cleverquotationsfromawhiteman:
I do agree with you, it largely does have it’s roots in media and advertisement, as well as the fact of people finding fat to be unattractive. However, I don’t feel like we should attribute such negative intentions on to those who do try to talk to people about this in a civil manner. Yes, defend against and attack those who attack in a mean-spirited way, or attempt to play with the public fears in order to turn a profit, but for those who do it out of concern, a gentle correction and education will do, as you make more allies that way.
I am definitely with you though, correct those who are wrong and defend those who have been wronged, but I am also for a courteous exchange until they show they no longer deserve it.
Personally, I think anyone who says, “But you’re FAT! You can’t possibly be healthy!” is pretty mean-spirited and uncivil. Whether it’s intentionally rude or just rude because they didn’t slow down long enough to think about the feelings of the people on the receiving end of their comments, it’s still rude.