Obesity is associated with heaps of problems. However, it is not a morally unacceptable state and that is what many here are trying to suggest.
Using the same argument one could claim that bodybuilders use too many resources, are unhealthy and often require more health care than average people. The professional bodybuilders do all that to themselves so are morally culpable.
The same cannot be said about fat people. Fatness is not something one does to him or herself. Well, with the exception of feedees who intentionally get larger. Fatness just happens. It isn't because of the lack of will power or any moral inferiority. Obesity usually occurs over a long period of time. Once people are obese it is very difficult to reverse.
At least we know how fat people must feel if the attitudes posted here are typical.
Mr. Basile, I do agree with you concerning people's "attitude" toward the obese, I'm all for more tolerance for everyone.
However, your overinsistence that "fatness is not something one does to him or herself", and that it "just happens", couldn't be farther from the truth for most of those who are "obese".
Fact is, these folks control what they eat, or don't eat, and how much of it they do eat. They control whether or not they exercise, or whether they choose to monitor themselves as far as weight gain, or overall health.
I was a BIG boy growing up. I lost over 100 pounds in my early twenties, all the wrong way (not eating). Stayed that way for a good six to seven years, got hurt, and put all the weight back on in a relatively short period of time (about a year). About three years ago, I tried to get in shape again, this time the right way. Before I embarked upon this, I did a lot of reading of books, sites like this one, and many articles so I COULD go about it the right way. And using many of the bodybuilding techniques you sometimes put down, I went from 315 to 185 in about a year and a half.
It's not easy, nothing is easy. But I would be able to do it if I had someone with your attitude telling me that "It's not my fault" that I was fat. I wasn't a victim of the fat fairies out there, and neither are a LOT of others whom you classify as "unable to do anything about their obesity". They need to be shown that they control their own fates, and need to take charge of their own choices. No one chooses to be fat, but a LOT of people can choose whether they don't want to be fat or not.
