By: Eric Wang

Remi Bader, a TikTok influencer, was denied access to horse riding due to her being 240 pounds at Deep Hollow Ranch. While the denial had reasons, comments by ranch employees marked rude behavior. Experts say such fat-shaming can make the shamed person even more obese.

Obesity in the United States is defined by having a BMI, or body mass index, of 30 or higher. BMI is calculated by the formula kg/m^2, where kg is the person’s weight in kilograms, and m is the person’s height in meters. Being obese comes with numerous health problems, and fat-shaming them only makes it worse.

While there are reasons why the guidelines at Deep Hollow Ranch are reasonable, such as that horses cannot comfortably carry more than 20% of their weight, the treatment of Bader by the employees was unacceptable. They laughed and jeered at her, and one of the employees posted a Tik Tok video saying “… when you’re not a fat b****, you can ride at Deep Hollow Ranch.”

Fat-shaming can cause low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and eating disorders. Discrimination causes stress, which can lead to more weight gain and even more discrimination… It is a never-ending cycle. Plus, fat-shaming can make individuals less active, and exercising is one of the best ways to stay healthy.

If someone has a bad experience doing something, they are likely not going to do that activity again. If this activity is exercising, then it will be even harder for the person to lose weight. As Dr. Merali, a public health specialist at McMaster University says, “… the last thing overweight people need as they try and be active are hurtful comments.”

Original Article: https://s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1655655781268x446462367221439800/Tik-Tok%20influencer%20Remi%20Bader%20horse%20ranch%20incident%20over%20weight%20has%20an%20even%20darker%20side.pdf

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