Body shaming, and "My Big Fat Fabulous Life"

[CapnAwesome]

I really wonder how often smokers put smoke in your lungs without your consent. Maybe if you spend a lot of time in Casinos in Nevada or Bars in Alaska. Other than that I can't really think the last time I was even exposed to second hand smoke.

Maybe you are a young whippersnapper and do not remember how things were in the U.S. years ago.  These days, it is not nearly the problem in the U.S. as it was in the past, though still people smoke in public places where I need to go and so I still am breathing some smoke occasionally.  (Smokers often like to smoke near doorways to buildings, so that anyone who needs to enter the building is subjected to their smoke.)  But it was quite a bit different for the earlier part of my life, and now things are much better for people who do not want to be forced to breath smoke from other people's choices.

The point, though, is that what others do is rightfully a matter of my concern when it actually affects me.  If what someone does only affects themselves, then that is their business and not mine.

The change to how things are now is in part due to calling the smokers out on their activities affecting others.  And changing laws to stop people from forcing others to breath their smoke (which is why there are so many nonsmoking areas now).

If people ate their cigarettes instead of smoking them, I would be fine with them doing that almost anywhere.  But smokers do not keep their smoke to themselves, and so it is a matter that affects those around them.  That is how it differs from someone injecting or eating or drinking their drug of choice.  I do not care that they choose to use a drug; I only care that they share it with people against their will.  If I started injecting people with drugs and forcing drugs down people's throats, I would be regarded as a monster.  Yet smokers force their drug on those around them, typically without giving a fuck about it at all.  That is why so many people justly hate so many smokers.  Of course, as I have already stated, not every smoker is an inconsiderate asshole, and so not all of these comments apply to every smoker.  But to those to whom they do apply, they cannot die fast enough.

I sort of wonder about this with obese people, while you can't really say that they directly affect people, they certainly put more of a burden on the medical system than other people.

I really think the smoking is subject to criticism in a way that obesity is not because smoking has little to do with a persons appearance and we don't want to be critical of people's appearances.

My objection actually has nothing to do with appearances and really little to do with health. It's has to do with the dishonesty, lies and anti-science that goes with these pro-fat campaigns.