Body shaming, and "My Big Fat Fabulous Life"

[mlmooney89]

I reckon I am backwards because half of this doesn't make sense to me. The whole skinny shaming wasn't a real thing for me personally because I enjoyed it. I have always been thin but in my senior year of high school I stopped drinking Mountain Dew (I was addicted to it so it was a big deal) due to my meds making it taste flat. I lost 10 lbs just because of the lack of soda, my already thin body became close to anorexic and my parents threatened to get me help if I didn't gain some weight back. I knew I didn't have a disorder because my eating habits hadn't changed and I wasn't throwing up. I did though LOVE when people commented how skinny I was. I have always been told I was thin and how people admired that but suddenly it was even more. After high school I gained the weight back plus more. Like 50 lbs heavier. I wouldn't say I am chubby but compared to how skinny I had been I -felt- chubby. I really do think weight is as much in the head as it is physically an issue.

People weren't calling me skinny anymore. They weren't calling me fat or big either but the problem was that they didn't randomly tell me how skinny I was and that hurt more than it should have. I -decided- I would fix how I felt and have really put in effort and it's amazing... I feel better about myself. I have only lost 10lbs again but I have gained a LOT of muscle so even though the sensitive girl side of me sometimes gets upset it has only been 10lbs in 9 months but I can see that my shape is different and I use that instead of weight. I think girls focus too much on the actual number. They also forget that height plays into it. So many times tall girls get upset over being heavier than their shorter friends.

I digress from the original topic though. This show. I've seen parts of it and I will admit I physically couldn't stomach watching her. There is a difference between 'fat' and obese. I think we need to stop with the fat shaming as in purposely hurting those that we think are too fat but I do NOT think we should condone the whole fat is beautiful and beauty comes in all sizes because obesity in the 400lbs + is no longer just natural. They worked for that kind of weight and they will live a short, constricted life. Why praise that? Don't praise the thin girls and make them feel special. Don't accept severe obesity and make them think it is okay. Why can't we start going after the people that are just active and moving? They don't have to be in great shape or skinny but just healthy. Like a few of y'all have already said too many people blame health issues on their size and while some may be actually sick we allow too many to use that as a legit excuse. Granted it isn't my life they are hindering and I don't hafta watch a 600lb woman struggle to just stand up so if they want to slowly kill themselves so be it. My problem with weight is the same as my problem with religion. Yes you have every right to be, act, believe how you want but when it starts to become part of the culture and influencing future generations it becomes a problem for everyone. I got this from google as a summary;

"My Big Fat Fabulous Life" follows Whitney Thore's emotional journey after being diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome. The disease caused Whitney, a slender dancer at the time, to gain more than 200 pounds in one year at college. Feeling trapped in a big body, she struggled with self-doubt and negative stereotypes. Now 380 pounds and eager to continue sharing her passion for dance, Whitney has learned to embrace her body and love herself again. She teaches dance classes for plus-size girls, explores the dating scene, confronts bullies, and wears a bikini on the beach for the first time in 10 years. She also spearheads a campaign that fights body-shaming and promotes self-love and acceptance. To that end, Whitney Thore is no longer letting her fear of people's judgment dictate the way she lives her life.

This doesn't seem like they are trying to lose the weight it seems like they are trying to show that you can have a good life at that size. That we as the public should not only accept but embrace her and others at this large of a weight. I honestly think that they found someone with some medical disease so that they could use that as the one reason all of it is okay. If they had just used a person that had gotten fat everyone would say oh well it's her own fault. Since she has a medical reason the public is okay and the viewers feel like well maybe my weight isn't my fault either. I'm slightly sorry that I don't feel sorry for saying that the show is not something that is appropriate for children.