Headline, March 17 2022/ ''' '' BRAZIL STUDENTS BRAINY '' '''

''' '' BRAZIL STUDENTS

 BRAINY '' '''

IN 2020, NEARLY 20 PERCENT OF BRAZILIANS OLDER THAN 20 were obese, up from roughly 15 percent in 2000. Three Brazilian states recently dedicated Sept. 10 to promoting obese people's rights.

And on of those states, Rondonia, also enacted a law in December that guarantees overweight people ''access to all places, ''dignified treatment'' and protection from ''gordofobia.''

In 2015, Brazil amended a 15-year-old federal law to extend protections for disabled people to those who are overweight, entitling them to preferential seats on public transportation and priority in certain places like banks. In Sao Sao Paulo, there are now wider seats for obese people in the metro, and Rio de Janeiro, there are some at the Maracana soccer stadium.

IN 2014 - THE EUROPEAN COURT OF JUSTICE RULES THAT severe obesity can legally render people disabled - potentially protecting them from discrimination, but obesity alone does not warrant protection.

IN BRAZILIAN courts, rulings began mentioning ''gordofobia'' in 2014 and the citations have grown steadily more numerous since, according to a review of available judgments by Gorda na Lei, or Fat in the Law, a Brazilian activist group.

In October, a judge ordered a comedian to pay a $1,000 fine for making jokes about an obese Brazilain dancer's weight. ''The defendant exuded unequivocal gordofobia,'' the judge said in the ruling. Freedom of speech is allowed, the judge added, ''but it's the state's duty to protect minorities.''

In this oceanside metropolis in Brazil's northeast, the schools are buying bigger desks, the hospitals are purchasing larger beds and M.R.I. machines and the historic theater downtown is offering wider seats.

Recife is one of the fattest cities in Brazil. It is also quickly becoming one of the world's most accommodating places for people with obesity.

That is because Recife is part of an accelerating movement across Brazil, Latin America's largest country, that experts say has quickly made Brazil the world leader in enshrining protections for the overweight.

Over the past 20 years, Brazil's Obesity rate has doubled tomore than one in four adults. In response, activists in Brazil have fought to make life less difficult for overweight Brazilians - and the success of their efforts stands out globally for changing not just attitudes, but laws.

Measures across the country now entitle the obese to preferential seats on subways, priority at places like banks and, in some cases, protection from discrimination.

In Recife, population 1.6 million, a law passed last year requires schools to purchase larger desks and educate teachers about weight-based discrimination so they can include it in their lessons. Another law created an annual day to promote overweight people's rights.

''There is a lot more we can do at the national level and, God willing, one day we can go international,'' said Karla Rezende, an activist in Recife who started pushing for the new laws after realizing that typical airplane seat belts didn't fit her. ''There are fat people everywhere, and they all suffer.''

She paused and then clarified : Cultural expectations in Brazil might mean overweight Brazilians have it particularly hard. ''The demand for the perfect body,'' she said. ''The perfect curves.''

Like many countries, Brazil has recently begun confronting racism, sexism and homophobia. But in a nation where the body is often front and center - think plastic surgery, thongs on the beach and a carnival that features more feathers than fabric - a national conversation is also now emerging over how Brazil treats overweight people.

''GORDOFOBIA,'' the term for weigh-tbased discriminationin Portuguese has become a buzzword in Brazil. It is at the center of heated debates on one of Brazil's most-watched television programs, the reality show ''Big Brother,'' and is the main issue discussed on Instagram and TikTok accounts with millions of followers.

Brazil's biggest pop star, Anitta, has made waves for including osese women in her music videos and sometimes not editing out her cellulite. And after the Brazilian country-music star Marilia Mendonca died in a plane crash last year, some journalists and commentators were widely criticized for mentioning her weight.

In some way, Brazil is catching up with the trend in the United States and Europe, where larger models have become more commonplace on catwalks. But in public policy, the movement in Brazil has quickly surpassed many other countries, experts said.

The debate in Brazil went from the media and into city halls, state legislators and Brazil's Congress.

The Honour and Serving of the Latest Global Operational Research on Great Ideas and the State-of-the-World, continues. The World Students Society thanks author Jack Nicas.

With most respectful dedication to the People, Leaders of Brazil, and then Students, Professors and Teachers of the World. See Ya all prepare and register for Great Global Elections on The World Students Society : wssciw.blogspot.com and Twitter - E-!WOW! - The Ecosystem 2011 :

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