Would you think differently about me if you knew...

[Smoke Jaguar]

I might get a bit judgmental if someone I know or meet who is overweight complains about it and doesn't actually do anything material to address their own complaints, or does things to perpetuate their own unhappiness! But not in a way that I don't want to know them, just in the way where I think "You CAN do something about this and choose not to, so shuddup till you wanna do something about it".
Meanwhile, I guess I have friends of all shapes and sizes and I probably surprise myself with how that doesn't matter to me, given how judgmental my mum and DP are about 'fat people'!

[misty]

I don't 'usually' judge someone based on weight. I tend to judge the personalities behind that weight (or lack thereof).

[I say 'usually, because I am sure, me being human, there is an exception in there somewhere; and to be completely honest, I do tend to steriotype overweight children a bit - as in they tend to be say, lacking confidence, unsure of themselves, uneducated about nutrition and exercise, and 'usually' don't have parents who know how to role model those things for them: not because the parents don't care, but because the issues surrounding weight gain / loss can seem completely insurmountable and get a grasp on on a personal level, let alone in passing it onto the next generation.]

I think because I my personal history (been everything from underweight to morbidly obese and everywhere in between) and because of my current job (in the weightloss industry), I am much more conscious of the steriotypes I am applying to people in regards to weight. I have met some fabulous, confident, extremely attractive people of many different sizes, just as I have met some very sad, selfconscious, socially fearful people of many different sizes as well.

Some people will be happy easygoing people no matter what size they are, and some people will be unhappy no matter what size they are.

My biggest problem is trying to resist the urge to 'help' everyone. I love my job because it allows me to help people who want to be helped, but when I see my friends (of all sizes) who are struggling with weight issues, it is hard not to jump in enthusiastically and give them my advice (particularly if they have chosen for themselve a method of which I don't agree). So I try not to say anything much unless asked a direct question. Of course if any of my friends were to actually say or ask my opinion or help, I would be more then happy to share every little bit of information and knowledge I have acquired through my work and experiences to help them, just as I would any of my clients.

[*LittleMissSummer*]

No i don't judge a person by how much they weigh. That is not important to me it doesn't change who the person is. Afterall 'weight' is just a number!

My mum has been morbidly obese for most of my life, she is fat because she is unhappy with her life. My oldest sister had a bad side effect from a medication and ballooned from a healthy size 8 (kids size) to a 14 in only 6 weeks. She then went on to have issues with weight so she too has been obese for as long as i can remember. Then there was my little sister who was borderline annorexic at 18 years old because when she was 11 someone called her fat. She stands at 5'6 and weighed only 46kgs and then there was me who was in the middle of the two.. not too fat and not too skinny..

I have been guilty of laughing and calling a girl fat, but thats to make myself feel better and didnt like this person. I don't mean it and it really doesn't make me feel better.

I am really ashamed of my weight, i will often say no to invitations to go out because i am almost always the biggest person in a crowd..

[Mak]

No I don't judge based on weight as I have been different weights through out my life.
However I do feel very strongly about people being realistic about the personal responsibility they have for their actions - in all areas too btw. So by that I mean people being honest as to how their behaviour has influenced their situation. Not just weight wise, but health, financial position etc.

[meow]

When developing a 'first impression' of someone then yes, I would say I do take their weight into account. These days though I find I'm so busy and distracted with the kids that I barely get a chance to look at them when first speaking to someone!

I don't instantly think fat=depressed but if an obese person's posture seems in line with that then I'm probably usually more inclined to make a judgement about their mental state than I would a skinny person. Conversely, if a skinny person has really straight possture and is highly groomed I'll probably judge them as possibly uptight and irritating. These are just first impressions though, which I think are very natural and necessary for humans to do.

[*Ang*]

I might get a bit judgmental if someone I know or meet who is overweight complains about it and doesn't actually do anything material to address their own complaints, or does things to perpetuate their own unhappiness! But not in a way that I don't want to know them, just in the way where I think "You CAN do something about this and choose not to, so shuddup till you wanna do something about it".
Meanwhile, I guess I have friends of all shapes and sizes and I probably surprise myself with how that doesn't matter to me,

Exactly how I feel! I have a very obese friend who is slowly but surely losing weight, but doesnt sit there and complain about it! She is doing something about it to improve her quality of life and I applaud her for it!

I hate people who make excuses - so that is where my judgement comes from in relation to weight issues. Don't complain that you are too fat/too skinny and yet not do anything about it!

I DO judge overwieght children, or perhaps I should say I judge their parents and think "what the hell are you doing to this poor kid". And I am not ashamed of saying that, some parents should be shot when you see the crap that goes in their kids mouths...the poor kids don't stand a chance. So yes in that instance I do judge.

[Shanti]

I'm overweight myself, and I would never judge someone on their weight because, well I'm overweight myself!!! Although in saying this, if I see a morbidly obese person at the shops who can't even fit behind their front wheel of the drivers seat, then I do feel sorry for that person, sorry for them that they have let themselves get that overweight.....

Some PP's have mentioned how they perceive overweight people to be 'shy' 'lacking confidence' etc all those sorta things, but I am the complete opposite!!! I am very confident, happy, social etc person, my only problem is I eat the WRONG foods and don't exercise!!! What can I say, I LOVE my food I eat healthy for breakfast, lunch, dinner its in between those meals I find myself being naughty LOL

I can lose weight if I want to but I have to be feeling really motivated too! Although in saying that, once bub is 8 weeks I'll be starting my new health plan

[C~Q]

Hmm yes and no...in my job I have seen skinny chicks in the front row of my classes not raising a sweat, usiing tiny weights and larger people giving it their all and lifting heavier weights than me! I don't really meet people outside of the gym so for me it's more about lazyness than their size.

However I do judge relly skinny people...I don't mean naturally thin I mean dangerously skinny (and most of the time I can tell the difference). After suffering an eating disorder for 11 years I just won't put myself in a situation where I am around people like that. I can't and won't do it. At my friends bday party a few years back there was a girl there who wouldn't have been more than 35kg...was boasting about teaching 40 classes a week and I had to leave...it's too confronting and too upsetting.

I also think that most peopel judge in one way or another. My mother is obese, is a member of a gym but goes there to drink coffee, she has had her gall bladder removed and will moan about being fat whilst eating massive chunks of cheese and saying there is no point walking if you don't have a dog :O Yes I judge her, because I want her to be around to watch my kids grow up and she probably won't be

[Phteven]

Dunno about judging but I was standing behind a guy in the bank last week who was struggling just with the effort of standing and I did kind of wonder why he would abuse his body like that. He was beyond overweight - every day must be a struggle when you are that weight

I certainly don't perceive overweight people as shy or depressed (Santa isn't shy lol).

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

I don't instant judge. I will get to know someone first. I know a few larger people that I don't talk food to as there's no reason to. I know some larger people who whinge then have third helpings and 2 puddings at every meal. I admit to judging that type of person - just eat less, it ain't hard! Whinging about weight while eating a 500g bar of chocolate and asking me for a lift to town... I will say something.

Whinging about weight while asking me to be a running buddy, on the other hand, nothing but support and compassion when you want to talk weight. Or if you don't. It's not something I choose to talk about a lot.