Shamed, Flamed, Harassed: What It’s Like To Be Called Fat Online

New York Times ^

[BJ1]

Search for the word “fat” on Twitter and you’ll likely find a torrent of criticisms, insults, and jokes at overweight people’s expense. Now researchers have undertaken such an experiment in a much more systematic way, across a variety of platforms — and what they’ve found may give the public health community a look at the reality of being overweight online.

[Lorianne]

That’s true. That’s their perception.

But in the real world there is a higher prevalence of being overweight or obese among black people and latinos (and a few other ethnic groups like Polynesians) than among whites. This is documented in CDC data that is readily available.

These are not demographics that are normally associated with being conservatives.

But if you bring up actual CDC statistics you are automatically a racist (and probably fat too).

[alexander_busek]

I've been fat all my life. There was a time when insults about my weight used to bother me. Today, I let it all roll off my back.

Must...Control...Urge...To...Retort...!

Regards,

[Organic Panic]

No problem calling us tea-baggers, racists, and everyother horrid thing. But don’t call us fat.

[JimRed]

You are right to find the post unattractive. I wasn’t too pleased with myself when I saw it again. But I’ve always reacted badly to grossly overweight people, though they might be fine folks once you get to know them.

I do try to hide the reaction, though.

[miss marmelstein]

I notice this hate towards fat people with a lot with freepers - people who should be the live and let live types. They then default to “well, they send my insurance rates soaring!” while ignoring homosexuals and their behavior and health nut marathon runners and their constant knee and hip replacements. Strange. I have no problem with overweight people - they are who they are. They don’t disgust me in the least.

[antidisestablishment]

I believe Fluffy is the correct term.

[Some Fat Guy in L.A.]

Never understood why anyone that’s actually fat would be upset at being called fat. Are we really that pussified?

[a fool in paradise]

While women’s bodies were once treated as the property of men, she said, “we’re in a different era now around women having autonomy,” and “that creates deep cultural anxiety.” “When women get to choose what their body size is, and they get to choose what they eat and they get to choose what kind of clothes they wear, this is indicating a major paradigm shift,” she added. “I think you’ve consistently seen backlash from the culture any time a woman tries to stake autonomy.”

So womyn are CHOOSING to be fat (sorry, Big Beautiful Women 'BBW') and that "smashes the patriarchy'.

Whatever.

Women don't like men with guts either.

[JimRed]

It’s not hate, Miss M. Calling it hate is the same as calling disgust with the behavior of homosexuals hatred, or with the behavior of some blacks racism. I am the live and let live type; I thought that was clear when I mentioned that I try to keep my reaction to obesity to myself when in the presence of such folks. But the reaction is part of me, sorry. We all have our flaws, and that is one of my many!