"Obesity" to be banned?


About time. The word has been way over-used. It was once only used for grossly fat people, not people of middling weight

"Let's say you were carrying a few extra pounds -- would you rather be labeled "obese" or "fat"? City officials in Liverpool, England, evidently prefer the latter and are considering banning the word obesity from all official communications.

It's all because they feel that the word obese is too offensive, especially when it comes to kids. Officials at Liverpool's town hall would rather use the term "unhealthy weight" because it doesn't stigmatize overweight children as much.... "The idea is that obesity has a negative connotation behind it," he added....

Tam Fry of the obesity prevention charity the Child Growth Foundation certainly doesn't think so. "I can see where the children are coming from and the word carries a stigmatization but unfortunately some times schoolchildren have to be taught the realities of life," he told the Daily Mail. "If you have a problem, particularly when it's as serious as this, it needs addressing."

It's not certain whether the change will go through -- the proposal will be considered over the next few months -- but a spokesperson for the Liverpool city council insisted there would only be a subtle difference if it did.

Source

The term "unhealthy weight" is a bit nuts too. Anorexics have an unhealthy weight but they sure aren't fat. What's wrong with "fat", anyway? Too simple and not judgmental enough, I guess.

Funny that we are allowed to be judgmental about people's weight but are not allowed to judgmental about other things -- such as homosexuality. And, because of AIDS, homosexuality is a lot more likely to kill you than being fat is.

Posted by John Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.).