If that really was helpful, there wouldn't be so many overweight people. Cruel.
Oh, REALLY? Then why are there so few overweight people in Asia, where laughing at fat people is apparently common? Why are there so many more fat Americans now than there were 60 years ago when society wasn't squeamish about putting a negative stigma on being fat?
Cruel, maybe, in the short term. Effective? Yep. And long-term, a hell of a lot more compassionate than the denial/fat enabling game that's going on now.