The stigma these days is that American’s are overweight. We eat too much, don’t exercise enough, don’t contribute to society, and are overindulgent. Even though we all know that stereotypes are wrong and usually inaccurate, the fat stigma is one that sticks. With hope to change that stigma, in comes FTO.
FTO is a gene that scientists have recently discovered that increases susceptibility to type 2 diabetes*. The way it works is by predisposing the person through effects on their body mass index. Two copies of the gene causes the person to be on average 3 kilograms heavier than “normal” and have an increased risk of being obese. The gene is not recessive, so even with one copy, weight and predisposition are increased. Now this predisposition does not mean that if you have the gene you will automatically be obese and get type 2 diabetes, but it does mean that your risk is higher than normal.
With the discovery of FTO it becomes clear that the fat stigma is not one that can be applied to everybody. Genes are not everything, and environment does play a huge part, but some people really do not have a choice. Whether it be because of FTO or a disease where the medicine a person has to take causes them to gain weight, not everyone deserves the blame that society puts on them. We refer to obesity as an epidemic, but the word epidemic with its highly negative connotation usually means something that is widespread and highly contagious. It doesn’t have to be a disease, it could be fear or something like it, but either way it is something highly undesirable that needs to be squashed as quickly as possible for the benefit of the greater good. American obesity doesn’t fit neatly into the epidemic box. It oozes out the sides in its urge to escape and is greeted by progressives who encourage acceptance. These progressives, like Amy Farrell, are trying to raise fat awareness and say that it’s okay to be fat and proud of it. It’s okay to accept your body for what it is, no matter what society says. Fat is not synonymous with unhealthy, gluttonous, greedy, lazy, or ugly. The lines are blurred and it is up to us to decide what the right thing is for our bodies.
Nobody can determine what genes you’re born with. Many people don’t know if they’re predisposed to certain diseases because up until a few decades ago family history was not important when making a medical diagnosis. If your grandmother is fat and your mom is fat then you’ll be fat too, right? Maybe, maybe not. Short of a costly genetic test there is no way to know what your genes look like, and even with one there is no assurance of how they will affect you. When it comes to fat there is no definitive answer, and we can’t jump to conclusions. Obesity is not an epidemic or caused solely by bad decisions. There are many of factors, including ones that are beyond control, and it’s our responsibility to start understanding and accepting people despite body size.
*http://www.sciencemag.org/content/316/5826/889.short
"Whether it be because of FTO or a disease where the medicine a person has to take causes them to gain weight, not everyone deserves the blame that society puts on them."
ReplyDeleteI think it's dangerous to say that those who are obese due to some kind of physiological response unrelated to how or what they consume are free from blame. It assumes that those who are fat from what they eat deserve blame. What is important to consider is that many Americans have little choice over what they can eat. Due to low socioeconomic status and the lack of resources available to help those people eat healthy, they may rely on processed foods for sustenance. Processed foods are fast and very affordable, but they can make a person fat. Sometimes the people making these "bad decision" never had a choice to begin with.