In American politics, there always seems to be a war on something. Congress and the President like to unite the people through a common enemy. Often, it is a domestic enemy. First there was the war on drugs, then a war on terror. Now it’s a war on fat. According to studies, about 2/3 of adults are considered overweight or obese based on the body mass index (BMI), and so are 1/3 of children. The government found this alarming and decided to do something about it. So it started the war on fat. Businesses in the food industry are incentivized to start including calories on their menus. Scientists are asked to speak out about the effects of being overweight, such as higher risk of heart disease. People are encouraged to eat healthier and exercise more. First Lady Michelle Obama started health awareness and eating well programs around the country.
In theory, this seems like a great idea. In theory, it would lower the percentage of people in America who are overweight or obese. It would make American people healthier and live longer. Unfortunately, the reality for some people is very different. The government’s involvement had a nasty side effect. Instead of encouraging people to become healthier, it pushed them to have body issues and those around them to body shame. With thin and toned being the new norm, those who are overweight are now ostracized in society and seen as abnormal. For people who are of the “perfect” weight and body type, they constantly worry about losing their figure how society would view them if they gained five more pounds. Even people who are exceptionally thin are body shamed. Thin women are made fun of for their lack of curve. A common misconception is that body image issues only affect women, but men are affected too. Thin men are mocked for the lack of muscle. Overweight men are mocked for the “beer bellies.”
We live in a culture of body shaming. Recently, a fashion magazine celebrated diversity by having women of all races and ethnicities pose together on the front color, yet each woman had society’s definition of a perfect figure. These types of magazines say they promote acceptance of all body types, yet their pages are full of fad diets and articles about losing weight. Cases of people going through episodes of starvation, binging and purging are too common. Unfortunately, throughout the ages, society has always seemed to input on what constitutes the so-called perfect body. Whether it is for women a fuller figure or today’s model-thin look, there seems to have always been a standard that is impossible for a large part of society to reach with those who fall short feeling bad about themselves. Society must learn to back its talk of being accepting with action. People are not one size fits all, so society’s standard cannot simply be one size. What matters most is that people are happy and healthy. After that, size really doesn’t matter.
