Out on the Street
Nancy Larson
We asked a sampling of LGBT people in Birmingham, Ala.: “Do you think obesity is a problem in the gay community?”
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Kenneth Norton, 23 restaurant manager “Obesity itself isn’t an issue; it’s the fear of obesity in the gay community. Everyone is so self-conscious about the way they look. They want to project a certain image, body style, body type.”
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Rachel Sills, 27 accounting-customer service “Obesity is a problem throughout any community. I work in the fitness industry, so I see a lot of it.”
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Nadia Owian, 21 waitress “The problem is that so many of us have the outlet of drinking and not the outlet of reaching out for friends and family, because we’re not as welcome with friends and family as we are at the bar.”
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Elizabeth Wright, 25 bartender “I never got hit on when I was big. I had a gastric bypass, and now I get hit on all the time because women–especially in the gay community in the South–are very superficial.”
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Rex Cole, 38 club manager “Yes. It’s just so easy to sit and drink and eat instead of getting out and participating in events like sports. So much revolves around dinner parties and cocktail hours.”
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COPYRIGHT 2007 LPI Media
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale Group
