Corpulence

As I was reading through this article, I was struck by how the word "corpulence" was used to describe people society would label as "fat." Language is a powerful tool; the English language has many words that have nearly the same definition yet the connotation behind the words can vary greatly. I noticed how I couldn't help but shy away from the word "fat" as it has been given such a negative connotation. My parents, especially my father, point out when some part of my body is chubbier than before. This action is their indirect way of saying that I need to start watching what I eat and start exercising more. I need to get that extra body taken off somehow. So much of today's images depict tall, thin females as the ideal. Although plus models exist and Dove had shown commercials of "real women" feeling good about themselves, there is no liberal fat deposits on these girls. All would be considered "fit" in a more full definition yet not thin nor fat to any extreme. Fat people have been seen as ones who are responsible for their own condition. Fat people could have prevented themselves from becoming fat yet did not. Thus, people in society are justified to look down at them. Yet, I have to agree with the article, saying that people who are corpulent should not be looked at that way. How can being "overweight" be decided by a percent body composition that can encompass everyone across the board? That sort of simplification fails to acknowledge the complexity of the human body.
The article pointed out how the medical field has seen obesity as a method of making money. I was horrified when the editors mentioned how many of the medicines that claim to help reduce one's fat composition could actually be harmful to the body. I remember the cases of drugs that were used to treat diseases that the American people were had yet ended up causing more problems. If the medical world truly only wishes to make money off the illnesses of other people, how would people of society insure their health in a world that only wants their money? Of course, patients should arm themselves with information to try and prevent their doctors from pulling the wool over their heads.