Discrimination against Fat People
In the contemporary society, it is familiar to meet cases of discrimination against fat people. At a more enhanced level, these people are obese. Discrimination against such individuals does not only remain in the minds of people but traverse to the written work in the field of obesity. There is a wide range of literature published on the topic of obesity. In most cases, these materials concern prevention strategies of obese people such as the different levels of motivation, differences in dedication and genetic variations. It comes to obese people’s minds that they have to struggle and ensure that they attain the desired weight and shape as perceived by the larger society. Failure to reach these levels, fat people face traumatizing moments such as perceptions of being gluttonous, greedy, slothful, or even lazy. In this discussion, the focus is to identify the social injustices embedded in discrimination against obese people. The discrimination of characters from their physical characteristic is injustice. A close reference is on top philosophers that dedicated their lives to exploration of the social contract laws. These philosophers include such cases as the defense of injustice for Marcus Tullius Cicero and the theory of justice for John Rawls. Lee
In the case of the theory of justice, Rawls tries to put forward a philosophy of justice and an abstract program for determining opinionated structures designed to conserve social justice and personal freedom. The moment people discriminate against fat people and see them as social outcasts, utilitarianism will be on promotion. According to this perspective, justice is that which offers the greatest good for the biggest number of individuals (LEE). According to Rawls, obese people have their rights that deserve acknowledgement from the larger society. He says in his theory of justice that mostly people have to choose personal systems of justice that appropriately offer space on the lowest rungs of the community. This argument as it appears have its foundation on political philosophy that proposes for a social contract. In this social contract, people collectively agree on conditions whereby they are ruled in any given society. He supports the fact that because of the social contract theory, based on the viewpoint of the original position, discriminated people because of their overweight must change to accommodate a society. This society must not sacrifice the happiness or freedom of any person for pleasing a given society.
In addition, Cicero is a significant proponent of the need for social justice at all levels of human interaction. According to him, a virtuous life in society needs that spirited engagement of every person to enhance the well-being of a person’s community. Cicero attributes for natural law to govern every person in society. In any event, human being discriminate against fat people without reason, this act goes against the natural law of individual liberty and justice. Since obese people have rights to live without discrimination, it is imperative that members of the society avoid using such names as being gluttonous and lazy while describing fat individuals in society. This is a violation of their justice, which is central to the arguments propounded by Cicero. While segregating fat people in society, the rest of members of the community would be going against the glory of virtues(LEE). According to Cicero, justice is crowning power to social virtues. When obese people are discriminated against in society, they are injured yet justice involves avoidance of injury to other people in society.
Justice in a wider perspective sets that constant purpose to offer every individual in society his or her due. The basis of justice should ensure that no person suffers unfairness. In addition, justice should promote the public good. All people regardless of their status and body physique have a guarantee to receive justice. This implies that justice does not descend from its pinnacle. As a result, fat people have a right to do as they deem please, with their body structure. Discrimination against them because of being overweight is denying them that right of free association. This is because their body weight does not disturb other people’s peace within the larger society.
Some of the recommendations towards attaining justice towards segregation against fat people should begin with scholars in the field of obesity. It is imperative that their technique for addressing the issue of obesity take a different perception. Readers of books from such scholars need to get information about the environmental determinants that contribute to obesity. The next step should be to assure means of controlling incidences of overweight as well as informing the public need to see obese people as normal individuals in the community. This will change the manner in which other individuals in the society look at fat people (LEE). The move will serve a fantastic deal in reducing incidences of discrimination against overweight people. In the same way, fat people need that information on their obsession with the increased consumption and intake of resources linked to the need to move their escalating economy. The most salient thing would be to discourage active promotion of unhealthy products that create that vital conflict of discriminating overweight people in society.
Work Cited:
Jacobus Lee A. A World of Ideas: Essential Readings for College Writers. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2013
