The Enabling of Fat People
fat people, enabling, lose weight
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“We Fit Your Life” is the mantra of a website called LivingXL. This business, like many others you can find on the web, caters to “oversized” people. Yes there are plenty of people who are larger than the averaged Joe…or Jane.
Case in point is one of my good friends from college. In his early 20’s he was 6’4” 240 pounds. He was big, fast, strong and in shape. In fact when he tried out for the New England Patriots football team his body fat was 9 – 11 percent. You may know people who are bigger…much bigger AND in shape.
Is this the segment of the population that these companies pursue? I think not.
The market these companies target is our overweight and obese friends and neighbors. That’s why you will see weight ratings next to fold out chairs 500 and even 800 pound capacity.
Not many of the advertisements depict a person who is off the height and weight chart but seems to be, visibly anyway, in shape. This is part of our problem. Part of the culture we have created.
Enabling.
Patronizing.
Giving up.
Would you give an alcoholic a drink? Probably not. If you think that analogy is unfair. Think about it. Making fat people feel more comfortable in their extremely unhealthy state is sending the message that it is ok. You couldn’t lose the weight. You are a victim and here is a way to make you feel better about what has happened to you. Wrong.
I feel the same way about teenage pregnancy. Instead of teaching abstinence many want to hand out condoms in schools because “all the kids are doing it” or “they’re going to do it anyway”. Then when two kids lives are turned upside down the politicians can fight over whether the child having a child has the right to choose an abortion because, let’s face it, the baby would be an inconvenience. My home state has a “complete sex education” stance rather than teaching abstinence and my state also has the HIGHEST rate of ... read entire entry
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on 9/10/2008
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