The weight blame
How effective is fat shaming in tackling obesity?
Obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally. The World Health Organization says at least 2.8 million people dying each year as a result of being overweight or obese. But does the way we discuss the problem actually exacerbate it?
YouTube star Nicole Arbour’s viral video “Dear Fat People” was viewed more than thirty million times online, and reaction to it has been swift and polarising. Many agreed with the comedy of her self-described “truth bomb” in which she says fat shaming is not a real thing and that most overweight people are responsible for the way they look. Some even called her message inspiring, and what was needed to get people out and working on themselves. But her critics have called her a bully, insulting and offensive and contributing to a great problem of shaming people based on physical appearance. YouTube received so many complaints, that her page was briefly taken down. It also prompted a number of people to post response videos, some of which have also gone viral.
On the next Stream we’ll discuss fat shaming, the impact that it has on overweight people and why it’s so ingrained our societies. Join us at 19:30 GMT.
On today’s episode we speak to:
Whitney Way Thore @WhitneyWay
Star, My Big Fat Fabulous Life
Ajay Rochester @ajayrochester
Founder, Drop the Plus campaign
Jessamyn Stanley @JessNotJazz
Yoga teacher
GJ Dempers
Medical practice manager
What do you think? Leave your views in the comments section below.