Is discrimination against fat people a legitimate argument?

[Purplebic]

I'm not sure what a skinny person and a cruiser have to do with anything.

Me neither lol. but so long as were being so relevant...

 

[altlover85]

and maybe that someone has lost weight so fast that it will create serious health problems in the long run.

Where did it say he lost weight fast?

 

[BINOWGAYLATER]

all right - step away from the bottle !! do it now !!

move it !!


go play on the yellow line.

 

[barnbuddy]

Um, is discrimination a legitimate argument for anything?

thank you - as if we need another reason not to accept each other as we are!

 

[gsdx]

I don't think people who are trying to lose weight should avoid exercise though.

In some cases, exercise isn't an option, which makes losing weight considerably more difficult.

In my case, merely walking is difficult enough. Virtually any form of exercise is out of the question.

 

[mydrew1]

It is legitimate for jobs requiring fitness. The same as language-based work.

 

[Purplebic]

I was just saying, ie; generalizing. People at Rave partys which last 2-3 days and nights almost without food, just the drugs that are used at the Raves. Dangerous parties if you ask me, though I never been to one, and never will go to one. I just heard stories about them, by people who have been to them.

The essential difference is underweight people don't complain about being underweight. We don't look for reasons or excuses.

Though we put up with alot more shit from overweight people calling us twiggy, anorexic, bulimic, and we're outnumbered by those people. If they can dish it out, they can take it.

 

[figjam]

People CHOOSE to be fat.

Discuss ...

Yip! Just like em homogaysexuals choose to eat the feaces of young boys! It must be a life choice for em folks, you know... *snort*, *spit* ...

 

[adawgnyc]

There have been a lot of posts about causes / responsibility for being fat, but no real discussion about "discriminating" against fat people. It's really important to remember that discrimination isn't bad or illegal 99% of the time. I discriminate between thirsty and non-thirsty people when I offer then water. I discriminate between people with free hands and not-free hands when I ask someone to hold something for me for a minute. And I discriminate between people I find attractive or don't when I decide who to date (I happen to discriminate against women in the last case -- something I certainly couldn't do if I were setting salaries, but in dating it's completely fine.)

All of those are 100% acceptable and legal in modern society. Discrimination is only unacceptable under certain very specific circumstances.

So in terms of saying "Can we discriminate against fat people" the question is WAYYYY to broad to be meaningful. If a fat person is up against a skinny person for a job and the weight has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the job, then it's probably wrong to discriminate on the basis of weight.

If the issue is requiring someone to buy a second airline seat, that might be a different issue. You have to ask "What is the airline selling?" Is the airline selling "Transportation for one person from X to Y" or is the airline selling "The right to use one seat on our planes to get from X to Y"? Those are two very different things. [Bear in mind when someone has medical equipment they need in-flight that has to sit next to them they have to buy a ticket for that.]

So regardless of whether it's the person's "fault" or not, there are consequences both to the airline and fellow traveler that have to be considered and factored in. These issues have to be thought out.

You have to consider what circumstances the discrimination is happening in. If I posted a thread saying "Can I discriminate based on Race?" the answer is no. But if I'm doing a medical trial for a Sickle Cell immunization I'm not going to enroll any Caucasians because they don't get Sickle Cell. And like I said, I definitely discriminate against women in who I date.

So what kind of discrimination against fat people?

 

[figjam]

Jeeze, angry and bitter much. You need to take a chill pill. It's the internet. lol.

Hey dude - you started this, don't go and go all Martha Steward on us now. Have the balls to finish what you started....

 

[altlover85]

It is legitimate for jobs requiring fitness. The same as language-based work.

What does weight have to do with language-based work?

In some cases, exercise isn't an option, which makes losing weight considerably more difficult.

In my case, merely walking is difficult enough. Virtually any form of exercise is out of the question.

Of course there are exceptions, but I'm talking generally.

 

[interesting]

Can't believe I'm chiming in... *sigh*

The ideas of being "fat" and "thin" are subjective in different regions of the world. I'm "thin" and considered to be that by many people here (Florida), but if I go to the East, I would tottally be considered fat. Now, to be considered fat, genetic components make up very little percentage of people who are "fat".

Certainly, like one of the other posters said, nobody can choose to be fat (because there are too many unhappy people), but due to circumstances, environments, and social interactions, and among other factors, most of us certainly deal with the cards we're given. Our weight just tend to be the least noticeable thing and the least on our priority list at the moment.

 

[altlover85]

I don't think he meant weight was an issue in language-based jobs. He was using language as a situation where there are requirements. Like a call centre that requires staff to talk Mandarin. If you only speak English, you aren't going to get the job, same as with people who work in Fitness Centres. They're unlikely to be overweight, or to be hired if they are overweight.

LMAO. Thanks ravenstar. Sometimes I can be dense.

 

[altlover85]

No worries I live my life being dense, I'm happier that way

You can't be totally dense since you caught that.

 

[amerikkka]

when it comes to farming subsidies, 80% go to meat and dairy, and 0.6% go to fruit and vegetables. there's your problem. a salad is a lot more expensive than a cheeseburger. fruits and vegetables continually get more expensive, while junk food becomes cheaper. government intervention in the market plays a big role in obesity.

also, a lot of mental disorders can be attributed to excess weight. i have adhd, anxiety, and ocd, all of which are linked to obesity. i was never obese, but was always a little overweight until i was put on medication and was able to control my eating.