Fat-Shaming Group Hands Out Hate Cards on London Subway – and Makes Us All Cringe
One card posted on Twitter. (Photo: Twitter)
A fat-shaming group that calls itself Overweight Haters Ltd. reportedly handed out hate cards in the London subway, telling riders that they’re “fat, ugly human[s].” One recipient, Kara Florish, posted her card on Twitter:
“Our organization hates and resents fat people. We object to the enormous amount of food resources you consume while half the world starves. We disapprove of your wasting NHS money to treat your selfish greed. And we do not understand why you fail to grasp that by eating less you will be better off, slimmer, happy and find a partner who is not a perverted chubby-lover, or even find a partner at all.
“We also object that the beautiful pig is used as an insult. You are not a pig. You are a fat, ugly human.”
“I am not upset myself,” Florish wrote on Facebook, as was reported by The Daily Mail. (Florish’s Facebook account is private.) “I am smaller than the national average and not exactly obese, but this is hateful and cowardly and could potentially upset people struggling with confidence and eating disorders.”
Since posting, numerous supporters have come to Florish’s aid. The British Transport Police has also confirmed that it’s aware of the cards being handed out, and that it’s taking action and looking for any leads.
While the cards are incredibly hurtful and emotionally damaging, they’re also wrong — study after study has shown that every body is different, and for some people, eating less isn’t a recipe for weight loss. Other studies have shown that fat-shaming can actually lead to weight-gain, as can thinking that you’re overweight. And encouraging disordered eating isn’t helping anyone out.
Genuinely concerned with curbing obesity? Not so much. Hateful, miserable people? You betcha.
Yahoo Health has reached out to Kara Florish for comment.
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