Breathe
By Susana Moscatel
The issue of obesity is many things to many people. For many it is an aesthetic issue. For others it is a tool of social oppression. Of course it is the reason for one of the most profitable industries in the world. Lately we have seen many characters for whom it is also a matter of pride: members of the movement known as "body positivity" whose extremes are also a money machine, for and against on YouTube and social networks. On the other side are YouTubers who achieve millions of views by attacking the "obesity culture" in cruel and sadistic ways. There are TV shows where obesity is the problem to beat like The BiggestLoser and there are organized groups ready to defend anyone from "fatphobia" which today is formally considered one of the main reasons for discrimination worldwide.
And then there's that other blunt issue that will always get you in trouble with someone if you dare bring it up: obesity IS a relevant and growing health issue. I can't believe that saying that is controversial today, but admitting that in certain spaces makes you an enemy to thousands of activists who claim you can be healthy at any weight. That is categorically untrue. But it's not as simple as it seems for those who want to do it right.
