The only thing that dieting really does is allow us to fit in. By dieting, a fat person tells the world "Yes, I realize that I'm fat, but I'm desperately try to correct that in order to fit in." If that dieting results in some temporary weight loss, said fat person may actually fit in a bit more, and receive some of the benefits of thinness.

The benefits of thinness in a fat-hating society are many. Being thin allows you to avoid the kinds of discrimination that fat people experience in schools, the job market, and medical treatment. Being thinner can mean less glares, and less uninvited judgment by others regarding food and fitness.

When you're subject to so many negative stereotypes (lazy, slovenly, unhealthy, etc.) as a result of being part of the group, a natural reaction is to try to leave that group or "pass" for a member of a more highly regarded group. We've seen examples of that among negatively stereotyped minority groups before. With fatness, however, we have a variant of this situation because (a) many members of the fat group don't perceive themselves as part of any group and (b) the dominant culture tells us that if we had more willpower and got dieting right, we wouldn't be in that negatively stereotyped group. In other words, being fat is often seen as a choice which makes fat people even more deserving of these stereotypes.

I'm only laying all of this out on the line to bring an awareness to it. Because, frankly, I think fitting in is highly overrated. I'd rather just fit out. If you take a moment to think about some of your favorite people, whether they're your friends and family, or artists, musicians, politicians, activists or whatever, do the people you really admire really fit in? Or do they buck trends, say unpopular things, look funny, and/or have innovative ideas?