Fat Discrimination
I am continually amazed at the extent of "fat discrimination" in our country. Not, of course, that it's limited to the US- I'm sure it isn't- but obviously that's my frame of reference. Had a lovely chat with a colleague about my surgery this evening; we got on the topic of fat discrimination and he was absolutely shocked and horrified. I imagine that in order to really understand the magnitude of it you have to have been fat, and then lost some weight; either that, or have gained a large amount of weight after being previously smaller.
It's disgusting, the judgements we pass about others. When I was fat, I often didn't even get the chance to make a positive first impression on someone because my appearance had done it for them. It's my experience that many people (fat or thin, doesn't matter) automatically conclude that a fat person is lazy, possesses no self-control, and basically spends most of their waking hours eating. On the flip side, the physically fit are automatically assumed to be hard-working, industrious types, capable of Getting Shit Done. I am guilty of making these assumptions myself; I recently realized this and am horrified to think that I fell into that trap. I, of all people, should have known that assumptions and judgements based on physical appearance have no basis in anything but prejudice.
I wonder how many people from my past never had a chance to get to know the real me because my weight had already told them everything they needed to know. I grieve for these lost connections. I am the person I always was- hopefully improved with the passing of the years- and I feel like this past year has been the first time that I have looked, on the outside, the way that I felt in my heart. I've been released from my prison. Now, the task is to keep it up.
Let's all consider the harmful attitudes and judgements that we may inflict upon others- and upon ourselves.
In related news, I'm still having body image issues. Tonight, I was sitting in a rehearsal; during a break, I was examining my legs. My brain tells me that my legs are size four and are thereby clearly more slender than they were when I was a 22. My eyes, however, can't see it. I know I'm a 4 because I own multiple pieces of clothing that are size 4. Looking through photographs from the past year, I see myself shrink (which feels amazing), but when I'm looking down at my body, I see only very minimal changes. Frustrating.
So, anyway, just some thoughts that are running through my head this evening.
It's disgusting, the judgements we pass about others. When I was fat, I often didn't even get the chance to make a positive first impression on someone because my appearance had done it for them. It's my experience that many people (fat or thin, doesn't matter) automatically conclude that a fat person is lazy, possesses no self-control, and basically spends most of their waking hours eating. On the flip side, the physically fit are automatically assumed to be hard-working, industrious types, capable of Getting Shit Done. I am guilty of making these assumptions myself; I recently realized this and am horrified to think that I fell into that trap. I, of all people, should have known that assumptions and judgements based on physical appearance have no basis in anything but prejudice.
I wonder how many people from my past never had a chance to get to know the real me because my weight had already told them everything they needed to know. I grieve for these lost connections. I am the person I always was- hopefully improved with the passing of the years- and I feel like this past year has been the first time that I have looked, on the outside, the way that I felt in my heart. I've been released from my prison. Now, the task is to keep it up.
Let's all consider the harmful attitudes and judgements that we may inflict upon others- and upon ourselves.
In related news, I'm still having body image issues. Tonight, I was sitting in a rehearsal; during a break, I was examining my legs. My brain tells me that my legs are size four and are thereby clearly more slender than they were when I was a 22. My eyes, however, can't see it. I know I'm a 4 because I own multiple pieces of clothing that are size 4. Looking through photographs from the past year, I see myself shrink (which feels amazing), but when I'm looking down at my body, I see only very minimal changes. Frustrating.
So, anyway, just some thoughts that are running through my head this evening.