Recently, a person whom I viewed as relatively enlightened and forward thinking, referred to going to Wal-Mart to see all the fat people. It stung at first, because I admit I'm not a thin person and I have been in a Wal Mart. :-) But I just felt this comment was really offbase and even fat-ist. I mean, if someone were to say "I'm going to Wal-Mart to see all the ______" and fill in that blank with midgets/black/mexicans/handicapped/gay people I can safely say everyone would be up in arms about it. At least in the community I'm in with this person. But it's okay to go gawking at fat people.

And I do understand that being overweight in most cases can't be truly compared to being a minority; usually we could just do the work and lose the weight. I understand that. BUT. Just because we're of the higher BMI doesn't mean we're less worthy, less deserving of respect. It doesn't mean we're a sideshow, providing entertainment to all the skinnies of the world. How sad is that? That people would get some kind of perverse satisfaction out of seeing others in various states of overweight and likely, unhappiness. And it's obviously not just this one person, and I will say she's a wonderful person and was just trying to be funny. I don't really think she has deep seated issues with fat people. I do think there are many people who do, however, and I find that incredibly sad that they would choose to limit the people they know and love based on a number on a scale. How they're missing out!!