Why big isn't always beautiful

Here are my thoughts on this subject. When it starts affecting your health, you need to do something about it. You are sore when you walk, your back hurts or you can't walk without breathing deep, something is wrong.

The idea that ‘big is beautiful’ has been adopted by some individuals to celebrate the fact that, by society’s standards, they are considered fat. They don’t accept the negative connotations of being fat and are proactive in their stance that it is possible to be both big and beautiful, as they are not mutually exclusive. It is clearly a positive thing that fat people are fighting back against the discrimination and bullying they often face, rather than simply accepting their victim status. However, in being so accepting of their weight, obese individuals are less likely to do something to tackle their weight, and thus could find their health suffering as a result.

Consequently, it is clear that big isn’t always beautiful, especially when it becomes harder for a person to leave the house because they are carrying too much weight. When an individual’s weight renders them immobile they won’t be able to go to work or socialise with friends, and thus it can be an isolating experience. If a person lets their weight reach such a stage it is clear that how they look isn’t as of much importance as their physical health and mental well-being. If they are isolated they may stop caring about their appearance, anyway, since they have no reason to even bother getting dressed. Indeed, the heavier an individual gets the more difficult it becomes to find clothes that fit, and often the clothes that they can fit into tend not to be the most flattering styles.

Western society may be somewhat obsessed with skinniness, but this doesn’t alter the fact that obesity is actually on the increase. More and more people are developing a weight problem and finding themselves being labelled as obese. It is therefore not such a bad thing that some people who are carrying extra weight reject the negative labels placed on them, as doing so can help them build self-esteem even when they are continually being told that they should lose weight.

However, propagating the notion that big is beautiful does not address the health implications of being obese, and thus it may be good for people’s mental health to come to terms with their weight and to value themselves more, but it doesn’t alter the fact that being obese means a person is more likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke, and is at greater risk of developing cancer and diabetes, as well as gallbladder problems and osteoarthritis. Being obese can put a great deal of strain on an individual’s joints and make walking painful, and if they are unable to do any exercise this could simply exacerbate their weight problem.

Big can be beautiful in the sense that a fat person can be just as attractive as a skinny person, even in a society where being slim is regarded as the ideal, but it isn’t always the case when it starts to affect their ability to socialise and their mental and physical health. It is for this reason that perpetuating the idea that big is beautiful doesn’t really help those struggling to keep their weight down.