Are Americans Fat And Lazy?
Sal DeTraglia from Spain goes to Disneyworld and makes some observations.
“I do need, however, to mention one observation that I found a bit shocking. The Disney parks rent motorized wheelchairs, and they rent a lot of them. However, the vast majority of those that I saw driving those wheelchairs were not “handicapped” as that word is commonly interpreted. They were obese. I mean profoundly, morbidly, shockingly obese–and some of them were clearly younger than I am. I’ve never been to EuroDisney, but I suspect that this obesity epidemic doesn’t exist there. And if that’s the case, then I think it’s clear where the finger of blame must be pointed.”
Sal, and the people in the comments, seem to assume that every fat person in a wheelchair is in the wheelchair simply because they are fat and lazy. Check out the comments:
The Big Finn: “Is laziness considered a handicap? Could one rent a wheelchair just because he/she doesn’t feel like walking?”
Headless Blogger: “The other benefit of the motorized scooters is that they let the rider and his/her group skip to the front of the line (at least that was the case a decade ago). Nothing like positive feedback to encourage a healthful lifestyle.”
Christina: “There were no obese people in Denmark, thank goodness.”
Well thank goodness, Christina! I’d hate to think of anyone unwittingly going to a country where there were obese people!
Now I have no idea why these people were in wheelchairs, or what size they were, or how “lazy” they are, or any of these other things. Or even whether they were American in the first place. But the point is, neither does Sal. Neither do his commenters. This kind of assumption just strikes me as ugly, and rather sad. What do you think? Does Sal have a point?
Posted by mo pie
Filed under: Fatism, International
Email us
I read yesterday that there are percentally as many overweight fat people in Germany as in the US.
I still think that there are less people who are extremely overweight here in Germany though.
But Europe seems to be catching up.
So far I have not seen anyone anywhere in Germany who was so fat that he/she could only walk with a cane due to fatness, or something similar.
But teenagers are for sure heavier now than when I was that age (born 1975). I was one of the heaviest girls with 165 pounds at 5’11. Now I am 30 pounds heavier and I see a lot of teenage girls who are fatter than me daily.
I think that people should feel free to use scooters and what have you, but people who are unable to walk due to fatness make me sad.
I was discussing the original posting the other day and was amazed at how many points were brought up. Firstly, how few places are geared towards family vacations, and how Disney does try to make the place accessible to all types of folks.
Then how America, through the industrial revolution, then through changing econommics, has become a country obsessed with convenience. If more cities here had evolved without the automobile to facilitate transportation we’d be healthier by walking more.
Furthermore, sedentary work coupled with modern conveniences and economic necessity making two incomes necessary for a household have all made it a hurculean effort to get enough movement. However, I would definitely not advocate returning to the old days where a woman was practically chained to the stove and it took the greater part of a week to do a load of laundry.
It’s so interesting to see how fashion and the bodily ideal have changed. Earlier centuries associated fat with wealth since the wealthy had access to food and leisure, while now it’s turned upside down.
The wealthy now have access to organic, high quality food, personal chefs, personal trainers, etc. and the leisure time to pursue the ideal body while the poorer working classes have little time to devote to cooking, nutritional training, working out, etc.
If you have $2.00 for a meal, and are pressed for time, you’ll end up at McDonalds – not at the sit down place with organic salad and chicken.
We’ve now got our convenience and time saving meals, but as it often is, we didn’t exactly plan for the results of this change.
I think other people become concerned when the “fat”, “old” and “lazy” people on scooter start to endanger others.
I just returned from DisneyWorld and saw scooter people yelling at other guests because they were in their way. I also saw adults as well as children(thank god not mine) get hit by people in scooters not paying attention.
Brenda, on April 15th, 2007 at 8:26 pm Said:
“No one was really discussing how to lose weight, or if anyone *should* lose weight. The point is that no one is helped (and maybe a lot of people are harmed) by the elitist, size-ist, fat-phobic attitude that Sal so easily engages in.”
Wow. Tubby and brimming over with pious, PC BS is no way to go through life. If she spent half as much effort in exercising as she does in her unconvincing attempt to paint the Critics rather than the gluttons as the source of the problem, she might actually lose the weight and enjoy the meteoric rise in quality of life that would bring about. But she doesn’t, or will not, and that is the real point Sal is making. If you don’t like being fat, put down the goddamn fork and break into a sweat for an hour a day. It isn’t rocket science. ( Of the thundering herds that Americans have become, perhaps 2% are obese as a result of health problems. That’s a guess, of course, but I work in a grocery store and have ample opportunity to watch what the obese are jamming into their shopping carts–I assure you it’s not chicken breast and veggies. )
If you lack the self discipline to make these things happen, then yes, you are simply lazy and insufficiently motivated. Spare me your mewling and your excuses–it is what it is, and I for one will not be guilt–tripped into pretending it’s ‘not your fault’. Yes, it is. At the very last spare us your insufferable self righteousness. If your comfortable being fat, then whatever–but quit expecting the world to bend over backwards so your fragile little ego won’t be bruised.
If you don’t like being fat, put down the goddamn fork and break into a sweat for an hour a day.
Butt Matt, didn’t you read the comment from Anna Bananapants? Apparently, these days it takes a “hurculean effort” to get enough exercise.
I work in a grocery store and have ample opportunity to watch what the obese are jamming into their shopping carts–I assure you it’s not chicken breast and veggies.
Right… and us fat people are the only ones IN THE WORLD that buy and eat junk food, right?
Not bloody likely.
Comparing “tall” and “fat” is a completely bogus point. People have no control over their height. Calling someone tall can be a little annoying for them… they have heard all the jokes before etc.
Fat is different. It is controlled by what type of and the amount of food you put in your mouth in relation to the amount of exercise you do. Calling someone fat makes them embarrassed or defensive, because you are essentially pointing out that they have a character flaw – laziness, in addition to stating the obvious fact that they are big.
Fat people deserve to be treated the same as anyone else. Respect, however, is earned. Its not a right, and its very difficult to respect people who let themselves become obese.
I live my husband of 12 yrs my daughter her boyfriend and my husbands best friend /bro whatever you call him (which at 36 never has lived by himself EVER) they are all lasy i ask them to help. ahhh sure …. but nothin ever gets really done unless i loss my temper and at times that dont even work either. i feel so upset i cant even take this any more
Karl said: Fat… is controlled by what type of and the amount of food you put in your mouth in relation to the amount of exercise you do.
Lala said: No it isn’t.
What does lazy mean? In my opinion, a lot of normal or skinny people are more lazy. Big people are not lazy. I know a lot of big people like to travel all around the world. Michael whom I know through largeplace.com. He travel 3 times each year.
Lala said: No it isn’t.
Oh let me guess… its hormones right?