The pain of fat shaming

The comedian Bill Maher enraged many of his liberal fans last month when he said, “Fat shaming doesn’t need to end—it needs to make a comeback.” He argued that as Americans grow more and more obese, we’re letting them off the hook in the name of politically correct “body positivity.” But overweight people say there’s been no lessening of the scorn they encounter almost every day. That’s most painfully true for teens. In a 2016 survey, 85 percent of adolescents reported seeing overweight classmates mocked in gym class. Advocates say the response to obesity needs to recognize that being overweight isn’t a failure of character, and many people who’ve tried every diet in the book can’t make a dent in their waistlines. A 2015 study found that obese women stand only a 0.8 percent chance of returning to normal weight. Yet while fat shaming is mean-spirited and unproductive, it’s impossible to discuss obesity without talking about necessary lifestyle changes. “Obesity isn’t a disease of willpower, it’s a biological problem,” said researcher George Bray. “Genes load the gun, and environment pulls the trigger.”