Is it illegal to tell people they are fat?

Giraffe

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• Dec 1, 2015

• #1

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-34969424

Police are looking into this apparently. Can't actually see how this is illegal though. Harassment maybe? But if a one off on an individual basis I doubt that would stand up.

 

F

Frampler

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Aug 25, 2011

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Eastbourne

• Dec 1, 2015

• #2

I think they'll be looking at Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986.

 

StonehamPark

#Brighton-Nil

Oct 30, 2010

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BC, Canada

• Dec 1, 2015

• #3

Therefore it would be illegal to call someone 'skinny' or 'slim' surely?

Edit: Just read the article. The card given out is way OTT, it should be educational rather than hateful and abusive.

 

S

Shropshire Seagull

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Nov 5, 2004

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Telford

• Dec 1, 2015

• #4

sticks and stones ....

Might be slanderous if they are NOT fat?
Will need a definition of fat [BMI maybe?]
And probably a witness to make it stick in court.

If someone calls you fat, and you are. C'est la vie?

 

Dr Q

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Jul 29, 2004

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Ilkley

• Dec 1, 2015

• #5

If I have been handed one (being a little on the portly side), the person handing it out would be looking for a new set of teeth!

 

sydney

tinky ****in winky

Jul 11, 2003

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town full of eejits

• Dec 1, 2015

• #6

i have been kicked off numerous chat sites on face book for slagging off fat ****kaz.....perfftt....it seems that being obese is the norm these days......fat fukkaz...

 

Easy 10

Brain dead MUG SHEEP

Jul 5, 2003

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Location Location

• Dec 1, 2015

• #7

Its not just telling people they are fat though is it. Its a rant that ends up in outright abuse.

I don't know what type of person you'd have to be to get off on actually giving someone a card like that, but "complete arsehat" springs to mind.

 

pasty

A different kind of pasty

Jul 5, 2003

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West, West, West Sussex

• Dec 1, 2015

• #8

Dr Q said:

If I have been handed one (being a little on the portly side), the person handing it out would be looking for a new set of teeth!

Click to expand...

This. Especially if, as reported, it was on the underground as I am rarely in the best of moods commuting anyway.

 

Ernest

Stupid IDIOT

Nov 8, 2003

42,739

LOONEY BIN

• Dec 1, 2015

• #9

I'm HANDING out some on SATURDAY at the AMEX

 

Dick Knights Mumm

Take me Home Falmer Road

Jul 5, 2003

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Hither and Thither

• Dec 1, 2015

• #10

There is really no excuse for this sort of rudeness.

 

dazzer6666

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Burgess Hill

• Dec 1, 2015

• #11

Hope the f*****g morons handing out those things know what impact they are likely to have on, for example, people suffering from eating disorders. Public shaming and abuse/harassment/bullying isn't acceptable.

 

The Kid Frankie

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Sep 5, 2012

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• Dec 1, 2015

• #12

Notice the only people being handed these are women. Says it all about the cowards printing em.

 

Norman Potting

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Nov 5, 2006

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Sussex, Sussex not by the sea and actually nearer

• Dec 1, 2015

• #13

Perhaps they could be given a card in return saying "....and you are ingnorant and rude but I can always diet".

 

Gullflyinghigh

Registered User

Apr 23, 2012

4,279

• Dec 1, 2015

• #14

Seeing the headline I had hoped it might have been a prank that went a little too far but, nope, turns out that those doing it were just out to cause a little pain to people.

How very manly of them (because you just know it's a couple of younger blokes who have yet to meet/talk to a lady).

 

Giraffe

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• #15

That said is being fat any different from smoking?

Both are drains on the NHS.

 

tiberious

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Nov 3, 2009

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The earth

• Dec 3, 2015

• #16

More section 4a as directed against an individual.. nothing to do with weight.. on a side note they were discussing disability hate crime on the news ..a lady with facial disfigurement was told she was ugly.. she stated it was a hate crime but is it different from a non disfigured female being told she is ugly ? Also the definition of hate crime is anybody percieves it to be because of race gender disability etc there does not have to be any proof that it is because of it.. for example if some one said i was fat.. (im just big boned ) and i percived it as a hate crime it has to be recorded as one..ive used fat as a simple example