Obese is Not a Joke!"Who Else is Tired of the Fat Jokes?" When you look at advertising or hear people talking about individuals that they admire, what are the words that are used to describe them? Usually the words that you hear are thin, good body, beautiful, athletic, and fit. Taking a quick flip through any magazine you will notice pictures of extremely thin women, or possibly even just thin people, but very rarely will you see a picture of an average, overweight or obese individual, unless they are the “fall guy” for a visual joke in the advertisement. In addition the general jokes and comments that people make in casual conversation also act to reinforce the negative beliefs that thin people have towards those individuals that struggle to control their weight. There are many myths that the thin world has about us overweight individuals, and four of the more common ones will be examined below. Myth 1: Obese people are lazy and undisciplined While most people understand that overweight people would like to be able to change their bodies, they often mistakenly believe that the obese people don’t change because it is just too much work and effort. This couldn’t be farther from the truth and many obese people do exercise and monitor their eating on a daily basis. Often there are medical issues that complicate weight loss and make exercising extremely difficult or even potentially dangerous. Myth 2: Anyone can lose weight with a little effort While everyone can lose weight, it is usually not just a bit of effort. Many obese people have health issues that must be addressed or controlled before any weight loss program can be started. For many morbidly obese people weight loss surgery may be the only option, and they may be unable to pay for the procedure or are too unhealthy to undergo the process. In addition hormonal imbalances are often a major factor in weight loss and gain, and until this is diagnosed and treated long-term significant weight loss cannot occur. Myth 3: Fat jokes help to keep people motivated to lose weight Many thin people or individuals that have never had to lose significant amounts of weight believe that by keeping negative comments and jokes about fat people in the conversation they actually motivate the overweight individual to stay on their diet or program. In reality these negative comments often have the reverse effect as they continually erode the individuals sense of self-esteem and act to decrease motivation. Myth 4: Fat people are always jolly This is sometimes called the Santa Claus myth, as it is perpetuated by the happy and jolly figure of the rotund Christmas gift giver. In reality many obese individuals “put on a happy face” to hide the hurt that they are feeling inside. They often are actually very depressed and negative about themselves, but try to cover it up with friends and family members to avoid confronting the issue. Jokes, comments, and negative stereotypes of overweight people serve as a constant reminder of how the thinner part of society views obese individuals. While many obese people pretend not to hear or laugh it off, these comments do nothing but decrease self-esteem and decrease chances of weight loss. As a large person myself, I've endured a lifetime of ridicule about my size. Hey, I'm a nice person with much to offer but many people can never get past my physical appearance.... or simply don't want to. I've felt sorry for myself long enough, time to do something about it!
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