*Edit: When referring to an obese person in this post I am not referring to someone who has a high BMI. I am referring to a person who harbors excessive body fat, lives a mostly static life, and consumes very high levels of calories that are superfluous to the individuals lifestyle i.e., they eat excessively without expending the extra calories. So I am not referring to athletes, and this post is mostly a representation of my opinion on western obesity.

I want to express that I do not condone the persecution of any plussed size people, nor am I claiming that just because a person is obese that they cannot be happy. I am also not talking about someone who is just slightly overweight. Who I am referring to is a person who would be classified as morbidly obese. My view is specifically that when an obese person claims they are happy with their weight, they are forming that view from a position of resignation and defeat. Thus, to cope with a seemingly personal defeat and a perceived insurmountable problem, an obese person will vehemently proclaim to be happy with the very thing that causes them anguish.

The body positivity movement isn’t inherently a bad thing, and I do believe it is necessary for some people e.g., people with physical deformities, conspicuous skin conditions, hair loss or excessive hair growth, etc.; all of these are things one cannot control, and one should not be ostracized for such superficial differences. Obesity, on the other hand, is more of a controllable condition.

I will start with the elephant in the room… genetics. Yes, there are undoubtedly genetic reasons why one may be more inclined to put on weight easier; however, this is not a sentence to a life of obesity, nor is it a good reason to not put forth effort to managing one’s weight. Just because something is hard, it doesn’t mean its not worth pursuing. Weight is determined by more than just genetics; it is mostly determined by diet and the quality of food consumed, physical activity, and the amount of food consumed versus how many calories are burned i.e., being in a caloric deficit. *Therefore, due to obesity being a physical trait that is very controllable and not impossible to change, trying to incorporate obesity into the body positivity movement is a misguided notion.

Tragedy, seeking comfort, and decadence are major contributors as to why people can find themselves on the heavier side of the scale’s numbers; because of these reasons, I find obesity to be the result of some unchecked mental disorder. If one suffers a traumatic experience (especially as a child), they may seek comfort in food. Oher stressor could exist in one’s life, or just simple loneliness, that could drive one to food. With how little physical effort day to day life requires, compounded with the fact most people who have excess will indulge (usually from boredom), could cause a decline in the appreciation of physical effort, and thus one can fall into excessive decadence. All the foregoing are not qualities of a person who is happy and of sound mind.

There are other reasons why one may struggle with their weight, such as mood, self-confidence, social setting, economic status, etc.; all of these are things that may be hard to overcome, but they are things people are able to control these things i.e., things that people can take actions to try and change them. I could go on and explain these things in more detail, but I would rather take them on in the comments to avoid prolixity… which I may be failing at currently. So, I will end with this: does anybody really believe it when they hear an obese person says they are content with their weight? Do obese people even believe it when they say they are content with their weight.

*I also wish to point out people who are currently trying to lose weight, are losing weight, and are still in the process of attaining a lower weight, are not the type of people I am referring to in my post; these people are actively trying to lose weight and are not trying to act happy about being obese. Further, those people making changes to lose weight should view themselves positively.

*I’ve read a few times that some people who are in the process of changing their weight state they are happy with their body, and I believe that to be partly true; rather what they are happy with is the progress and changes they are seeing in their