Critique of Hillel Schwartz "fat and Happy?"

Critique of Hillel Schwartz's "Fat and Happy?"

With a steady rise of obesity in today's society, historian Hillel Schwartz applies various credible sources throughout his article, "Fat and Happy?" This allows him to assert there is nothing inherently false with fatness, but the issues faced by those considered overweight are a result of societal stigma and shame rather than weight itself. Along with the continuous shame overweight individual's face, they are also looked down upon in the work field and education systems. However, Schwartz's use of satire is frequently obscure as he targets the specific audience of fat people rather than the opposing side. Although his use of satire effectively pertains toward his target audience by portraying possible events similar to their own, the article, at times, lends itself to logical fallacies, such as his conclusion of the lengthy description of a fat utopia. His signs of effectiveness--the use of credible resources and emotional connections to his audience-- are prevalent in Schwartz's article deeming him effective throughout his claims.

In the forefront of Schwartz's article, he opens with the claim that fatness is ultimately acceptable, which quickly sets the tone for the remainder of the article. He then builds upon the acceptance of fatness through the thought, if fat people are truly unhappy, it is solely due to the way society stigmatizes them and depicts them as caricatures (Schwartz 179). Although Schwartz does not utilize credible resources to refute this claim, he provokes an emotional connection to his target audience, overweight individuals, allowing him to be effective. However, he especially scrutinizes the diet and health care systems as the source for those stigmatisms and consequent deprivations of positive fat human qualities. For example he states, "...fat people are compromised and persecuted. Like other minorities, fat people are treated like children, given silly nicknames, considered socially and sexually immature" (180). To further strengthen Schwartz's view, Katy Waldman shares his correlation that fat people's unhappiness comes upon their own obesity and/or societal discrimination. In, "What makes overweight people unhappy," Waldman reiterates the negative pressures overweight people feel from daunting advertisements of dieting and quintessential thin figures, which set “skinny” as the only acceptable body form (Waldman). Even though Schwartz lacks the background of reliable sources, he makes a strong affiliation with his obese audience through his emotional writing techniques.

Not only does Schwartz explain that diet advertisements overwhelm those who are overweight, he also adds that individuals entering into the education system or work field experience judgment and disfavor. “…who (fat people) have more difficulty getting into the best colleges…how they look is more important than how well they do in their jobs” (Schwartz 181). In order to support the difficulties fat people face maintaining jobs or securing a position in college, he utilizes several real life events to confirm his statement. In 1965, The New York City Traffic Department dismissed maids for being overweight and also fired a stewardess for being a simple four pounds overweight (181). To further elaborate on his claim, Madlen Davies reiterates in, “…obese people are seen as ‘undesirable’ and less hard working by employers,” by conducting surveys and credible sources to confirm the issues between obesity and job employment. Employers