Nine out of 10 overweight Britons are called by derogatory names
London, Oct 13 : Nine out of 10 fat Britons are being called by derogatory names such
as 'porker' or 'thunder thighs', says a new survey.
The top four hate names were 'fatty', 'fat', 'lard arse' and 'fat b*****d', while other
common jibes included 'porker', 'thunder thighs', 'Mr Blobby' and 'Ten Ton Tess'.
The survey involving 1,000 adults also found that such fat jibes were common among
youngsters.
It said that weight-related name calling were "endemic" among Britons, with nine out of
10 overweight people experiencing it because of their excess pounds.
This negative attitude was shared by many of those who had felt the brunt of insults,
with 33 pct of obese or very obese respondents among the name-callers.
Misguided banter could be why men were ready to insult friends and relatives in this
way, with nearly a third (28 pct) doing so, in comparison to just 11pct of women.
The survey found that twice as many Londoners (30pct) called a friend or relative a
nasty name compared to their Scottish counterparts (15pct).
"It's sad that adults now find such behaviour acceptable, and particularly so among the
younger age groups, as they could well carry through these views as they get older, thus
increasing the problem even further," the Telegraph quoted Mandy Cassidy, a
psychotherapist with the weight loss specialist LighterLife, which commissioned the
survey, as saying.
"Just because someone is overweight, it doesn't mean it's acceptable to insult
them.
"This type of prejudice isn't tolerated in any other walk of life - so we shouldn't
allow it here," she added.
Dr. Ian W Campbell, of the charity Weight Concern also expressed concerns over the
survey results.
"These findings are very concerning. People who have a weight problem need support and
encouragement, not ridicule.
--ANI
