this post was submitted on 15 Dec 2024
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United States | News & Politics
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Forget it dude. We Americans will bend over backwards to tell you we can't help being fat.
What I've noticed since the 80s is that the level of obesity considered "acceptable" in society has gone up dramatically. "I'm not that fat! Look at the guy over there!" Rinse and repeat.
I can go to Walmart, right now, and see people we would have gawked at in the 80s, even 90s. Not like we wished to be rude, seeing people that huge would have caught us off guard.
It’s troubling. I’ve seen the same. We used to see ‘a few extra pounds’. In school there were few if any fat kids, and those few who had an extra pound or two would be simply “husky”.
Now in walmart every 5th person is morbidly obese; the size of a double door refrigerator. The argument breaks down that they “simply can’t afford better food”. What’s worse is the reverse backlash: the admonition that “real women have curves.” In other words, people who choose to eat right and exercise aren’t real. They’re malnourished waifs that should be ostracized. I’ve seen a good bit of fat shaming in my time but it doesn’t hold a candle to thin shaming.
Been skinny my whole life, jesus, I get that.
Dated a woman that had kidney issues, dialysis 3 times a week, anorexic kinda skinny. Complete strangers would walk up to her to suggest she eat more, try to fix her. Fuck me. (Turned out to be a pretty hateful woman, got herself a new kidney, hope she's better.)
Talking to a close friend about our mutual friend. They were both 20 or so and I said something about the guy being fat as hell.
"Nah! He's pudgy, but he's not really fat!"
"Dude. Aside from the jocks, he would have been the fattest kid in my class ('89) of 400."
His jaw dropped, didn't know what to say. This man is about 5'7" and 250, easy.
And god forbid we talk about the environmental impact. Nope, not talking about that.