Essay On Obesity In American Culture

Obesity in the Eyes of the American Culture Being overweight can be a very emotional and arduous ride. Not only is it difficult to lose weight, but there is always the constant social pressure to obtain the ideal look in order to be accepted. As a culture that is focused around the media and social acceptance, anything that is outside of what is valued is automatically excluded and ridiculed. Over the years, this has created an intolerance and discrimination against those who do not fit the idea of perfection. In this case, it has created the weight bias. A bias is a prejudiced opinion for or against a thing or a group, comparing it with another, and is usually an unfair comparison. It is usually associated with a negative attitude that affects the interactions one has …show more content…
The idea that thin equals beauty and takes hard work created stereotypes about the obese that made them seem to be the complete opposite. The main cause of obesity is the food industry. The availability of foods high in fat and sugar is tremendous. Not only are they easily accessible, they are also quick and cheap. Not only is the food industry the problem, but many medical conditions and medicines can also cause obesity. After years and years of the skinny versus overweight propaganda, many people think it is acceptable to treat the overweight like they are less than thou. Many people have forgotten how to see the human for what they are on the inside, and instead base their judgments on physical appearances. They saying “first impressions are everything” proves our idea that a person’s outer appearance is what matters the most. We live in a very vain culture that pressures us to always look our best, and best is defined as super model thin or muscular. When people become more open minded and understanding, stereotyping and all sorts of bias will cease to