Some thoughts:

1. First, secondhand smoke is the real issue here.
2. Second thought; I really hate the smell of marijuana, what is the legality or ethics of smoking weed in a public place?

Personal health?

This issue here is not overweight, but over fat.

Why do people focus on weight not fat?

To tell somebody that they need to lose fat, or they’re fat, sounds more cruel than saying that somebody needs to lose weight or is overweight.

Weight vs Fat?

Another big issue here, is the scales at the gym. Or scales in general. It is easy to measure weight, more difficult to measure fat.

My suggestion is that gyms and places, should just provide a free fat caliper. To pinch your belly fat to measure your adipose tissue fat percentage is better than measuring your weight.

Or in other words, throw the scales into the trash. And also gyms, if they were in fact ethical, should not have scales at the gym.

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The differences in societal attitudes towards smoking and obesity, and the shaming associated with each, can be understood from various perspectives, including health, social, and historical contexts.

1. Public Health Perspective: Smoking is widely recognized as a significant public health issue, directly linked to severe diseases like lung cancer, heart disease, and stroke. Its secondhand effects also pose health risks to others. This direct, well-documented causality has led to strong public health campaigns against smoking. Obesity, while also linked to health issues like diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers, has a more complex set of causes, including genetics, environment, and socio-economic factors. The relationship between weight and health is not as straightforward as the relationship between smoking and health.
2. Social Perspective: Smoking is an action, while being overweight is a state. Actions (like smoking) are generally seen as more controllable and, therefore, more open to criticism than states (like being overweight), which may be influenced by factors beyond an individual’s immediate control. Moreover, there has been a significant shift in understanding body weight issues, emphasizing respect and empathy due to the complex interplay of factors influencing it.
3. Historical and Cultural Context: Over the years, public opinion on smoking has drastically shifted due to extensive research and public health campaigns. It’s now largely viewed as a negative habit with serious health consequences. Obesity, historically, has had varying cultural perceptions, and only more recently has it been more directly linked to health concerns. The body positivity movement has also influenced how society views body weight, advocating against shaming and for acceptance.
4. Effectiveness of Shaming: There’s an ongoing debate about the effectiveness of shaming in encouraging positive behavior change. While some argue that highlighting the negative aspects of smoking has contributed to a decrease in smoking rates, others point out that shaming, in any form, can be counterproductive and harmful, leading to negative psychological effects and possibly exacerbating the problem.

In summary, the difference in attitudes toward smoker shaming and fat shaming can be attributed to various factors, including how society perceives the controllability of the behavior, the directness of its health impacts, cultural shifts in body image perception, and the evolving understanding of what constitutes effective public health messaging.