Lately it seems like being “fat” is the worst thing in the entire world, as if there is no worse adjective or insult that could be said about another. It seems like being fat is just as bad as being unkind, selfish, violent, or disrespectful. Why is being fat such an aggressive term? I can honestly say that my pant size isn’t always a single digit and button-up shirts only quasi fit me across my chest. … Does that make me a bad person? Does that change the way I view the world? Does it tell me about the kind of person that I am going to be in my life? No. It does not tell me any of those things. All it tells me is that I have a phenomenal and eventful appetite and that I can always recommend a good restaurant, including four or five entrees that will never disappoint. “Fat” does not reflect someone as a human being; it does not measure honor, intelligence, ability, or most importantly, value.
Perhaps the reason that being “fat” is so offensive is that celebrities are often extremely thin and that is what our generation admires. Or on the other hand, celebrities are going through extensive treatments to create that exaggerated hourglass figure. The media criticizes celebrities daily for being too thin or too fat and it is reflected by the way that men and women of all sizes struggle with body image issues. Fat girls want to be skinnier and skinny girls want to be fatter; slender men want to bulk up and bulky men want to slim down. Where does the cycle end? When does the self-deprecation stop? The lengths to which some people go to achieve these unrealistic goals are unhealthy and more threatening to their bodies than they are helpful. The way that some people starve themselves, one would think that someone just woke up one day and said, “Ah! Eating is unattractive, but malnourishment is sexy!” Starvation should never be deemed glamorous, so why am I under the pressure to shape my diet into almonds and water?
To me, there are few things that make me happier than seeing the waiter arrive with my food. I feel no greater pleasure than eating a perfectly blended bowl of macaroni and cheese. I will gladly attend a gathering simply to eat the provided food and I will easily decline an invitation if food will not be available. So why should I have to change all of this to feel attractive? Maybe, just maybe, we should invest our time in shaping our insides into being beautiful rather than chiseling our outsides into unrealistic statues.
It’s about time that someone speaks up against the “F” word because eating what you like is nothing to be ashamed of. Sometimes, I like to eat a McDonald’s cheeseburger because I did poorly on a test and oddly, the meat soaked in 5-day-old grease really does make me feel better. Sometimes, I have to justify the twelve Chips-Ahoy cookies by the Viking escapades occurring inside my uterus. And sometimes, I eat a whole bag of Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos because they are just so darn good. There is no shame in reveling in the small things that bring you joy, even if it happens to be food. Bottom line is, whether you’re fat, skinny, tall, short, skinny-fat, fat-skinny, all, or none of the above, there’s nothing sexier than just doing your thing. Living an unhappy and dismal life is unattractive, but you know what actually is attractive? Thoughtfulness, loving yourself, generosity; those are things that matter, not the amount of inches around your hips! Constructing who you are as a person of character takes precedence over building your diet around four rationed celery sticks per day. Maybe take the time you spend self-loathing and use it to work hard at something, or explore talents, or catch up on sleep, or go out with friends, or spend time with family, anything; just do something good. Stop worrying about being fat because the time you spend hating yourself is just as valuable as you are and it should not be wasted, especially on the “F” word.
