The reason why we reduced being hefty to a spectrum of cosmetic traits that primarily influence your ability to be spotted in a crowd of less-hefty people was that we could reach no useful consensus on what "fat" entailed . . . as evidenced by this thread. The 3e treatment was clearly plain old
wrong for many real-world individuals. People sometimes have too much fat but also the muscle to carry it. Some people carry it all on their hips or thighs; others, on their belly; still others, on their chest. Then again, some people just have a little too much everywhere. And some people have the genes to live to 110 whilst overweight, while others are courting a heart attack at 35.
So if you're fat, the first thing you do is take a weight and a height that say "fat" to you. There are dozens of BMI and WHR calculators online. Pick one and use it.
Next, select some or all of your disadvantage points from this list (which runs from front to back through the
Basic Set):
- Reduced DX (moderately common, especially for those whose weight interferes with climbing, dancing, etc.; offset this with High Manual Dexterity if your fine DX is good)
- Reduced HT
- Reduced FP (very common alongside Unfit or Very Unfit)
- Reduced Basic Speed
- Reduced Basic Move (very common)
- Reduced Appearance (nothing to do with "beauty standards"; extreme body weight can distort features, which is aesthetically bad even in pro-fat societies)
- Bad Back (esp. if you carry it all on your torso)
- Increased Consumption (esp. if the fat is due to a metabolic disorder)
- Klutz (if your girth is enough to upset china shops)
- Lame (if you're so heavy that you've damaged your knees for good)
- Noisy (for those with labored breathing or elephantine footfalls)
- Overweight, Fat, or Very Fat (not in fact required – only take these if you look fat!)
- Unfit or Very Unfit (nigh-universal, and better than reduced HT for real effects)
- Distinctive Features (if you wear the fat in some bizarre way, like Kim K.)
- Incompetence (at any number of weight-sensitive skills; e.g., pudgy fingers could negate Pickpocket)
We don't have genes for fat because G-d or Nature is evil! Also consider
spending a few points on positive traits from this list (ditto):
- Increased ST (not as common as the next one)
- Increased HP (extremely common)
- DR (one level with Tough Skin seems entirely fair)
- Penetrating Voice (a large resonant cavity very much helps here)
- Resistant to Poisonous Bites (thick fat can largely negate many venomous bites in real life)
- Temperature Tolerance (a real-world reason why some societies embrace fat)
Anyway, it's the Chinese menu nature of the situation that makes a single trait inappropriate.