Being Fat in America
Comments Off on Being Fat in AmericaBeing fat in America is not easy. It is one of the few remaining categories of people who can be openly mocked and ridiculed, and there is an assumption that people who are overweight are at best unhealthy and at worst, gluttonous people who refuse to take care of themselves while burdening society.
In this podcast,Pastor Julie Brock, interim Unitarian minister in Brighton, Michigan shares her knowledge and life experience as a “fat” person living in America.
Pastor Brock begins the discussion by describing the what it means to be “fat”:
“George Carlin…talks about using the word fat and how it’s just a description of people…’heavy is a euphemism. Aircraft carriers are heavy but they are not fat.’ Fat is a description of a body type and unless you put a negative judgement on it it’s not a negative thing. It’s like saying ‘you wear glasses’ ‘you are male’. It’s just a fact about a person…I love describing myself as fat because that’s how my body looks.”
Pastor Brock continues to tackle some of the most common questions about being fat in America:
What are the day to day experiences as walking through life as a fat person?
What do you say to people who think you have no self control?
How does the fat person in America feel self worth in a society that judges them so harshly?
Can a fat person be healthy?
During the discussion, Pastor Brock addresses how we can view fat Americans differently and how fat Americans can better manage the harsh judgement they receive.
Pastor Julie Brock, interim Unitarian minister in Brighton, Michigan shares her knowledge and life experience.
To view Pastor Brock’s sermon on being fat, click here.
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