[bcsoda]

I am so enraged by this entire thread. I have so much I could write about this, if I had more time I would, but this will have to suffice for now.

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

I was at Safeway today and saw a very large women getting out of a car. She was parked in the Handicapped spot.

Is obesity really a handicap?

While obesity itself may or may not be considered a handicap, just because someone is obese does not mean that is the reason she is using the handicap parking spot. There are so many things that could allow a person to use this parking space, and those health issues could be completely unrelated, caused by, or a cause of this person's obesity. It is not your place in any way to judge whether or not she should be allowed to make use of this parking space.

Originally Posted by JohnnyB

If anything, it's an advantage. So much more surface area to rest your drinks, burgers, tacos and pizza upon.

That's just ignorant. While some people are ok with their weight, not all of them are. And nobody I know who is obese uses their body as a resting area for the food they are consuming, that's just ridiculous stereotyping that you're using to get "thanks" on a forum.
Binge eating disorder is a serious disorder that affects many people, and everyone deals with it differently and their bodies react to it differently. The problem with the fat shaming that occurs in society today is that many people who are obese will starve themselves all day in an attempt to fight against this, which then ends up having the opposite affect that they want by slowing down their metabolism and drastically increasing their hunger. Additionally, there has been research that has strongly linked weight to genetics, so that puts many people at a larger disadvantage than others.

Originally Posted by Lobotroth

Supremely obese people should have to park in the furthest spaces from grocery stores, restaurants, etc. so that it discourages them from eating and gets a bit of exercise in their lives.

I've spoken with many overweight and obese individuals who have stated that due to this fat shaming that is seen in society, they may have the desire to exercise, but they are ashamed to be seen exercising in the gym, on the street, or wherever else. People make fun of others who are obese or overweight for not exercising enough, and then make fun of how the individuals look while exercising. No one wants to be stuck in an embarassing situation, so it's understandable to not want put yourself in that.

Originally Posted by The Yen Man

In the immortal words of Jesse Ventura when told it was a glandular problem:

It's a glandular problem alright...the hand to mouth gland.

Originally Posted by Ben_in_Canada

As someone entitled to 'privileged parking' this bothers me a lot.
I hardly ever use the parking spots because I feel like an ass when I see someone who really needs it miss out, and it is 99.999% always some fatty, whose only issue is they're fat taking up the spots.

IMO, no, being a fat ass is not a handicap.

More fine examples of fat shaming. Go back to the genetics issue (not necessarily a glandular issue, but simply genetics), or how you're raised having a huge impact on how you deal with many things (including food and exercise). Also, studies have been done that show that people who feel ashamed of how they look are less likely to exercise. This is likely because if they're already ashamed of themselves then they don't feel like they're worth the effort. Not to mention what I said above about people bullying them. Way to perpetuate this, I hope you're proud.

Originally Posted by DropIt

All probably a result of being obese

Maybe her handicap is to do with obesity, or maybe it's to do with a million other reasons. Did you know that it's been proven that people can be perfectly healthy at just about any size? The weightloss industry drives into our heads that you can't be healthy without being skinny, which is a huge myth, but it's a myth that they grossly profit off.

Originally Posted by fotze

A new helpneeded term for these people (if we really should call them people) is handifatted.

These people make me want to wretch.

I don't even know what to say to this. Why do you care so much about how other people look, and why is it your job to be so judgemental? Do you gain something out of putting people down and fat shaming? See above for why fat shaming does exactly the opposite of what you're hoping.


The bullying that you guys have displayed as adults is disgusting. Fat shaming doesn't just affect individuals who are obese, it causes eating disorders and body image issues in people of all sizes because they're constantly being told that their worth is defined solely by how they look and the number on their scale.