Are you prejudice?

Are you going to be prejudice against people for being in lockdown?

During lockdown it would be fair to say that the majority of people have put on a few pounds, including myself.?Being told to stay at home and only go out at once a day for exercise, the gyms and swimming pools being shut, as resulted in us getting out of the habit of exercise.

The number of joggers, leisure cyclists and online workout has increased. But that is a minority compared with the rest of us.?Many of us are just emerging from our enforce hibernation and unlike a bear over the winter we have put on fat not lost it.

?We can all go outside in the street, the local store and see someone who has a larger build.??The problem is we then judge them, and we are judged in turn. ?Prejudice.

If you get a group of people in a room and ask, “do you have any prejudices?” In the modern world where we are “politically correct” they all say no.?Most lie.?Because society frowns on us for having fear against something or someone that is different.

An example, we were driving to a conference with Mr X who was a former colleague (White, middle class, middle aged) ?He is an ordinary guy who is into the British football scene, always insisting when we went on these trips to listen to the football commentators giving their opinion on the latest game.??In the British football area there is a very strong anti-racist theme.?As such, a large percentage of these persons news come from this area.?Any scent of racism he is the first to say, “that’s racist, I won’t have racism.”???Yet, if a female driver were to do something that he did not like on the road, the tirade of abuse that came out of his mouth was truly vile.??This is someone who has two daughters, an anti-racist, yet holding a mountain of misogynistic rage. If the woman was of a larger build and offended him this switched him to overdrive.

Whilst there are groups of protected categories under law that it is illegal to be professionally prejudicial against, examples are race, gender, disability, religion, sexual preferences, being fattish is not one of them.?

With prejudice there is a perception, a stereotype.?If one person does something that the individual does not like that group is painted with the same brush. Larger people because of their appearance are stereotyped as they walk in the room.

There are health issues associated with being overweight. If an employer sees a person who has a larger build then they instantly have a pre-conception of that person, stereotyping them before they even say word. For example the time off this person in their opinion will take off for ill health associated with their size and age.?There is no law to protect against this.

However, unlike other prejudices of “I am what I am,” a person can make a change.?I have a bit of belly as the saying is.?It did not happen overnight, it will not go away overnight. Like any habit, my habit was exercise and eating normally.?Lockdown happened and with it the imbalance of eating more calories and burning less through the daily routines, the fat store built up.?Working from home and wearing sweat pants on the bottom and a business shirt on top during this time of video meetings became second nature.?However when summer came and put on a pair of chinos the button protested and waist line looked like a muffin top.?One of the very foods that had caused this situation. You are what you eat, well I am looking like it now.?Am I going to be judged when I got back into the office?

The road of change is not an easy or quick route and you do not need a Satnav to tell you that. You may not be able to avoid some of the ills such as diabetes, Cancer, heart conditions but you can cut your chances of developing or getting them.

?I am not suggesting going out and getting an expensive gym membership, a dietician and a personal trainer.?You can just take a 30 minute walk once a day.?Skip the salty fat laden snack for some fruit or dried fruit and a small amount of nuts.

Remember it did not happen overnight, it will not change overnight.?This is the first step and you focus when on becoming healthier. After the first step it will becomes a second and third.?That half an hour walk will become a jog.?The thoughts of a gym become reality.

?Whilst the gyms are full of Barbie dolls and Arnold Schwarzenegger lookalikes the person I respect the most is the larger person on the exercise bike, sweat matted hair, eyes down in concentration, pushing those peddles round.?They are the ones changing their life for the better, they are the game changers, the challenger brand.?Be the challenger brand, you may not end up looking like the Barbie or Schwarzenegger but you will be healthier, you will live longer and you will fight the prejudice that the law will not protect you from.?

Remember one thirty minute walk once a day is the first step.

?Ron Mayne ? 2021