In Defence of Obesity

People exhibiting the phenomena known as muffin tops are not safe. Zoom lenses are being pointed as they walk down the street, as fat clad knee caps struggle up stairs to be splashed across our newspapers.

The media have medicine behind them in their campaign. There is public money going into a programme to change this.

Change what? - I wish to stop and make everyone ask.

What is this term obesity that we so liberally apply?

Who called the Fat Police and gave the whole nation a citizens arrest warrant?

We are keen to be healthy - rightly so. But isn't what is a healthy figure and weight socially conditioned? The Body Mass Index is a medical tool, therefore that revered group of professional sanctions a bullying method that keeps many of their larger patrons away from their surgeries. Is that a way of dealing with too many patients?!

We also work to fatten up the extremely thin. The damaging messages of the media there hardly needs discussing here - but the obesity campaign is burning the candle at the other end. There are police for those with eating disorders that make them too thin. And now they are doing it for those that - horror of horrors - could earn that title of being 'fat'.

I think 'fat' should be banned or reinvented. Trying to purge ourselves of other prejudices, such as sexism, racism, ageism, homophobia, we seek out a new target - ah - bodies.

The damage to personal esteem and psyches is inestimable. It makes people afraid to meet others because they will be judged. And the licence is there for anyone to comment on how a large person ought to diet and exercise.

Why does our society sanction such personal comments and intrusions?

Who said that certain clothes sizes are acceptable, while others are not? Who says how we can have our bodies? And why are we paying for media and health services who try to?