As obesity escalates towards becoming an epidemic in modern day America, pressures to stay fit have become overwhelming from media and doctors. Mary Ray Worley, a member of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA), believes that modern day society is completely intolerant of obesity so much as to say that they "would rather die or cut off a limb than be fat" (492). She has made it a priority to convince Americans to accept obesity which she fights for in her essay, Fat and Happy: In Defense of Fat Acceptance. She believes that people should not be ashamed of their bodies, or try to change them to fit in with the crowd. She discusses a new outlook on body image and believes that we all should create “a new relationship …show more content…

It is alright to treat oneself once in a while, but junk food on a daily basis is not excused. Poor eating habits are not excused for overweight or thin people, because healthiness is not determined by how fat someone looks. Worley also states that “body size is primarily determined by one’s genetic makeup” (493). Although there is evidence to support that the overall size of one’s body is genetically determined, DNA however, does not force oneself to have an extreme excess of body fat. Worley may have discussed that exercise plays an important role in overall health and happiness, but she did not focus on the many other factors that lead to obesity and health issues.
Worley is right to say that one’s happiness and healthiness should not be determined by weight. All people, fat or thin, should feel comfortable in their own bodies. No person has the right to tease or criticize someone else’s body to lower someone’s self esteem. On the other hand, people that are overweight cannot blame their health problems on other people. They need to take charge of their life by exercising, eating healthy and seeking good medical advice. It is not right to make hasty generalizations against health professionals, because there is a reason why doctors go through eight or more years of schooling. All current knowledge of obesity has been derived from physicians and scientists studying the anatomy and physiology of the body. Overall, one’s goal should