Showing posts with label fat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fat. Show all posts

Friday, February 10, 2012

Take this on for size.


Update!  After receiving some comments requesting a form of proof for the studies I mentioned in this post, I have decided to make it readily available for everyone to view.  This was mentioned in a previous post, I can't expect every person to read every post, so for your convienience you can view my report here, which was for a Social Psychology class in my 2nd year of my Psychology degree.  I received a very good mark on this paper and I invite you to check each and every resource I have listen so YOU can clearly see the numbers, and the science that backs what I have said here!  Again, thanks for reading!  http://dreamars.wordpress.com/2012/02/09/the-truth-about-weight-based-dscrimination/


These past few days I have noticed an above average amount of "shares" regarding the skinny vs fat debate.  The popular consensus is that we put too much importance on being skinny, and how overweight people deserve more respect and less discrimination.  Which is true.  However, now i am seeing posts of skinny people complaining that "if fat people can tell me to eat more, I can tell them to eat less."  Give me a break!  YES, I am overweight so maybe I have a bias, but if you take a look at my previous post and actually read the link I posted, you would see that my "bias" comes with evidence.


I do not want skinny people to eat more and get fat.  Why would I want that?  What should it solve?  As an overweight individual I have experienced discrimination first hand, and no matter what "skinny people" say, they just do not experience the same discrimination.  I was disgusted to find out that there are numerous employers who require an applicant to send them a face photo, as well as a body shot...just to get an interview.  How can someone have that knowledge and still think that skinny people have it just as bad?  How many skinny people have been denied a job due to their weight?  The fact of the matter is that "normal" and underweight individuals obtain more jobs than those who are overweight or obese, despite qualifications.  


This entire thing reminds me far too much of racism.  This would be like a white person saying that they are equally effected by racism.  Come on!!  Get real.  


No one is telling you to get fatter.  That would be ridiculous as everyone knows that being overweight is unhealthy.  And yes, I agree, that those (including myself) who are overweight, should do more to lose weight, for obvious health reasons.  What we are telling you, is to get off your high horse and stop complaining that your life is so hard because of your perfect skinny figure.  It is common knowledge that skinny individuals get better jobs, get promoted easier, and even tend to make more money.  Do the research, check the statistics on numerous studies conducted that prove this.  


The picture I posted makes me sick.  It disturbs me greatly to know that someone actually took the time to make it.  When people post photos of larger than average women and say that they are proud of their curves, they aren't saying that you shouldn't feel beautiful.  Everyone should feel beautiful...the cold hard truth is that skinny people don't get called disgusting, ugly, dirty, and lazy nearly as much as "fat" people.  Being overweight is not considered beautiful in the media and that makes us feel ugly.  We decide that we are finally going to take a stand against the mean, derogatory comments that we receive on a daily basis, and you, who is considered beautiful by the general public, decide to complain about it.  


And who is to blame for this?  Most say that men are to blame for the new beautiful, others say its the media.  I agree, men play a large role in why those who are overweight find it hard to love themselves and feel beautiful, but who is responsible for making men that way?  The media!  At one time, a size 14 was considered to be gorgeous.  Now, you are hard pressed to find a size 12 at a regular store.  Have you ever taken a look at just how small the small really is?  It is frightening.  Children can fit into these clothes...children can comfortably fit into clothes made for grown adults.  Can you not see what is wrong with that?  Girls go into a store to buy a new dress, they go for their usual size of a medium...try it on, only to find it is too small.  This, in turn, makes them feel fat which depresses them, because "men don't like fat girls".  Clothing stores are always making their sizes smaller and smaller, which leads girls to loose more and more weight to the point that they are bony.  The media has made men believe that bony is sexy, and it can be.  If you are bony, you are no less sexy than someone who is overweight, the problem is that being underweight is just as unhealthy as being overweight.  You run the same risks for heart disease and congestive heart failure.  


Men are to blame, but it isn't their fault.  They have been brainwashed into what they should find sexy.  Each and every man is different, and some choose to not bother with size and consider women of all sizes sexy, which is the way it should be.  But there are even more men who make it clear that the skinnier, the better.  


Size should not determine how sexy someone is, and each and every woman should learn to love themselves whether they are fat, skinny, or somewhere in between.  The media needs to start using models of a normal weight, rather than using extremely underweight individuals.  I don't expect to see 400 pound models in the media, because that is just as dangerous as the promotion of being underweight.  We need to start seeing women who are at the proper, healthy weight for their age and height.  You would be shocked at how "fat" these normal weight women would appear.  They aren't fat, they are healthy!


Now, please, if you are fat be proud...love yourself and love your curves.  If you are super skinny...love yourself and love your bony figure.  But stop complaining that skinny people have it just as bad, because you know what?  You're wrong.  You have it SO easy compared to overweight individuals, so if you do have it hard...imagine how hard someone bigger than you has it!  

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Freedom = Unemployment line

How many times have you written a status on Facebook and just before hitting the "update" button you make a last minute choice to backspace the entire thing and write something else?  I know I do that all the time.  Mainly, for one reason.  Potential employers have begun to abuse Facebook and determine whether or not to hire you based on what is on your Facebook profile.  This concept makes me so angry.  Who I am with my friends has nothing to do with what kind of worker I would be.  Maybe I want to share a photo I find hilarious, but I can't share it out of fear that some future employer may see it.  At one time, we had the ability to make our profiles completely hidden from non-friends, and we do still have that option, however, with the recent changes if I post a picture, everyone who is friends with one of my friends, can see it (if my friend decides to like it, comment, or share it).  I am almost positive that everyone is connected in some way.  There are likely thousands of people who don't know me, but they know at least one of my friends.  This makes it so thousands of people that you don't know, can see various things you've posted on YOUR Facebook page.


These employers will find what they can about you from Facebook and ultimately that will decide if you get hired or not.  Just because I may find something funny that this employer finds offensive, does not mean I will be a bad worker.  We should have the freedom to put whatever we want on our Facebook page without worrying about it possibly ruining our chances of a good job.


Facebook is not the only thing that has been squashed by employers.  What about those people who choose to express themselves via tattoos and piercings?  I think it is absolutely pathetic that when I have a job interview, I have to wear a long sleeve shirt to hide my tattoos.  Once hired, I will expose my arms for what they really are, luckily, the law is on our side in saying an employer cannot fire you for such a thing.  But they can sure as hell not hire you for having tattoos.  Sure, they won't come out and say that (because that would be illegal, as it is discrimination), but they will just say that you "aren't right for the position."  Despite you having extensive experience for that particular job.  


I have my tongue pierced, and I have had it since I was 17 (I am now 24).  If I had a dime for every employer who said they'd hire me if I agreed to remove it, I'd be rich!  I won't lie, I've turned down job offers in the past because I refused to take it out.  I refuse to be completely controlled by an employer.  I really wish someone could explain to me how having a pierced tongue makes me a bad worker.  I doubt there is a good/bad workers with tongue piercing ratio.  The reason why employers discriminate about this is because society can't handle those who express themselves through these avenues.  I guess I can only hope that someday it will change.  I admit, it has changed significantly since I was a teenager, but there is still a lot of room for more improvement.  


There are so many different things that make it extremely hard to find a decent job.  Things that we can never prove actually prevented us from getting hired.  Things such as gender, beauty, and weight.  I ask that you take the time to read this post on my WordPress account.  I chose to add it there as it is lengthy.  It is a paper I wrote for my Social Psychology class last year.  It is about weight based discrimination in the work force.  The facts will utterly shock you, and that is something I can promise.  You can find this post at: http://dreamars.wordpress.com/2012/02/09/the-truth-about-weight-based-dscrimination/

Yes, I know it is long, but trust me when I say it is worth reading.  It thoroughly disgusts me when I walk into a store and look around at all of the employees and realize quickly that they are all breathtakingly beautiful.  I wish someone could explain to me why pretty people make better workers than average looking people.  What is difficult about this is that everyone knows this takes place in the workforce, yet we can never prove it.  Therefore, we can never get the justice we deserve.  We can never hold such employers accountable for their disgusting forms of discrimination.


Please read through it and comment on here with your thoughts about workplace discrimination.  It is something that needs to be stopped, sadly I don't know how to stop it.  Maybe one of you have an idea!  Let's discuss :)


-Drea