Obese Discrimination Essay, Research Paper

Obese DiscriminationAlthough I am of an average weight now, I was once considered obese. Once, when I was heavier, I went shopping with one of my friends, who was quite slender, and in the department store that we were shopping in she was waited on with good, friendly service, having the saleswoman s complete attention. Yet, I had to search for what I was interested in buying, while the salesclerks ignored me, and never asked if I needed assistance. In fact, the only time they did speak to me was when I was at the register paying for my purchase. This case of discrimination is just what numerous people face daily who are considered to be overweight or obese. In today s society, people are bombarded with images of the mold that we are supposed to be able to fit into. The problem is, not everyone fits this perfect mold. Men or women, black or white, young or old, rich or poor, we all have pressures from the world to just fit in , especially in the physical sense.Obese people are just as beautiful as everyone else, they just don t starve themselves as those whose seek a socially acceptable size. Some people view them as disgusting because of how that they don t have perfect curves or have extra skin where other people have very defining curves and muscle tone. As a whole, people tend to stereotype and are ashamed to be seen associating with people who are overweight. Even if they are just as smart, outgoing, or funny as we are, they still are not usually accepted by society in general. It is as though these people must prove themselves to be almost perfect to be recognized as a complete human being in the world today.

In my experience, larger people have tended to be nicer and friendlier than slender ones. They have seemed to be less vain, possibly since they are not obsessing over what their bodies look like and how well they fit in socially. They are just as good friends as thin people and can be better confidants; since they already don t fit in socially they will be more likely to value your friendship more and be a person that one can build a solid association with. When the word discrimination is spoken, the image of a black man sitting in the back of a bus or a sign over a water fountain that states whites only above it is usually visualized. But there is another form of discrimination that is just as devastating and rampant as racial discrimination ever could have been, which is the division of people who are obese or overweight from those who are slender or thin. Society sends out the message that all people should look a certain way and if not, then these people are silently separated from the rest of society.