Guardian: ‘It’s Not Fine to Be Fat. Celebrating Obesity Is Irresponsible’

A column in the Guardian this week argues that the fat acceptance movement is wrong to celebrate obesity.

Breitbart News has extensively covered the fat acceptance movement, which argues that the primary problem facing obese individuals is social perceptions about weight rather than increased health risks.

“My fat is political because when I show it off it really seems to piss people off,” Yale University guest lecturer Virgie Tovar wrote in her recent book. “My fat is political because I’m keeping it. My fat is political because it’s fucking hot. My fat is my flag, my claim to fame, my battle scar, my secret fat girl society badge.”

Commentary like Tovar’s is not uncommon on college campuses. The academic journal “Fat Studies” dedicates its pages to celebrating obese bodies and condemning Western society bigotry against “people of size.”

On Tuesday, in a column for the Guardian, Lizzie Cernik condemned the push to celebrate obesity. The article, which was titled “It’s not fine to be fat. Celebrating obesity is irresponsible,” contained the perfect subtitle.

“No one should be bullied for their weight or food choices, but ‘fat pride’ promotes dangerous weight levels,” the subtitle reads.

Cernik argued that normalizing obesity is irresponsible.

But as we move away from the skinny goals of the mid-2000s and embrace different shapes and sizes, one group of campaigners has taken things a step too far. Fronted by plus-sized models and social media influencers, the fat acceptance movement aims to normalise obesity, letting everyone know that it’s fine to be fat. With terms such as “straight size” and “fat pride” proliferating, some influential figures are now even likening the valid concerns of health officials to hate crimes.

Cernik also mentioned comedian Sofie Hagen’s March Twitter outburst, which came in response to a cancer organization’s ad campaign that highlighted the link between certain forms of cancer and obesity.

“While nobody should ever be bullied for their weight or food choices, it’s important to make a distinction between health awareness and cruelty,” Cernik wrote. “Cancer Research wasn’t criticising a specific person for being overweight, they were pointing out that obesity is now the second leading cause of lifestyle-related cancers, a fact only 15% of the British public are aware of.”

Cernik finished with the perfect sentiment about the fat acceptance movement.

“But while your own body is your business, actively encouraging unhealthy lifestyle choices and denying health risks in a public space isn’t promoting body positivity – it’s just giving the green light to different kinds of eating disorders,” she wrote.