Judgement: Guilty as Charged

If someone was short, would you think they were lazy? Probably not. So why do some people judge those that are overweight in the same way? Height and Weight are proven to be genetically predisposed but the only difference between the two is that weight can be manipulated and height cannot. I think it’s scary to think that if we had the technology to change height and if it was easy enough, people might start to judge others on height too.

I chose height as an example but what if it was eye color, skin color or even personality? Imagine if there were methods -simplified enough for the average person to use- in order to make those changes. Do people really judge weight because weight loss is at our fingertips (even if it’s not permanent)? Or because weight can easily be manipulated (even if it’s not healthy)? [By easy, I mean that the average person could accomplish it.]

It makes me think how mislead we really are. You can’t expect someone short to suddenly grow taller just as you can’t expect someone chubby to suddenly permanently change the shape of their body.

I used to think weight loss could be permanent but now I realize it's only permanent if it's still within your set-point weight and if your metabolism is functioning properly. But there are still millions upon millions of people that are convinced that they can do it and that this time they'll keep it off for good. It's not just cockiness that makes you gain back the weight, it's genetics!

So, i know people are misinformed and a good handful of people are stubborn and that's why the triumph continues but the whole idea of prejudice and judgement against people that are overweight is quite troublesome. And for those of us that chose not to fall into the diet industry's brainwashing, it can be difficult to overcome.

Stereotypes

I bet if 5 people were in a room and someone burped or farted, chances are the fat people would be accused first because people just tend to be disgusted with fat and can easily attribute them to less desirable acts. Funny but unfortunately true. I doubt people would accuse someone of bad gas because they were of a different race or because they were tall or short so what's the connection?

A lot of us stereotype overweight people as those that are unfit, unattractive, lazy or sloppy. But it's not necessarily true. There's no proof that someone overweight is unfit. If they exercise and eat well but still have a little chub, it's just the way nature intended for them to be. Yes, there are fat people in this world that are lazy and poor eaters but why do we let them speak for all of us? Are they really the majority? Maybe.

Judgement versus Prejudice

Neither judgement nor prejudice are welcomed ideas. No one likes to be judged but we all do it. And definitely no one wants to be told they are prejudice.

Dictionary.com defines judgement as the forming of an opinion, estimate, notion, or conclusion, as from circumstances presented to the mind.

And they define prejudice as an unfavourable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason.

Sounds like the exact same thing to me! Both judgement and prejudice are made without knowing or understanding the full story. But that's something people can change...if they only realized what they were doing.

Take for example, the idea of different couples. If you see a thin woman with an overweight man, what do you think? And if you see an overweight woman with a thin man, what do you think?

Or if you see an overweight couple together, what are your thoughts?

Or maybe you've judged someone for eating a something because they were overweight or judged someone that was exercising because they were fat.

Sometimes you need to analyze your own pattern of thought. Why do we think the way we think?

I think this is something worth thinking about because no one is perfect and we are all guilty of judging others. Sometimes it's hard to remember that you don't know the whole story but being aware and trying to be more understanding is something that can benefit us all.