Looks Mean Much
Dear [Mentat],
Now to your observation that some people feel that it’s good that a person not consider another visually. Well, of course, as you say, I don’t buy that. Pictures do speak a thousand, usually true words (and likely, much more). Foolish are those who dismiss this ready-source of accurate information. You really can judge a book by its cover, because nature does well at summarizing on the cover, what’s inside, unless of course one adulterates her appearance with makeup [and other cosmetic devices].
Consider the woman who appears fat. She likely eats too much, spending more than usual on food, or on doctor visits. She complains often of her aching feet, knees, and hips. She’s frequently depressed and sluggish because in order to maintain obesity, she must over-consume the wrong stuff (sugar, refined carbs, high fat foods, and so on), and not enough of the right stuff – the high-nourishment foods such as fruits, vegetables, beans, seeds, whole grains, and nuts. The comfort treats do not promote healthy mental processes, and in fact, retard them. So, she often has strange views about the way the world works, strongly insisting that she’s right, when it’s obvious to even the most elementary but healthy mind, that she’s wrong. She knows not how to eat well, suffers from the trappings of destructive addiction, and tends to be defensive toward anyone who doesn’t admire heavy women. She clears her throat, snorts like a hog, and coughs too much because of smoking or excess milk consumption or food allergies borne of eating too much. Thus, her appearance lacks grace and [refinement].
You’ve heard of Short Man’s Syndrome? Well, she, virtually always has Fat Woman’s Syndrome. That is, she blames societal discrimination for her loneliness, rather than owning her problem and getting thin. Someone like her probably invented this idea that you can’t judge a book by its cover, to exalt her position and to put down those who believe [that] you can. She knows that people will not “read” her once they glance at her jacket. So she trumpets the myth that she carries desirable things not immediately visible, and then ridicules those who choose not to look for them. She faults those she repels for their “shallowness.”
She’s easily offended and characterized by unpredictable mood swings, and is typically lazy. She’s in chronic pain, gets out of breath with little effort, and has trouble getting in and out of the shower. Thus, people like her tend to avoid the daily bath, and so may be unclean. She wants others’ high esteem without working for it, and she’s gluttonous and typically over-does not only dining, but other activities as well. She yells when a whisper will do, slams doors when a gentle push would shut it, and whines monotonously when but one gripe gets the idea across just fine.
She seeks cures for her woes in pill bottles, and frequently abuses both over-the-counter and prescription drugs. She makes more trips to the emergency room than someone thin, due to palpitations, breathlessness, chest pains, dizziness, blood pressure spikes, and fainting spells. Thus, her medical insurance bills are staggering, and you’ll hear her moan about this too. See, one can infer a lot just from a few minutes of observing.
I could go on about most any other visual characteristic and how it often tells more truth than what comes from the person’s mouth. But I trust that you get the idea. You realize that I’m exaggerating a bit about what one can infer from obesity, but not much. Not all fat people are this way, but those I’ve observed exhibit many of the above-mentioned hallmarks.
