In the news . . .

I understand that this post is not going to be well-received by some so I’m sorry in advance. I came across an article in today’s newspaper about advocates of a law protecting obese people from discrimination.

“In an overwhelmingly overweight nation that worships thinness, many describe prejudice against the obese as one of the last socially acceptable biases. Advocates for the plus-sized, particularly activists in the “fat acceptance” movement, want obesity to become a category legally protected against discrimination, like religion, race, age and sex. But not everyone agrees.” ~Chicago Tribune (http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/health/chi-fatapr28,0,125356.story)

OK. I would agree for sure that there is some stereotyping against fat people. Obviously, all of the posts about annoying stuff fat people do perpetuate/will perpetuate stereotypes. But come on. Morbid obesity/obesity/being overweight doesn’t come from out of nowhere. There can be genetic factors, sure. I definitely know the girl that can eat whatever in the world she wants without doing a second of exercise and stay a size 2. I also know that I work my butt off to stay healthy and try to look how I want to look. At some point, it IS an issue of self-control. And a lack of self-control/self-worth can be unappealing to employers, regardless of qualifications.

Pop culture reference–the show The Biggest Loser almost perfectly demonstrates my point. Extreme dieting for sure, but these contestants are all grossly overweight and LOSE WEIGHT. The most recent contestant went from over 200 pounds to 125. It takes work, obviously. But staying fit takes work too. Of course I’d rather have pizza tonight for dinner instead of a lean cuisine. Of course I’d rather have had an incredible Potbelly breakfast sandwich instead of a breakfast bar. And it’s not an issue of time, I work hard and sometimes late. To make up for that, I wake up at 5. And sure, that sucks. But adjusting my schedule and making good lifestyle decisions is what makes me not obese in reality (just in my head).