Discrimination against overweight people may be subconscious...

[Gilder]

I thought this was interesting considering what John said in the National Healthcare NIMBY thread.

Link:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6921882.stm

Discrimination against fat people might not be all the fault of bullies, international scientists say.
They found, for some people, the sight of obesity sparked strong subconscious reactions, such as disgust.

The Evolution and Human Behaviour study suggests this is part of a deep-seated behavioural reponse designed to help detect and avoid those with infections.

But experts said there was no excuse for pre-meditated prejudice against obese people.

The researchers looked at the results of a questionnaire completed by more than 250 people from the University of British Columbia.

They found that, just as rotten food can trigger nausea, the sight of someone obese could trigger reactions such as disgust.

Immune response

And the reactions were stronger in people who were most afraid of disease.

People who agreed with the statement, "It really bothers me when people sneeze without covering their mouths" were more likely to agree with, "If I were an employer looking to hire, I might avoid hiring a fat person."

The researchers say because obesity represents a deviation from what we regard as a 'normal' body morphology, and so triggers the response because it could be the sign of a disease caused by pathogens, such as bacteria or viruses.

This is similar to the response people might feel if they saw someone with a rash, and the authors say people can be highly sensitive to such visual triggers even if they know a person does not actually have a disease.

However, although these negative responses to certain triggers could aid survival by helping people detect and so avoid those with infections, it could also cause negative attitudes towards obese people.

The researchers said their results indicated that prejudice against obese people might not be rooted in psychological mechanisms, but in this innate bahavioural response.

They said: "This is sobering, but encouraging because it provides clues toward the possible reduction of this for of prejudice.

"Our results suggest that it might be ameliorated through interventions that focus on individual's often irrational concerns about infectious disease."

Social factors

Dr Ian Campbell, medical director of charity Weight Concern, said children as young as seven had been shown to have an in-built discrimination against obese people, so he was "not surprised" that such a prejudice could have an evolutionary basis.

He said: "Being very obese is associated with a greater risk of ill health, so I'm not surprised by this."

But he added that in recent years social factors had also played an important role in making obese people the butt of jokes.

And Dr Colin Waine, chairman of the National Obesity Forum, said prejudice against obese people existed even amongst healthcare professionals, and that it must be removed.

He said: "Human beings have been given powers of reason, so people can overcome the discrimination.

"Attitudes to coloured people have become healthier, even though once they were looked down upon.

"Obese people are currently blamed for their condition, but people should try to overcome that attitude."

 

[Winner]

Wait, now I can't discriminate against fat people? Why? Their appearance is a result of their way of life, for which they are fully responsible.

 

[Mr. Dictator]

would the spark in my brain be a result of being conditioned?

 

[JohnRM]

Wait, now I can't discriminate against fat people? Why? Their appearance is a result of their way of life, for which they are fully responsible.

Agreed. Being overweight is a discipline problem. That should mean something to you.

 

[Patroklos]

My discrimination against fat people is totally concious.

 

[Rossiya]

So what if it's subconscious. People who discriminate should be killed, so everybody in the world should be culled.

(by the way, Will Smith will be last guy on Earth)

 

[nc-1701]

I hate discrimination based on things like race or sex, that cannot be changed by the person. Of course Michael Jackson, and transexuals prove this point wrong, but let's ignore that

However in 99% of cases your fat, becaus your a lazy arse I mean have you ever seen somebody who runs 5 mile a day, and is fat? No, you can't be fat if you excercise properly. Now I don't excercise that much, but I'm not fat, and if I was I would excercise as much as necessary to reverse my weight gain. I don't believe it's about diet or genes, it's about being to lazy to get up, and move around a little bit.

 

[Eukaryote]

Wait, now I can't discriminate against fat people? Why? Their appearance is a result of their way of life, for which they are fully responsible.

No. Under non-extreme circumstaces your weight is mostly genetic. Why do you think there are all those skinny teenagers that do nothing but play video games all day?

Signed,
The Son Of A Doctor.

 

[Aramazd]

I discriminate against fat people because they don't have to be fat.

 

[Evie]

I discriminate against people in this thread because they could educate themselves a bit before sprouting "common knowledge".

 

[Stevenpfo]

I'm Gonna say something because i'm tired of all the "fat haters" out there. At what point is someone 'to fat?'

I guess i'm fat by most of your standards yet i'm getting to the point that I don't care anymore. It used to hurt pretty bad when people like you judged me. But then I realized you're all pretty shallow if you've judged me on that.

I've tried tons of stuff to get skinny but it does not seem to work. I am at 265 pounds at 6'1". I lead a pretty active lifestyle and eat better than 90% of people I know. I just released from the military. I was in for 6 years. Infantry. They tried their damndest and I only lost weight twice. Once in Infantry Battle School (Physical training 2-3 times a day plus non stop push-ups through out the day) and in Afghanistan (45 lbs). I gained it back once I got home from overseas.

I lost weight a little bit one other time in the military. 30-60 mins of PT in the mourning plus I worked out for 30-45 mins a night at home. I eat junk occasionally at special times like if I go out to my brothers or whatever. Other than that I eat pretty damn good. I better, i'm raising two kids and don't want them raised ont he junk I was raised on.

At work I work harder than 90 % of the people there. I sweat my butt off all day. I just worked 10 days straight at 8-11 hours a day doing physical work. I lost nothing. It drives me nuts.

I have to make the decision to stay where i'm at or work out for 90 mins a day pretty hard to see something go away.

I've just come to the conclusion that like my skinny friends who eat crap food day in and day out and stay skinny, i'll be this size forever probably.

I still keep planning on getting to the gym and trying. But more important things keep coming up. New career. Wife. Kids. Life.

So, good for you if you work out barely at all and are a toothpick. You don't impress me. I work out harder than you and I still look the way I look. Can I run 5 miles at this weight? Yes. It hurts because I probably shouldn't but I can and have. Sometimes on a near daily basis. Infantry, remember?

Not everyone fits nicely into your stereotypes or blanket statements.

 

[Fifty]

I love it when people discriminate against fattys because that means more big and beautiful women for me. Nothing could possibly be more erotic to me than watching a 300lb woman slather her body in baked beans.

 

[Ansar]

I consciously discriminate against fat people.

 

[nc-1701]

I'm Gonna say something because i'm tired of all the "fat haters" out there. At what point is someone 'to fat?'

I guess i'm fat by most of your standards yet i'm getting to the point that I don't care anymore. It used to hurt pretty bad when people like you judged me. But then I realized you're all pretty shallow if you've judged me on that.

I've tried tons of stuff to get skinny but it does not seem to work. I am at 265 pounds at 6'1". I lead a pretty active lifestyle and eat better than 90% of people I know. I just released from the military. I was in for 6 years. Infantry. They tried their damndest and I only lost weight twice. Once in Infantry Battle School (Physical training 2-3 times a day plus non stop push-ups through out the day) and in Afghanistan (45 lbs). I gained it back once I got home from overseas.

I lost weight a little bit one other time in the military. 30-60 mins of PT in the mourning plus I worked out for 30-45 mins a night at home. I eat junk occasionally at special times like if I go out to my brothers or whatever. Other than that I eat pretty damn good. I better, i'm raising two kids and don't want them raised ont he junk I was raised on.

At work I work harder than 90 % of the people there. I sweat my butt off all day. I just worked 10 days straight at 8-11 hours a day doing physical work. I lost nothing. It drives me nuts.

I have to make the decision to stay where i'm at or work out for 90 mins a day pretty hard to see something go away.

I've just come to the conclusion that like my skinny friends who eat crap food day in and day out and stay skinny, i'll be this size forever probably.

I still keep planning on getting to the gym and trying. But more important things keep coming up. New career. Wife. Kids. Life.

So, good for you if you work out barely at all and are a toothpick. You don't impress me. I work out harder than you and I still look the way I look. Can I run 5 miles at this weight? Yes. It hurts because I probably shouldn't but I can and have. Sometimes on a near daily basis. Infantry, remember?

Not everyone fits nicely into your stereotypes or blanket statements.

I'm assuming this post was directed at me, and basicaly I don't believe you can be fat, and work out as much as you say you do. I don't consider 265 to necessarily mean your fat though, I mean is that weight muscle or fat? If it's muscle you might weigh alot, but you sure as hell aren't fat.
Bluntly if the army will take you as infantry, then I don't consider you to be fat.

Finally, I don't really discriminate against fat people. I just hate the fat people who complain about being fat, and . .. .. .. .. . about it

 

[paulc87]

I guess now I know why I hate fat people

 

[Stevenpfo]

Here's an attached photo from 2 weekends ago my 4 year old took. I took him out hiking for his birthday.

Sorry if I came off kinda strong. I have strong feelings about this. Being picked on as a kid then being judge by every look in the military can make you touchy about it. I had to prove myself with actions at every step of the way in the infantry because of my weight whereas other people (skinny as toothpicks) could walk in and they just assumed they were good to go. It took me a long while to become comfortable and happy with myself.

I wasn't going to post but then remembered stuff like this many many years ago on the internet and bad it made me feel to read and and no one spoke up or said anything in defense. I guarantee there are kids out there reading this and it's making them feel like crap. Some of you think it's a big joke but these kids are having a really hard time. I posted this for them.

I know some of you don't care. I know how kids and the internet work. Add them together and you get some pretty crass individuals.

 

[Ansar]

You don't look fat, IMO.

I would post pictures of some people who I think are fat, but they might get offended.

 

[Stevenpfo]

When I see those extremely obese people saying they don't care what you think and they like being fat or whatever excuse I always think the same thing. They don't want to be fat. They want willpower or whatever it takes to get skinny and be happy and healthy. But what they want first and foremost is some self esteem. They're trying anything and anything to get some.

That's how it seems to me when I look at them. I was lucky and joined the army. It helped me get that and now that i'm moving on from that i'm feeling comfortable and confident in myself and I have the self esteem it helped me get. Most people don't have that.

 

[WillJ]

I love it when people discriminate against fattys because that means more big and beautiful women for me. Nothing could possibly be more erotic to me than watching a 300lb woman slather her body in baked beans.

Are you suggesting the use of baked beans as a LUBRICANT?

 

[Bamspeedy]

I'm Gonna say something because i'm tired of all the "fat haters" out there. At what point is someone 'to fat?'

I guess i'm fat by most of your standards yet i'm getting to the point that I don't care anymore. It used to hurt pretty bad when people like you judged me. But then I realized you're all pretty shallow if you've judged me on that.

I've tried tons of stuff to get skinny but it does not seem to work. I am at 265 pounds at 6'1". I lead a pretty active lifestyle and eat better than 90% of people I know. I just released from the military. I was in for 6 years. Infantry. They tried their damndest and I only lost weight twice. Once in Infantry Battle School (Physical training 2-3 times a day plus non stop push-ups through out the day) and in Afghanistan (45 lbs). I gained it back once I got home from overseas.

I lost weight a little bit one other time in the military. 30-60 mins of PT in the mourning plus I worked out for 30-45 mins a night at home. I eat junk occasionally at special times like if I go out to my brothers or whatever. Other than that I eat pretty damn good. I better, i'm raising two kids and don't want them raised ont he junk I was raised on.

At work I work harder than 90 % of the people there. I sweat my butt off all day. I just worked 10 days straight at 8-11 hours a day doing physical work. I lost nothing. It drives me nuts.

I have to make the decision to stay where i'm at or work out for 90 mins a day pretty hard to see something go away.

I've just come to the conclusion that like my skinny friends who eat crap food day in and day out and stay skinny, i'll be this size forever probably.

I still keep planning on getting to the gym and trying. But more important things keep coming up. New career. Wife. Kids. Life.

So, good for you if you work out barely at all and are a toothpick. You don't impress me. I work out harder than you and I still look the way I look. Can I run 5 miles at this weight? Yes. It hurts because I probably shouldn't but I can and have. Sometimes on a near daily basis. Infantry, remember?

Not everyone fits nicely into your stereotypes or blanket statements.

When I first read your weight I imagined you would be in the 'obese' category, but upon seeing your picture and considering most of it is muscle instead of fat (muscle weighs more than fat), I'd say you are just merely overweight and not obese. The 'fat jokes' are directed at the obese, flabby (no muscle) people, not the slightly overweight or muscle-built people.

You say you eat better than other people, and I figure you are talking about the junk food. But what about the quantity of the healthy food you eat? You've talked much about how you tried exercising to lose weight (and it sounds like you are getting plenty of excercise, like with your job), but have you tried cutting back on the size of the portions you eat? You may have already tried that, I don't know, but it is something that wouldn't take anymore time out of your life like exercising consumes your time when you have many other things to do, and as long as it doesn't leave you feeling weak.