The Nurturing Well by: Jill Starbuck
More than 30 years ago, I was a sixth grader walking down a hallway when a high school student pointed at me and loudly proclaimed, “Now that’s what I call fat!” I can tell you what I was wearing that day, how I felt afterwards, how I feel about it today, and who the person was that made the fat shaming comment. I will never forget it. The worst part is that the person who made the comment more than likely doesn’t even remember doing it. Little does he know that it left a lifetime impression. And not a good one.
While fat shaming can be blatantly hurtful such as the one I experienced in the sixth grade, fat shaming can also be subtle. Concerned family members and friends may offer unsolicited eating, fashion, or exercise advice in the hopes it will provide motivation. Recently, a college in Pennsylvania e-mailed students it deemed overweight to invite them to a weight loss program. While the college’s intent was to raise awareness about health risks associated with obesity, singling out specific students was definitely the wrong approach.
All this unsolicited advice does is make people feel worse about themselves. What it doesn’t do is help. Studies show that fat shaming often leads to more weight gain. Fat shaming causes depression, anxiety, and a plummeting self-image, among other self-destructive responses. To ward off these negative responses, victims may reach for comfort food, refuse to exercise at a gym for fear of ridicule, become reclusive, or worse, give up hope.
Today, nobody is exempt from fat shaming. Technology makes it so much easier to reach people; thus, creating more opportunities for abuse. Even celebrities face ridicule. Take for instance Kelly Clarkson, Iggy Azalea, and Jennifer Love Hewitt. Unflattering pictures of them have gone viral, which causes hurt feelings, leads to self-doubt, and can even harm their careers. In the end, who does this help? What does this say about the people making the comments to begin with?
The point is that there is no point to fat shaming. Obese people know that they are overweight. Therefore, it is not necessary to point out the obvious to them. Furthermore, the media has made it clear that there is no such thing as a perfect body. Skinny celebrities and models have been accused of being fat. You can find countless articles on the Internet that verify the majority of model photos are touched up to fix particular flaws, such as cellulite or flabby skin often associated with heavier people. Therefore, sometimes a weight issue can be a matter of perception.
Many reasons exist to explain why a person may be overweight. Not all instances of obesity are from a lack of discipline. Genetics, bone structure, stature, medication, health issues, and so much more contribute to a person’s body weight. A perceived overweight person may actually be a very healthy person.
Jill Starbuck has 20 years of experience as a business writer, editor, and market research analyst. She is a certified health coach through the Integrative Institute of Nutrition and a certified running coach through the Road Runners Club of America. She is also the co-owner of a running business. She can be reached at jillstarbuck@hotmail.com.
