Paul Sassone

Fat shaming.

It is a term with which I was happily unfamiliar until recently.

But, thanks to Donald Trump — who has a positive genius for bringing out every cruelty and crudity in the American character — fat shaming is a hot topic.

Fat shaming is making fun of or criticizing people for being overweight.

Trump apparently doesn’t like overweight people. He is quite open about it, calling a former Miss Universe Miss Piggy and firing people who work for him who are overweight.

But, Trump is fat, you may say. So, why would he have such a loathing for other overweight people?

Who knows? Maybe in his mind’s eye he sees himself as some kind of Adonis.

Why do so many Americans make fun of overweight people, particularly when more than 70 percent of adult Americans are overweight and a third are obese?

We shouldn’t be surprised at this.

I have read that being overweight is the last attribute people think it is OK to mock.

But, that just isn’t true.

In addition to fat shaming, there is:

age shaming; height shaming; color shaming; religion shaming; ethnic shaming; looks shaming; disability shaming; and other shamings I am forgetting.

Too many of us dislike too many of us for qualities that shouldn’t matter.

Too many of us just don’t like people who are different from us, or — weirdly — may be like us, but that we don’t want to admit we are like.

How else to explain why a nation of overweight people looks down on overweight people?

Demagogues such as Trump exploit these illogical and base attitudes.

But why do the rest of us pay attention?

This whole fat shaming thing, I read, has become an issue in the campaign for president.

An issue?

Why is what people weigh a political issue?

Trump won’t let this “issue” die.

But, neither will the press.

And that’s what bothers me.

I don’t expect reason, humanity or sense from Trump.

But I do expect at least reason and perspective from journalists.

Trump’s dislike of overweight people may — does — say something about his character and fitness for office.

But, so do his goofy and dangerous positions on real issues that will confront the president of the United States.

Let’s focus on those, OK?

–Weighing in on Issue of fat shaming–