In the past week, there has been a video circulating the Internet by a YouTuber named Nicole Arbour, called “Dear Fat People.” For six excruciating minutes, Arbour addresses all “fat” people, using examples of how the system unfairly gives so many privileges to people who, according to Arbour, simply eat their way to being obese. While discussing the whole issue of obesity, she also uses stereotypes to describe all the possible minorities.
With the abusive way that she presents her ideas, it is very easy to miss the point that Arbour is trying to make. Obesity is an important issue that is common in North America. While her message may be disrespectful, she still has an important message to send. Obesity should not be something that is taken lightly. With Western culture working towards being fully accepting, we as a society should not “accept” everything in the same way. Being obese is not something that should be encouraged—while videos like “Dear Fat People” are disrespectful and inconsiderate, it is good to have a wakeup call once in a while. Arbour may have a point, but she did not present it in an acceptable way.
It is risky to give advice without prior knowledge or education on a topic. Anyone who is considered overweight most likely has a doctor, as well as friends and family members whom are much more knowledgeable when it comes to the specific person’s situation. Making videos like “Dear Fat People” is just not necessary. These types of videos are rude, uninformed, and not insightful; Arbour actually uses examples of people who she encounters on a daily basis, and she makes gross assumptions about who those people are and how they came to be obese. The sad truth is that healthy food and gym fees are expensive, and in order to get those, the family income must be fairly high. While it is fair to point out that obesity is an issue that impacts people’s lives, it also should be clear that those people are way more aware of their condition than any YouTuber. It is important to stay positive, and not be ashamed of who you are. Keeping a healthy mental state, even if the way the person’s body looks is not considered skinny or normal, is crucial to maintaining good health.
In conclusion; yes, it is important to get a cold shower of truth once in a while, and to look troubling issues straight in the eyes. However, there are beneficial ways of doing it, and the new trend of screaming at people from behind a computer screen is not one of them.