Critique of Mary Worley's Article: Fat and Happy
As obesity escalates towards becoming an epidemic in modern day America, pressures to stay fit have become overwhelming from media and doctors. Mary Ray Worley, a member of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA), believes that modern day society is completely intolerant of obesity so much as to say that they "would rather die or cut off a limb than be fat" (492). She has made it a priority to convince Americans to accept obesity which she fights for in her essay, Fat and Happy: In Defense of Fat Acceptance. She believes that people should not be ashamed of their bodies, or try to change them to fit in with the crowd. She discusses a new outlook on body image and believes that we all should create “a new relationship with our bodies, one that doesn't involve self-loathing" (496).
In her essay, Worley compares twentieth-century society to a NAAFA convention she attended. Worley describes her home as a place where “you’re grateful if you can find clothes that you can actually get on, and forget finding clothes that actually fit you.” In Worley’s eyes American culture has always treated obese people as a lower class and pushed aside anything that was designed for a fat person. On the other hand, at the convention she finds a planet created specifically for overweight people. The convention opened her eyes to an entirely different planet that is free of inhibitions with nothing to be ashamed of. There she could find clothes that shaped to her body perfectly and she was entertained by belly dancers of all shapes and sizes that “were exquisitely beautiful and voluptuous” (493). She then goes on to discuss how society views fat people and how she believes health care professionals are prejudice towards them. Mary concludes by arguing that like her, all obese people can learn to love their bodies and “play and dance without self-consciousness” (496).
Appearance seems as if it’s almost everything in today’s society, especially with women. Worley
In her essay, Worley compares twentieth-century society to a NAAFA convention she attended. Worley describes her home as a place where “you’re grateful if you can find clothes that you can actually get on, and forget finding clothes that actually fit you.” In Worley’s eyes American culture has always treated obese people as a lower class and pushed aside anything that was designed for a fat person. On the other hand, at the convention she finds a planet created specifically for overweight people. The convention opened her eyes to an entirely different planet that is free of inhibitions with nothing to be ashamed of. There she could find clothes that shaped to her body perfectly and she was entertained by belly dancers of all shapes and sizes that “were exquisitely beautiful and voluptuous” (493). She then goes on to discuss how society views fat people and how she believes health care professionals are prejudice towards them. Mary concludes by arguing that like her, all obese people can learn to love their bodies and “play and dance without self-consciousness” (496).
Appearance seems as if it’s almost everything in today’s society, especially with women. Worley
Cited: Worley, Mary Ray. "Fat and Happy: In Defense of Fat Acceptance". Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. 9th ed. New York: Pearson, 2005. Print.