Should obesity be stigmatized?

I think that there are factors that lend themselves to increased weight issues, but no one should be treated poorly because of it.

My reasons are:

1. There ARE individuals who have medical reasons for being overweight, so labelling them as fat slobs or lazy doesn't change that. If you're not an individual's physician, don't judge them. I have known people who spewed hate towards the obese, then developed medical conditions themselves and had to be on the receiving end of the hate.

2. There are socio-economic reasons for lack of leisure time, affordable healthy diet, gym memberships (they ARE expensive), etc. A middle to upper middle class family without special needs family members and few debts/health bills might be able to afford evenings at the "Y" because they only work one job and have easy access to transportation. A double-shift worker with hungry kids and can't access the gym in non-regular hours has far fewer choices.

3. "Overweight" is a term applied to people of health weight, but our perceptions are skewed by the media representation of sleek, low BMI people who are the exception due to possible genetics, but mostly privilege.

4. Fat-phobia has been hyped by the media, not only in terms of body image issues, but in the ways the "news" are represented. For example, I read one study that disputed that only obese people are forced to buy more than one airline seat when some airlines had reduced the seat size and space between rows of seats so that even non-obese people were crammed uncomfortably.

5. The medical insurance industry likes to point fingers at obese people for rising health costs, but the industry itself is rife with bureaucracy that impedes everyday medical procedures or much needed ones for the sake of maximum profit.

Can people who have choices take more responsibility for their weight? Of course. I have no one to blame if I overeat or decide not to work out because I am secure financially with few demands on my time. However, I don't blame other people for situations I know nothing about.

To suddenly blame the woes of society on the obese is like sticking one's head in sand. It is far easier to scapegoat people than to find solutions to complex issues. It is one of the last bastions of cruelty that is accepted by society. We have laws protecting people from sexual, racial discimination, but not appearance unless it's due to a condition that is covered by the ADA.

Should people be stigmatized based on skin colour, heritage, hair style or height?

Should you be stigmatized and bashed against based on things which are merely physical in appearance yet do not subtract from who you are inside?