Recently, I was reading an article in a high profile media outlet that talked about children’s weight gain over the last 20 years, but it used the word ‘fat’ to describe the kids. I started to wonder how an overweight child would feel if they read this piece? Would they be offended, embarrassed, self-conscious, or insulted? Some kids may not even care, while others could go into a state of depression.

On one web site, fat was defined as, “A natural oily or greasy substance occurring in animal bodies, esp. when deposited as a layer under the skin or around certain organs.” Okay, not so bad.

On dictionary.com, it reads, “having too much flabby tissue; corpulent; obese: a fat person.” Well, this one may upset some people.

So, the bottom line to me, it is how the term fat is used. I guess sometimes used in scientific descriptions, it is okay to use the word fat. In describing a person, it may not be the best word to use, as it could be derogatory. When it comes to children, the media has to be real careful with their wording!

What is your opinion?