Does Fat Shaming Work
This is a subject I am returning to. Some time ago I questioned the wisdom of a colleague who regularly shames not only fat people but fat therapists as well. It was my view that this was an unhelpful approach in trying to help people to be healthier. Since writing that post, I have seen many other articles written by people who complain about being shamed because of their weight.
Now, as I have said before I am a man of size who is comfortable in that. I have noticed that there is an overt and covert attempt into shaming people of size. Now, though I feel that this is an unhelpful method to help people, for some at least it is an effort to help. Some of these attempts have nothing to do with helping people to lose weight or get healthier, they are used to make those who are of a less size feel better about themselves at the cost of the feelings and emotional well being of those who are larger.
Fashion, airlines, dating sites and a plethora of other places actively denigrate people of size. This is done not to help, but rather to hurt. I see this every day in my consulting rooms. So back to the original question, does fat shaming work? Well yes and no. If you mean does it motivate people to lose weight, then the answer is no. If you mean does it hurt people who are vulnerable and self conscious then it is a resounding YES.
