Kevin Smith -- Looks Like Fat Is In The News!

I tuned into a talk show this morning here in Boston and listened to a sometimes heated discussion concerning the actor/producer Kevin Smith. Apparently, Kevin Smith is taking on Southwest Airlines since he was thrown off of one of their flights, by the pilot, for being a "customer of size" and barely packing himself into one seat.

For those of you who are unaware, I am a big guy. Okay, call me fat. So in a sense, if anyone has the right to comment on this incident, I do. Personally, I am sick and tired of being discriminated against, mocked and otherwise ridiculed due to my size.

Now, I am fully aware that we live in a world of pathetically judgmental people; I've been a large person since the age of eight years old. At 6 foot three and over 300 pounds, I'd definitely stand out in a crowd. I guess it makes people feel better to have someone or some group of people that they can look down upon. It's even more fun and more gratifying, apparently, if they can feel justified in blaming the person that they are ridiculing as having caused their own problems.

From a medical perspective, there are no absolute cures for obesity even if a person is hell-bent on finding one. I know this is true, due to the fact that I have extensively researched the matter as a part of my own quest to permanently take off my excess pounds.

Since we live in a very linear medical paradigm at this point in history, we are unable to find a cure for these extra pounds. Our current medical system looks for a single cause when dealing with sicknesses, diseases and conditions and there doesn't seem to be one when it comes to obesity. Research continues to come up short when looking for the answer to taking weight off, keeping it off and keeping sane during and after the process.

For all we know, obesity may be more the result of complex genetic, metabolic and other currently unknown factors as much as it may be emotional. After all, this form of prejudice is supposedly justified because the condition being ridiculed is seen as resulting from an addiction. Therefore, logic follows that if the condition is the result of a simple addiction it is completely within a person's power to get over it. Before I go any further, let me state that there is nothing simple about addiction. There is also no solid evidence that addiction of any kind is simply emotional in nature. The fact of the matter is -- people are complex. Many factors enter into human behavior.

First of all, I'm not at all convinced that overweight is a form of addiction. Maybe it is, and maybe it isn't. However, some simple compassion would go a long way. What right do any of us have to judge a person that we believe is addicted. People feel completely justified in what is in reality completely unacceptable behavior. They mock homeless people, criticize the mentally ill, ridicule a gay person and of course treat obese people with open disgust. I have to ask myself what emotional burdens these judgmental characters are harboring in the dark recesses of their soul.

Maybe it's time for people to begin to embrace the spiritual teachings of some of the world's great religions and begin to deal with themselves and others from a perspective of love, forgiveness and kindness. Don't we have enough problems in the world without further poisoning ourselves and the world in which we live with hate, prejudice and judgment.

In closing, I have one final suggestion. For anyone that feels justified in judging any other human being, regardless of the reasons, I would encourage you to get with the program or keep your mouth shut. Didn't expect me to close like that, did you?

Blessings,
Dr. Ron Cherubino
www.AskDrRon.com