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I have taken many trips to Central America with a friend who is very overweight. People in most of the cultures there have no problem telling her she's fat. One person even commented that it was okay that she was so fat because she's not ugly. People have also expressed their health concerns for her. What makes it different than in the US is that it's just a comment - similar to saying someone has red hair or green eyes. The intent behind the observation is entirely different than it would be if these things were said in the US. I've found that the Latin American culture, in general, is much more accepting of people how they are and, at least from my travels, they seem to have fewer problems with obesity. Could it be that the pressure to be thin, makes people fatter?

posted 4 years, 9 months ago
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