momlogic's Vivian:

As a blogger, I know that going out on a ledge and stating my opinions can be risky, but the job is all about starting conversations over this global watercooler we call the Web. And if you're any good at it, you'll hit a nerve and people will come out of the woodwork to either agree or disagree with you.

Well, blogger Maura Kelly hit a big nerve this week with a post on MarieClaire.com, entitled "Should Fatties Get a Room (Even on TV)?"

In commenting on the CBS series "Mike and Molly," Kelly laid the groundwork for her post by stating her distaste with our country's obsession with physical perfection: "Yes, anorexia is sick, but at least some slim models are simply naturally skinny. No one who is as fat as Mike and Molly can be healthy. And obesity is costing our country far more in terms of all the related health problems we are paying for, by way of our insurance, than any other health problem, even cancer."

But it was the statement she made next that inflamed many: "Yes, I think I'd be grossed out if I had to watch two characters with rolls and rolls of fat kissing each other ... because I'd be grossed out if I had to watch them doing anything. To be brutally honest, even in real life, I find it aesthetically displeasing to watch a very, very fat person simply walk across a room -- just like I'd find it distressing if I saw a very drunk person stumbling across a bar or a heroine addict [sic] slumping in a chair."

She tempers her statement with this: "Now, don't go getting the wrong impression: I have a few friends who could be called plump. I'm not some size-ist jerk. And I also know how tough it can be for truly heavy people to psych themselves up for the long process of slimming down."

But the damage was done. Kelly has since publicly apologized for her statement -- while revealing her own struggles with anorexia: "Believe it or not, I never wanted anyone to feel bullied or ashamed after reading this, and I sorely regret that it upset people so much. A lot of what I said was unnecessary; it wasn't productive, either. I assume people suffering from eating disorders on either end of the spectrum are doing damage to their bodies, and that they are unhappy. But perhaps I shouldn't be so quick to judge based on superficial observations."

The Hollywood Reporter published a response from show creator Mark Roberts, who also addressed his own weight struggles: "I guess 'hateful' is the only way to describe [the post]. I don't think of anybody by their body type, certainly not people that I work with and love and respect. I struggled with weight all my life, and I don't know how to address this without being angry with somebody else's stupidity about other human beings. I hate when people stand in judgment over anybody. We all have our own struggles. There's something wonderful about embracing everybody; it's what makes us human. The shocking thing is we live in a society where this was an issue. Jackie Gleason would never get on TV now because he's a large man who drank on TV. We've taken steps backward under the guise of what's healthy. Almost everybody I know struggles with something -- whether it's their weight or alcohol."

On the flip side, RadarOnline.com spoke with MeMe Roth, the president and founder of Action Against Obesity, who calls it out that the overwhelming reaction to this post points to a certain double standard: "If she had written the exact same article saying she was grossed out by two anorexics making out on TV, everyone would have applauded."

What do you guys think? In spite of the harsh delivery of her message, does Kelly have a point? Or are you with "Mike and Molly" creator Roberts?