you have a platoon full of chubbies takin\’ fire from a \”50\” and you\’re the only normal sized guy left.
Now you have no one to provide supressive fire AND it\’s not like your going to be carrying out the wounded either.
Next thing you know the whole unit is dead, the battle over, and the war LOST.
As far as planes go, I am all for huge people having to buy two seats on a plane; heck, make it three and throw in a sniff inspection to cut back just a wee bit on those so rude as to embark on a distant journey smelling of elderberries.
Anyone who says they are against it needs to partake in 5 hours of cross country torture with some fat guy\’s third stomach occupying half your chair like a bundt that\’s too big for its baking pan.
Not fun; and it doesn\’t smell too pretty either.
Dare I even mention the safety issues associated with trying to evacuate a plane when some globular corpulent person gets jammed between the seats.
Nomrally you could just climb over them; after all, it\’s usually a shorter trip. But in a plane there is very limited headroom effectively foiling your mountainous excape route.
So now half the plane is DOOMED; stuck just like Willy Wonka\’s chocolate river behind that fat german kid wedged in the suction tube.
Thanks for the… dare I say… belly laughs, Reason. Well said. All normal sized people, and that includes the 5\’3\” 162 lb Jewel, please do not take offense. I, and I believe Reason, are talking about the people with three and four stomachs….
EXCELLENT POST! (except for the typos – I usually am anal retentive and shallow enough that I try to somehow compensate for my low self esteem by listing them all out and trying to make you look foolish, but I\’ll let you slide this time)
Dont know if I like the idea of fatties having to pay for an extra seat though. It\’s the only time I am able to get any physical contact with other human beings, and I dont know if I can afford to always have to pay for my 1 and two-thirds, ample backside.
Have you ever flown to/from Detroit? There are a lot of \”heffers\” on those flights, but I dont mind them so much – I like going to Detroit because I am actually considered quite thin by Michigan standards (Im still a porker in Florida, though)
gawd i am so lonely
Wow, what troubles me most is that many of these responses are riddled with such contempt for fat people i.e. how they smell or their existence alone being rude. I wonder if as many fat people use such disparaging remarks when speaking of thin people. In any case, these comments have gone from academic to down right opinionated and unsubstaniated. I have to admit that I\’m very poor at sparring with those who cannot support their statements with factual information or educated responses.
It used to trouble me too, Artemis.
But I\’ve realized contempt for certain groups of people will never go away. There will always be ignorant white people who think they\’re better than black people and ignorant straight people who disdain gay people and so on.
Here\’s the good news. Their hate is their problem. Most of the time, it\’s easy to tune out. Some of them don\’t honestly hate large people, they\’re just making an attempt at a joke. Sometimes it\’s funny, somtimes it\’s just lame and really more of a reflection on themselves than anything.
A few times I\’ve been called out in public by a drunken frat boy or a mean-spirited woman. Do their mean words hurt? A little. No one *likes* being called \”ugly\” or other play-ground-bully type names. But what they say doesn\’t change my joy for life. I mean… consider the source, y\’know.
So don\’t be too troubled, Artemis. As time goes on, I believe society does make some progress in the direction of acceptance and tolerance for all the different ways people look. A history professor once told me that back when frequent famine was a problem for everyone, thin people were often targets for contempt and looked down upon.
~shrug~
Besides, if a hateful person is talking junk on me, it means they\’re giving someone else a break. LOL
Be honest, when you book a seat on an air line, don\’t you hope that a fat person did not book the seat next to yours?
How many of us are perfect (no…., don\’t answer)? Look at it this way, overweight people can diet, but ugly, bias & stupid last forever. The next time you talk to someone, try to look them only in the eyes. Might be a revelation!
Ugly, the same as beauty, is in the eye of the beholder… bias and stupidity can be mended by education… nothing lasts forever. Looking someone in the eye will answer many questions… it\’s just difficult for most of my gender to keep the focus there… Women\’s anatomy being what it is…
Now… about this article, isn\’t anyone amazed by the sheer costs over-weight people are placing on our health care system? For goodness sakes, it\’s time put down the milkshake and go for a jog!
Ah, but it does last forever. Those particular people are not willing to change or educate themselves. We are of the same gender and, admittedly, it is difficult at times, but concentrate! Gotta mow the lawn tonight, does that count?
Speaking as someone who has recently joined the heavy set, I can tell you my job had a lot to do with it. Traveling for my company at least 2 wks a month, living out of hotels and eating out daily took it\’s toll. Let me tell you, after lecturing 7-7, joining people for a dinner discussion, you just are not going down to the creepy hotel gym to jog on the treadmill! At home, it\’s high stress, nose to the grindstone. You try to keep lean cuisine in the frig, but that doesn\’t always work. Kids, family…I could go on.
Do I get a break for a gym membership? or other weightloss program? or even a little extra time to do any of the above? Now that would help!
I agree with you to a point, that most everyday workers live a lifestyle counterproductive to a healthy waistline. I know it takes a great deal of energy to eat properly and find the time for exercise, but it can be done. I am the guy on the yucky hotel treadmill. It will be interesting to see if, as you say, Corporate America, will realize the benefit of a healthy work force and encourage and promote a more healthy work environment… Probably not, but it\’s a nice thought.
Sure, it\’s easy to blame the increased costs on the obese, but why can\’t companies see that it is in their best interests, fiscally, to help out these employees. Many of the newer types of diabetes medicines are not covered by some health plans. Obesity medicines and procedures are also rarely covered, considered as life-style medicines or procedures. Corporate America will pay for Viagra-type drugs, but will not pay for necessary drugs or treatments to help those at health-risk for their weight problems.
Does anyone in the U.S.A. believe in taking accountability for their own behaviors? Do you all think you need to be taken care of? Are you so feeble that you cannot count the calories, change eating habits, take time to walk, etc. Now it\’s corporate America who has to be responsible for its employees weight. Give me a break.
Absolutely Ad. No one likes to take or admit any personal responsibility for their own actions. It\’s so much easier to shift the blame to others. This way the newly fat people can wallow in their new found victimhood. I used to travel alot, still slept right, eat right, exercised right and never gained weight. I guess I have self control, respect and integrity and I will be ashamed of myself to blame others for my own inability to control myself and happily live in a life of victimhood.