Sometimes "You just have to eat less": what is fat shaming and how to avoid it

Sometimes "You just have to eat less": what is fat shaming and how to avoid it

People who have problems with excess weight can often face fat shaming from loved ones. This manifests itself in criticism and ridicule of overweight people and leads to a negative impact on their social life and health.

If there is a person near you who is being shamed, you need to help him cope with criticism. It is also worth knowing how to talk about the problem without hounding for extra pounds.

Sometimes advice and remarks about being overweight can be counterproductive to weight loss, so should a person be told about being overweight and how should it be done?

What is fat shaming?

Fat shaming is the criticism and ridicule of overweight people because of their body weight or eating habits.

Family members or trainers sometimes justify fat shaming as a way to motivate people to eat less, exercise more and lose weight, but research shows the opposite effect.

According to researchers, fat shaming does not help you lose weight. Making overweight and obese people feel bad about their size doesn't encourage them to lose extra pounds, but can actually cause them to gain even more weight.

Fatshaming can manifest itself in different ways. Psychologist Maryna Vorobyova explains: the emphasis is placed on the fact that something is wrong with the body, most often the emphasis is on a person's appearance, his clothes and diet

These can be the following phrases:

"Where do you have so much to eat";

"Look at yourself";

"Choose something less fatty from the menu";

"Where did you wear that";

"You just need to eat less";

"Look at how much he/she has improved";

"Where with your body to wear such clothes."

Signs of fat shaming

When a person comments on the bodies of others and calls these words jokes;

Bullying people who explain why they have problems with excess weight;

Making fun of a person if he shared his own self-doubt due to problems with excess weight;

Open and hidden judgments about the human body;

Quick to suggest diets and make assumptions about why someone might be at that weight;

Frequent comparison with other people.

How does fat shaming manifest itself in childhood and adulthood

According to psychologist Maryna Vorobyova, in adulthood, fat shaming is more often applied to women, in childhood and adolescence, girls and boys are bullied equally.

Stigmatization due to excess body weight increases the risk of bullying in childhood and worsens the child's educational prospects. Fat-shaming also contributes to depression, eating disorders, and avoidance of physical activity, which can result in weight gain. Sometimes in childhood, fat shaming can turn into physical abuse of a child by peers.