A developing civil rights movement has recently fallen into the public eye, and it can’t get up.

The Fat Acceptance Movement, also known as the Fat Liberation Movement or Fat Power, is a civil rights movement calling for the cessation of negative attitudes towards overweight persons. The movement began in the 1960s, with the 1967 “fat-in” as its first widely known rally. In Central Park, a group of approximately 500 people gathered to burn dieting books and eat together.

Currently, the FAM influences many blogs and ‘zines against fat discrimination. Contemporary groups like the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance provide special needs scholarships and host rallies for fat acceptance.

While it is safe to say that most people are against the discrimination of any group, a closer look at some of the claims made by fat acceptance groups may shed the weight of discrimination.

The movement claims that there is rampant prejudice against overweight persons in the workplace. According to the website of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, a 2007 study of over 2,800 Americans found that the likelihood of reporting weight-based employment discrimination compared to ‘normal’ weight adults was 12 times more likely for overweight adults, 37 times more likely for obese persons and 100 times more likely for severely obese adults. However, the website does not provide citations for the study or the statistics.

Discrimination against the overweight may be present in the workplace, but this group is not supplying proof of it in a credible fashion. The NAAFA website also states, “some companies are planning to regularly charge overweight employees unless they meet standards for weight, cholesterol, and blood pressure.”

Again, these facts are devoid of references or examples. Furthermore, jobs that have certain physical requirements do so because those lacking a particular level of physical prowess would perform the job poorly. For example, firefighters, police officers and EMS teams need to be able to move and act quickly to provide the services for which they are paid. If overweight individuals could perform physically demanding tasks at the same proficiency as individuals at normal weights, the requirements would not be there.

As mentioned before, some of the foremost claims of the movement are those against anti-fat legislation, commonly known as the fat tax. Fat taxes, like those in Alabama and South Carolina, are surcharges levied on foods that undergo heavy amounts of processing. The purpose of these taxes is to discourage the consumption of foods that contribute to obesity. Groups like the International Size Acceptance Association claim that these taxes are a slight against overweight and obese individuals. While it is true that the decreased consumption of these foods will in effect change the person that an overweight individual is, the purpose of the tax is not to force them into a skinnier society. The taxes are present to create a healthier, longer-living populace. In the same way that smokers continue to buy tobacco products that are detrimental to their health despite the considerable tax, those who enjoy eating unhealthy foods must pay a luxury fee for them.

The movement also claims that healthiness and obesity are not mutually exclusive. The practice of Health at Every Size, a lifestyle proposed by a professor at Michigan State University, is widely promoted by FAM groups. The HAES dogma states that people should practice self-acceptance with no regard for their weight, discard regimens for eating and “[relearn] to eat in response to physiologic hunger and fullness cues. Additionally, physical activity should “support increasing social, pleasure-based movement for enjoyment and enhanced quality of life.” HAES promotes a passive system to become healthy and leaves the definition of what a healthy person is up to the individual. While a considerable number of health experts support the HAES system, many say that a more regimented path is necessary to achieve physical well-being.

As of 2007, the United States holds the world record for the obese and overweight, with 74 percent of adults classified as such. As such, it is difficult to view this group as an oppressed minority.

The fact is, overeating is a choice made by a person, and the consequences are his or her own responsibility. It is not an inherent quality outside of the realms of human control. You can be your own person and be fat if you want to. But people reserve the right to judge you, and that is your weight to carry.