Fat Shame All You Want
Apparently, it’s acceptable.
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The title was sarcasm from someone who has become cynical about this subject. I just thought I would make that clear.
Shannon Ashley is a writer I follow on Medium that I respect. I don’t always agree 100% with what she writes, but she has an unmatched honesty. She has forced me to look into things and shift my point of view. That is what makes a good writer.
I came across this article by her that resonated with me. As a matter of fact, I responded to the article in comments like I had never responded to another article before. I wanted to share some of that commentary with you and take you on a bit of a longer journey. Ready?
My family is all overweight/obese. It’s viewable in our genetics. 2 of my cousins have lipedema — one is treated, and the other isn’t, but she shows all the signs. I sent her your articles. The point is — fat or not, medical diagnosis or not, we’re all still human beings.
The human beings portion is what seems to be difficult for a lot of people to understand. I’m not targeting skinny people. It’s everyone. It’s even us. We’ve been fed a steady dose of weight loss methods, dietary restrictions, and exercise gimmicks all of our lives. I remember realizing I was fat in third grade when someone was kind enough to point it out.
I was an introvert, even then. An only child of adoptive parents, I had no one around to play with. Even so, I made friends, and I remember riding my bike, skating, running from neighborhood to neighborhood, and having a very active imagination and lifestyle. We lived in small towns and around a lot of kids. Even though I didn’t get into sports until I was in high school, there was plenty to do.
My point? If you’re that active yet still fat, there’s obviously more going on than being lazy and a pig. But, when I was bullied for it, that was what was chosen. And even as an adult, those of us who are not slim will often be targeted because those doing the bullying see themselves as…
