Note: I'm using the words healthy and unhealthy very loosely here, because weight isn't an indicator of health, and I don't want to label foods as healthy or unhealthy. Food is food, and all bodies are different. Healthy will look and feel different for everyone.
I've been overweight my entire life. This is due to a combination of genetics, poor diet, mental health, and environment. I grew up in a "unique" situation where I primarily lived with my mom and grandmother and only saw my dad on the weekends. Nobody taught me healthy eating habits growing up. Instead of filling meals, my parents, especially my mom, would just snack on food closest to them whenever they got hungry; this would usually be chips, cookies, chocolate, etc. This is a habit that's been passed onto me, and is one I'm struggling to break and unlearn as an adult. My mom has been struggling with depression my entire life, my grandmother worked most days, and my dad didn't cook much when he was here on the weekends, so a lot of the time my meals consisted of fast food and snacks that were easy to grab. My grandmother tried to make sure I ate "proper" meals and snacks because me getting proper nutrition was important to her, but there was only so much she could do.
The way people at school, medical professionals, and even my own family and friends treat(ed) me just because I'm overweight is something that still affects me now. I was the target of bullying and people pretending to ask me out because apparently the thought of someone liking me was funny just because I was overweight and wasn't "conventionally attractive." My skinnier friends would talk to me about how being fat was their biggest fear, and I couldn't stand to see the size of my silhouette next to theirs. I'd go to the doctor or the dentist with problems related to my mental health, and I'd be treated like a lazy, careless person. My grandmother would talk to me about my weight every day, and while I know it was from a place of concern, all she did was push me into an eating disorder and instill in me that unless I'm skinny, there's something wrong with me and nothing else about me matters.
I'm so sick of people acting like a person's health or value is determined by their weight. I'm so sick of people acting like someone isn't worthy of kindness, respect, and human decency if they're overweight. I'm so sick of people thinking that overweight = lazy and careless. There are a million reasons why someone could be overweight: genetics, diet, medications, illnesses, mental health, affordability, etc. Unless you're someone's doctor or you're asked for your help/advice/opinion, you have no business commenting on anyone's body.
I don't want to comment on the Walmart situation much because I don't think I have the words to say what I want to say in the way I want to say it, but my mom has always shopped there for her clothes. My mom has always complained about how small their plus-size clothing section is and how hard it is to find clothes she actually likes. Sizing has never been an issue for her, but I know it has been for others. I wouldn't say that Walmart is the best place to go for plus-size clothing, but I know it's some people's only option because it's much cheaper than actual plus-size clothing stores. I think plus-size clothing should be more accessible, not just in Walmart but in general. I don't think that would encourage anyone to "stay overweight." Everyone deserves to have access to clothes that are affordable, fit comfortably, and make them feel good and confident, and imo most plus-size clothing options leave something to be desired. I'm sick of floral patterns, Disney t-shirts, and tops that have weird slits in them. I'm tired of clothes that are either uncomfortable or baggy and unflattering, like Micheal said.
We don't have conversations about if skinny people should be "accepted," so we shouldn't have to have these conversations about overweight people. We're people. Our appearance, health, and weight don't determine whether we deserve human decency or not.