News Flash: Body Bashing and Fat Shaming Don't Inspire Weight Loss
Social media has revolutionized the world and how we communicate with one another. I am more in touch with my geographically distant family and friends than ever before, at least electronically. Although these advancements have been mostly positive, there is a dark side that can be very damaging to people. Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram; all of these platforms offer instant gratification. People put themselves out there and, sadly, what they sometimes get back is not what they were hoping to receive. The ability to speak freely and remain anonymous seems to bring out the cruel in some people.
Then there are those who don't care to be anonymous; who, in fact, are proud to broadcast their name and image with their hateful attitudes and actions. Last month, I was made aware of such a video on YouTube, in which a woman started her tirade by saying there is no such thing as fat shaming. She then proceeded to spew every nasty stereotype and joke about fat people that came to her mind. She had her 15 minutes of fame; her video went viral, and she was on the news and all over the Internet. But she also reportedly lost a job opportunity as a result.
I want to talk about the aftermath of that video, not for her but for others. There were many videos created in response to this blatant display of hatred. Some were sad, some were angry. All were passionate. All were emotional. What made me sad was that most of these respondents felt it necessary to make excuses for their size. Some said that they would change it if they could, and tried to explain why they felt this way or why they can't seem to lose the weight.
My message to these young people and everyone else is:
Your body is not public property. No individual has the right to comment on or criticize your body. How much you weigh is no one's business but yours. You are under no obligation to explain your size or your health to anyone. Neither am I!
People were meant to come in all different colors, heights, weights, shapes and sizes. Some very talented and smart friends of mine put together a great video called "Poodle Science" that explains it much better than I can:
Contrary to the opinions of some, body shaming does not motivate people to change their habits or lose weight. In fact, greater satisfaction with one's weight is associated with positive health behaviors and better health outcomes in both men and women regardless of their body mass index, or BMI.
The results of a study on body image found that the difference between actual and desired body weight was a stronger predictor of mental and physical health than was BMI. The results raise the possibility that some of the "so called" health effects of obesity are related to the way we and others see our bodies.
Stop let's obsessing about weight! Focus on the health and strength of your body and what it can do instead of how it appears or how much it weighs. Don't let the size of your body consume your life and suck up your energy. There are far more important things to be done. Live your life!
Peggy Howell is the public relations director for the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance.
