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20 October 2009

Is there such a thing as “fattism“?

Debating prejudice and intolerance

By Mehdi Hasan

Listening to Marsha Coupe on the radio this morning, I couldn’t help but wonder if she had a point about overweight and obese people being the last “socially acceptable” targets of abuse and ridicule, not to mention (in her case, at least) violence? Is “fattism” a form of bigotry and intolerance in the same league as sexism, racism, homophobia, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism and the rest? Or do people choose to be fat, and therefore open themselves up to legitimate criticism, or even mockery?

Dare I ask: what do you think?

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