I Love My Body, Do You Love Yours?

Fat shaming is quite a popular activity nowadays. I hear it so often and find none are spared – celebrities or ordinary women, even men. Remember Fardeen Khan? He was trolled after he put on weight and is nowhere near the hot hunk he was when had joined the film industry.

“Fat Shaming is the act of poking fun at someone for being overweight or telling someone they are worthless, useless, lazy, or disgusting because they are plump. In fact, it means to make an overweight female feel uncomfortable, usually by telling her something is wrong with her weight." 

I think fat shaming is just a fancy word for being unkind to people; to belittle them and make them feel inadequate for something that many do not even have control over. Not all of us are blessed with hypermetabolism and not all of us eat to live, some like me actually love food. Some have medical issues that make it difficult to shed weight some are genetically ‘plus size’. Just like size zero is an unrealistic goal, yet, it is pursued by many. Being obese is unhealthy but sadly, our society feels justified in voicing their opinions about anyone if they are anything more than downright skinny.

I am unapologetic about my love for food and drink; I love my spirits and meat. Fried food is my weakness and even though I like to have a balanced diet I do not shy away from what I like. Bread, another highly debatable food has always been my favourite quick fix. All this love for food, of course, adds up to me being overweight. Yes, there I said it online just as much I say it in real life. Telling me to just say no when food is offered, to choose to eat salads and boiled food, or even the water and cucumber diet, GM Diet and Atkins diet makes no difference to me.

The health mantra today is about being fit and not just skinny. Being thin is no longer a guarantee for being healthy yet our parameter for success, drive, ambition and even love is about being constantly starved. If you are thin then everything is good, you must be happy, successful and healthy. Fat means you are a loser since you can’t lose those pounds. I remember being publically chastised by a friend when once I told her that I was going to make some fried food after a walk. She felt it was a waste of all the calories I had burnt during the walk. I would have eaten the fried food regardless of the walk, at least now I had had some exercise before the food!

Diets that cover every possible food group and pills offering instantaneous results if you are on a 500 calorie diet; such ‘get thin quick schemes’ are many. (By the way, an average woman needs 2000 calories.) For a person who has always been ‘big’ both in size and weight I have had innumerable discussions on food and weight, and diet fads. The most popular one are the ones with the most restrictions. The most obvious time to talk about eating less is the moment we are about to eat.

Conversations abound on topics like how some have given up carbohydrates, just to boost their metabolism, since she does exercise a lot but doesn’t shed weight  fast enough, and another has sworn off ‘all whites’ as they are responsible for bloating etc. It is all very nice to advise me on my diet and exercise but you are not me and will never truly understand what it is to be fat. The fight against the bulge, the clothes in three different sizes, and finding yet again that a favourite piece of clothing does not fit is not fun. I used to get upset and feel guilty but now I just smile, nod and take a bite of my food, chew and savour it. This is also a way to avoid saying anything nasty in response!

The discussions are never-ending, the things to give up seem so limitless that it makes me wonder, ‘do some of them live on water?’ I am not just thick, you see I have developed a ‘thick skin’ as well. Fat acceptance as it is called links to happiness, less stress and health. I refuse to compromise on my food choices. I refused to be fat shamed. I accept myself, I think you should too.