Fat And Happy By Mary Worley Summary

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than one-third of Americans are obese, approximately 78.6 million people (“Adult Obesity Facts”). Mary Ray Worley, a writer and member of the NAAFA, is one of these 78.6 million; however, she has successfully overcome many obstacles society has put in front of her. Through personal experiences in her essay entitled “Fat and Happy: In Defense of Fat Acceptance”, Worley suggests that it is indeed possible to live a joyful life in spite of obesity.
Worley first emphasizes many misconceptions about obesity as well as their effects on overweight people to show how seemingly innocuous actions can have a vast impact on others. Because of stereotypes such as obese people having less self-respect than their thinner counterparts, society has taught overweight people to be shameful of their bodies (Worley 163). Some say that what seems like the ‘simple solution’ to obesity isn’t as simple as it may seem; Worley points out that weight loss is not an easy process and can be expensive. She argues that even those who have made many attempts to lose weight still become victims of harsh judgment; people with ‘average’ bodies tend to be unaware of this social ostracism that some deal with on a regular basis (Worley 165).
She describes how certain weight-loss methods are not as beneficial as some say; dieting, for example, can be damaging to a person’s overall health (Worley 164). Along with misinforming, doctors also discriminate against overweight patients, blaming most health problems on their weight while ignoring other potential causes (Worley 165). Being affected by these forms of ignorance and judgment eventually caused Worley to adjust her outlook on her own life as well as on obesity