Being overweight or obese is not always the result of excessive eating habits. While there is an epidemic of food-related obesity in this country, there are other causes. In some cases, there are underlying illnesses, both physical and psychiatric that can lead to obesity. One may also be genetically predisposed to obesity. It is not as black and white an issue as many would have it be. Further, our society reinforces this cultural bias against people who, for whatever reason, are overweight.  

It is common knowledge that there is an obesity crisis in the United States. Young children are a particular concern. This crisis is linked to a societal change. We are less active and we consume more food than we should. Children don’t go out and play anymore, they go in. Video games and computers have contributed to this sedentary lifestyle. People drive or take transportation to places they could reach just as easily by walking. We eat while doing just about everything, but we rarely exercise to burn it off.

There is another societal issue that many cities are striving to correct, which is access to healthier foods in lower income areas. It has been documented that obesity rates are often higher in poorer neighborhoods. This is due, in part, to fast food restaurants being a cheap and readily available source of food. The ability to get healthier food is restricted by location and/or income. One major stride toward changing this was allowing green markets to accept SNAP (formerly known as Food Stamps or EBT) benefits. Another step toward correcting this trend would be to have more of these markets in those at risk areas to eliminate the added cost of travelling to obtain healthier food. 

There are also medical reasons why one may be overweight or obese. The inheritance rates for obesity are quite high. Children born to obese parents are extremely likely to be obese themselves. In addition, there are several genetic disorders that may lead to obesity and other developmental issues in children. These are considered rare, however. Certain other illnesses either lead to obesity directly, such as hypothyroidism, which slows the body’s metabolism. Other illnesses lead to weight gain indirectly through the medications prescribed to treat or manage these diseases. This seems particularly true for psychiatric disorders. Antidepressant medications, for example, have been known to increase one’s risk factors for obesity. Of course, it is well-known that obesity itself can lead to other health issues as well, including diabetes and heart disease.

Obesity is not merely an issue of gluttony. Even in cases where overeating is a factor, there are often other mitigating circumstances. We must rid ourselves of this ignorant and biased attitude toward overweight people. The proliferation of the idea that all “fat people” are nothing but lazy overeaters leads to a society in which it is permissible to ridicule and harass them without repercussions. We are a society which puts excessive emphasis on the outside instead of what’s inside. The overweight person is not inherently bad or inferior. We should continue to focus on helping, not hurting.