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Originally published on Adios Barbie and cross-posted here with their permission.

It comes as no surprise that many Americans don’t lead the healthiest of lifestyles. We drink, we stress, and we don’t sleep enough.

Somehow though, the issues that strongly elicit a moral outrage and condemnation are those tied to weight.

A prime example of this prejudice can be found in the responses to Beauty Redefined’s article, “Why ‘Fitspiration’ isn’t so Inspirational,” which addresses how fitness images often focus too much on appearance rather than health and can inspire body shame and unhealthy methods to reach the “fit” looking goal:

“As long it is inspiring people to get off their lazy butts and start working out I see nothing wrong with those Fitspiration photos and messages. Obesity is continuing to increase and I am not saying we shouldn’t all love our bodies, but we shouldn’t promote self acceptance when a change needs to be made to get healthy.” “… these images “inspire body shame”, and maybe they do, but if that is something that gets people motivated to loose [sic] the weight than [sic] it has accomplished its goal. As far as girls dying from being too skinny, I guarantee you that there are a lot more people in the US who died from being too fat than from too skinny. Not to mention the burden that is put on the healthcare system from treating obesity related illnesses.” “If these advertisements are the tipping point that convince 10 Americans to get off their duff and work out and eat well, that’s a start.” “I wouldn’t look at obese people negativity if it wasn’t unhealthy and if I didn’t have to pay for their healthcare. But we have tons of proof that it is very unhealthy and we have a system where the most fit and healthy person if forced to pay for all of the medical care that goes along with being obese.”

Though the comments section on just about every high-traffic website is bound to be filled with some of the nastiest responses, the sentiment here about people who don’t fit the “fit” image is far from rare.

From magazines plastered with the latest stars’ weight gain, to diet ads featuring people grabbing and pinching their flesh, the message is clear: “Fat is bad and you better do something about it.”

Despite the numerous attempts at justifying contempt via “health” and individual responsibility explanations, each falls flat, again and again. Here’s why:

1. Animosity is mostly directed to “overweight” and “obese” people, instead of out-of-shape people as a whole.

Given the numerous studies that show you can be “overweight” and healthy, or be within the “healthy” weight range and still suffer from conditions normally attributed to obesity, some people are beginning to realize that flat-out fat-bashing is not justified.

However, the “obesity crisis” in mainstream media and everyday conversations is almost always brought up, invariably deeming “overweight” and “obese” people as unhealthy.

And let’s be honest, which of these phrases do you hear more often directed towards thin people?

“You shouldn’t eat that, and why don’t you go to the gym? It would be good for you,” or “I don’t see what you care what you eat; you can eat whatever you want, and you don’t even need to go to the gym!”

2. The primary system of defining obesity (the BMI) is faulty at best.

With the basis equation only factoring in weight and height, the BMI only takes the slightest glance at an individual’s overall health.

As Susie Orbach points out in her book, Bodies, the BMI categorizes Brad Pitt as “overweight” and George Clooney as “obese.”

Other important aspects of a person’s body and lifestyle (such as fat percentage, muscle mass, physical activity level, VO 2 max, etc.) do not fit anywhere into this assessment, giving us a vague picture at best of a person’s overall health.

3. We only criticize people for their eating and exercise habits, but not for other factors linked to ill health.

True, eating and exercise habits have an impact on health, but factors such as too much stress and too little sleep have also been shown to lead to negative effects, such as heart conditions, high blood pressure, stroke, and diabetes.

Weight gain is also a factor associated with high stress and sleep deprivation. So, while we criticize an “overweight” person for not adhering to a healthy diet and exercise regimen, we praise the habits of people who work over sixty hours a week and sleep five hours a night, despite the fact it makes it far more difficult for them to be healthy.

4. “Overweight” or “unfit” people are demonized as being lazy slobs, when a variety of other factors, such as income level, workplace environment, and psychological conditions share a huge part of the responsibility.

In the Western world, people who are poorer are more likely to be overweight due to unhealthy habits, and it’s not a huge surprise.

Organic food, fruits, and vegetables are usually more expensive and do less to satisfy hunger, while unhealthy foods high in fats, carbs, and sugar are cheaper and are more likely to keep you fuller for longer when you don’t have the means to buy the food your body needs.