I go back and forth on whether to respond to such essays. I’m not a psychologist so I can’t say with any authority if people actually do find obese people “disgusting” or if that is just your interpretation, and if feelings of disgust, if they exist at all, arise in response to the physiological fact: being obese is unhealthy.

We are social animals. We live in societies. Your obesity does affect all of us. We can compare “normal” size (not necessarily “thin”) you to “obese” you. Obese you has joints and organs that will wear out sooner than normal size you, meaning you can’t contribute to society as much or as long. Obese you has health issues that cost far in excess of normal size you. Society covers many of these costs — especially true if the US finally joins the rest of the world and gets Medicare for All. Obese you has special needs like plus size access, seats, doors, etc. that costs more than normal size you needs. In an emergency, obese you won’t be able to help children and the elderly (for example) get out of a burning building, whereas normal size you could.

I’m not a doctor and I don’t pretend to know all the reasons for obesity. I do know as a person who reads reports and studies and has eyes that the US in particular has gotten considerably fatter over the last 40 years. This is something that affects all of us negatively. It is not just a personal issue.