I feel the need to call some attention to Tony Tomazic's blog post on crumpleitup.com, which is causing quite the outrage. Here's his main point: the fatter we are, the harder we are on the environment. Unfortunately, society has come to "accept" and "normalize" obesity, and now more than ever, we need to shame fat people into getting thin for the sake of our planet. Tomazic speculates:

So, if that's the problem, then what's the answer? Fundamentally, we need to depreciate the perceived social value for this kind of habit. What about taxing excessive indulgence? I'm not talking about US Federal Income Tax, I'm talking about inter-personal "social" taxes. Taxes that diminish that false perception in the social value of overdoing it. How would society react if obese people were required to stand in a different line at the bank? Only be allowed to see movies at certain times? Only be able to order certain foods in restaurants? What would happen if society fought back the disastrous perception that it's OK to eat yourself (and the planet) to death?

First of all, I'm not entirely sure where he's getting this preposterous belief that our society is just oh so accepting of fat people, because I'm really not seeing it.

Second of all, standing in different lines? Only able to go to certain restaurants? So... I guess it's just not enough that most fashion models are thinner than 98% of American women. Or that about half of all American women are currently dieting. That fat people are seeing as disgusting, unhealthy, unsexy beings. Or that overweight people have to pay more for a plane ticket or for clothing that fits. What about the fact that 8 million Americans have an eating disorder? In his blog post, Tomazic mentions "eating ourselves to death", but what in the hell does he think would happen if fat people were quarantined like diseased animals? I think we'd all be starving ourselves right to the grave.

But it's OK. At least our carbon footprint would be smaller.