ENGLISH: READING & WRITING

Fatphobia: The stigma of being fat

While many countries experience rising obesity levels, those who are overweight struggle
with fatphobia. Here, Ellen Murray describes her own experiences.

I’ve been overweight for as long as I can remember. Even during my pre-school years, I
felt a sense of shame about it. It wasn’t that people were unkind or critical. But my mum,
who is also fat, was constantly stressing about her own looks and self-worth, so I became
aware that she considered being fat undesirable. The school I attended had a strict anti-
bullying policy, so nobody was mean or rude, but in some ways, that was worse. Since
nobody ever stated out loud that I was fatter than the other kids, I felt as if people were
tiptoeing around me rather than accepting who I was.

Since then, I’ve experienced all manner of horrible treatment. I frequently get jeered on
public transport by people telling me I should pay extra. I don’t let that get to me anymore.
What concerns me these days is that people have such unhealthy attitudes to weight. A
friend of mine turned to drugs because she was so stressed about being fat. She got
really thin, and all anyone said was how great she looked. They paid no attention to what
she was going through. That’s something we really need to change.

There’s also a lot of discrimination in medicine towards fat people. When seeking medical
help, they invariably have to endure a lecture about how their weight impacts their health.
According to research, if a fat person and a thin one see a doctor with the same
complaint, the slim one is more likely to be tested and treated, while the fat one is fobbed
off with instructions to change their diet and get fit. They have to be demanding and rude
to get the treatment they deserve. More often than not, though, they avoid seeking
medical help until the problem worsens.

The increasing number of overweight people in the world is generally considered to be a

problem. There is a movement of people who say that being overweight is not necessarily
a problem at all: fat people can be just as healthy as those of a so-called ‘ideal’ weight.
While I don’t feel in a position to say whether that’s true, I do worry that overweight
people are considered a problem to be solved. It seems to give people the right to judge
us as substandard. If it were a racial or sex issue, this kind of stigma wouldn’t be allowed.

People make assumptions about fat people all the time. We are allegedly lazy, undisciplined
and undesirable. The opinions of strangers don’t bother me, but these preconceptions
persist even among people who know each other well. A friend of mine lost a lot of weight
and soon afterwards received two promotions at work. She was congratulated on how
well her work had improved. She couldn’t believe it, as she’d always given the company
her all.

Name___________________________Nickname_________________Class M.4/____ No.____

 ENGLISH: READING & WRITING

The stigma endured by fat people is more harmful than any medical conditions they may
suffer from, and it’s important to keep in mind that being heavy can be a result of poor
health as well as a cause of it. There’s even growing evidence that these attitudes increase
obesity. They certainly create mental health issues. Only by presenting overweight people
in a positive light can this trend be overturned, and both the attitudes of fat and slim
people must be addressed. All industries, including media, fashion, food, and medicine,
should play a part in creating change.

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

Vocabulary
G
______ fatphobia n. โรคกลัวอ้วน

______
F obesity n. โรคอ้วน

______
I struggle v. ดิน้ รน ต่อสู้

______
J tiptoe v. เขย่งเท้า ระมัดระวัง เดินด้วยปลายเท้า
H
______ jeer v. เย้ยหยัน ถากถาง เสี ยดสี เหน็บแนม
O
______ discrimination n. การแบ่งแยก การเหยียด
E
______ endure v. อดทน คงอยู่ ยืนหยัด
K
______ fob off phr.v. ไม่สนใจ บังคับให้ยอมรับ
B
______ ideal adj. อุดมคติ แบบอย่าง

______
C substandard adj. ตํ่ากว่ามาตรฐาน
D ่ บเชือชาติ
้
______ racial adj. เกียวกั
N
______ stigma n. รอยด่าง รอยแผล มลทิน ความอัปยศ

______
M
preconception n. ความคิดอคติ
______
A overturn v. ควํ่าลง ล้มจากอํานาจ
L
______ address v. ปราศรัย จัดการปั ญหา
11 1
Name___________________________Nickname_________________Class
Paritat Ballawanit M.4/____
6 No.____
 ENGLISH: READING & WRITING

A to (cause to) turn over

B perfect, or the best possible

C below a satisfactory standard

D happening between people of different races

E to suffer something difficult, unpleasant, or painful

F the fact of being extremely fat, in a way that is dangerous for health

G unreasonable dislike or unfair treatment of people because they are fat

H to laugh or shout insults at someone to show you have to respect for them

I to experience difficulty and make a very great effort in order to do something

J to walk on your toes with the heel of your foot lifted off the ground, especially in
order not to make a noise

K to persuade someone to accept something that is of a low quality or different from

what they really wanted

L to speak or write someone, to give attention to or deal with a matter or problem

M an idea or opinion formed before enough information is available to form it correctly

N a strong feeling of disapproval that most people in a society have about something,
especially when there is unfair

O treating a person or particular group of people differently, especially in a worse way

from the way in which you treat other people, because of their race, gender, sexuality,
etc.

1. What did Ellen find difficult about being overweight as a young child?

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

2. What common attitude does Ellen want to change?

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

Name___________________________Nickname_________________Class M.4/____ No.____

 ENGLISH: READING & WRITING

3. Regarding health, Ellen says that fat people_________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

4. Ellen believes that_____________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

5. Ellen gives the example of the person who received two promotions to illustrate that

______________________________________________________________________

6. What is Ellen’s recommendation for dealing with fatphobia?

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

Name___________________________Nickname_________________Class M.4/____ No.____