Critique: Mary Ray Worley's "Fat and Happy: In Defense of Fat Acceptance"

Insisting that overweight people can live happy, healthy, and productive lives, Mary Ray Worley (2002) argues that the people of America are so offended by fat that they "would rather die or cut off a limb than be fat" (321). Worley, who is a member of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA), argues that "trying to manipulate our bodies into being something they're not" (325), being ashamed of our bodies, and trying to change how we look in order to make others happy is not the way to live our lives. She believes in "forging a new relationship with our bodies, one that doesn't involve self-loathing" (325).

Many people in today's society are too obsessed with how their bodies look, especially in regards to the size of their bodies. According to Worley, people in today's society feel that since body fat is so hated, that makes it OK to make fun of overweight people and make them feel bad about themselves. There is no doubt that overweight people are scrutinized, and it is this scrutinizing and criticism that Worley believes contributes to compromised health. Overweight people give up on exercise because they become too embarrassed to be seen in front of "normal" people. Worley's suggestion that we try to be happy with the way we look regardless of what others think is understandable, as long as everyone realizes that being overweight does have its disadvantages.

A person doesn't have to use binoculars to see that overweight people receive tons of unwanted stares from strangers that pass them by. Also, these passersby make sure to spit out rude comments. It is these stares and rude comments that make overweight people so bad about themselves. No one deserves scrutiny from people they don't know. Overweight people shouldn't feel like they are prisoners in their own bodies. Worley rightfully states that they have the right to enjoy "being in their bodies" (321), which means being able to do things like wearing swimsuits and performing belly dancing. She makes it known that health and happiness is connected.

Worley's claim that a person's "genetic makeup" (322) may have something to do with his/her size is solid since there is evidence that can be used to support such a claim; however, she does not focus on all of the other factors that may contribute to obesity. There are factors besides genes that may contribute to obesity. These could include diet, psychological well-being, environment, and a host of other factors. While Worley does go into some of the psychological aspects by saying that heavy people "will give up on regular exercise because they do not have the support [motivation] they need to continue" (323), she does not say anything about diet playing a role in how heavy someone is. While diet is not the only factor that contributes to obesity, it does not mean that every person (heavy or thin) should go out and eat a McDonald's Big Mac or a Burger King Whopper three or four times a week. It has been proven that this kind of food is unhealthy. For example, a Whopper contains 39 grams of fat (over 50% of the daily recommended value), 670 calories, 11 grams of artery clogging saturated fat (more than half of the daily recommended value), and 95 mg of cholesterol. According to Ira Dreyfuss (1999), an Associated Press writer, "heavier people have a higher risk of conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and cholesterol levels," so eating this food definitely will not make anyone healthier. This kind of food is capable of causing serious health problems in thin and overweight people. Even though Worley stresses that "fat people need to be active and strong enough to carry their own body weight comfortably" (323), she does not stress the importance of eating healthy as much as she should, even though she cites that she "became a vegetarian" (324) years ago.

Worley's claim that there are a lot of people that taunt and make fun of overweight people is true to some degree, but to suggest that "health professionals are among the most prejudiced people around" (323) is an attack without any backup support. Many people would get the idea that Worley is suggesting that all health professionals are prejudiced, which is probably not true. She cites this as being the reason that "fat people are reluctant to seek medical attention" (323) which, in turn, leads "to the shortening of many fat people's lives" (323). She is making a hasty generalization because she doesn't cite any evidence that shows this to be true.

Worley insists that there are heavy people that can live happy, healthy, and productive lives, and she suggests that all people (thin and heavy) try to be happy with the way they look regardless of what others think. This is sensible; however, it doesn't change the fact that there are heavy people that are unhealthy. Overweight people need to exercise so that they have the ability to support their body weight. Exercise is just one of the many things that everyone needs to take on so that they are in tip top shape. A healthy diet is also important in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. When it comes to the subject of obesity, people shouldn't care so much about the 'How do I look?" part of it but should care more about their health and psychological well-being. As Worley pointed out, heavy people do have to put up with the rudeness from the public; however, she does not need to make attacks against all health professionals because there is no evidence to suggest that all health professionals are prejudice against heavy people. They play an important role in finding out all of the facts on obesity. One thing most of us can agree on is that it may be some time before everyone realizes that overweight people have feelings like everyone else.

Sources:

Worley, M.R. (2002). Fat and Happy: In Defense of Fat Acceptance. In L. Behrens & L.J. Rosen (Eds.), Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum: Brief Edition (pp. 321-325). New York: Longman.

http://www.bk.com

Drefuss, I. (1999, August 20). Weight Control Can Be Healthier Than Losing it. SouthCoast Today. Retrieved February 3, 2006, from http://archive.southcoasttoday.com/daily/08-99/08-20-99/c03he074.htm