Hatred is the biggest problem faced by obese women. Other human beings go out of their way to tell them to their face how disgusting they are. Amy Chai, MD
Men face similar contempt, but this article is about women. Fat guys still have permission to be funny, occasionally even charming. They can be articulate, bright, even attractive — I like bigger men! They can be great fathers, hard workers, etc.
Unfortunately, any positive traits a fat women might dare to possess will be negated on account of, well, fat. Fat women are not viewed in the same light as big men; I confess I don’t view them similarly, either.
Women coming off the streets and drugs will often gain weight. They sometimes choose again the meth, fentanyl or heroin. Which is better, shooting up heroin or a new fat suit? You’d be surprised what they choose.
THAT’S BECAUSE:
For women, obesity is devastating, especially for young women, because of the serious social losses. While their friends engage in love affairs or anticipate weddings, the fat girls are left on the shelf or left with obnoxious, abusive men. As my friend commented, “When pressed to it, he said I was too fat for sex.”
As for ‘celebrating fat’; young women may be largely curvy; by the time they are my age it’s nothing to brag about and the price to health is enormous.
Obesity is a no-win all around, and if you’re fat, it’s all your fault!
“I’M not a fat girl because I’m not a gluttonous pig, like you!”
Okay, genius, let’s consider other health concerns. To be honest, most health issues in middle or old age stem from lifestyle choices. My aunt had diabetes 2 after years of alcohol indulgence and sitting on her behind. My father had heart disease from smoking. Would any of you be able to readily point them out or consider them disgusting? I am guessing not.
Perhaps it is because obesity is such a visible disorder. Fat women squash down the aisles of planes, they cram into seats at the movies, they ride in carts at Walmart, their butts hanging off the seats. Geez.
For the most part, fat women are ignored, but when people CAN’T ignore them, like in the aisle of a plane, contempt can turn nasty in a hurry.
Why do people go out of their way to tell fat people they are fat? I bet they know that already.
FAT FROM THE AGE OF TWO
Fat kids are usually destined to morph into obese adults. Children who are overweight between the ages of two and five are five times more likely to be overweight when they are 12. Studies have shown that children who are overweight by the time they turn six should be screened for weight problems, hopefully, not in a stigmatizing manner.
These studies concern two periods in a normal life-cycle when the body makes new fat cells. One phase is in utero and the other at the age of six. This second cycle lasts from about six years to puberty. If the child is obese at the age of two, the fat cell proliferation is much higher. The consequence is that obese six-year-olds become obese adolescents.
MEASURMENTS
Most of us older people were weighed and measured in school by the school nurse. This was because ‘doctoring’ was not so common as today. I disliked being weighed and measured; I was always considered underweight and informed of that. The few fat girls in my gym class were shamed as I was. Drink more chocolate milk! Or not.
In South Africa just such a study was done with 99 children in Mangaung, the capital city of Free State Province. This school serves mostly middle-income and wealthy students. A person with a normal waist-to-height ratio can wrap a string the length of their body around their waist twice. Hmmm!
The string procedure determined the children’s body weight index, to a point; a serious predictor of future lifestyle diseases like hypertension, diabetes 2 and cardiovascular disease.
FAT ADULT WOMEN
Doctoring would certainly be my first choice for obesity.
But wait! Doctors seem to know little or nothing about obesity. Back in the mists of time, when I was pregnant, doctors were adamant about low weight gain. While he was smoking a cigarette, one doctor announced to me the dire future of possible obesity once I delivered. I was pregnant with a child who would weigh 11 pounds at birth, and one who I planned to breast-feed.
Sadly, things have not changed much from that day.
Bree Pawson states: Not to mention that any and all legitimate medical concerns are brushed off by pretty much every healthcare professional as “Well, you wouldn’t have this problem or be in this much pain if you’d just lose some weight.”
When I lost about 70 pounds, that was the first time that other doctors took anything I said seriously. as in, “Hey, yeah I’m still having this issue and it’s getting worse, can you actually look into it?”.
How about STOPPING the societal practice of shaming, hating, and looking down on individuals who are obese?
Science tells us that people who are belittled, shamed, ostracized, and viewed critically are far less likely to improve, no matter what their struggle may be.
OBESITY IS NOT COVERED BY HEALTH INSURANCE
Obesity is the only remaining disease not covered by health insurance. It seems also that the few costly drugs administered for weight loss have serious side effects, as well. Why wouldn’t they? The drugs attempt to change metabolism.
OZEMPIC
Obesity, to this point, is not even considered important enough to be covered by insurance! The standard cost for Ozempic, without insurance, is approximately $935–$1,000/month as of 2026, depending on dose. Most insurances will cover Ozempic for health-related issues, like diabetes 2, but not simply for weight loss.
Ozempic works well, until you stop taking it. Quote: “Stopping Ozempic often leads to increased weight gain and rising blood sugar, with most people regaining about two-thirds of weight lost within a year.”
Reasons for stopping the drug: “Women taking Ozempic may experience gastrointestinal issues, hormonal changes, menstrual irregularities, and vaginal symptoms, with some side effects more pronounced than in men.”
Another reason: It’s very expensive.
DO IT YOURSELF
Like any lifestyle or genetic disease proclivity, obesity changes are really about what you are willing to do for yourself. The effort, like all worthy efforts, is very, very difficult. You will feel like a failure multiple times.
How do you do it yourself?
Every fat person, every person like me who is losing it fast with aging, knows they should watch what they eat and exercise. Most of us have already tried that.
Most of us have not tried ROUTINE AND CONSISTENCY.
These are the keys to success; not necessarily ‘losing 100 pounds in a year’ but gaining health and strength. The body does best with consistent effort to exercise and eat good foods. I learn the violin through consistent effort. That means five or six days a week to practice, even when I hate it.
Most of us dislike exercise, especially when it is hard for us. Are you willing to consistently try it for a month? Are you willing to walk a mile every day for a month? Are you willing, as I did, to not have treats or fast food in the house? Those are not in my house because I know I will eat every bit of it, every day.
Until obesity is better understood, this is where we are. I wish it was easier, I wish I wasn’t saying the same old same old; but it is a known fact that people 50 years ago were not as overweight as we are. They prepared their own food and they were always moving as they worked. They also walked a lot.
That seems to be the solution, for now.
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