As someone who likes to actively promote body positivity, I find it incredibly tedious, and irritating, how often I am told about diets, whether it be directly or in passing. I cannot watch the television or read a magazine any more without being told about the newest diet and how much weight it can help me to lose. And this dieting culture has found a way to promote itself every month of the year, whether it be for that “bikini body” or to fit into that dress for the office Christmas party.
Before I begin my rant I would like to make it clear that I am NOT against people trying to lose weight (so long as it is done healthily and what not). What I am against is any ounce of fat on someone’s body being demonized, like being fat is the worst thing a person can be.
My favourite quote I’ve ever been told is “having fat does not make you fat. Everybody has fat. You also have toe nails, that does not make you a toenail.” And it is true. We are brought up to believe that having fat is wrong, when in reality you NEED fat to survive. I’m forever reading posts about why you cannot wear leggings if you have love handles which hang over the top, and this is complete bull shit. Any body can wear anything that they want, stop trying to tell people that they can’t. The size of your jeans does not equate to your worth as a person at all, so why do we act like it does?
It seems that although as a society we have moved away from only admiring stick thin models, to also idolising curvy celebrities like Beyonce and Kim Kardashian. So why can we love and be desperate for the figures of people like this, but shame others for theirs? It seems that it is where the fat is stored that makes all the difference. A larger bum is seen as more desirable than a larger stomach. Even though two people may weigh exactly the same, one may be considered attractive whilst the other not, just because of where their weight is distributed.
Where your body stores your fat is simply influenced by factors such as age, genetic inheritance and race, not necessarily how many cakes you’re eating. According to my BMI I am underweight, and yet I have love handles? Does that make me fat? No. No it does not.
My main desire to lose weight, a diet which then turned into my eating disorder, was triggered by my disgust at my muffin top. I have always held my weight around my stomach, and even as I lost weight I didn’t really lose it from there either, I just lost weight from my legs, bum and boobs instead (not that there was much to lose from there). Even at my lowest weight I still had my love handles and as I’ve continued to gain weight, they haven’t gone away. I’m slowly beginning to learn to accept them, and accept myself as well.
So if I can go from being so physically disgusted with myself, to learning to love myself, why can’t others too? Why must I be told about how I should tone up my middle to make myself more desirable, or so that I can fit into that skimpy dress, every time I watch shows like This Morning or Lorraine? As a society we need to rise up and admit out love for our lumps and bumps and tell this diet culture to shove it up our lumpy bums.
The diary of a mental case 