Fat Kids Get Clothes
Did you know there’s controversy over clothes for fat people? It goes something like this: “providing trendy clothes to fat people is bad because it lets them look good without losing weight, which means they will stay fat.” No, I’m not joking. It’s right here in Salon.
But all this demand, some add, has a downside. People like Stern are deeply concerned about there being such a large—and by all accounts, rapidly growing—plus-size teen market to begin with. A few critics even go so far as to say that stores like Torrid—precisely by catering to, and even glamorizing, the plus sizes—could be contributing to the problem.
It’s hard for me to believe that people think being mean to overweight people will make them get skinny. “We’ll force them to wear ugly clothes” and “we’ll charge them for two seats on the airplane” and “good lord, eat a salad once in awhile” does zip-zero to help. It does, in fact, go a long way towards the problem worse. There comes a point when you start thinking it just doesn’t make any difference. You’re fat, you’re going to be fat, and people are going to ridicule you. So why kill yourself on salads and exercise?
Especially when there’s someone half your size saying things like “I’m so _huge!” You know why that ticks off fat people? It’s because when they hear that, they think to themselves “you mean I have to lose half my weight and people will still call me fat?” I assure you that that kills a diet faster than any tempting double-chocolate cheesecake desert.
It’s the hopelessness caused by eating next to nothing and exercising almost day for two months and finding that you still haven’t gone down a size.
Obesity is a problem—it’s a health problem and it’s a social problem. It’s a general problem for the world over and it’s a specific problem for me. Has been for decades. But speaking as a fat man, I can assure you that the secret does not lie in shaming us into thinness. Better results faster would help. Not having to wear the same ugly clothes when you go down a size because, look, you’re eighty pounds away from wearing anything cool looking would certainly help. Supportive friends certainly help. Being treated like a human certainly helps.
Hi. I was happy to read your post, mainly because I identify SO well with it. In fact just last night I was blogging about how some negative comments I heard caused me to feel discouraged. I agree with everything you said in this post. I’m a 5’3” female with about 100 to lose. It’s hard. I can’t wait to read more of your blog. Cheers.
Wow! Do great minds think alike, or should it be that fools seldom differ?*
You have hit the nail squarely on the head with this post. Every time I hear some hottie start whining about how she’s five freaking pounds overweight, I want to give her five freaking pounds with a knuckle sandwich**.
I have also been overweight for most of my life. I can verify from first hand experience that the negative stereotype for fatties is out there. You didn’t even start in on not being considered for jobs, not being considered for promotions, and not being considered as relationship material.
On the other hand: there is a climate out there that encourages kids to be parked in front of the (TV/PC) tube for hours every day. That wants them to eat at Mickey Dee’s all the time. That puts junk foods and carbonated sugar on a pedestal and all but mainlines them into their developing bloodstreams. Quite possibly it could be due to some greedy corpo-weasels who feel there is untapped consumer demand for these things in the child/teen market segment.
* – I tried to link to my post about this topic in this comment, but it didn’t take. So I feel that I must show you this link in its’ long form instead:
http://www.funnyfarmonline.org/archives/000365.php
** – well, not really. I’m not the violent type. But I do wish they would just stop complaining about not being their perfect weight.
I just got a heartwrenching email from a woman whose daughter died from bulimia two years ago. Last night, I entered 17 more names into my list of people who died from anorexia and bulimia (including Terri Schiavo).
Please don’t make fun of people who think they are overweight when they really aren’t. They are already beating themselves up much worse that you ever could!
So do the people who want to stop making plus-size clothes also want stop making the size-O clothes? Or do they think it’s okay to be underweight?
I’m proud of who I am and try not to let comments like that offend, but its so typical of our culture. I am 100 pounds overweight too, but I’m happier now than I’ve ever been in my life. I think it comes down to accepting who you are and the genes you have to work with!
I have trouble finding professional clothes in my size and it seems to me retailers are losing out by not catering to all sizes. It’s sad, thanks for the post!
Missie, I seriously doubt that most of the people who say “oh, I am so fat!” but aren’t have eating disorders. There are those with serious eating disorders, and there are those with serious weight problems, and then there are those mostly normal people who, thinking they are being humble I suppose, that’s the only reason I can come up with, pretend to either.
Wow, I can’t believe that quote.
I know that many people who don’t have serious EDs still say, “I’m fat.” But they may still have body image issues and are not just trying to make people who really are overweight feel bad.
Dear John Williams,
I really identified with what you had to say, and I think you put it in a very concise and eloquent manner, kudos.
I always find when looking for clothes that even when a store does do bigger sizes, the patterns and fabrics are of far poorer quality than the very same item in a regular small size. Stores don’t make an effort to adapt clothes to the real dimensions of bigger people, but rather, they just make tops wider, so we have to wear midriff skimming tops revealing an unwanted section of tummy.
It’s a case of overweight people having to make do with what they can get because of attitudes like the quote in question on your article.
Sports labels don’t want to make sports clothes in bigger sizes as (shock, horror!) we would be walking around advertising their product on our overweight bodies! Oh no! What if all the gym bunnies caught fat disease? http://www.thudfactor.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_razz.gif
As for the article about not wanting to provide nice clothes for overweight people “in case they might feel happy and want to stay that way”….people who think that way need to look at the bigger picture:
You only get one life. One shot at happiness. One chance to make a difference. How you choose to live it is up to you. Should we go through life treated differently and given less opportunities, just because we’re heavy? Feeling ashamed and apologetic? Stuff that.
Fat is the final taboo.
Thankfully, we have mostly conquered ignorance in racism and homophobia. Today we are more free to experiment with our lifestyle and sexuality than ever before. But only if you’re skinny, too!
People overeat for many reasons. A lifetime of verbal abuse, ridicule and shame can make anyone want to hole up in their house and take comfort in simple pleasures like food, perhaps as a replacement for love and caring.
But once you’re caught in the trap of not excercising because you’re too embarassed to be seen redfaced, puffing, heaving your bulk around, leaving yourself open to jeers and sniggering people…you’re kinda screwed.
It’s a vicious circle.
Being extremely overweight can be compared to carrying a rucksack around that weighs 150lbs, that you just can’t take off. For anyone who thinks that fat people enjoy being overweight, they’re very wrong.
(There’s nothing like being treated like a second-class citizen to make you feel like dieting! oh yes!) Not.
With regards to Anorexics/Bulimics/skinny folk:
I personally don’t feel jealous or resentful when a skinny person has a problem with their body image, or can’t put on weight. I have a sister who is very very skinny, and has terrible trouble putting on weight. To see her looking gaunt doesn’t make me jealous.
Everyone has their own problems, no-ones should be taken lightly, or considered unimportant. My own personal belief about anorexics/bulimics, is that they’re exactly the same as overweight people, they just heard the media propaganda in a different way.
While some of us sought solace in food, and hid in the cosy privacy of our homes, in front of the television, being bombarded with every kind of skilful commercial for junkfood and candy…anorexics and bulimics saw the imperfections in their own bodies in comparison to the airbrushed teenage models on the cover of Cosmo.
Nobody told them those perfect girls don’t really exist.
I once saw a documentary about fashion magazines. An art director was airbrushing away the gentle crease below the smiling eyes of a 15 yr old cover model. Yes, 15.
If real women are to be compared with young teenagers who even have their natural face creases removed, how are normal women ever supposed to have a normal sense of self esteem?
The media is damaging us, as a society, in its efforts to spur us on to even more prolific consumerism. As long as we’re buying the cheap food, the expensive lotions and potions, they don’t care what our problems are.
They are encouraging, then feeding off the products of our neuroses.
In one breath they tell us a mars a day helps us work rest and play, and how a we all should be “Lovin’ it” in McDonalds, then in the next breath they tell us how slimfast will make us lose 100 pounds in two tasty shakes, and how we need to get rid of unattractive celullite on our thighs.
Young women are most in danger of this huge media influence. They are most easily suggestible, and therefore the most at risk of getting Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) whether big or small.
So I do see the problems we all face.
My problem is when Anorexia and Bulimia are seen as eating disorders and diseases, and obesity is seen with scornful eyes as a self inflicted thing (even by the doctors who should be helping us) and that if we just ate some salad, we’d be “normal” soon enough.
Case in point: A hugely obese women became stuck in the doorway to a bathroom in a restaurant in America. Instead of helping her, some of the people in the restaurant began to laugh and jeer, and became progressively more cruel, to the point of
stabbing at her with forks until she was bleeding.
How the hell are people like that supposed to “get over it” and “just lose some weight” when they are treated with no greater respect than animals? Even ugly people aren’t treated so apallingly.
Until society starts to address the problems concerning the abuse suffered during obesity, and the fact that the media is aiding our body image problems and self esteem problems, and it is considered as important a human rights issue as racism, or homophobia, nothing will change.
Obesity will continue to increase. (With currents statistics showing that over 64% of americans clinically obese on the <span class=“caps”>BMI </span>index)
The health services will have to deal with massive numbers of obesity related diseases and conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.
Something needs to be done to change peoples attitudes, from the ground up.
After all…Whatever happened to live and let live?
Yours, Missillusioned, in the <span class=“caps”>UK.</span>
What a <span class=“caps”>GREAT </span>post!! I agree with everything you say.
hey! pplz me and my frand usto never eat adn we sterted lossing weight adn every 1 was notcing so my frand and her cousin she is kinda over weight she is fine with her weight so she made us eat and now we are fine now but n-e 1 reading this u are fine the ay u are adn dont do any thing stupid like me adn my frand
iam a fat person myself and think that the government should help… i don’t like being overweight but this is a genetic defect… we can all make the right choices when eating but when your eating a fat slice of pizza you say..WOW! iam fat… we can start by getting rid of all fast food places then encouraging people to get active……. thats a start then you can let people know the dangers then help them.