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Size Discrimination

© Mary Ellen Popolo

Recently, my mom and I went out for lunch. After taking our order the waitress brought our lunch and then moments later the check. She never came back to ask us if we wanted anything else. I guess we weren't "allowed" to have dessert or another drink. My mom and I both felt that she didn't come back to ask us if we wanted dessert because she felt we didn't need it. Other tables being served by the same waitress were not only offered the option of having something else, but it seemed that the service she gave them was much better than the service she gave us. There is a small possibility that she simply forgot to ask, or that she was just a bad waitress, but my mom and I think otherwise. We honestly believe that she gave us inferior service than the other diners because of our size.

Of course my mom and I could have handled the situation differently. Instead of just leaving, we could have politely told the waitress we wanted dessert. Why didn't we? Because we were too embarrassed! I don't really know why I was embarrassed; I guess my feelings of self doubt were reinforced by her treatment. She made me feel fat and that I wasn't worthy of decent service. I left that diner feeling embarrassed and ashamed of my size. Later my embarrassment turned to anger. There was is no reason for me or any overweight person to be treated inferior because of our size!

I'm sure that anyone who is overweight has run into the same some sort of situation. Whether it's a sales person who tells you "We don't sell clothes in YOUR size here" or a waitress who doesn't seem to treat you the same as she treats other customers, fat discrimination is an all too common occurance.

Size discrimination covers a broad spectrum of topics and areas, from finger pointing and laughing, to "Fat Jokes" and to more complex issues like discrimination by medical professionals and discrimination in the workplace. I have hear stories from friends who have suffered the abuse of doctors who berate them for being overweight, cab drivers that refuse them service because of their size, jobs or promotions that are given to less qualified, yet thinner employees and restaurants that refuse service (Sorry, we are booked...) or seat/hide overweight people in the back corners of relatively empty restaurants.

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