Obese People and Appearance: Why Fat Isn't Beautiful

Obese people often develop low self-esteem in no time at all. We're embarrassed to be seen in public and we're often ashamed of how we look. Other people's first impressions are most often negative, and obese people are acutely aware of this.

Gwyneth Paltrow donned a "fat suit" for her role as a part-time obese person in the movie Shallow Hal. One day, she walked out in public to see how she would fare as an obese woman.

"Nobody would make eye contact with me at all," she said. "Everybody was very dismissive. I got a real sense of what it's like to be a heavy person in this country and how people are so insensitive and degrading."

Paltrow went on to say that the experience taught her what it was like to be heavy. Except, of course, that obese people can't unzip the fat and step out of it.

If you're obese you can shop in special stores for your clothing, if you can afford it. Just don't expect the clothes to be too trendy. Covering up folds of fat requires tent-like designs that drape rather than shape.

If you're obese and you're a person of modest means, you can shop for clothing at the large person's section of a discount department store. Obese children can wear adult sizes. Being seen among the racks of voluminous garments, hoping you can find something large enough to fit comfortably can be an embarrassing experience one never gets used to.

Imagine being so morbidly obese that even those extra-large sizes don't fit. But you probably don't get to go out much anyway so a few custom outfits should be enough.

Shopping for shoes is extra challenging if you're obese. Fat feet are wide, not long. Again, finding the rare footwear that fits is both demeaning and difficult.

Many personal items that the non-obese take for granted pose problems for people who are morbidly obese: belts, suspenders, rings, necklaces, slippers, beachwear, underclothes and coats.

Tight clothing and apparel can bind, ride up, chafe and cause rashes or blisters. Cool, loose clothing in hot weather is rarely an option for the obese.

Having limited clothing choices is not just a vanity issue for the obese, particularly the morbidly obese. First impressions count. Try looking confident, professional and energetic for a new job interview when you're more than 100 pounds overweight.

You may be compassionate and empathetic, but if you own a business or lead a sales team, you probably won't want an obese person to represent your firm. No matter how open your own thinking may be, you know your clients may react poorly to an obese customer service representative.