BBC 6分钟英语 什么是肥胖羞辱？

English from BBC,

learning English. Hello. This is six minute English from BBC, learning English.

I'm Neil, and I'm Georgina. January is often the time when people make New year s resolutions, things they want to start or stop doing in the new year.

Have you made any resolutions for 2021?

Georgina Well, 1st start. Neal I'm definitely going on

a diet over Christmas. I really piled on the pounds with all that chocolate.

Yes, not to mention Christmas pudding.

I'd already put on extra weight during lockdown, then even more over Christmas, so I definitely need to diet in 2021.

It's curious that we both made resolutions to lose weight, isn't it?

I mean, most people overeat a bit at Christmas than diet in January.

What are you saying, georgina? Do you think we're worried people will call us fat?

It wouldn't be so surprising now, after all, incidents of fat shaming are on the rise.

That's what it's called when someone is criticized or humiliated for being fat.

In this program, we will be asking where the attitudes behind fat shaming come from.

Will be hearing how anti fat attitudes are often implicit or unconscious.

Hang on no nail. Having a 2nd slice of Christmas cake is hardly the same as being fat, much less obese.

Thats true. Georgina, the word abese describes a person whos very overweight, with a lot of body fat.

It's the term for a medical condition, measured using BMI, or the Body Mass Index.

It's on the rise in the UK.

In fact, that's my quiz question How many adults in the UK are affected by obesity?

Is it A one in every three adults, B one in every four adults, or see one in every five adults?

I'll guess B one in every four.

OK, we'll find out the answer later.

As you say, georgina, the word obese has a very specific meaning.

His professor, abigail Saga, talking about the term to BBC World Services, the wife factor.

Listen out for when the word obesity started to be used, the term obesity was coined in the middle of the 20th century as a concerted effort by medical doctors to say, this is a medical issue, one over which we have authority and expertise.

Professor Saga says, the term abese was coined in the mid 1900s, meaning it was invented or 1st used in a particular way.

It originally meant an individual medical problem, something to be discussed between patient and doctor.

But over time, obese has become a term of discrimination and abuse.

Psychology professor Chris Crando has been involved in Harvard Universities Implicit Bias projects, most famous for revealing racial prejudice.

The tests also measure other kinds of biases, including weight.

Many of the beliefs we hold that other people are hidden from conscious awareness.

So what goes through our mind, consciously or unconsciously, when we see very fat people?

Here's Professor Crandel speaking to BBC World Services The wife factor.

We tend to think, at least in the Western world, of fat people as personal failures, as moral failures.

People tend to think of fatness as an indicator of laziness, of overindulgence, of a lack of moral fiber and unwillingness to take a hold of your own life.

We, as everyday Americans and Westerners in general, tend to think that it's a personal attribute.

It's a thing you do to yourself, and as a result, you are deserving of scorn.

There is a commonly held prejudice that fat people are responsible for their condition because they're lazy, greedy or lacking in moral fiber, the ability or determination to behave ethically or with self control.

In the West, especially, being fat or overweight is thought of as a personal attribute, a quality characteristic or feature that someone has.

The idea is that fat people just are the way they are and have no one to blame but themselves.

They should just exercise more or stop eating.

This leads some to treat them with scorn, strong feeling of content or disrespect.

In reality, of course, weights isn't just about individual choices.

How fat you are is also determined by environment and genetics, up to 80% in some cases.

And anyway, even if it was under personal control, fat shaming doesn't feel like the right way to help people lose weight.

So if it doesn't cause problems, maybe you can have that 2nd slice of cake after all.

Georgina, thanks now, but I don't want to spoil my appetite for the quiz.

Question you asked was I write about the number of UK adults affected by obesity.

What did you say? Georgina, I guess the answer was be one in every four adults, which was the correct answer.

Fat is an issue affecting millions of adults in the UK alone, and with studies suggesting that obesity might be a negative factor linked to covet 19, it's one that could affect millions more Food for thought there.

Now. Now, let's recap the vocabulary, starting with abese, dangerously overweight, as measured by the Body Mass Index, or BMI.

This term obesity was coined or invented to describe a medical condition, although many people nowadays consider it a personal attribute, a quality or characteristic Fat shaming is criticizing

and humiliating someone for being fat, or showing them scorn feelings of contempt or disrespect.

Or it could also involve believing they lack moral fiber, the ability to behave correctly or with self control.

That's all for this program. But to find out more about your own implicit biases based on race, sexuality or weight, search online for Harvard I 80 and take a test yourself.

You may be surprised what you find out, and to hear more tropical discussion and vocabulary, join us again soon at six Minute English.

Download the app at your usual app store and follow us on social media life.

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