The Telegraph reports lobbyists are trying to coerce the British Government into making it a criminal offence to discriminate against a person based on their size. This would mean that calling somebody 'fat' could be made into a hate crime.
Under the Equalities Act 2010, it is illegal to harass, victimise or
discriminate against anyone on the basis of a number of 'protected'
characteristics, such as their race, gender, sexual orientation, age, or
disability.
The Independent also covered a story recently about children as young as five being worried about their size and appearance. So does this justify the claims that it should be outlawed?
This is a very fine line to draw, as it has been shown in countless studies that those who are obese and run the risk of serious health problems often have no idea of how large they actually are. With almost two thirds of British adults either overweight or obese it is understandable that children will be afraid of running the same risks as they grow. We all need role models, some are those we wish to become, others may be those we don't wish to become. Harsh words are normally used out of fear. The most important thing is the correct way to deal with the issue.
By channelling the energy of the kids to become more interested in sports and good nutrition is fundamental. By explaining how not to be overweight, hopefully an understanding of how people become over-fat in the first place might re-educate the next generation so that using the term 'fat' as a verbal put down loses its bite.
Stay Healthy!
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