Fat shaming

I would like to draw attention towards a kind of harassment that is very prevalent in our society: fat shaming. Pakistan is by no means unique when it comes to the shaming of people who are overweight. This kind of bullying is particularly common among the young and can have long-lasting impacts on one’s self-esteem and confidence. There should be no place in our schools, workplaces and homes for this kind of toxic behaviour. Those who try to excuse fat shaming by saying they are only encouraging the target to get thinner are talking nonsense.

There is no proof that such shaming leads to better health; in fact, there is ample research out there that suggests fat shaming is a contributor to problems like obesity. By wounding one’s self-confidence we make them more reluctant to participate in healthy activities like exercise and make them double-down on bad habits like comfort-eating.

Sanan Ali

Kashmore