Fat And Happy By Mary Ray Worley Summary

Pressures to stay fit and skinny are becoming increasingly overwhelming from media, society, and doctors as obesity climbs toward becoming an epidemic, claims Mary Ray Worley. Worley, a member of National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA), believes that today’s society is now obsessed with being fit/thin to the point of people “would rather die or cut off a limb than be fat” (163). In her article, “Fat and Happy: In Defense of Fat Acceptance,” she is on a mission to dispel the belief that society should stigmatize overweight people to coerce them into losing weight; she wants people of high weights to accept themselves and love their bodies the way they are and to forge “a new relationship with our bodies, one that doesn’t involve
self-loathing, one that appreciates the miraculous bodies we have, one that brings joy” (167). In Worley’s essay, she discusses the vast differences between society and one of NAAFA’s conventions. For example, at her first NAAFA convention, she discovers a new “planet” where vendors sell stylish clothes designed specifically for overweight people that will fit perfectly to them and people of all fat-sizes are confident and happy.
She finds herself and her confidence at the convention will never be the same as a result (163). However, in her “home planet,” she is ridiculed, has no self-confidence, and is lucky to find a swimsuit that fits her body. These two “planets” are vastly different, and she wants this world/society now to be more like the new planet in which overweight people are all accepted. She continues through the article talking about the struggles overweight people face every day: being ridiculed by strangers, feeling too embarrassed to wear shorts, and feeling reluctant to visit a doctor for fear of being criticized (165). Mary Ray Worley’s article claims that people of America do not need to lose weight, but be happy and accept one’s weight. Worley’s article is ineffective, as it does not have much factual information or outside resources with citations, though there are some positives; the article is only contributing opinions and biased statements, which may be effective to some readers, and it is attempting to persuade people to accept fat
lifestyles. Obesity is a hot topic in today’s society, and Mary Ray Worley’s article is in defense of fat acceptance. With the many points throughout the article claiming overweight people are prejudiced against, it supports these points with many personal experiences. A great personal experience she shares is about the NAAFA convention. At the convention, Worley finds herself on a new “planet” where everyone is confident about their bodies and features like vendors that sell stylish clothing and talent shows featuring belly dancers who were “exquisitely beautiful and voluptuous and graceful and serene,” and adds that the author will never be the same as a result (164). The article continues to speak about how overweight people are almost always criticized and prejudiced by society. The article states that strangers feel they are not stepping over boundaries when commenting on someone’s weight and it is these stares and rude comments that make overweight people feel bad about themselves (165). No one deserves scrutiny from people they do not know. According to Worley, overweight people have the right to enjoy and love their bodies, meaning they should be able to wear swimsuits or perform belly dancing if they want. They should not feel like their bodies are prisons. With this outlook, readers are able to connect with the article, perhaps thinking back to memories when they were bullied or judged. With these experiences, the article becomes relatable to some readers, making the article more persuasive and readers are more likely to agree with Worley. The article ends with Worley speaking of how she and other overweight people are not bowing out or letting themselves go, they are going to forge new relationships with their bodies, loving and accepting who they are (167). This ending, to some readers, is inspiring and acts as a call to action to love one’s body. Personal experiences like the examples discussed allow the reader to see the other side’s views and think about how overweight people might feel as a result of society stigmatizing them. This method of writing may be very effective in persuading a reader to agree with the author because it provokes emotion. These personal experiences add emotion to the article to make it more persuasive, but it still needs factual information. The article continues into a portion of blaming physicians for overweight people being reluctant to visit a doctor for an illness. The article claims that doctors and health professionals are among the largest group of people who stigmatize and criticize overweight people; these doctors may “put you on a diet before she treats your cough, and attribute whatever complain you have to your weight,” (165). While the author may feel physicians are unfair, medical professionals know best: They want to help their patient any way they can. With that being said, someone’s cough may be from his/her weight; therefore, the doctor will recommend a diet first. According to Harvard School of Public Health, excess weight impairs respiratory function; but, that is only one of many problems obesity causes. Obesity health-related problems include a range from reproductive and respiratory function to cognitive functions (Health Risks). Though the patient may feel like he/she is being prejudiced against or criticized for his/her weight, the doctor still knows more information about the human body and knows how to treat a condition. This is a critical point where a reliable source with factual information backed with studies would have been helpful to really support the point, instead of possibly using a personal experience and/or generalizing both health care professionals. Worley, earlier in the article, did reference to a medical professional, Dr. Diane Budd, who was a featured speaker at the NAAFA convention. She spoke about the medical/scientific communities’ viewpoints on obesity (164). There is a problem with Dr. Budd being referenced in this article: no credentials. Nowhere in the article does it list any credentials of Dr. Budd; therefore, anyone reading the article may not even believe anything that Dr. Budd has to say, since she has no credibility. One may believe that it may be a fake doctor, only at the conference to help the overweight people feel better, possibly leading to them believing that the author may not even be trustworthy. With credentials added in the article, the article and author would be much more believable. The article also states claims like obesity is pre-determined by genes, but it does not talk about the many other causes of obesity (164). Again, a study or outside citation would make the article have more impact. In general, this article needs many more citations, credentials, and studies to help back up Worley’s points. In conclusion, “Fat and Happy: In Defense of Fat Acceptance” is not a very effective article. It uses many personal experiences, but lacks factual information and citations. Factual information would make the article much more effective. Personal experiences are useful in provoking an emotional response from the reader, if that is the article’s goal. However, as effective as personal experiences are, it is certainly of great importance to have facts with outside citations. Without these facts, the article is filled with bias, stating opinions left and right. The main topic of this article is about appreciating overweight people’s bodies. The article is attempting to persuade readers to stop stigmatizing overweight people, and also coerce overweight people to accept and love their bodies as they are.