Should obese/fat people be granted any extra privileges?
Such as handicap parking and all the other rights given to those with disabilities or should they gain no special treatment?
Yes, they should.
Side Score: 5
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No, they should not.
Side Score: 18
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I'm going against the grain just for a challenge. :) First, I would like to mention rights/privileges given to disabled individuals: 1. Right to fair employment 2. Right to have access to services and facilities 3. Right to have reasonable adjustments made for access in the working environment 4. Right to education in any school, college or further education http://arch-online.org/ ----- Would you deny an obese individual the right to fair employment on the basis of their weight? No, of course not. You have to consider their previous work experience, their intelligence, and other such attributes. To disqualify a person from employment on the basis of their weight is discriminatory and unfair, similar to disqualifying a disabled person simply because they are disabled. The same applies to the other three rights as well. Now, I could see how the third right would be a problem to some people. An employer might ask, why should I have to spend money out of my pocket to fix my building for an obese person when they should have been more personally responsible to keep their weight at a certain level? I raise the point though that some obese people are personally responsible, but a disease or sickness may be causing them to be overweight. They didn't do anything wrong; they were victims of a terrible situation. They should be allowed the right to reasonable adjustments in their working environment, and to deny them that right is unjust. Side: Yes, they should.
The thing here is that overweight people aren't disabled; frequently their weight is a product of their lifestyle. If an obese person is obese due to a specific and uncontrollable disorder, then compensations should be made. This means that if diet and exercise, or even a gastric bypass surgery doesn't work, compensations should be made. However, being larger shouldn't give them extra rights. Analogy time! (I really like those, sometimes). I am legally blind without my glasses. Is it fair for me to demand that I have someone read me everything I need that doesn't come in braille, or that i should get a guide dog, or that I should get special privileges? No, it means that i should put on my damn glasses. Now, if someone is incurable blind, then they deserve all the help they need. There's a difference between a true disability and a curable physical problem. Side: No, they should not.
Is it not possible though for a disabled person to become overweight? Yes, mostly it is a product of their lifestyle. There are a lot of people though in which it is not. If you do not believe my statement, check out the website below. ---- http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/o/obesity/ ---- There are over 200 disorders, syndromes, etc. that cause obesity. Should people with these be denied simple rights? ---- Reading your glasses and being overweight are two completely different things. As you said yourself, weight is frequently a product of their lifestyle. There is a minuscule chance that legally blind people could become that due to their lifestyle, as compared to being overweight. ---- As I stated earlier, there are over 200 disorders, syndromes, sicknesses, deficiencies, etc. that cause obesity. It was not a product of their lifestyle. Why should they not be given at least some rights? Side: Yes, they should.
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Most people choose to be obese by not doing anything about it. We all realize there are some medical conditions that contribute to obesity but they are not as prevalent as you might think. If we're all stupid in your eyes why don't you answer the debate question and tell us which privileges an obese person should have that others don't! If you have a medical condition YOU have no control of then go see a doctor to get some help with your ailment. Side: No, they should not.
They should only if they have a medical reason for being obese. If they do, then yeah, it essentially IS a disability, and they should receive accomodations for it. But if not, no special treatment. Theeee eeend. Edit: No, I do not mean theeee eeend of this debate, just the end of my post. So no "LSFJldksaj I'M GOING TO REBUT YOU ANYWAY, BITCH!", if you don't mind. Not that MOST of you would, but there are a few... Side: No, they should not.
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I think alot of people in our country think it is OK to "chase fat people with sticks", deny them jobs, or even deny them basic human decency.... Many out there are so smug and self -righteous and have never walked a day in another person's shoes... Never even given thought to how rude and cruel they are by mistreating another human being because they would rather ASSume they know the reason they are obese and are so ready to pass judgment, that they never bother to have any compassion or understanding of what it must be like for the fat people or even bother to ask "why" they are fat. The true answer to why a person is fat really would surprise most of the food aphobic ,obsessively dieting and furiously exercising public, who believe every diet book ever written and claim over-eating is the reason for obesity. WELL I GOT A NEWS FLASH FOR YOU!!! OVEREATING CONTRIBUTES TO ONLY LESS THAN 5% of the reason people are fat.....this is according to one of the late great diet gurus himself.... Dr. Atkins!!!! His last book he wrote before he died of a heat attack....ironically he was not obese as is commonly believe to contribute to heart attacks....but perfectly thin and fit!!! So, much for that obesity myth....that only fat people get heart attacks. Anyway, His book talked about how 90% of all obesity is caused by disease and illness, bad genes, and thyroids, livers, hormones or metabolism that does not function correctly....as well as rare diseases. He said the diet industry that he himself was a part of, was a billion dollar industry fueled by the prejudices and desires of many to believe in the obesity myth and buy into "the magic pill" theory of instant thinness. Dr. Atkins said the diet industry would go broke if the truth got out that obesity was REALLY CAUSED by disease and illness, as well as disability. That is why he founded the obesity institute and was on the verge of creating a medicine that would help obese people with illnesses that over-stored fat in their bodies.... Unfortunately, he died before he could achieve this goal. So, to all you out there who think you know so much about why a person is fat and think it is because they eat too much junk food, sit on couches, ect... To you I say....think again.... Think about how cruel you are being the next time you spit on a fat person, keep them from having a job, harass them at the grocery store, chase them with a stick, make fun of them....and treat them like shit.... Ask yourself: Is this the way I would want to be treated? All of you out there are just one car accident, cancer, liver disease, diabetes, thyroid condition, genetic illness, hormone disease, kidney disease, cancer, broken leg or damaged body.... away from being obese yourselves... Would you like to be shunned and spitted on for a disease or accident that was beyond your control? Think about it.... YES, you should give disability privileges to someone who is obese because it is a DISABILITY!!!!! I know all too well what it is like to have people mistreat you because you are obese... 18 years ago an intruder broke into my home, robbed me and threw me into a wall, ruptured my liver , caused internal bleeding and injury and put me near death..... In order to save my life:
They resected my liver to a half in order to stop the hemorrhaging... I survived though , my life has never been the same. Once thin and beautiful.... After nearly dieing I was stuck with a body that did not function right, I was and am confined to a wheelchair, have lost most all muscle function.( can not exercise)....and am not able to process fats, calories or proteins correctly due to liver damage .... though I am on a strict "diet" I am obese...... So, you never know what life will throw at you or what cards you will be dealt..... therefore, the next time you want to be mean to a fat person, Think about me and remember that we are only one day or accident away from being fat ourselves....any day, any time .... BEING FAT CAN HAPPEN TO YOU AND THERE IS NOT A DAMN THING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT!! Side: Yes, they should.
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