Fun Fact #18: I'm neither obsessed nor overly judgmental of obese individuals

I want to address my apparent "obsession" with obesity and my seemingly severe judgments of those who struggle with it. This blog is just meant to be a way to communicate with people I don't talk to that much anymore (at least relative to when I lived on the West Coast) and that I see even less. I just write about whatever is on my mind, no matter how stupid or inane it may be. And what is on my mind is often influenced by things that stand out for me...whatever they may be.


Pittsburgh is not a healthy city. People don't work out as much as they do in other places I've lived and finding healthy food can sometimes be a relatively big ordeal. They even put French fries on their grilled chicken salads, I feel as though that fact alone says a lot about the city. Therefore, as one may guess, I've seen a lot of obese people here. More than I've ever seen before and it's a sad sight. I fully realize that some people are obese due to medical problems or other issues beyond their control, but the vast majority aren't. Most people are obese due to their own personal choices, and I don't feel guilty for writing down my reaction to them here. And remember, when I say obese I mean obese, I'm not just using the word as an exaggerated substitute for heavyset or chunky.

The cities that I've lived in on the West Coast, for better or worse, are big on health issues and physical fitness seems to be more of a priority there. Sometimes it's taken to a dangerous extreme and people diet themselves into skeletons. If I were in LA right now, I'd probably be writing about all the disturbingly thin people that I see on a daily basis. Obese people inevitably stand out in a crowd, and therefore I write about them, since I write about things I notice.

I personally believe that physical fitness and a healthy lifestyle are exceptionally important, but I would have noticed the same things that I now notice in obese people even before my health kick. When people are so heavy that they need a scooter to get around or they take up two seats on an airplane, people will notice them and judge them. I see that as inevitable, and whether or not that's a good thing can be left up for debate.

Plus, I'm a judgmental person. I always have been. I'm not going to pretend that something doesn't bother me when it does. Obesity is something that I fully admit to judging harshly, but that's because I believe it is, in most cases, the result of poor personal decisions. I also admit that out society is one that makes junk food far more accessible and far cheaper for the majority of people than healthy food. Numerous people have heard my "fun fact" that a Twinkie is cheaper to produce than a carrot. And while that's definitely a large part of the obesity epidemic, I believe, that in the end, individuals still choose what they put in their mouths. Society has obviously contributed to the problem, but all the blame cannot lay squarely on its shoulders.