Friday night on Real Time with Bill Maher, the HBO host went after the American people, blaming obesity for our present health care crisis as well as equating overeating to racism and littering as a behavior that should be shamed in a public forum. He also suggested that “fat shaming” should “make a comeback” during his New Rule segment of the show.

“In August, 53 Americans died from mass shootings,” said Maher to his engaged studio audience. “Terrible right? Do you know how many died from obesity? Forty thousand. Fat shaming doesn’t need to end it needs to make a comeback. Some amount of shame is good. We shamed people out of smoking and into wearing seat belts. We shamed them out of littering and most of them out of racism. Shame is the first step in reform.”

Maher continued to rant, blaming American overeating habits for climate change and the ever present health care crisis. Maher mentioned a 1969 photo of the crowd at the Apollo 11 launch and how “un-fat” the American public looked at that time.

“We look like a completely different race of people,” he said. “Now look at us. We wear our ancestors could have used as a sail.”

He also lambasted the Democratic candidates for being seemingly hypocritical by adhering to liberal sensitivities while also ignoring the obesity problem: “You’re the NRA of mayonnaise. We’ve gone to this weird place where fat is good. It’s pointing out that fat is unhealthy that’s what’s bad. Fat shame? We fit shame. Really.”

Speaking on the public’s shift towards body acceptance over the years, the HBO host had the following to say: “When did it become taboo in this country to talk about getting healthy? Weight Watchers had to literally take the words Weight and Watchers — I’m not kidding — out of their name. It’s now WW. Because merely the idea of watching your weight is now bullying. What’s next? Banning scales?”

“We look at fried chicken and think: that’s a good start. Now put it on a bun,” he said, speaking about our eating habits. “And add bacon. And cheese. And something no one’s even thought to put on it. Make my mouth [orgasm]. What’s Elizabeth Warren’s plan for that?”

“Being fat isn’t a birth defect,” he insisted. “Nobody comes out of the womb needing to buy two seats on the airplane. Here it is in a nutshell from the New York Times:Poor Diet is the Leading Cause of Mortality in the United States. Everyone knows that obesity is linked to terrible conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and virginity.”

Again, speaking about the Democratic Presidential Candidates, Maher demanded “at next Thursday’s debate, one of the candidates has to say, ‘The problem with our health care system is Americans eat sh–, and too much of it.’ All the candidates will talk about their health plans but no one will mention the key factor.The citizens don’t lift a finger to help. And then the candidates will go back on the trail the next and try to prove they’re just as big a gluttonous slob as the rest of us…”

You can check out the clip above and catch new episodes of Real Time with Bill Maher on Fridays at 10PM EST on HBO Now.

Michael is a music and television junkie keen on most things that are not a complete and total bore. You can follow him on Twitter — @Tweetskoor

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