Treating someone differently because of their body style is the same thing and is no more acceptable than treating them differently because of their race, complexion, nationality or cultural heritage, but they have become common in some social circles because people assume that a person's body style, like weight, is completely under their control. It's like calling someone lazy because they are shorter than average or dull because they are taller than what is considered normal by that group. When it came to simply carrying a few extra pounds, there were times in the past when this was considered a sign of intelligence, wealth and success because poor people had to work hard physically and often did not have access to abundant food as such . that they would never have weight problems. This was true to such an extent that a famous painter named Rubens painted portraits (probably commissioned) of wealthy women who would all be considered carrying a few extra pounds by today's standards and his work was so popular and enduring that the term Rubenesque it is still in use today among educated and cultured people. African American women, it seems, have bucked the social stereotype that thin is in and thick is out, but it is rare for a social subgroup to take control of a cultural narrative and form stereotypes and prejudices in this way. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original Essay Likewise, in those times and even among the plantation aristocracy in the United States, pale white skin was so pale that it was considered severe by modern standards were considered a sign of intelligence, wealth and success also because they signaled that unlike the poor who had to work hard physically under the scorching sun, that woman belonged to a cultured and refined class. All this to say that our ideas and conceptions about body image are learned from others and are a product of cultural relativity and may or may not have any basis in fact or valid meaning. In other words, fat shaming is the product of a culture that seems to want to belittle us and denigrate anyone who is different from us, while at the same time encouraging us to be unique and individual. That's not to say that there aren't many people who are overweight because they don't exercise enough and make poor food choices, but that it's not something you can tell for sure just by looking at them. There are many reasons why someone might carry a few extra pounds or even be obese, which may be beyond their control (Chrisler, 2017). We are shown time and time again photos of famous moms who have bikini-ready bodies right after giving birth and are taught, if not conditioned, to believe that they are the norm and what should be expected, not the exception to adjust when it comes to body style. There are many reasons and causes for weight gain and some are within a person's control, some are not and some are borderline where a great deal of discipline and self-control is needed to overcome adding extra pounds and the assumption eliminate them once acquired. Our society, the same one that seems to encourage treating those who are overweight as outcasts, encourages unhealthy living and food addiction. The corn syrup that is added to modern food in America is highly addictive because it is known to increase dopamine levels in our brains and when these levels decrease we are forced to seek out more food that contains corn syrup. Thus diet soda, although it may be low in calories, actually increases caloriesprobability of food addiction due to the corn syrup contained in it. Most advertising in American culture leads us towards unhealthy living and weight gain simply because unhealthy food is easier and cheaper to produce and therefore provides the companies that make it with higher profits and the investors who own stocks higher dividends . This is why it is confusing to many as to why many poor people receiving government assistance are overweight; it may not be so much because they're lazy and don't get enough exercise but rather because unhealthy fatty foods loaded with starch, carbs and corn syrup cost less per pound than healthy choices. And so for all these years people have been talking about comfort foods that are reminiscent of growing up and cooking from your mother or grandmother, now there's real science telling us why those foods make us feel good. They comfort us because they create those rushes of dopamine in our brain that other things that stimulate us and give us joy do like working out or sex or cocaine, and dopamine is just as addictive. So when someone is very stressed, lonely, or depressed, or quit smoking, or is going through a number of things, they are more likely to turn to food, and depending on many other factors, including their genes, they might put on some extra kilo or more. An example is the freshmen fifteen who say, true or not, that many students have put on ten or fifteen pounds during their first year of college and this could be due to the stress of being away from home for the first time or it could be because for For the first time in their lives they are unsupervised and can eat whatever they want as often as they want and as much as they want. We are all simply human and we all have our flaws and weaknesses, but it just happens to those of us who have a certain metabolism and gain or are constantly overweight that it is not a weakness or a problem that we can hide from others like most problems and so we are more likely to be targeted because of it. Scientists have identified more than 100 differences in DNA that appear to be linked to obesity and so no one can say whether a person's weight is their fault or just a fact of their genetic makeup (Haspel, 2018). It might be the apology or the polite reference that someone has a big bone in, but that bizarre saying doesn't adequately cover and explain the science. So not only do our companies and food manufacturers encourage fatty and unhealthy foods, at the same time our society and product advertisers establish an ideal body style and BMI (body mass index or height-to-weight ratio) that are difficult to achieve . Corporate advertisers market almost all products using models with body styles that are often unreasonable and even impossible for some of us. Bullying is very often a sign that the bully has his own problems that he is trying to compensate for and hide and therefore fat-shaming is an activity that anyone who weighs less than the victim can participate in. In a January 10, 2018 article for The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics titled Everyday Indignities: Using the Microaggressions Framework to Understand Weight Stigma, author Lauren Munro, a doctoral candidate who is a fat activist, artist and writer who believes strongly in the importance of integrating academia and grassroots activism to create projects that push boundaries and challenge the status quo, it is explained that while those who offend with comments may believe that these types of microaggressions are not harmful, the their repetition constitutes a cumulative level of stress for thosewho are recipients of it (503). Munro explains, citing DW Sue, editor of the book Microaggressions and Marginality: Manifestation, Dynamics, and Impact, that environmental microaggressions refer to the numerous humiliating and threatening social, educational, political, and economic signals that are communicated individually, institutionally, or socially. to marginalized groups. Sue describes the damage that can be caused as part of four distinct pathways through which the microaggressive stress she caused can manifest itself through: biological and physical effects, emotional effects, cognitive effects, behavioral effects. There's a lot more to fat shaming and bullying than simply hurting someone's feelings for a short time and expecting them to get over it and move on. Despite a unified and widespread pushback effort created by big girls who can be assumed to be mostly young women of color, the stigma and targeting by bullies continues. BBW big beautiful woman has become a badge of honor and these women have successfully changed the white standard of beauty imposed on young black women by getting men to admit that they like and appreciate women with large behinds and this it is a rare thing for an unorganized group to actually overcome and change a stereotype imposed by companies and society in general (Black & Peacock, 2011). Evolution, including things like the average age of first menstruation, is accelerating (perhaps in part due to the large amounts of estrogen in our drinking water supply) and so it may not be an exaggeration to say that more plus women -size are having babies. at a younger age and that is changing the shape of things to come (pun intended). It is difficult for most women to lose those extra pounds gained during pregnancy when they are literally eating for two, and it is difficult to reduce calorie intake after the baby is born. Palmer-Mehta and Shuler (2017) examined a Facebook page by Jade Beall. The photograph began as a photo album titled A Beautiful Body Project in which two children happily hugged their mother's sagging, stretchy belly and noted that in October 2016 that single post with just that image and the invitation to join the group had garnered 497 comments, 4,836 shares and 8,300 likes and more than sixty other images featuring diverse images of postpartum bodies including stretch marks, cellulite, sagging breasts and scars from cesarean section (360). This project proved once again that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and that body image prejudice is taught and learned like any other stereotype. The misinterpretation and misapplication of messages about the importance of promoting health and healthy lifestyles is giving cause for concern to critical scholars. This growing problem could be compared to the complaints expressed when former First Lady Nancy Reagan introduced her simplistic Just say NO to Drugs campaign, which critics say caused unnecessary suffering to millions of people by discouraging doctors from prescribing painkillers as they would due. In this case, calling attention to how contemporary post-secondary institutions are increasingly calling attention to healthy paradigms is reinforcing the message that size matters and fueling harmful attitudes and judgments about body style rather than focusing on increasing and promotion of good health. This is probably true for all secondary education systems where it is causing discrimination against those who have a high BMI rather than focusing on promoting healthy lifestyle choices. In other words, it's simply easyDon't hire fat employees and faculty to give the impression that your institution is health-conscious. In the research reported by Cameron (2016) entitled Challenging Size Matters Messages: An Exploration of the Experiences of Critical Obesity Scholars in Higher Education, published in the Canadian Journal of Higher Education, it was found that the existing literature supports that oppression-based on the weight in the upper ranges education is a current and significant issue of social justice. In surveys, approximately 80% of participants reported facing significant resistance because of their weight, which they said had altered their career paths (120). The problem described here of institutions and companies addressing problems by altering perception rather than addressing it honestly is likely to be found across a wide range of organizations and sectors and not just when dealing with body style bias but with all forms of discrimination and injustice institutional. In an article published by the American Psychological Association, in Washington, DC entitled Fat Shaming in the Doctor's Office Can Be Mentally and Physically Harmful it was reported that doctors are also guilty of disrespectful treatment and medical fat shaming, in an attempt to motivate people to change their behavior, are stressful and can cause patients to delay seeking healthcare or avoid interacting with healthcare professionals and make things even worse (if this is possible, research has found that doctors have less likely to take the complaints and descriptions of symptoms of an obese person seriously and too often prescribe or not prescribe tests and treatments very different from those they would for a person who they believe is more proportionate between height and weight (Chrisler, 2017). means they may not recommend appropriate tests and medications that should be based solely on BMI. And this isn't just an imagined problem: in one study of more than 300 autopsies, obese patients were 1.65 times more likely to have undiagnosed medical conditions as. . endocarditis, ischemic bowel disease, lung carcinomas, and other diseases and conditions that indicate misdiagnosis or inadequate treatment by doctors (Chrisler, 2017). This means that sizeism, as the study of discrimination based on body style has been called, is not just a matter of hurting people's feelings, but can be a matter of life and death and must be addressed and stopped. Keep in mind: This is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Bottom line: One size does not fit all! Dealing with extra pounds, many or few and due to 100 or more known hereditary factors or medical conditions or due to environmental factors, long or short term, is difficult enough without having to endure critical comments and bullying. Everyone wants a long, happy life and no one wants to constantly deal with weight gain and loss and trying to get healthier to be there for not only their children but their children's children. The fact that body shaming is a reality in our society and a huge problem, as illustrated by this research, simply shows how primitive (uncivilized) the culture we actually live in is. Fortunately those of all types of weight are fighting back, whether it be postpartum weight gain or food addition or hereditary skeletal are stepping up and speaking out to defend those who are unfairly targeted and to educate those who ignore the facts of the matter. When it comes to understanding overweight and the problems that, 37(4), 612-619.