Let's examine that. I'm in agreement that fat is under the control of the fat person, of course. We are all responsible for our condition, whatever that is. However, the degree to which fat people are "held responsible" when compared to other self destructive behaviors is extreme.

After all, smoking costs everyone monetarily in terms of insurance premiums, taxes, healthcare costs, and misery at least as much as fat does. But smokers aren't ridiculed in most every public forum. The same comparison could be made for alcoholics or drug users. Robert Downey Junior probably advanced his career with his addictions (he certainly didn't slow it down). If he'd done something similarly self destructive -- say, gain 100 pounds of fat -- would that have been the case?

Another self inflicted flaw might be someone who routinely drives carelessly and causes his face to be hideously burned in a crash, or puts himself into a wheelchair. Is it all right to ridicule that person because "he did it to himself?" it was under his control, too.

I'm not saying the fat aren't responsible for what they (we) have done to ourselves. I loathe the fat acceptance movement because it's predicated on a Big Lie. And I don't think it's entirely unreasonable for airlines to charge a person who takes up two seats for the privilege.

But I am saying that in significant ways, the fat tend to be held responsible, to pay the social price for that flaw than other self destructive behaviors.