By: Alina Zheng
A young woman walks into Deep Hollow Ranch and hopes to ride a horse but is denied. People begin to stare right at her. Someone laughs, and another pulls out a camera and begins recording. The video is posted on social media. In it, the young woman is teased about her weight. The video goes viral. It’s public humiliation for TikTok influencer Remi Bader.
Remi Bader used her platform to talk publicly about the incident. She explained that she shared her experience because of the way she was treated and laughed at. Bader couldn’t enter the ranch because she was told she was too fat to ride the horses. She labeled the judgment she received as “disappointing.” By speaking out, Bader was able to inform others about the perception of those who are overweight.
Unfortunately, fat-shaming has become a typical occurrence for overweight people in America in these past years. People are conscious about themselves, so others don’t have to constantly remind them of their appearance. Overweight people should be treated as equal to “regular” people because they have their own desires and goals. They want to be able to accomplish tasks and have fun just like any other person. However, because of weight-based bullying, they may abandon physical activity, so they won’t be teased. There can also be judgement when they enter public places, for example, a public pool or gym.
Environmental stigma is also a barrier for those who are overweight. For example, many clothing companies don’t offer plus-sized clothes, and chairs might also not accommodate people who are overweight.
Fat-shaming also does not stimulate a desire for people to go out and exercise. Instead, it does the exact opposite by discouraging them, which can completely ruin their motivation to work out. Constant discouragement can lower their self-esteem and as a result, also cause mental health problems like depression or anxiety.
It is important to treat everyone with the same respect. There needs to be a permanent halt to judging people by their weight. It’s important to have a society where everyone is included and where everyone can be themselves.
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