How many times a day do you think about your weight? Once? Twice? Too many times to count? How many of us stand in front the mirror and frown while we tug at love handles, scrutinizing our body and wishing that we didn't have to shimmy into those spanks?If I had a quarter for every time I wished for a better body, I'd be sipping on a piña colada on my own private yacht right now.
I don't hate my body, but I don't like it very much either and although I wish I was completely comfortable in my skin, the truth is that most of my insecurities arise out of my bad personal body image.
Can I get an Amen? Because I know that I'm not the only woman out there who goes through this. Come to think of it, I've never met even one woman who didn't express the desire to change herself in some way when the topic of physical appearance came up. Not one, who was honestly happy just the way she was and wouldn't alter a thing even if God Himself came down and offered a safer alternative to plastic surgery. From the slimmest to the fluffiest, we all have some issue or another with our body.
A few months ago I was out liming (partying) with some girlfriends. A very overweight woman passed us and one of my friends was annoyed by the woman's appearance. She didn't know her but from the get-go started to criticize her for her weight. "Laud have mercy! Look at that cow! Why doesn't she go to the gym for crying out loud! She's huge!" my friend exclaimed, eyeing the woman scornfully from the corner of her eye. "She looks nasty! I would not be caught dead in public looking like that! Kill me first!" she added. Mind you, the woman wasn't scantily clad. I was so embarrassed and upset although I knew the music was too loud for the lady to overhear...
I have an aversion to fat jokes and the judgement of fat people on a whole. I'm not obese but I am overweight myself and so I'm fully aware that "dropping a few pounds" isn't as easy as it sounds. And I'm not making excuses; I know that the way to do it is to live a healthy lifestyle by exercising and eating right, and that's what I'm trying to do. But the truth of the matter is that the older we get the harder it is to lose weight. According to online articles I've read, after you hit 20 your metabolic rate decreases by 5% every decade. Plus, on top of that, there are an innumerable amount of other reasons why people put on weight. Permit me to name a few: Motherhood, which, for many women, can stack on a lot of poundage; Genetics, that can determine how small you can actually get, even with exercise; Hypothyroidism, a disease that makes you fat no matter how healthy your lifestyle; and Steroids. Yes, steroids. Some of the medications used to combat certain diseases are steroidal, for example Asthma, and I personally know this. I'm Asthmatic and I had an experience where I was prescribed a medication that plumped me up so much that two hours after taking it, I woke up and didn't recognise myself in the mirror. Scary? I know.
My point in all of this? Weight is something that we all struggle with, particularly as women. From overeating as a means of comfort to having diseases that fight against our weight loss goals. We have more than enough pressure to be slim and sexy and perfect coming from the media. Why are we adding to the pile by judging each other instead of supporting each other? How about we make weight 'nothin' but a number'. Stop judging a person based on their number on the scale. The fact is, you have no clue as to what their struggle is. You don't know how they feel about their weight and you don't know why they are as overweight as they are. As a matter of fact, you don't even know if they actually aren't doing something about it. Being annoyed because someone is overweight will not help them to lose the weight, so what's the point? In fact, do you actually care? Are you actually concerned about their well-being? Hmm?
Like I said earlier, most women, if not all women, have some issue or another with their body. I think this should make us more understanding and supportive towards each other. I know that obesity is a huge problem in our society and people need to be made aware as much as possible that we need to adopt healthier lifestyles; to lose weight healthily so that we can improve our way of life. But name calling and unwarranted criticism isn't going to do it.
And by the way, the fat lady that my friend was so annoyed at? She works out regularly at the gym I go to...
