The Revenge of the Short and Stocky
Posted by xelene on November 13, 2007
The recent study indicating that people who are a little overweight may live longer than others, even those of so-called normal weight, has made me think that in this one instance life might be fair after all.
When it comes to body-type, unfair doesn’t even begin to describe the difference in the way people are regarded. All the perks appear to go to the tall, lean folk: they are admired; they are given preferential treatment, (every inch over average height equates to $10,000 a year in salary); they look better in the latest fashions and have a wider selection of clothes to choose from; they are perceived as being intelligent even if they are not.
Short and stocky people, on the other hand, are looked down on, especially if they are a little overweight. To make matters worse, they are blamed for their condition, as if before they were born they stupidly chose not to be tall and lean. Worst of all, this insidious prejudice comes with a price of low self-esteem.
This is not to say that short, stocky people cannot be successful, but they have to have something else going for them such as a dynamic personality or a brilliant mind – they cannot rely on the genetic gift of height.
This prejudice is an ancient one, going back to the days of aristocrats and peasants. Peasants were routinely starved; why should they be fed when the landowners needed a new bauble? Over the centuries, the peasants began to store fat easily and quickly whenever they were permitted to eat. (The ones who could not do this died of starvation.)
The aristocrats, on the other hand, were able to eat whatever and whenever they could, so their bodies were not as disposed toward storing fat.
This is our legacy.
It is no wonder the tall, effortlessly lean are contemptuous of those with a weight problem. When the lean gain weight, a few exercises, a judicious choice of food, and they are back to normal. Short, stocky types constantly battle weight, and too often lose the battle.
If that recent study has any validity, maybe the short, stocky folks will win in the end with a longer, healthier life.
