Stop Coddling Overweight People November 02, 2010 11:47PM

We don't need to call overweight people "fatties" like Kelly did to be able to recognize there is a serious, growing epidemic in this country. And instead of finding ways to fight that, we spend our time coddling it -- finding new and improved ways to be politically correct while never admitting the facts: Obesity is an ongoing, massive health crisis.

The problem, most certainly, is not a cosmetic one. It's a serious health one that could have devastating effects on our economy and our ability to stay competitive on a global scale. Obesity-related medical bills total nearly $93 billion, or 9 percent, of our national medical bill.

Do you still want to pretend the problem is merely a cosmetic one?

But many want to turn their cheek and pretend that obesity is a quick-fix problem and one that is really more about being physically unappealing than terribly unhealthy. Case in point: the response to the aforementioned Marie Claire blog last week.

Last week, Kelly fired off a snarky and poorly written blog addressing the problem with "fatties" on television in response to the new CBS show Mike & Molly, a sitcom focusing on two obese main characters. The post seemed like something the former anorexic writer gave little thought to until the wrath of the wounded came down on her.

Kelly spoke of her "disgust" with overweight people. She was widely excoriated for her post. 28,000 emails were sent to the Marie Claire offices calling for her head. The post has since been removed from the website (and then mysteriously put back up today).

Would the same worry have been applied if the people she had mocked had been "too thin"? Does anyone get up in arms when people mock Kelly Ripa who weighs 90 pounds soaking wet? It's never right to mock a person's weight, but if that person happens to be obese? Then it's extra off-limits.

Consider this: Mike & Molly on the CBS show met in Overeaters Anonymous, which is in itself an admission. Their obesity is caused by something they want to change. It isn't their fault necessarily -- it's an addiction like any other -- but it isn't the "norm" or the "ideal" or the healthiest way to be. If it were, why would they be trying to change?

The fact is, in our country, obesity is an epidemic, not a cosmetic problem we need to fix. People are undergoing dangerous, major surgery -- gastric bypasses and lap bands -- just to be able to live. The "fat acceptance" movement may be important in terms of valuing oneself, but let's not let it blind us or allow us to pretend that being obese is healthy.

According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, approximately 68 percent of adults are overweight or obese. Roughly 75 million adult Americans would be considered obese.

Staggering statistics when we consider the health problems obesity causes -- knee/joint problems, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and many other physical problems.

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- Sasha Brown-Worsham

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