While Puhl has found in her research abroad that other Western countries’ negative attitudes line up with those found in the United States, there is an American individualism, Protestant-work-ethic thing going on, too. “If you’re overweight, that means you didn’t try hard enough, you deserve what comes with that,” Puhl said, describing the logic at play. “If you’re thin, you’re doing the right thing; you will be rewarded. That kind of thinking is fundamental to the American consciousness. The media perpetuates these messages, and we don’t have policies. So if you put all of those things
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