Fat people are still being called nasty names, according to new research – and the name-callers are likely to be overweight themselves.
Weight-loss specialists LighterLife found that fat-related jibes are “endemic” among Britons, and that the name-calling is most widespread amongst the young.
The old adage that bullies are often bullied themselves also applies, with many of those hurling insults being fat or overweight.
Misguided banter could be why men are readier to insult friends and relatives in this way, with nearly a third (28%) doing so, in comparison to just 11% of women.
And overweight people in London face a harder time than their Scottish counterparts, with twice as many Londoners (30%) prepared to call a friend or relative a nasty name compared with Scots (15%).
Mandy Cassidy, a psychotherapist with LighterLife, said: “It’s sad that adults now find such behaviour acceptable, and particularly so among the younger age groups, as they could well carry through these views as they get older, thus increasing the problem even further.”
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