In the shallow and superficial world of America, looks are everything. Americans want to look attractive and thin because they would otherwise fall victim to discrimination and bullying. According to a recent study from Purdue University, people who are bullied for being overweight and obese are more likely to suffer from health conditions, such as binge eating, anorexia or bulimia. Essentially, the more people feel mistreated because of their weight, the more they begin to believe that they are overweight.
And this is where my personal experience comes into play. Throughout middle school, I was one of those kids who were bullied for being overweight; obviously my middle school years weren’t necessarily the best years of my life, but they affected me in a way that impacted my everyday life. Looking back now, I realize Purdue University’s study is definitely true. As I continued to be bullied for being overweight, I began to feel increasingly overweight, and this ultimately did not help me at all. I was upset all the time and turned to food to remedy the situation. Most of the time, people who feel shunned due to their weight turn to food for comfort.
I began what is called “binge eating,” which is the consumption of large quantities of food in a short period of time followed by a day or two of “dieting,” a repetitive cycle that does not result in weight loss. After a day at school of being bullied, I would head directly for bags of junk food, which I would consume in less than an hour. And even though it was completely irrational to think that the food milk would help me feel better in any way, it actually did. The taste gave me a certain satisfaction that I could not find anywhere else, so this continued for months.
Eating what people refer to as “comfort food” might offer a type of consolidation, but it is only temporary. As soon as the food is gone, so is the distraction of what upset the individual in the first place. To top it off, the unhealthy eating habits that result from relentless teasing can easily trigger an increase in weight gain, which heightens the chances of developing a health disorder such as diabetes or high cholesterol.
According to a National Institute of Mental Health report, the rate of anorexia among 13 to 18-year-olds has remained stable, while bulimia and binge eating have nearly doubled. The report also explains that, in certain cases, the psychological effects of eating disorders can be more severe than those of depression, anxiety and other mental disorders. Eating disorders have often led to death, either from the drastic lack of food or suicide.
Nearly 20 percent of the individuals who reported having problems with anorexia also claimed they were suffering from extreme social impairment, despair and often have suicidal thoughts. So, it comes to this: calling people fat doesn’t bring the issue to their attention, it only worsens it. Have some consideration for those who suffer from obesity and stop placing being thin on a pedostal. We should be concerned about our weight for safety reasons, rather than reasons pertaining to easing the abusive opinions of others.
Yanire Herrera is a freshman English and journalism double major and contributing writer for the Daily 49er.
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