Annotated Bibliography: Fat People Have Feelings

Fat does not equal lazy; fat does not equal bad; fat does not equal overeating; fat does not equal ugly. Fat oppression is something so prevalent in our society, yet Americans refuse to recognize it as a problem or even an issue. After hearing an amazing woman named Nomy Lamm speak this weekend, I could not longer let this issue be ignored. (Lamm is a fat oppression activist and has been published in Ms. magazine). Fat oppression exists in this society and we all must recognize the damage it does to everyone, especially fat people.

Thousands of children around America are increasingly joining the obesity epidemic and are struggling to get out of it. In the documentary, Fed Up, by Stephanie Soechtig, she creates a documentary that targets young teenagers and parents to uncover the truth of the epidemic and reveal how the food industry is hurting the children 's diet by making them become addicted to sugar. It explains how it is beyond people 's willpower and exercise alone that solves the epidemic, rather it is the food industries ' fault for the nfood they produce. Soechtig uses pathos, ethos and logos by documenting personal stories from young obese teenagers, providing a numerous amount of credible sources from a wide range of experts, and having evidence for the epidemic.

They believe in “goofing off” because the day is too long in their opinion. Jordan also compares the mental attributes of heavy and thin when she talks about happiness; in “That Lean and Hungry Look”, the thin person portrays a bothersome trait, believing logic and 2,000-point plans lead to happiness, while the fat person is already aware that happiness is indefinable. Jordan uses these kinds of comparisons and contrast between fat and thin in the article to demonstrate the advantages of being fat that are not seen by most people, for they are under the impression that fat is always unattractive or unhappy.

Obesity continues as a deadly epidemic that involves people that continually overeat in which causes weight gain that has affected all people around the world. During the last few decade obesity has doubled and threatened people's health in adverse habits of overeating. With the progress of technology, fewer people do manual labor; they work longer hours sitting down and eating too much of unhealthy foods. How obesity affects our community health and economic cost, taking the steps, to prevent obesity, and then the sociology functionalism theory relates to the problem of obesity in the United States and the world.

Using the Data/Information/Knowledge/Wisdom Continuum Obesity has reached epidemic levels in the United States, and it is passed down from the

He states that American television has created an aura around the fat man as unwanted, thus creating a culture that shames those who are see has “heavy’ or “big.” The fat man, especially is seen as a figure who is soft and lacking masculinity to be attractive enough to play the big roles. This is evident with gay men, as the show Seinfeld has created an unwanted image of a fat man for the gay

The pressure to lose weight in today’s society inhibits the personality and health of overweight people while essentially increasing the weight of the people who experience these pressures (Worley 163-167). So reasons Mary Ray Worley in her article, “Fat and Happy: In Defense of Fat Acceptance.” Worley uses her personal experience as well as a small number of facts to dispute why overweight people struggle as they attempt to contribute to society (163-167). In the beginning of her article she references an association of which she is a member, the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, to convey the possibilities to advance society when judgement based on size is abandoned (163-164). The association holds a conference every year, and Worley continually refers to the atmosphere at the convention as “another planet,” suggesting that the scarcity of judgment during the convention differed significantly from her everyday experiences (163-164, 167). Applying her encounters to all people of her weight category, she declares that even doctors blame the majority of sicknesses on weight (165). She also proclaims that people should not diet and exercise in order to lose weight, as this triggers loss of motivation without results, but to improve their attitude and mood (166). Referencing Dr. Diane Budd from the convention, she states that attempts to lose weight cause “lasting harmful effects on one’s appetite, metabolism, and self-esteem” (164). While Worley’s unjustifiable

America's children are not getting enough exercise, and the health risks due to obesity are becoming epidemic in nature. Even First Lady Michelle Obama is supporting an initiative to help children become more active and to provide for exercise (at least 30-60 minutes per day) in all schools. Even limited amounts of exercise can have great health benefits. When humans exercise, the brain produces chemicals that help enhance mood, limit cravings for sugars, and contribute to healthier joints, muscles, the heart, and kidneys. In turn, this translates into more productive work time, the ability to sleep better, increase memory, and reduce dependence on medications. Children are so vulnerable to this health risk that if it continues, over 60% of graduating seniors will be clinically obese. Written by a medical journalist, the book is designed for the lay reader but has a number of documented scholarly sources.

Obesity has become increasingly more prominent in American society. The Unites States has even been termed an overweight nation. Some twenty to thirty percent of American adults are now considered obese (Hwang 1999 and Hirsch et al 1997). With this in mind, Americans constantly look around themselves determining their weight status as well as that of those around them. While some Americans do fit the healthy category, others enter the underweight, overweight, and even obese categories, all of which can be unhealthy.

Much has been written to explain the medical aspect of obesity but little attention has been paid to understanding the sociological aspect of the epidemic. This research attempts to understand the sociological aspect of obesity by examining the socio-cultural, gender, and psycho-social effects and includes the different perceptions of the epidemic as well as what is deemed acceptable in the society we live in.

Dalton, S. (2005). Our Overweight Children: What Parents, Schools And Communities Can Do to Control the Fatness Epidemic. Berkeley: University of California Press.

Fed Up. Stephanie Soechtig. Perf. Michele Simon, Katie Couric, Bill Clinton, Michael Bloomberg. Atlas Films, 2014.

In the novel The Fat Man the author Maurice Gee displays hopelessness at the same point by the characters Colin, Laurie, Mrs Masie and Mrs Muskie. The book Fat Man is about a Fat Man who is a horrible mean and is the main character that Gee displays throughout all the characters. Hopeless throughout the novel is seen by actions, dialogue and physical description form character with in the book The Fat Man.

In “What’s Wrong with Fat-Shaming?” by Lesley Kinzel and “Solve America’s Obesity Problem with Shame,” by Chris Friend share two different ideas about shaming against obesity. Body-shaming happens to everyone at some point in their lifetime, it sometimes includes inappropriate negative statements and attitudes towards a person weight or size. Fat-shaming is a term made by obese people to avoid their responsibility in taking care of their body. These people make themselves victims in society by pretending they are being discriminating like an ethnic group.

We live in a world where society has always been prejudiced against fat, which is causing negative emotions in people such as disgust, shame,low self esteem, insecurity and sometimes even death. People are being discriminated and bullied for reasons of weight,racism, marginalization, stereotypes of certain social groups and poverty. But it also depends about the culture, for example: In some countries fat is a serious issue while in other cultures is not a problem. Should people be start thinking about having an healthier lifestyle? Have people ever thought about the negative consequences that fat can bring to their life in the future?