Fat And Happy In Defense Of Fat Happiness Analysis

Mary Ray Worley imparts from a subjective point of view the shame that can be felt from being obese in, “Fat and Happy: In Defense of Fat Acceptance”. Drawing from attendance at the National Associate to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA) convention, Worley describes her transformation from the mindset of craving to be thin to sensing confidence in her own body (Worley 163). She further states how no data proves that losing weight will positively affect a person’s health hence the reason why she quit trying to lose weight and instead focuses on being at peace with food and her figure (Worley 164, 166). Worley closes with the declaration that fat people should stop in their efforts to conform to a thin society and reside on this “new planet” she

Worley effectively targets an obese audience as she motivates them to appreciate their size and become comfortable in their bodies through the utilization of personal experiences (Worley 167). By beginning her article with the realization that she can live comfortably in her own obese body, Worley reaches out to other obese individuals through illustrating how she understands the insecurities one can have with their figure (Worley 163). The University of Maryland University College, as written in “Writing for an Audience”, would praise Worley in the way she shares her narrative of obesity to demonstrate she knows what she is writing about. (University…). This depiction of a fellow obese author allows an obese audience to trust her

Worley states how there is no point in fat individuals trying to lose weight as most will gain it back and the effort to lose weight could permanently harm their self-esteem, metabolism, and appetite. While she credited all her facts from Dr. Diane Budd who spoke at the NAAFA convention, Worley did not find additional support for these claims and also failed to share Dr. Budd’s qualifications (Worley 164). The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, which is a part of the National Institutes of Health, would disagree with Dr. Budd in that there are numerous health benefits to losing weight. For instance, in “Do You Know Some of the Health Risks of Being Overweight?”, the Institute states that for an obese individual with type 2 diabetes losing weight can help control blood sugar levels; in addition losing five to ten percent of their body weight can lower their chances of heart disease as well as blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood flow (National…). Worley mentions how doctors are quick to conclude that any medical condition an obese individual experiences is caused by their weight and she claims that this is prejudice against the obese population; however, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases would argue that carrying extra weight makes a