Yes, I'm fat! There is no other way to really say it. My BMI is at some ridiculous number, and my scale, calipers, and measuring tape confirm it. My "normal" clothes have long ago ceased to fit, my thighs are compressed, my bat arms jiggle, and my stomach is a lumpy mess. Yes, ladies and gentlemen I am fat. In the long list of horrible genetics I have been the benefactor of, the one saving grace is that I am tall and so for me a ten pound gain was barely a ripple in the pond, but an *ahem* 80lb gain, not so much.
I know there has been a lot of talk in the media as of late about fat shaming. Calling fat people fat is apparently completely and utterly rude, but talk to those same people on either side of that heated fence about calling someone skinny, and no one even bats an eyelash. Here is the thing, and to be clear, I'm pointing all the fingers in my direction as well on this, but when did we just become okay with watching someone, adicts really, do their addict thing to the point where we are now as a nation where it's gotten so bad that even 10 year olds are developing type 2 diabetes and being called morbidly obese? At what point should we speak up and say something? Is it at their funeral? Is that the only time that it's okay? I was too young at the time, but I wish I'd gotten a chance to talk to my aunt who died of a heart attack due to complications with her weight, but I'll never have that now.
We (again, speaking to myself on this as well) have gotten to a place where we aren't talking to people, like they have an issue or addictions that they need help for, anymore. We're simply catering to the ego. We don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, so we just go on all denying and enabling one another until its too late. Ironically we have started to see figures in the public eye who have been fervent supporters of things like plus sized pride, realize the error of their ways and changed their tune because they realized the benfits of being healthy. People like Melissa McCarthy who swore she'd never lose weight, Monique who constantly spoke about "skinny bitches" in her comedy tour, Paula Deen, the butter queen lost substantial weight, Christina Aguilera constantly spoke of love for her new overweight body at the time but has since dropped the weight, and the list goes on.
I am one of the lucky ones who had a family literally have an intervention as a whole, with our entire larger family about collective bad habits and lack of exercise. It wasn't just the fat people, it was the skinny people, the young people, the old people, everyone sat in a room and talked openly and frankly about how we need to do better as a family and how we can help each other, and what we need to do to keep us out of an early grave. This is an approach that needs to happen on a wider scale. We need friends and family members to work together with one another so we can once again be healthy families, and in turn a healtheir nation. This however, doesn't begin with denial. We can't tell keep coddling one another and be worried about who's feelings we're going to hurt for pointing out the truth because these really are becomming life and death matters. You, nor your child, should have to take insulin or heart medications for something completely preventable. This is where the outrage comes from. We are dying uncessarily and we're supposed to stand by and watch it all continue to happen yet if we were to replace the words fat person with alcoholic, no one would see a problem with confronting someone on their issue and trying to help them lead a healtheir life for themselves and their family.
Now, I'm not saying go out into the streets and start calling every fat person you see fat. That doesn't make you a hero, that makes you an a-hole. However, when it comes to your family and your friends, if you see they are having issues, take them aside and just talk to them about their weight and don't simply try to pretend that they aren't overweight or obese. Offer help if you can, be a friend and go to the gym with them instead of just telling them they ought to go.
So what is this fat person doing? I'm getting off my butt, and trying to work on this major problem so I can stop saying I'm a fat person which is the very truth of the matter, and start saying I'm a healthy one. I'm currently 20lbs down and counting, and not because I wanted to continue to sit in a bubble of denial, but because someone actually helped me to see my issue and to work on it rather then let it continue to get worse. Sure we can talk about how beautiful I am on the inside and some magical pride I should feel about myself at this point, but what that would be asking me to do was to accept a "beautiful inside" that has been slowly killing me for some time now. No thanks. I'd much rather work towards being a healthier me for myself and my family becuase both they and I deserve that more then I will ever want for an early grave.
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