Tragic Sandwich

I don’t like any of its forms, but one that particularly incenses me is bias based on weight. I know all kinds of people who think it’s perfectly fine to judge character based on weight. Which you just can’t. Recently I came across a terrific essay by Charlotte Cooper on images of people who are overweight, and it’s definitely worth reading. Take a look at those pictures, and ask yourself this: What do these photos and the way they’re commonly used tell you? And while you’re at it, ask yourself what’s harder–sitting next to a person who’s obese, or being obese?

All that weight tells you is whether someone is fat or thin. It doesn’t tell you whether someone is kind or cruel, generous or stingy, honest or a liar. It doesn’t tell you whether they’re going to cut you off in traffic or pull over to see if you need help when someone else does. It doesn’t tell you whether they’ll say something deliberately mean to you, or remind you that the person who did is a jackass who’s not worth your time.

Weight tells you nothing but weight. And that’s not the measure of a person.