I watched a television show last night about a fat man. I would tell you the name of the show, but it was slightly rude, so probably best I don't. This programme was about life through is eyes, and through the lives of other overweight people that were involved with this programme. If I am honest I found it all quite shocking, about, how mentally they are so completely caught up with their weight, and it effects almost every aspect of life. People are getting fatter, generally, and still it would appear we live in a world that isn't prepared to deal with these people who are overweight. I have seen many shows recently all over television regarding this problem, and to be honest until now these programmes haven't really shocked me. They are usually more about pointing ridicule, and laughing at people with these issues. The bloke in this programme was a big guy, but it showed him going to the gym, and boxing, and this guy had some real stamina, it was plain for all to see.
The programme showed a day in his life, and how he thought he was lost in a fat world. It showed how when it was really hot he had to take an extra shirt out with him, because the one he had on probably wouldn't last until dinnertime. How he couldn't go on holiday because not everywhere was fat friendly, and he wanted to avoid any embarrassing situations. How he struggled to fit into seats on public transport, and how people avoided sitting next to him, because they have all these ideas about fat people, that simply aren't true. How he could only eat in certain restaurants, because the seats were to small. The list goes on at how many things that he has to face, and we don't even realise. I actually felt pretty bad for the guy.
Then it showed a lady, who was getting on for the 30 stone mark. She liked to race cars and ran her own business. Her only problem was she found it almsot impossible to find a car that was big enough to hold her, with her feeling comfortable enough driving it. They actually went to try out some cars, and she could fit into less than half. In the end they had to get one specially made, and the shocking thing is there wasn't actually that many differences to be made. Just a few minor adjustments here and there, and she was good to go, and the difference to her was amazing. She could do what she enjoyed, and it didn't make her feel uncomfortable, or like it was impossible for her to do. That was important.
It then showed two young girls who wanted to go shopping. They were took to you average shopping centre, but they could only find clothes to fit them in half the shops they went in, and even then alot of the clothes were frumpy and aimed at people alot older than them. Shops that claimed to sell clothes for larger ladies didn't actually seem to have that many in stock and the girls were left upset and disappointed. Shopping should be something that young girls enjoy and thrive on, and they shouldn't be made to feel like they are worthless, and not worthy of the fashion they see on the highstreets. In the end they picked out clothes from the shops they liked, and got them made bigger. Now in theory this was a nice idea, but I did think that the clothes just didn't look right on them. The clothes weren't made to show off the curves of bigger women. They looked like big birds trying to be slim.
The last person they followed was a lady who loved fairground rides, and theme parks. She absolutely loved them, but she found it impossible to actually go on any. I have to say this is the person I felt for the most. She struggled getting through the doors of the theme park, nevermind the rides. She asked when she was paying if there would be rides that would be suitable for her size, and she was told there would be. She spent hours waiting to go on rides, and when she finally got there she couldn't fit in the seat and was told to leave again. It wasn't just that she couldn't get on the rides, it was the humilaytion of it all too. People were pointing and staring at her, and laughing, and she just had to get off the ride because she was to big. Pretty unfair if you ask me.
Now some people could argue that being overweight is down to the individual, and they have to deal with the consequences of that. Maybe in some cases it is. I don't think that is the point anymore. Here in England we seem to be of the thinking that if we ignore it, it will go away, and that if we don't make things easy and accessable for fat people, they will have to get thin. That isn't the case. People are getting bigger, and they are going to continue to do so. We, however, can't continue to make life uncomfortable for them in order to make it go away. We have to make places fat friendly, otherwise a large proportion of sociey will be left feeling rejected and low because of their appearance, and I don't think that is an answer to the problem.