Is FAT the New “F” Word?

(c) NicoletaIonescu Fotosearch_k97633235

These days the “shaming” label is slapped on everything that makes us feel bad — but NOT everything we don’t want to hear is shaming. Frankly, “fat shaming” too often isn’t.

The word “fat” is not a bad word. It is not synonymous with ugly, lazy, stupid or unattractive. It is just an adjective to describe how a body looks.

Many use the “fat shaming” term simply because they don’t like the word “fat.” Others, because they don’t like hearing the truth, even when conveyed in a manner meant to compassionately confront them with the serious ramifications of their obesity. They use it to play the victim.

(c) NicoletaIonescu Fotosearch_k97656194

If an over-fat person is ashamed to have that fact brought up in a conversation by a health professional, that’s not fat shaming. It’s truth telling.

If they become defensive about an honest and sincere attempt by a loved one to talk to them about the physical and emotional repercussions of their weight, that’s not fat shaming. It’s truth telling.

Calling someone a fat pig or making fun of them because of their size isn’t fat shaming. THAT is bullying!

Before playing the fat shaming card, stop and think: Are you the victim of real bullying or of your knife and fork?

Bullies never change. But you CAN change how your body looks.

. . . and about that, I want to say the following:

Society tends to tell everyone that they are perfect the way they are and should not change a thing, but when it comes to be a health concern, something does need to change.

If you are overweight, then you should try working towards a healthier lifestyle. You should not listen to society and maintain a ton of weight and settle for calling yourself “curvy” and “thick” and “plus sized.” You should not keep telling yourself you’re comfortable as you are, eating however you wish and act like you want to be obese just because that is what you are. If you were slim, would you wake up one morning and purposely work to gain a lot of weight so you could grow into “curvy” and “thick” and “plus sized?”

The so-called “body positivity” movement, in addition to trying to make Fat the new “F” word, has given “permission” to the overweight and obese population to keep telling themselves they’re perfect the way they are, that they’re comfortable as they are, eating however they wish and acting like they want to be obese just because that’s what they are.  But telling very overweight and obese people to accept their bodies as they are, to be content with how they look even if they are extremely unhealthy is the same as telling people with anorexia that they should continue starving themselves if that makes them happy.

Every day I see obese women posting their photos on social media saying, “This is what a real body looks like,” or magazine covers with obese women conveying the same idea. Hmm . . . is that skinny shaming, I wonder? These kinds of messages, in my opinion, conveys a message to overweight young girls that being fat isn’t all that bad. It is — for their mental and physical health and longevity . . . and that’s not me doing a bit of fat-shaming. That’s me stating the truth.

😢

Additional reading on this subject:

Have You Ever Seen a Fat 90-Year-Old?

Shame on Everyone