Tik-Tok influencer Remi Bader horse ranch incident over weight has an even darker side
The recent incident of fat-shaming that TikTok influencer Remi Bader experienced was repugnant.
The recent incident of fat-shaming that TikTok influencer Remi Bader experienced was repugnant. After being denied access to riding a horse for weighing over 240 pounds, Bader said she was “laughed at” by someone working on the ranch and that one employee even posted a TikTok video stating “when you’re not a fat b----, you can ride at Deep Hollow Ranch.”
Regardless of their weight, people who have a perception of weight discrimination are less physically active.
Beyond being an abhorrent example of bad behavior, it’s also a sadly typical example of the mistreatment that many overweight Americans suffer — one that only makes their weight struggles harder. Over 40% of American adults report experiences with weight-based teasing, and this treatment is worsening the health problems they face.
Obesity, defined as having a body mass index of 30 or higher, is increasingly common in the United States. (BMI takes into account your height and your weight. For example, a person who is 5’9” and weighs 203 pounds or more would have a BMI of 30, making them obese.) The prevalence of obesity among Americans grew more than 10 percentage points over the past 20 years, according to the latest statistics from 2017-2020 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC found that 41.9% of adult Americans are obese, with 1 in 5 Americans aged 2 to 19 being classified as obese.
People who are obese know they have a weight problem and do not need to be reminded of it. The only person who should be giving advice is their physician so that they can work together to address it. Those who think they are being helpful and justify fat-shaming as a means of motivation for weight loss are completely misguided. Instead, fat-shaming is harmful to its victims’ health. When fat-shaming turns into weight-based discrimination, it’s associated with low self-esteem, anxiety, depression and eating disorders.
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