Should I Be A More Accepting Society?

Ever since a young boy, I was known for my crazy eating habits. I had an abnormally large sweet tooth and stomach. There would be days I would eat a whole bag of candy and still have a taste for more sweets. I had a fairly thin physique with some muscle tone. Everybody told me that one day, I’ll become obese and regret all these “bad” decisions; I disregarded every comment and lived by the motto, “ As long as I don’t get fat, I’m fine.”

Per the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly one in three children age two to nineteen in America are obese or overweight, putting them at risk for serious comorbidities. Like many illnesses, obesity reduces the life expectancy and quality of life of those affected. The impact of obesity on children and adolescents’ physical, social and emotion wellbeing can be extremely devastating. The body mass index which most obese children suffer from limit their ability of be mobile. In addition to this, they may endure a change in their academic performance due to their health status. Obese children are less likely to perform to their full potential in school (Wang and Veugelers, 2013). On an emotional level, many obese children and adolescents suffer from low-self-esteem. These self-confidence issues may arise as they start feeling self-conscious about their weight. Unfortunately, at this age, kids tend to highly value their peers’ opinions. This can be negative or positive depending on the individual, but it is most likely going to be negative for obese children. Their peers’ opinions can impact the way they view themselves. Bullying can become a problem, as they constantly worry about their peers teasing them about their weight. It is not easy building self-confidence when one’s self-image is constantly are belittled and scrutinized. Per Wang and Veugelers (2013), a study shows that children’s self-esteem and academic performance decrease due to obesity. Adolescence is a phase in which a person builds and develops not only self-confidence, but his or her personality. Due to this fact, it is extremely important for them to have a strong self-esteem and personality as they grow Moreover, it is essential for policymakers to focus on creating programs to reduce obesity among children because it is the easiest, and best way to lower the national obesity rate. Children are constantly growing in

Without a question, it is not fair that overweight people go through their entire lives being criticized and taunted for their weight. Worley explains how rude comments discourage fat people from exercising because they are embarrassed and “they don’t have the support they need to continue” (494). It is the stares and snide remarks that give overweight people low self-esteem. Worley justly states that “you’re entitled to the space you take up” (496). No person should feel like they need to hide away from the world.

First of all, some people can’t help it that they are overweight or obese. They might have a medical condition like a thyroid problem, or might be disabled from an injury. If they are overweight because of this or any other health ailments, it shouldn't be held against them. People like young children can’t control what their parents feed them either. If a child’s parents only ever give them soda and fast food and chips and cookies, it is no wonder that they gain weight. It isn't always a person’s fault that they’re overweight.

I grew up overweight, amidst incessant teasing and judging glances so frequent they felt normal. I knew I was unhealthy. I wanted to improve, and I did try to work out and eat right a lot of times - but to no avail. It never worked. In hindsight, it is clear my failures were because I prioritized health below everything - academics, a social life - you name it. Moving to the US for college, leaving behind a support structure for a foreign culture, I knew I had a fresh start that I could make the most of if I so tried.

In the article “Fat and Happy: In Defense of Fat Acceptance” author Mary Ray Worley, a member of the NAAFA, begins her commentary by shedding light on how society views overweight people. She states that in our society fatness signals self-contempt and lack of resolve, and that a multitude of people never consider another alternative way of thinking (Worley 163). She also explains that overweight people are often weary of going to the doctor because doctors are the most prejudice people out there; treating ones weight problem before treating their cough (165). Worley recalls when she attended the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (163). While at the convention, Worley witnessed multiple overweight people buying fashionable clothes that they cannot find at regular stores, and having fun trying things that they had not been able to attempt anywhere else because of their weight.

In today’s society the citizen of the United States have come to think of obesity as a cultural epidemic or social norm. Some may think of this as a problem and others may say that it has just becomes society’s new normal because we see it way too often. “Culture is transmitted through people that a person socializes with or by members of an extended family or community. These groups have considerable influence on an individual's value system and accepted norms. If two-thirds of the American population is either overweight or obese, this becomes the cultural norm (Phelan).”

The American author and nutritionist, Adelle Davis claims that, “To say that obesity is caused merely consuming too many calories is like saying that the only cause for American Revolution was the Boston Tea Party.” Over the years, obesity has gotten to the level of an epidemic problem. The state of overweight is the cause for over a thousand deaths every year. Most teenagers and adults are the targets for shown characteristics of obesity or overweight. Also, the increasing fatness in one’s system initiates health issues, and elevates insecurities for women and men. For example, one can get diabetes due to obesity, others have circulatory and muscular issues because the body cannot hold all of the overweight. Dove, well-known brand for its great female products and making women feel special and secure, is promoting the idea that all one’s imperfections are what makes that person beautiful inside and out. Television is one of the first lasting impressions that one gets of how a women or men should look, which creates stereotypes in body shape. Schools are an area where one can see overweight populations and how students laugh at their imperfections as humans. Bullying is also a problem for overweight people, for it makes them feel like they do not belong to this culture. As shown, being overweight has gained popularity for its traumatic issue in the United States and the many ways it has evolved and impacted society. Teens and adults living in the United States have a

Growing up, I was always criticized about the extra weight I carried around with me. The negative remarks got into my head and one day I had enough; around the age of 12 I decided that I wanted to be “normal”. This led me to extreme diets and exercises and within a few months I was getting compliments. Little did I know, that the methods that I used to get rid of my fat, were not healthy approaches. I soon began to develop the opposite problem -- being too skinny -- and again, I was not happy with myself. When I got to high school, I saw all these physically fit athletes and made the conclusion that I had to imitate them if I wanted to look like them. First, I tried out for the soccer team. Every day, I would spend countless hours practicing

I was always very picky in what I ate and loved unhealthy foods like any other kid. To get me to eat, I was never stopped from the foods I could have. I never worried about what foods I consumed or how unhealthy I was. Eating school lunches packed with chips, sodas, drinks, and candy, I began to put on weight. The years from 3rd grade until 10th I was considered fat. I got beaten again and again with everyone telling me I was unhealthy, what no one ever told me was how to fix it. I tried many times to loose weight, my mind was not strong, I couldn’t do it I told myself and I gave up every

Data from a large nationally representative sample of adolescents showed that baseline depression was associated with obesity one year later (Goodman, 2002). Additionally, overweight adolescents suffer from discrimination, prejudice, and stereotypes from peers that can decrease quality of life and increase probability of depression, suicide, academic difficulties, vocational limitations, and social challenges (Eisenberg, Neumark-Sztainer, & Paxton, 2006).

He notes that the children aren’t making this diagnose by assessment based, but by looking at the other people around us who are overweight. He points out that it’s a big problem and that it’s extremely complicated; when educating a teenager or child about being overweight it can become a touchy subject; and it requires a different approach. Teenagers deal with a lot of shrewd things about their body image. He notes that parents, educators and healthcare providers have to get involved. “It has to be a Pro-Health, not anti-obesity, campaign”, says Ferdman. Today’s children have a misconception about their own weight, because there are so many adolescents that are obese. Ferdman argues it’s, because they do not understand what a healthy weight is, because it’s hard for them to identify. According to the Food and Research Action Center, United States suffers from being one of the biggest populations with over weight people. This is an alarming issue across America. I am using Ferdman’s article to argue that our children aren’t aware of their weight issues, therefore parents, educators, mentors and healthcare providers need to make them

Because of society we have bullying happening, and it has caused people to have eating disorders, and get surgical replacements done to their bodies. People have become anorexic, bulimic, and have or done other things to lose weight because they weren’t “pretty or cute” enough for others to see or like them. “When they begin puberty... the body goes through many changes... These changes, combined with wanting to feel accepted by our friends, means it can be tempting to compare ourselves with others. We might start to compare ourselves with other people or media images ("ideals" that are frequently airbrushed). All of this can affect how we feel about ourselves and our bodies... Family members might struggle with their own body image or criticize their kids' looks ("why do you wear your hair so long?" or "how come you can't wear pants that fit you?"). Although these often come from ignorance, sometimes they can affect body image and self-esteem” (www.kidshealth.org). Many parents seem to think that they know their kids like the palm of their hands, however very few of them see that they’re child struggles with their body image. Body image has influenced all of us, whether it’s in a minor or dramatic way, by making us shower more or brush our hair more, or maybe even by making we go anorexic or getting plastic surgery. Everyone wants to be something close to perfect but everyone is looking out

Obesity may have its most immediate consequences in psychological and social realms, where stigmatization of obese people has been recognized since a long time. A study showed that young boys described obese body types as being indicative of negative personality characteristics (such as; cheating, lazy, sloppy, lying, naughty, mean, ugly, dirty or stupid), and in younger children the degree of negative stereotyping increased with age, while among adolescents, girls may be more affected than boys, although both genders report some negative experiences (Puhl, 2012). The prejudice and discrimination against obese individuals does not appear to have softened, although obesity has now become far more common worldwide. Some of the negative consequences

When my family moved away from the place I grew up I began to have a major problem with my weight; I turned to food to comfort me. I somehow felt secure while eating and because of that psychological reassurance I got from the food, I was soon over weight. I knew I had to do something but that urgency would die when I would be introduced to a new flavor of Brewster’s ice cream or a limited time only supreme large fries that I saw advertised on the television or in a magazine. My self esteem and body-image suffered a great amount during those years of constant struggle. As I looked at pictures of celebrities, athletes, average people, friends, my sister and then myself, I noticed something, all of them were thin except me. After this and