Do you know what fat shaming is? This expression, which is now very popular in media parlance, refers above all to behavior: in concrete terms, we show fat shaming when we make fun of a person in overweight… or that we deliberately draw attention to our extra pounds, ideally in public. “You are so fat that …”, “You would be pretty with a few pounds less”, “Are you sure you want to eat this?” “,” What are these bulges, have you put on weight again? “,” Don’t you think you’re big enough like that? »: Here are some examples.
Unfortunately very common on social networks, fat shaming drives some hackneyed stereotypes : the “fat” and the “fat” would be lazy and incompetent, lack willpower, do not deserve to find love and, above all, would be entirely responsible for their overweight.
“There is a popular misconception that the more you stigmatize overweight people, the more you motivate them to find the line – like an electric shock, explains Rebecca Pearl, researcher at the University of Pennsylvania. However, it is quite the opposite: people who are discriminated against withdraw into themselves, consume more calories and stop practicing physical activity. It’s a vicious circle … which has very concrete consequences for their health. “
Demeaning remarks are bad for your health
At the University of Pennsylvania (in the United States), the researcher worked with 159 volunteers – women in a situation ofobesity, mostly of African-American origin. Participants first had to assess the level of fat shaming they faced on a daily basis, and how these demeaning remarks impacted their morale. Then, they underwent a complete medical check-up.
Verdict? The volunteers who felt “a lot” discriminated against on a daily basis with regard to their weight had about 3 times more risk of developing a metabolic syndrome and 6 times more risk of developing a metabolic syndrome. triglyceride levels above average.
“The entourage, the medical staff and the media must understand that humiliation is not an effective strategy to induce a positive change in the overweight person” conclude the researchers, whose work has been published in the specialized journal Obesity.
