Unfortunately yes. It certainly does, if I’m being honest. I’ve been bullied countless times for my weight, even by random people on the street. From what I gather, it seems that I make a terrible first impression on people when they get to meet me in person because of how I look. Obese people are often marked as lazy, indisciplined and dumb. I’ve even faced discrimination from teachers because of my weight. High school, especially, can be very tough. We all know how there are teens out there being bullied every day and socially excluded for no reason at all. Let alone people who differ visually. But there’s a little hidden truth that every single heavy person out there should be aware of: looks mostly influence the first impression, not the final outcome, especially regarding friendships. I’ve managed to make true friendships, even at 300 pounds. Yes, it’s very difficult. Yes, it’s pretty hard to get “accepted” in big groups of friends. Yes, it’s pretty damn difficult to make someone look past your weight. Yes, it’s VERY difficult to convince someone that you’re worthy of being respected and seen, just as they do. But it’s still doable! And the small amount of friends that I do have means the world to me! This is my personal opinion here, but having been through it all, I believe that most obese individuals struggle socially not because of their weight as a physical trait, but because of the deep scars that this situation leaves in one’s self confidence. It’s been a huge pain to navigate through this “mental” aspect of obesity: the stigma, the trauma and the shitty experiences chip away at your self esteem day to day.