Nightrunners, Atheists and 'E' Students have associations, so why not fat people?

Last week KTN reported about an odd association, registered by students who scored grade E in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education exams.

Tired of being discriminated against by employers and being ridiculed by their peers who scored better grades and the general societal scorn associated with failing exams, the young Nairobians came together, formed and registered the association.

Desperate to fight stigma that had dogged him for a while, Ayub Njagi, the association’s chairman, looked for like-minded individuals and formed the group in 2015. The intention, the 33-year old said, is to come together and share ideas, frustrations and job opportunities. Apparently, to join the association, whose membership has been growing exponentially, one has to pay Sh200 registration fee.

This got me thinking. If such types can think that big and come together, same with night runners and atheists, what stops some of the most discriminated upon groups, say, plus size people, from doing so?

The catalogue of mistreatment and stigma that plus size people go through is quite lengthy. For example, when in a packed matatu or lift and someone fouls the air, the first suspect is always the fattest guy on board! Everyone always turns around and gives you a suspicious look.

Being bulky comes with a lot of profiling. Even the nicknames you get tend to be the most demeaning like ‘Fatsource’ or ‘Pum pum’. However, the problem with putting on weight is that you don’t notice it. Even if you do, you tend to be in denial half the time.

But there are a few obvious pointers that can be helpful. Like when you find simple activities like bathing such a herculean that you sweat while at it and have to take a break to rest.

As a bulky individual, the moment you walk into a building, you attract attention for all the wrong reasons. People start gossiping about you, especially if you have a wardrobe malfunction (which, sadly, is the case nine out of ten times). Of course, they do this secretly.

It’s understandable that most fat people rarely get the right size of their cloths or shoes, hence their dress code. No designer wants to ‘waste material’, coming up with trendy outfits for people with large frames.

Small wonder then, that, it’s common to see bulky individuals dressed in what can easily be mistake for tents! For ladies, most have to made do with maternity dresses, which they accessorise with belts.

When you have a generous body size, people tend to overestimate your age and expect too much from you. If you are young, many will think you are older, thus expect mature behaviour from you and adult-like intelligence.

Employers tend to be reluctant when it comes to hiring extra-large people. To them, fat equals laziness and inefficiency rolled up in one. Getting a mate as a fat person is also a problem. What’s more, the physical presence of plus size woman is seen as a security threat among menfolk.

But being big has its advantages. If you are underage, you hardly get barred from clubs.

Also, when you get into a scuffle or an argument with skinny guys, the moment you frown and threaten to robustly express your displeasure, they coil back and apologise. In human traffic, you get right of way. Nobody wants to be involved in a head–on coalition with you.