It appears in the last few years there has been a shift in societies views. Disparaging comments are directed from one marginalised group to the next like the changing of the seasons. The Fat Acceptance Movement is upon us.
I say this with a clear understanding that I will be targeted and told that I’m fat shaming and causing harm to young women everywhere who buy into the mass media and can lead to a view that I’m proaneroxia (seriously this was an actual comment made by my own sister on Twitter to me). Let me clarify. I am NOT proaneroxia. I believe in maintains a balanced diet, portion control and never completely denying myself of anything. As a Nurse I’m always on the move and pretty much spend most of my shift partaking in some level of cardio exercise.
These days society has a new view of what is the “ideal” body. Curvy and full sized is “in” and is skinny girls have become the target of scrunity.
Any skinny girl will tell you there are certain comments that will be made to them at some point in their life that has almost become a social norm and individuals are meant to accept it?…. I think not.
“Wow you’ve lost weight/ really skinny/ wasting away. I think you need you eat more” – please note this comment is usually combined with a poke to the stomach or hips by a much larger individual then I. Apparently people believe that these type of derogatory comments aren’t offensive. I what the twisted minds of these individuals don’t get is that telling people to eat more is just as ignorant and ride as telling someone to eat less.
“You look anorexic”. Let’s just be clear, eating disorders are a mental illnesses. They are not something to be mocked or taken lightly. 5% of women and 2% of men deal with eating disorders on a daily basis. My grandmother when she was alive would always tell me I must be anorexic if I wasn’t hungry at the particular time and if I was and devoured my meal, she would tell me I must be bulimic. Everyone has body issues, fat or thin. Just because I am slender does not mean I am immune from these comments. Telling someone they are gross and overweight is the same thing as telling someone that they look too skinny and anorexic.
Like the changing of the seasons, healthy eating trends come and go. People will always jump on the bandwagon and partake in the latest celebrity diets for a period. I personally don’t diet but I do cook. I’m made a concious effort to put more veg into everything I cook and serve dinner on a side plate for me and a dinner plate for my husband (otherwise I’ll eat the same size portion as him). Some people take these diet trends all to seriously and by doing so make themselves a target for teasing but realistically making the healthy choice shouldn’t be shamed. If a girl is petit and watches what she puts into her body she is automatically labels as dumb and vain. But again would these comments be made openly to an individual who lives on take aways? I don’t think so.
I’ll own up to it. I don’t have an arse or BOOTY. My husband says he likes my small bum but according to society, the media and now it appears the music industry I’m not a real woman because I don’t have curves. Now I’m very proud of the fact I have maintained my slim figure and a healthy weight but i am more then then number on my clothes or on the scales. Shouldn’t I be judged on my accomplishments and intellect? It may have taken me awhile to get then but I am in a career path as a learning disability nurse, a job than is both mentally and physically exhausting. Instead people look at me and see and “skinny bitch” – thank you for that Meghan Trainer and the rest. If an average sized or overweight woman was openly referred to as a bitch their would be riots and calls for heads in sticks.
As Miss Trainer sings “go ahead and tell them skinny bitches. Hey no, I’m just playing I know you all think your fat”. So it appears Miss Trainer and others in the music industry (cough cough Mr Brown and Miss Minaj) all appear to strongly insinuate if not openly state that slender women are self obsessed Barbie Dolls who all have some level of body dysmorphia. If fat women were shamed and called out in this manner I’m pretty sure society would blow a fuse.
Yes the media hasn’t helped matters. Tabloid magazines have been referring to people as being “too fat, too thin” for years but in a era of fat acceptance this is pretty demoralising. Society has decided to accept unhealthy lifestyles. I suppose when 30% of the worlds population is obese, if you can’t beat them join them.
My point of all this is, stop with the double standards. Regardless of your size/ shape/ weight remember that this shits hurts. I’m I want to take a selfie post-workout or show off my body I’ve worked hard to keep when pushing 30 years old. I damn well if I want to!
Mrs N K 