Body Image Rage

[rockfotze]

I started writing a blog about the whole body image debate going on right now, how magazines and the fashion industry are apparently trying to encourage positive body shapes and perceptions. It was all very fancy and informative but it was boring me so I am going to have a big old rant instead!

I posted a link on my Twitter this week that talked about how a study concluded that Australian women have the highest rising obesity level in the world (based on the BMI scale). I found it interesting because we're always accusing Americans of being so much fatter than us, and yet there's apparent proof that we're much worse. One friend who is a fat advocate got upset and defriended/unfollowed me from everything online and generally made me feel rotten about my interest in this article. It's not as if I said (as the majority of the comments on that article said, much to my disgust) that fat people are disgusting and need to stop whinging, eat less and exercise more. I just took an interest in the damn article because it's a controversial and constantly discussed issues these days, particularly in my life.

Regardless of the topic, people all have varied opinions on certain things and not everyone is going to agree. Not only would that go against human nature, it would also be extremely boring. In regards to body image, weight issues, fat vs skinny etc, everyone has their own opinion. In this case this person believes in positive body image, fat acceptance and is generally a very vocal person when it comes to wanting others to embrace their sizes, particularly the "larger" percentage of the population. I've always admired her for this, despite the fact I have not always agreed with all of her opinions on the matter. But alas, she didn't like what I had to say (not that I said much, really) and quickly did away with me when she thought I was directly going against her belief system.

I have a turbulent and somewhat distorted perception of what body image/acceptance means. I am one of those unfortunate people who will probably never be happy with my size, even if I did get to my goal weight. It took me a number of diets and lot of going up and down in weight before I finally got to the stage I am at now where I first and foremost want to be fit and healthy which in turn will help me lose weight and get me to the size I want to be. I've never been the sort of person to preach about what's right and wrong when it comes to weight, because I do not have an educated, non-biased opinion and I don't feel as though my personal insecurities would make me a good role model on this particular topic (on arse-kicking and general awesomeness however, I am the ideal poster-girl).

I'm not writing this to make this girl feel bad or to be all up in your faces about THIS IS WHAT I THINK ABOUT BODY IMAGE SO ACCEPT IT OR FUCK OFF but just to say - we all have different opinions on this subject and no matter how we feel about the opinions of others, they have a right to think that way and all we can do is stick up for our own beliefs and accept the fact there's always going to be conflict of interests. Especially with an issue as delicate as this.

And for the record I am actually a bit of a "fat advocate" myself, even though I really dislike that term (though I don't know why). I've always been the type of person to stick up for the overweight and obese at any given opportunity. I've written countless "letters to the editor" after being outraged by peoples opinions on overweight people. I have always campaigned against people using someone's weight as an insult during a fight (if that's all you got then you got nothin') as well as how being fat is still fair game in TV and movies in this overly PC world of ours when it should be just as controversial as any race, gender or sexuality jokes as far as I am concerned! Just because I wish to be slim myself does not mean I do not care and understand the plight of those who are overweight and proud to be so!

Originally published at rubyvelour.com.

Comments

[sweetphaex.livejournal.com]

She hates you because your skinnier. HAW. /kneejerkbatshitreaction

There are some FAs who accept the reality of their fat - some are deluded enough to think there is nothing wrong with them - sure some ailments are not caused by bodyweight - even thin people are geneticly predisposed to diabeties ect but if your house bound, unhappy and possibly have sever depression, stuffing your fingers in your ears and going BLAH BLAH BLAH THIS IS IS JUST HOW EVERYONE IS is deluded. And anyone who disagrees with this delusion - even with an off the cuff article posted on your blog - being enough to want to defriend you as you have become poisonious to 'the cause' - then yeah bitch be crazy.

[dienacht.livejournal.com]

*high five*

[theravensclaw.livejournal.com]

As a fat person who has accepted that depite a diet that even a nutritionist was proud of and regular excersise, I will always be fat. Even if I lose weight successfully I will never be thin (granted i dont usually find women under a size 12 as appealing but thats me) I thought I'd chime in. Personally I think the media needs to concentrate on fitness and health over thin. most my thin friends have high cholesterol and blood pressure, where i do not. I'm not kidding myself that i am healthy at this weight but media needs to stop seeing fat and instantly thinking eats shity and locks herself inside all day. Just my two cents.

[schwimmerin.livejournal.com]

This is so true. People oversimplify all the time.

[theravensclaw.livejournal.com]

granted on the other side of the scale the 'amazing weightloss stories' where people go from eating 15 pizzas a day worth of calories to eating normal food shit me too. But thats just being bitter because i can live on salads and run for an hour a day and only lose like 10kg a year.

[saltedpin.livejournal.com]

I think there's too much judging going on all round -- if someone is comfy as a siz 16 or 18, good for them. If you want to get thinner, then that's no one's business but yours, and good on you! But basing your opinion of someone solely on their weight or dress size, or assuming that any girl who says she is happy at above a size 10 or 12 is just a liar who is in denial, is wrong.

Plus, this assumption that fat = lazy and unhealthy is really bad. To use a personal example, Sara eats WAY more junk food than me, but she is skinny as a pole -- it's just the way her family is, they eat like horses but are all rail thin and over six feet tall. I eat a lot healthier than her and exercise more, but I am and always have been between a size 10 and 12. I don't get any skinnier than that.

[dienacht.livejournal.com]

Well I watched a doco called "Why aren't skinny people fat" the other day and it said we all have a certain weight our bodies choose to be, which is why skinny people have no trouble staying skinny and bigger people struggle with weight loss. I don't like "my" weight so I choose to eat well and exercise a lot to get down to where I feel most comfortable. I do think too many people live unhealthy lifestyles and that too many people are too overweight. But the focus should be about being healthy, not necessarily about looks. I mean, a lot of skinny people out there are lazy and eat junk all day - they're not exempt from being healthy just because their BMI classes them as "healthy".

In summary: EVERYONE JUST NEEDS TO EAT HEALTHY FOOD AND EXERCISE REGULARLY!

[saltedpin.livejournal.com]

My point exactly. Though I don`t think anyone `should` do anything -- they can do what they feel comfortable doing to their bodies. If they want to loose weight, they have to accept there are sacrifices, so if they eat junk and get fat, then I have no sympathy. On the other hand, if they eat crap and don`t mind the weight, it`s really none of my business. Also, the number of people I know who smoke, drink and take drugs, then complain about fat people putting terrible things in their bodies makes me roll my eyes. Plus second-hand smoke can be dangerous, some of the guys I know get violent when drunk or high, but eating junk just makes you, and only you, fat. The only thing I object to be is people giving their kids bad food because the kids don`t have a choice.

[dienacht.livejournal.com]

Haha well I've been going a bit crazy on Twitter myself lately, it's bloody addictive. But yeah, I know what you mean.

You can't be a very good advocate of something if you react to a difference of opinions by shutting them out. It's like putting your fingers in your ears and yelling LA LA LA LA so you can't hear anybody else or what they have to say. RIDICULOUS.

[schwimmerin.livejournal.com]

as well as how being fat is still fair game in TV and movies in this overly PC world of ours when it should be just as controversial as any race, gender or sexuality jokes as far as I am concerned!

This is so true, and it makes me so angry. There is so much discrimination against obese people, and it's completely socially acceptable. And any article online that deals with obesity or body issues, no matter how thoughtful, draws mostly very nasty and simplistic comments about fat people. And that doctors perpetuate the stereotype that diet and exercise work for everybody drives me up the wall too. People have different metabolisms! Some people will diet all their lives, and not only will they not lose weight, they'll often gain weight, but not for lack of trying to shed pounds. Also, BMI is such an inaccurate measure of health, and yet the medical profession seems to think it's satisfactory, because it's simple. I fail to see how supposed "experts" fail to recognize all the complexities of genes and environment that go into making a body the shape it is.

Anyway, more on the topic of your rant: the same thing happened to me recently because I disagreed with one of my friends on some aspects of racism. Eventually I just gave up on her, but it's annoying that you can't even have a rational discussion with the really hard-core activists without them totally losing it.

[kunzenberger.livejournal.com]

aah it was you!

[dienacht.livejournal.com]

Ugh so she's been bitching about me for having a different opinion to her? GOD FORBID!

[kunzenberger.livejournal.com]

There was mention of it in one of her entries... which I only skimmed through. Im really surprised I havent been deleted for bitching about my weight in my journal!