 |
| MAIN PHOTO BY: KATIE HALCHISCHICK FROM O MAGAZINE |
With the birth of body acceptance blogs, pro-plus size groups and other inspirational "you are unique in your own way" micro-kingdoms, I was thinking, since you are okay just as you are and you should love yourself for all that it is, does that mean that when a fat girl chooses to lose weight, she hates herself?
I remembered this article "Jess Weiner: 'Did Loving My Body Almost Killed Me?". Basically it's about Ms. Jess Weiner, one of the great pioneers of body love in the US, discovering at that point that she was in a diabetes danger zone because she "kept on loving her body as is". She was then confronted with a choice on whether or not she keeps on accepting her body as is or she starts losing weight. It actually did open a can of worms for her because she has always preached to everyone that "losing weight" is not the 'beginning of your life' and that there is no need for anyone to change who they are. Obviously, losing weight would mean career suicide and people might think that she was a fraud after all. To cut the story short, she did lose weight for the health, people loved her more for it and now her new mantra is "focus on the real numbers of your health and not the weight."
I think what we can learn from this is that Ms. Weiner actually learned a whole new level about her advocacy. I think at those times, she hasn't really found the main meaning of "how to love your body". What she had at that time would be the basic meaning of it --- "look at your body, accept that it's unique and be happy with what you have because it's already beautiful! You don't need to change it to look like anyone else's". Again, there is nothing wrong there. Personally for me, it is true. I mean, our body is our instrument. It was given to us and hey! Let's just have fun with it! Also, it is Ms. Weiner's personal journey as a plus size woman so we really can't comment on that and I think that the message that came about from it was even more wonderful. I think that it was just her time to know that loving your body is more than just that. It's also about taking care of it.
Now the meaning of taking care of it will differ from one person to another. I'm not here to argue. You have to do what you have to do that is good for yourself and as long as it harms no one --- who am I to stop you? But reality bites and we all know that taking care of your body would also mean, at times, that you have to change the way you eat and live or even use your body. You may lose some weight or gain some (if that is your path), but what the hey? It's all about taking care of the engine (your body) that was given to you.
In the view of the plus size world, if a fat girl chooses to lose weight, I don't think that it actually means that she hates herself. I think what truly makes it good/bad was the reason for that choice. If it's for health and taking care of the body, why not? But if it is to conform with the general society's view of beauty (which is infinitely confusing because of the vast differences of opinion) then maybe that fat girl should take a step back. If she continues on this second path, we are sure that it's going to be an endless battle to win. It's like trying to catch an invisible shadow with perforated machinery of the future (Yes. That is how crazy and unrealistic it is.).
What do you think? If a fat girl chooses to lose weight does it mean she hates herself? COMMENT HERE.
Cheers!
Aries
