Is obesity acceptance beneficial for society?

I disagree with "fat shaming" as it's called. Not only is it really mean spirited to insult somebody for their weight, but it's also counterproductive according to most studies on the subject (being shamed causes fat people to only eat more).

But I disagree with "fat acceptance", and the anti-science health ideas it's spinning off like "health at every size". Obesity is not healthy. It causes cancer, diabetes and heart disease. These fat Instagram models in their 20s/30s might not realize it yet but they are doing serious long-term damage to their bodies. My dad is 62 and obese but given the state of his health he may as well be 72 (diabetes and heart problems). One cheeseburger might not seriously harm you but those quickly add up, and it starts to take a toll on your health.

But also, I get it. The society we live in breeds obesity. It's one thing if one or two people are fat, but in Canada the obesity rate is 25% and overweight rate is 60%. This is a societal level failure. The fact there are several fast-food restaurants on every block, that we live in such car-dependent cities that walking is very unpleasant and many roads don't even have sidewalks, that the grocery story puts all the useful stuff in the back so you have to wade through aisles of junk food and also even more junk food at checkout, and even 3 and 4 story buildings nowadays have elevators (I get that it's for wheelchairs, but even able-bodied people are using them), it's a society that actively encourages a consumption-driven sedentary lifestyle. None of us should be surprised at how huge of a problem this has become (excuse the pun). This leads me back to fat shaming and why I think it's wrong and not the solution to our problem.

Accepting obesity? Sure. That doesn't mean glorifying it, but it's still wrong to shame someone for being obese. This is to say nothing of the fact that people have different standards of what it means to be fat - one person's shapely is another person's fat.

I would have voted "other" if it was an option. I personally don't think it is beneficial. Statistics support the consensus that obesity is bad for someone's health, so the idea of promoting a plus-sized frame is counter-productive and would actually be more detrimental to society. It's a hard one though. There's isn't a black & white solution to decreasing obesity rates or changing people's perception of obesity. If you aggressively push forward the approach that obesity is a bad thing, you risk damaging many people's self-worth and that could eventually lead to an increase in cases of undiagnosed mental illnesses. There would also be the risk that an anti-obesity campaign would make otherwise healthy people feel paranoid about their own weight. The advent of social media has meant that we are exposed to people's appearances more than we ever were in the past. "Fat shaming" or "fat accepting" would be disastrous in this day and age.

What is needed is to find the right balance between promoting a healthy diet while also not singling out (or "shaming") people who do happen to be overweight. I don't know what the answer to that is. I'm not sure if there will ever be one, seeing as how society and humans in general are naturally inclined to place an emphasis on looks, but I think increasing the air-time/exposure of people of all different shapes and sizes would be a good start. Promote the idea that men don't have to be buff or muscular to look good, or that women don't have to be skinny, bikini models to feel good about themselves. Really, the perception of obesity intertwines with the toxic ideals people have of masculinity and femininity. Addressing those issues, while also continuing to educate people about the dangers linked to obesity, would go a along way to decreasing the rates of obesity and changing the overall perception of it. "Fat acceptance" and "fat shaming" movements won't work. 

I have my bro's death certificate, where it states that cause of death was myocardial infarction, with the main contributing factors being obesity and smoking.

We don't 'glorify' smokers .. just as we shouldn't 'glorify' obesity. Healthy height/weight ratio should always be encouraged. Smokers are addicted to nicotine, people who are overweight, are probably addicted to food, whether it be emotional eating ..or whateva the case. A lot of people are predisposed to becoming overweight, others gain extra weight via side effects of certain medication. Doctors should do more to make these particular patients aware of potential future issues.

al I wish i could like your post, a hundred times over!!! (But then again, i have read a lot of your posts here .. you are all quality aye)

Just a bit of a side note, and it's probably a little off topic, but since my bro's passing, losing the 30k, the assault, and the break and entry into my place .. i made a really poor choice, that being taking up smoking again >.<

I went to the doctor on Friday afternoon, and asked for a script for nicotine patches. A few years ago, the patches were of great aid to me in being able to stop smoking. Anyways, the doctor asked me if i identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. When i said 'no' .. he said to me .. "well that is a bit of bad luck, because only Aboriginals etc are able to get them on the PBS, at a cost of around $6.00". "You are going to have to pay $140.00 for them". I have a really rare and incurable autoimmune blood disorder, which qualifies me for disability payments ..yet I can't get what I need to help me.

I'd place my last dollar on it .. the big tobacco companies, have made a deal with our government .. NO MORE CHEAP GIVE UP SMOKING AIDS, (unless you identify as Aboriginal} .. in exchange for a bigger tax payment.

And thank you so much for the wishes regarding my bro

Accepting obesity is like accepting anorexia. They're both equally unhealthy conditions that can lead to an early death.

Obviously "fatshaming" is a wrong and toxic behavior, and does only push people towards their bad habits as confort. Obese people should instead get the support, and mental and dietetical help to improve their weight and relationship towards food. But the fat acceptance movement is taking it to the other, equally noxious direction where "fat is healthy and should be accepted as is".