Since this time of year always has many thinking about resolutions, and many of those resolutions have to do with weight/getting "in shape" (which I put in quotation marks for a reason), I thought sharing this article with you (if you haven't already read it) would be appropriate.
Then read the author's follow-up article, which has many important takeaways, such as:
- "I think it’s important to tell people that while it’s certainly possible to lose weight, a number of biological factors that have nothing to do with character or willpower can make it extraordinarily difficult."
- " 'A society that stigmatizes people for a physical attribute that they can’t change is the real fat trap we ought to be trying to escape.' ”
- "But the best and most surprising responses I have received are from several readers who start by telling me that they don’t have a weight problem, but they now have a better understanding of the challenges overweight people face. 'I don’t think I’ll look at an overweight person in the same way again,' one reader wrote ‘You made some part of the world a more compassionate place with this article.' ”
I agree, and hope that this can once and for all stop us from being so fat-phobic and judgmental toward other people and ourselves. I really think it's one of the last accepted forms of discrimination in our society, especially since people now have the convenient excuse of "fighting the war on obesity" or worrying about "health" to mask their lookism, classism, self-loathing beneath.
Wishing you a strong, successful 2012 on *your* terms,
L'Editrice
.
Then read the author's follow-up article, which has many important takeaways, such as:
- "I think it’s important to tell people that while it’s certainly possible to lose weight, a number of biological factors that have nothing to do with character or willpower can make it extraordinarily difficult."
- " 'A society that stigmatizes people for a physical attribute that they can’t change is the real fat trap we ought to be trying to escape.' ”
- "But the best and most surprising responses I have received are from several readers who start by telling me that they don’t have a weight problem, but they now have a better understanding of the challenges overweight people face. 'I don’t think I’ll look at an overweight person in the same way again,' one reader wrote ‘You made some part of the world a more compassionate place with this article.' ”
I agree, and hope that this can once and for all stop us from being so fat-phobic and judgmental toward other people and ourselves. I really think it's one of the last accepted forms of discrimination in our society, especially since people now have the convenient excuse of "fighting the war on obesity" or worrying about "health" to mask their lookism, classism, self-loathing beneath.
Wishing you a strong, successful 2012 on *your* terms,
L'Editrice
.
Yes, less judgmental is good... I've done my pushups and sit-ups for the next two days. Phew!
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