....Robin, you're making me choke on my coffee!

Personally, I'm not bothered by the word. But, now that I know it offends, I'll be sure not to use it.

Is fattie more derogatory than skinny?

Is fattie more derogatory than nerd?

If a group describes themselves as fatties, should we make them stop?

People tend to use these terms when talking about "those other people" it seems.

Jay

I have to point out that fat would be the comparable word with skinny. (She's a fattie vs. She's a skinny person.)

The problem with "fattie" is that it implies a lot about the person themselves without being objective. Fat, skinny, tall, short are supposed to be somewhat objective descriptive words. Fattie feels to me as though it includes some judgement along with it. Fattie is... for lack of a better word belittling. And while sure it's gonna be used in jokes and **** some of them are really funny, I do not feel as though it should be used to describe people in a news publication.

I was actually more concerned by the one article that was linked that discussed making insurance premiums higher for those with a high BMI. Now THAT worries me.

I already pay higher premiums because of my "build." I'm hoping that in a year when I've maintained a normal weight I can get a reduction.

But it makes sense.

Jay

slimmingsi
I agree. Since when did everyone get so thin skinned. I am fat, if I don't want people to know, I should lose weight. I dont think being called fat is any worse than being called Skinny, Blondie, Shortie or any other word. It can depend on how the word is used if it is meant to describe or hurt. I am NOT short I am vertically challenged. Short is short no matter the word lol.

I've seen this in articles before, too. It seems like the use of the term "fatty" is more common in the UK and Australia than in the US.

I don't have any problem with saying to someone "I am fat" and talking freely about being fat, but there is something demeaning about calling someone "a fatty". Are drug addicts offended by the term "druggie"? Maybe or maybe not, but it would make me uncomfortable to think that my one habit is so encompassing of my behavior that I can be characterized by it.

The irony about fat hatred in America is that our food culture (media) totally promotes all these unhealthy processed foods, yet when we behave as dutiful consumers and buy and consume them, we're called "fatties".

FYI, I mentioned in my post that I don't care if someone calls me fat. I am. It's the "fatty" term I didn't care for. I'm not generally someone who buys into a lot of the political correctness stuff (it often goes way too far), this one just hits me wrong. And while I may not like hearing a random person use the slang in conversation, I can take it. It's knowing an editor thought that term was acceptable in their publication that bugs me.

i think that being thin skinned is a product of modern culture its never your fault its someone elses.

To reply to a previous comment about fat bashing being socially acceptable i think in part its because unlike racism, fatism attacks something that the majority of us can control or work against. if your overweight lose it, granted there is a minority and i mean tiny minority of people who have medical conditions making it really really hard to lose weight but its not impossible, your race is your race and you can't do anything about it.

With regards to insurance i believe people who have a high BMI i.e over 30 should pay higher premiums, along with people who drink lots and people who smoke. being overweight strains the body, it stresses the heart and lungs it increases your risk of stroke and diabeties, thats why we are all here after all isn't it? to lose the weight to be healthy and in most cases to see our kids grow up and see grand kids?

I do not think that it is OK to tell someone who is heavier that they have to lose weight because it's something they can usually control.

It's a slippery slope when we say it's alright to belittle those who are different when they have the option to be the same.

We're all here because we have made the decision to change our lives in ways that we feel will make us feel better & healthier, but even when I'm at my ultimate weight I will never tell another human being that they should do as I have done. I don't feel I have the right to judge someone by one thing that they do, unhealthy or not, and tell them to change.

i never told anyone to lose it, if you take the comment within the context of the paragraph it shows the apparent social views of people on those with weight issues. i.e we are looked upon differently and it is acceptable to belittle us because we can change what is in the social sense wrong with us. the apparent social view of obesity.

As opposed to racism with is rightly social unacceptable, because that person has not control over the issue with which you are attacking/belittling them for.

from what i've seen and heard from alot of openly fattist people is that they see fat people as a stereotype and nothing more, as we know that stereotype is usually very wrong but to the majority its what they believe, i.e fat people only eat junk food. so they see fatness as a self inflicted condition that deserves no sympathy.

is it just me seeing and hearing this point of view or am i in a particularly bad neighbourhood?

Firstly, my apologies. I read through your comment several times, but thought from the sentence that it was you who was saying "if you're overweight lose it". So again, sorry for the misunderstanding.

Secondly, you are absolutely not alone in that. It's all over the place. Granted, I'm sure it's worse in some areas than others.

I'm not trying to take a "poor me" approach either. But sometimes the stereotyping is so thick I start to believe it about myself.


Edit: "so they see fatness as a self inflicted condition that deserves no sympathy."

I had to add: I'm not so sure that I want sympathy. Simple indifference would make me happy! lol

I find it interesting that so often people acknolwedge that "some" people may have "legitimate" factors that make weight loss impossible or nearly so, but that "most" people have only themselves to blame (the "they could change if they really wanted to" argument). Not only making this argument, they use it as a justification in discriminatatory and offensive practices.

The problem I see with this argument is that while it may be true (at this point it's very difficult to prove or disprove), you can't identify which people can be legitimately "blamed," just by looking at them. The dieting statistics are dismal, so maybe more people than we think "can't help it," or maybe there are factors we don't fully understand yet, or maybe we're all just the lazy idiots and incompetents that we're judged to be. I tend not to think so.

Words and labels do matter, and they mean something. I think "fattie" does share some traits with other "ie" terms such as "darkie," and "druggie" and "girlie," and even "doggie" and "Billie" and "Susie." The "ie" or "y" ending in English is generally used as a diminutive, much as the "en" and "el" in german. It makes a word less threatening, more "cute" and also less worthy of respect.

How much "weight" do we ascribe to it? That's harder to say. When do we take offense, and when are we overreacting? Sometimes it's a fine line.

Ya know... If my brother ever did that I would find a way to get my hands on a REALLY big can of beans, wait a bit... Then sit on him and make him pay.

But hey! I just wouldn't tolerate that really.


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As for the term "fatties"... I find it disgusting.

LOL! Good thing I was drinking water, since a whole mouthful was spewed on my screen!