I ran across this (I think on reddit) and at first I liked it, and then, the more I thought about it, the more it began to bug the crap out of me:

I will tell you why it bothers me: first off, it’s extremely self-congratulatory- in essence the person posting it is posting that they’re an enlightened human being for not being disgusted by the fatty who was running.

First off - anyone who is running, thin or fat, should have the right to run without fear of embarrassment Second, the person thinks that by saying that if the fat person running would look up, he’d see that this (presumably thin) person wouldn’t look condescendingly at him, but would see the respect in their eyes. Third, it assumes that the fat person is running because of all the bad choices they made - beer, dessert, midnight snacks, and that they must hate their body (“fuck off, fat”). Fourth, it makes a spectacle of the fat person, even if they mean it in a positive light.

This is an aspect that I don’t think a lot of people get - that when a fat person does something it is necessarily politicized. If a fat person runs, they can’t just fucking go for a run, they’re either laughed at, or applauded at. But you don’t do that to thin runners, who could very well be running because of that extra dessert or midnight snack or beer.

We don’t get to just exist - we are wholly on display to people judge us. If we run, it must be because we hate our bodies, and want to get healthier, and are making up for all the bad food decisions we made in our lives, and not because we fucking enjoy it. And if we DO do something for our health, it’s instantly something to glorify and point out as an example to judge other fat people against.

And for people who will point out how the runner is sweating and panting and clearly not “in shape” I say to you: can you run without panting and sweating?