Weight and Disability

Have you see an obese person and stared at him or her?

Have you ever pitied him or her thinking over how would they deal with life?

Obviously we all have, at one point in our life stared at them, thinking of how difficult it might have been for them to walk and face gazes all through their life. Its in fact difficult for them but only in the case of facing suffocating gazes, their weight has never been an issue for them. 

People in our society often have a clear idea they uphold as to what is an ideal shape and figure which they affirm as 'normal'. All the rest, that deviates from their idea of 'normal', is considered abnormal or disabled in a sense. People sympathize with a 'person with disabilities' which is similar to the way a person views and sympathizes with an obese or slim person. They feel its greatly difficult for them to live a 'normal' life like the others. But how prejudiced such notions are? How ironic? If the separate individuals don't have any issues related to their weight then why does anyone around them make them uncomfortable?

That's how our society functions. Its something that needs to be addressed. People feel its difficult for an obese person to get married, to lead a team, or do anything by themselves. They are viewed as a burden to their families. People who suddenly reduce their weight by undergoing severe diets gets easily accepted after having faced abandonment when they were obese. 

People judge the obese people as ones who eat too much, never exercise and ones who are not healthy. This is something to be addressed as they might have become fat because of their hormonal imbalance, due to overwork, due to illnesses, due to thyroid issues. But no one addresses or thinks of these issues when they come across someone who is obese. Our society needs to change. Its high time we stop gazing at people with disabilities and the obese people. 

Its the gaze that needs to stop as it objectifies them and reduces their integrity. Gazes can make them appear inferior before themselves and can even crush their self- respect.

Similar situations are faced by people who are too tall or too short, people who are too slim, people who wear spectacles, people who are slow learners, the ones who stammers....etc...the list goes on and on. All these people are viewed as disabled in a sense, and seen as people who lack something that deviates from the concept of normalcy. They are constantly pitied and sympathized with. It should stop. We need to give them sufficient agency and space of their own to function and perform. If we know of anyone who is obese, do encourage them and tell them to love themselves. Its important to realize one's true worth, it can add to our self esteem. It can truly make them confident and make them ignore the gazes of stupid people around them who just follow the age- old notions of the notion of a perfect body and shape. 

Its high time our society becomes modern in its thoughts and manners. 

If you agree to this argument or disagree or wish to add to these points, do post your comments below.

Pic Credits: Google search