I read a lot of blogs and websites when it comes to learning about the healthy lifestyle to which I aspire. I figure, any insights I can gain from someone who has successfully been on this journey have a chance of being beneficial to me also.
That said, evening with all this reading, I sometimes learn there are “things” out in the health and wellness world I have never ever heard of before. Such was the case recently when I read about the Fat Acceptance Movement. I never knew such a thing existed until I read this post by Carolyn Hall, on a site called the Thought Catalog, billed as a “website dedicated to your thoughts and ideas.”
Ms. Hall’s post, “6 Things I Don’t Understand About the Fat Acceptance Movement,” has generated nearly 5,000 responses. In her own bio introduction, she describes herself as being of “normal” size who “fluctuates between being about a 6 and about a 10.” That told me right off the bat she cannot relate to my struggles. She attempts to paint a picture of someone who is worried about the health of America, and perhaps she is. Perhaps she does think it is all about health. I know that is my own main reason for wanting to drop some weight, but at the same time putting an end to snide remarks from coworkers and others who seem to want to make it their business what happens to be on my plate, that would be a nice bonus. The discrimination overweight people endure on a daily basis, professionally, socially, you name it – I don’t see a lot of the “fat acceptance” that the author describes.
Granted, I have to read up more on the Fat Acceptance Movement itself. Of course, I went to Google right away. Have you heard of it? Do you think it’s just another case of society trying to put a label on something so it could be compartmentalized or sorted away into its own corner? Is being acceptable of ALL people really a movement?
At 47 years old, it has taken me a long time to be comfortable in my own skin, to walk with confidence, to feel attractive and desirable. Ms. Hall seems to not be able to understand how that is remotely possible when a woman has a lot of weight to lose.
In response to her nearly 5,000 replies, she wrote a reply of her own, posted a few weeks after the original article. And other writers chimed in as well, including this one, who also wrote on Thought Catalog, and this one on the Huffington Post.
What are your thoughts on this? Do you think America is too accepting of fat? Do you think body positivity is limited only to a certain size on the clothes rack? We would love to hear your thoughts on Ms. Hall’s article or any of the others mentioned here.