Overheard: What they weigh
16 Mar 2010I have mixed, uncemented feelings about discrimination against obese people, having been technically obese (BMI-wise) for significant stretches of time and now only on the furthest reaches of the “overweight” range. There is an interesting piece in the New York Times about the social acceptability of fat discrimination, which some view as one of the last bastions of public prejudice. I was most moved by an assertion that the diseases and conditions we associate with obesity are exacerbated, or even caused by, chronic stress:
“Stigma and prejudice are intensely stressful,” he explained. “Stress puts the body on full alert, which gets the blood pressure up, the sugar up, everything you need to fight or flee the predator.”
Over time, such chronic stress can lead to high blood pressure, diabetes and other medical ills, many of them (surprise!) associated with obesity. In studies, Dr. Muennig has found that women who say they feel they are too heavy suffer more mental and physical illness than women who say they feel fine about their size — no matter what they weigh.
I’ve never felt stressed by my size, even when I was at my heaviest. Yes, looking at pictures of myself or realizing clothes no longer fit was embarrassing in a private way, but more than that, it became an inconvenience and made me feel unhealthy.
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