2 posts tagged “fat acceptance”

Fat acceptance is a very scary thing.

I've been fat my whole life. And through societal signs, I had come to accept the fact that my physical appearance was to blame for many of my failures. Being fat meant that I was ugly, lazy, stupid, impulsive, weak, out of control, unhealthy, unable and unwilling to change. I didn't have a boyfriend because I was fat. I didn't dress nice because I was fat. It was an easy catch-all that meant I never had to develop any other aspect of my personality.

And then comes fat acceptance. I start reading and realize that I don't have any health problems because of my weight. Nor has being fat impaired my academic development. I'm fat because of genetics, I can't permanently lose weight because diets don't work. I realize that there is nothing wrong with being fat.

Fat acceptance is a very scary thing because if I can't blame it on being fat, that means something else is to blame. I don't have a boyfriend because I'm an aggressive and emotionally insecure bitch. I don't dress well because I have absolutely no sense of style. My system no longer works. But I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with its replacement.

I never realized how many narrow fucks there are in my immediate circle. It started Sunday night, while watching Nacho Libre. CB made an offhand comment. My anger has overridden my memory, so I can’t even think clearly on what it was. The movie stars Jack Black, so I’m sure it was a reference to his portly air. I almost left on the spot. Then last night at Friday’s, the fat hate continued with DP freshman funny man RT. Talking about fatties at theme parks. And when I called him on it, he pulled some bullshit excuse that I wasn’t fat. Not me. He wouldn’t possibly be associating with me if I were fat.

I hate that its become acceptable to behave that way. I’m truly disgusted by the state of our society. I was reading on Fatshionista about a girl whose friend put a “No Fat Chicks” sticker on his car. Someone made a comment that he would probably not put a “No Wetbacks” sticker (or any other equivalent) on his car. That’s clearly hate speech. But people have such a distorted view of fat that no one dares to stand up, even though it is clearly discriminatory language. Fat acceptance is a grassroots movement that’s been around since the 1970s. So much progress has been made by racial minorities, women, and the GLBT community; why is fat still discriminated against?

There is something to be said for the distorted view. Many describe fatness as “gross,” “sickening,” and “disgusting.” Children as young as five are already worried about dieting. I read about a 12 year old who had liposuction. These kids are being fed (no pun intended) lies about their health. Recent studies by our own government show that people above normal weight live longer, better lives than those who are underweight. So why is it still considered such a problem to be fat? Fat and healthy are not mutually exclusive. I applaud efforts to increase exercise and healthy eating habits among Americans, but health is independent of weight. In the past I’ve gone to the gym four days a week for months and never lost a pound. I’ve gone on extreme caloric reduction diets and lost no more than ten. There were certainly health benefits of working out (strengthening muscles and improved cardiovascular functioning) but often the diets did more harm than good. Many dangers associated with being overweight can actually be attributed to yo-yo dieting, not actual weight. Dieting just fucks up your system, especially at such a young age.

Some people view fatness as a result of laziness. “Letting yourself go.” Because I wanted to purposely place myself outside of society’s norm, thereby incurring insults and mockery. Why are we still perpetuating this myth? Why can’t we be accepting of those who are different? I don’t want to change who I am to fit in. I shouldn’t have to. I like being who I am. I get depressed not because of my looks, but because I live in a society where it’s not okay to just be yourself.

FAT!SO? : Because You Don't Have to Apologize for Your Size

http://www.chubstergang.com
http://www.bigfatblog.com
http://www.fatso.com
http://www.sizequeenzine.org