Sketch+23,+Hegemonic+Backdrops

[What is my object? Is it a diagnosis? A person? A body? An identity? ... I'm very pleased to work on this assignment, because I am low-key working on it in the back of my mind most of the time.]

One of the most base ambitions of humankind is to live as long and as painless of a life as possible, and maintaining an optimal state of health is one of the surest ways to this. While the state of medical science - like any science - is imperfect, it is the best tool we have to further our health and is dramatically better than more "primitive" methods of healing and obviously better than doing nothing at all. The medical science is unequivocal on this point that obesity both shortens and worsens our lives, so no matter what your opinion socially or politically of any one "fat" person or "fat" people generally, the pursuit of weight loss (or of maintaining a low weight) is one of the most obvious and necessary steps to happiness.

When a high weight is maintained, therefore, it can be assumed that this brings great unhappiness to people, and assisting with weight loss is a kindness, and nearly a mandatory one. It is a truly pitiable state to be fat - you are less well liked, you are treated more poorly, you have a shorter life expectancy, you feel unwell, you are unlikely to find romantic partners. It is evident on its face that fat people need support, guidance, and knowledge that will produce weight loss and allow them to attain happiness. That can look harsh, and it is charity to offer that harshness for the greater long-term ends.