Women, Weight and Acceptance

If you’re an American woman chances are really outstanding that you’ve been on a diet sometime in your lifetime. For many American women they start dieting in their teens and never really stop. Some go on to develop eating disorders, some lose the weight and keep it off and some of us just yo-yo diet for the rest of our lives. Whichever camp you are in odds are you aren’t happy with your body. Ask most women and they overwhelmingly will tell you that there is something they would like to fix about their body. Most of the time losing weight is the answer – at least in their mind.

68% of Americans over the age of 20 are obese or overweight according to the CDC. Most of them are on, and have been on, a diet. I’m not here today to talk about why diets are failing the American population. Whether it is our diet, GMOs, a sedentary lifestyle or some other environmental factor is a discussion for another time. The point I am making today is that most of us are overweight and yet it’s still okay to fat shame, discriminate and ridicule those who are fat.

Most people who are overweight beat themselves up over it. Their self esteem is directly tied to their waist size, dress size or the number on the scale. Most people who are obese or overweight believe that they are less worthy than someone who looks to be average weight. It’s hardly an accurate belief but when exposed to repeated images of nearly emaciated women on magazine covers and commercials for decades it’s easy to see how self loathing can take root. Add to that middle school teasing (bullying) and fat shaming that is rampant on the internet and it’s no wonder most of us hate ourselves.

And then along comes Brittany Gibbons.

Brittany is a force to be reckoned with. She’s a self described fat girl who is strong, outspoken, beautiful and has plenty of sex. Brittany is an internet phenom and now best selling author of the book Fat Girl Walking: Sex, Food, Love, and Being Comfortable in Your Skin…Every Inch of It. Brittany is unapologetic, she loves herself and her curves and she wants you to love yourself too. Since her book has come out she has been featured on just about every talk show out there and while she is a stunningly beautiful woman who has oodles of charisma and confidence there are still people who feel the need to try to shame her and belittle her for being a larger woman.

Who of us who is overweight hasn’t put off doing something because they are overweight and want to wait until some weight has been lost? Probably all of us. How many of us have missed a class reunion or weekend with the girls at the lake because we were afraid how we looked in a bathing suit? It’s time to stop beating ourselves up and start living regardless of what the scale says. If you’re in need of a little self acceptance you must read Brittany’s book and blog, both are wildly entertaining and inspirational and can be instrumental in helping us stop the self loathing that is part of being overweight.

It’s hard to love yourself if you are overweight, at least in our American culture, but if you truly want to be healthy and happy you have to start by loving yourself, even and especially if you are overweight.