By: Ethan Tu

Have you ever been targeted because of how you look, or how much you weigh? TikTok influencer Remi Bader was a recent victim of fat-shaming, something that over 40% of Americans experience.

Teasing someone about being overweight, even if it is meant as motivation, greatly harms their health, causing them to have lower self-esteem, greater stress, and may worsen or create eating disorders.

Remi Bader, who has a binge-eating disorder, was not allowed to ride a horse because she was told she weighed too much. She was laughed at and criticized by employees working at the ranch, one of them even posted a TikTok video calling her fat.

After the horrifying experience she said, “I truly feel that every time I get into a better headspace and feel a boost of confidence, it gets shut right back down with experiences like this.” She went on to say, “it’s sad the words if others can do that, and I wish it didn’t affect me, but it has become the normal for me to have to accept body-shaming and experience daily from social media and in person, and it really just gets exhausting.”

Bader’s story shows the negative impact body-shaming has on people. It causes them to lose self-confidence, which can lead to them to think that they are not good enough to do certain things like exercising. They may also give up on themselves and become ashamed of who they are. Because of the stigma around being overweight, many obese people are scared they will be made fun of, making them reluctant to start exercising.

A study by Swiss and German researchers found that obese people choose not to exercise because of previous negative experiences, lack of self-confidence, and fear of being discriminated against. Instead of making fun of others’ appearance, people should support them on their weight loss journey.

Another problem overweight people face is environmental stigma. Public seats, cars, and roller coaster carts are sometimes too small for them to use. To ensure that they do not get stuck in these situations, obese people will avoid going to public places.

Almost 42% of adult Americans and around 20% of teenagers under the age of 19 are struggling with obesity. Rather than treating the large population of overweight people with disrespect like the Deep Hollow Ranch employees did to Bader, we should show them the kindness and consideration they deserve.