If you’re a big person… then you familiar with Casual Male Retail Group, Inc. They have a few different “fronts” to their company including Casual Male XL, Rochester Big & Tall, Shoes XL, & Living XL. 

Being a big guy… these resources are critical to me!  I mean if a pair of shorts are ripping out (which is a common affair for a big guy), there’s no stopping in at the local Walmart for a new pair.  I have to either find a local Big & Tall store or order a new pair and wait for them to arrive. 

So, when the catalog/website Living XL came out it was very intriguing to me. There a ton of products made with the big man in mind.  There are a number of great products, but the prices.  The prices are ridiculous.  I guess when you have the “fat guy” market cornered you can charge whatever you’d like. 

One product for example is a toliet seat made for big butts!  Big John™ as they call it is in my opinion “the toilet seat from heaven”.  I mean it most definitely looks like it would cushion my tush very nicely. 
If only I could afford the luxuries of a $124.95 toilet seat! – For that price is should also wipe for you.

Now, don’t get me wrong here.  I love Casual Male.

During the Sunday message @ NewSpring Church in Anderson, SC – Perry Noble was discussing Alcohol and whether or now it’s a sin to drink.  (in which he says it’s not) he directly compares the issue to being overweight or obese.  When I first read his notes on the sermon, I was a little offended.  It seemed he was just continually picking on overweight people.  You can watch the entire sermon here. A few of the excerpts are…

• When I mentioned that alcohol deaths in America are around 100,000 per year…but obesity related deaths are around 300,000 and climbing…WHY ISN’T THE CHURCH TALKING ABOUT THAT?
• (The church is the only place in America where a glutton can look at a drunkard and somehow feel more righteous than them!)
• When I said to the pastors who would watch by internet, “I know some of you are pastors and are going to email me and tell me I’m a liberal and that I’m going to hell because I say it is ok to drink alcohol in moderation.  BUT…before you do…please look down and make sure you can see your toes!  Because if you can’t…you writing me would be sort of like you trying to remove a speck in my eye with a plank in yours!”
• I also mentioned that the SBC passed a resolution several years ago about drinking alcohol…what I’m wondering is when they are going to pass one against abusing buffets!

As you see there are some pretty “in your face” comments here.  I do agree that being unhealthy and abuing your body with food (or whatever) is wrong.  To me there is no doubt about this.  But! (and this is a BIG but)  The one thing that frustrates me about talking about this from a pulpit is that people who are struggling w/ weight sitting in that church stick out like a swore thumb.  Pretty much every other issue is either internal or a habit that can be given up and no one will know you’re dealing with it that morning…   

• Anger
• Smoking
• Drinking
• Trusting God
• Reading your Bible

For instance, has anyone ever heard a Pastor say “people really should be bringing their Bibles to church with them” and that just happens to be the Sunday you didn’t bring your. haha  That feeling that everyone is looking at you and knows you didn’t bring yours hits you like a ton of bricks.  Now, just imagine how a 400 lb man would feel when that Pastor says “Being overweight or obese is a sin”.  Yea, it makes you feel like crap!  On my first visit to Granger Community Church this was the topic, about keeping good care of your body.  The speaker was a middle-aged woman that probably weighed less than my right leg.  I still love GCC, because I know their heart but it was tough for me during and after that service.  I got out of there as quick as possible.  I felt like everyone was staring at me.  (It didn’t help that as I looked around the room there weren’t very many other big people in the room)

Now, I’m not saying that churches should skip addressing the issue of obesity.  (I actually think more should)  But, I am asking is there another way of doing it?  Could it not be done more in a 1-on-1 type of way or maybe not focus on it for the majority of the message?  Anyone have any thoughts/suggestions on other ways to handle it?

Back to Perry Noble though… the next day after reading his sermon notes and feeling a little hurt, he put out another post that gave me some of his history and stuggles with weight.  This seemed to make everything a lot easier to hear, as I knew he was coming at the issue with some experience.
Here is his encouraging story.  & Here is his tips on weight loss.

So, Perry thank you for bringing up the issue.  It has really helped me.  You are an inspiration to us all!

Why is it that all of the sudden I have to pay two to three dollars more per shirt for a XXL or XXXL?  Who thought that, ‘Hey…here’s a plan, lets make the larger, fat, tall (whatever) people pay more for their clothing just because of their size!’  Honestly…how much more material does it take? How many more man/woman hours does it take to make XXL and XXXL shirts as opposed to S-XL? My guess is that it doesn’t take any longer.  I think I will coin this as ‘Fat Tax’….and I don’t like it. It’s bad enough with the rising costs of everything else!  Even though I hate Wal-Mart with just about every fiber of my being, (I’m more of Target person. Mostly because I feel safer.) I do have to admit that they DO have the cheapest prices around (except for a place like Savers, Salvation Army, Good Shepherd Alliance, Goodwill…etc.) 

One more thing. I used to be able to buy larger size shirts at Gap, Old Navy and American Eagle.  Well, they still carry XXL size shirts but when I try them on, they are actually more around an XL size.  All I can say is…why? I’m sure they don’t really even miss my business (Darn you corporations!) but it does make me sad that I can no longer wear a lot of what’s in style.  Are they sizing small children for these shirts?  I mean come on.  Make something I can buy! I don’t mean to sound bitter about all of this.  I’m actually a very happy person. I wish I could think of a way to get the prices to be the same and give a positive suggestion but I can’t.  Anyway…What do you think? Do you believe that this ‘Fat Tax’ is unfair and unwarranted as I do?  Tell me your thoughts.

Post written by Mike Cunsolo. www.mikecunsolo.com