Fitness Weighing in on Sizeism: Fear, Self-Loathing & Our Nation's Battle of the Bulge

By Glenn MuellereDiets Senior Writer/Editor In case you missed it, the last issue of the UTNE Reader included an extremely provocative series of articles about

Elimination fear

In case you missed it, the last issue of the UTNE Reader included an extremely provocative series of articles about America's war on obesity. In spite of the health risks associated with being overweight, the editors of this alternative publication argue that our approach to fatness is at least as unhealthy as being fat. "Sizeism remains the only truly socially acceptable form of discrimination on the planet," writes Courtney E. Martin, author of Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters: The Frightening New Normalcy of Hating Your Body.

While the authors make some alarming generalizations about the dieting industry as a whole, they definitely bring up an insightful point about our cultural bias against fat. "To be fat in our culture is to be labeled not only a glutton, but also a vessel of disease," writes associate editor, Hannah Lobel.

"Short of burning obese people in effigy, it's hard to imagine how we could stigmatize fat more in this culture. Body hatred is regarded as a feminine virtue."

The magazine cites a poll of 10,000 ELLEgirl readers, in which 30 percent said they would rather be thin than healthy. That's downright disturbing! In our superficial culture that often values form over substance, I don't doubt that people are often discriminated against because of their size and appearance. However, I hope that doesn't deter people making the ever-important decision to exercise and adopt a healthier lifestyle.

Do you agree that we have an unfair bias against fat in this culture? Have you ever felt discriminated against because of your size? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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Source : http://healthnews.ediets.com/diet-weight-loss/weighing-in-on-sizeism-fear-self-loathing-our-nations-battle-of-the-bulge.html

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