On Fat Fatty McFatfats

I learned I was diabetic at the beginning of the year, so I've been gradually changing my lifestyle around (read: reluctantly) and lost some weight. I'm also fortunate to carry my weight pretty well (I look like a pregnant man), so I don't get too many direct insults. Still, I am obese, morbidly obese by current standards, and what pisses me off is the generalizations.

I'll be the first to admit I don't eat healthy, but to say that everyone who is overweight needs to just put down the fork and exercise a little is just ignorant. I'm friends with lots of fat people, and most of them don't have outrageous eating habits. One friend, in particular, suffers from rheumatoid arthritis, has 1 or 2 surgeries a year and lives with her parents. My wife (who I absolutely love and think is utterly adorable) has had back problems all her life and always had difficulty keeping her weight down.

It's incredibly hard to spend the first 20 years of your life being teased, mocked, and ridiculed because of something you've tried desperately to control with no results whatsoever. Combine that with manic depression, poverty, and the rigors of living every day with people who never gave a shit about you, well, you tend to get discouraged and stop caring. No matter what you do, you're always a fatty first.

There is an unspoken shame among most a lot of fat people. Despite what you may think, it's not always just as easy as eating less and exercising more. Some of us are just naturally inclined toward obesity. Call it laziness or just another excuse, if that makes you feel better. It's a lot easier to call someone a lazy slob with an eating problem than it is to actually understand.

For a lot of us it's a downward spiral. Fat people are shunned by everyone. Fat always equals ugly, but we're not allowed to feel bad about it because we're just being "lazy".

I have yet to meet anyone who's actually proud to be fat. Most of us just want to be able to feel good about ourselves.

Of course, there are still the people out there who just really enjoy food.

- Nary a Good Look