Fat-Shaming Trolls Turn to Athletes

If you want perspective on the absurdity of fat-shaming trolls, consider this. Eddie Lacy, a successful NFL running back, can’t shake them. He tells ESPN:

I could pull up my Twitter right now and there would be a fat comment in there somewhere. Like I could tweet, “Today is a beautiful day!” and someone would be like, “Oh yeah? You fat.” I sit there and wonder: “What do you get out of that?”

Caring for an Athletic Body

NFL players: height & weight over time
By Noah Veltman

A professional athlete’s body lies at the core of his or her profession. It’s also the focal point for their public image. Writing in Current Orthopedic Practice, Jordyn Griffin and colleagues note that athletes are getting bigger. And this is especially true in the NFL, where players are steadily gaining both muscle and fat mass. You might say that the NFL is an obesogenic environment.

So fat-shaming trolls can target professional athletes, just as they do people from other walks of life. It’s a harsh case of adding insult to injury.

That’s especially true because athletes eventually have to transition to a life after professional sports. Injuries and less active routines can pose special risks for former athletes. One study found that 60% of retired NFL linemen have metabolic syndrome.

Eddie Lacy is a remarkable man, sharing an intensely personal experience. His story makes it ever more clear. People don’t choose how their bodies will function. We simply have to deal with it.

Fat-shaming trolls are ultimately shaming themselves.

Click here for more on Eddie Lacy’s story and here for more on obesity in athletes.

Eddie Lacy, photograph © Mike Morbeck / flickr

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September 23, 2017