Body shaming: fat people are not grateful for every weight loss tip

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When Magda Albrecht was a child - around five years old - a doctor said to her: "You are too fat, you have to do more sport." Albrecht was a sporty child, she says.

“But a fat, sporty child.” Her classmates also made her feel that something was wrong with her - and annoyed her.

Or to put it more clearly: "I have been discriminated against since childhood."

For a long time, the now 31-year-old looked for the fault in herself.

"I've always seen my body as the ultimate flaw and never questioned it."

Even today, Magda Albrecht is what would commonly be called fat.

It's not a problem for them.

For many others, it seems.

This is called body shaming, which is currently a catchphrase for the phenomenon.

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It means that people are - literally - shamed because of their bodies.

That often hits thick.

According to a DAK study, 71 percent of adults in Germany find obese people unaesthetic, 38 percent think that's fat.

"The stigmatization of overweight people is a big problem," says Professor Martina de Zwaan, President of the German Obesity Society.

“People who are discriminated against start discriminating against themselves,” she explains.

This leads them to believe that they cannot be happy while they are fat.

You then define yourself almost exclusively through your body.

Politician Ricarda Lang found out that her weight is always an issue.

"No matter what I express myself - equal pay, child poverty or coal-fired power: I get comments on my appearance in response," wrote the spokeswoman for the Green Youth at "Bento".

“Why do these strangers take the liberty of giving me tips without asking?

Is it so hard to understand that it's not your job or your right to comment on my body? ”She asks.

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Fat people have to grapple with prejudice and exclusion in everyday life: A study by the University of Tübingen from 2012 shows that fat people have disadvantages in their jobs. The scientists come to the conclusion that HR professionals almost never trust fat people to have a job with high prestige .

They were also rarely selected for a department head position.

Women were particularly affected by the prejudices.

Magda Albrecht is also sure that women are more likely to "stick to binary gender identities".

The standards with regard to the appearance are simply more set for women than for men.

"With men, such a small belly is still considered socially legitimate."

And these standards are exemplified every day - especially in the media: In “Germany's Next Top Model”, thin girls are ashamed of their curves - because others are even thinner.

Gossip magazines analyze the "figure problems of the stars" and suspect a pregnancy or depression behind every extra kilo.

“I have always seen my body as the ultimate flaw and I never questioned it,” says the author Magda Albrecht

Source: dpa

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Albrecht has now written a book about her experiences, with which she also wants to help others to feel good in their bodies.

“It is not the body that is wrong, but social norms that divide the body into 'good' and 'bad', 'beautiful' and 'ugly'”, she emphasizes.

But why are fat people in particular always discriminated against?

Professor Lotte Rose and Friedrich Schorb take a scientific look at the topic.

In a book they published about “Fat Studies in Germany” they note that fat people are declared a “social burden”.

They would be pressured to change their body weight.

"This access appears legitimate, caring and responsible towards the people concerned," they write.

But are they really?

“Many think the weight is easy to control,” says Professor de Zwaan.

A little more exercise, a little healthier eating - then it will be fine.

Anyone who does not manage that has - apparently - no self-control, it is their own fault and weak.

But it's not that simple.

There can be very different reasons why someone is fat.

And: "Our biology still tells us: If there is food, please eat," explains the specialist in psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy from Hanover.

It takes a tremendous amount of will to lose weight - and even more to keep the weight off.

If you trim your body with a lot of self-discipline, you may more easily look down on others who can't.

Why German children are getting fatter

Daddling instead of kicking, snacks instead of vegetables - the number of obese children is increasing worldwide, including in Germany.

Experts see an origin in the lack of labeling of food in supermarkets.

Source: N24 / Paul Willmann

Of course, too many pounds can also pose health risks.

Therefore - according to de Zwaan - it makes sense as a fat person not to put on any further.

But she also demands: “People should be satisfied with their body, even if it is not perfect.” This is particularly difficult when others reduce them to their weight - stigmatize them.

This article was first published on April 5, 2018.