From saying “You look fat, you need to lose weight” to “Does this make me look fat?” we are all obsessed with this F word – FAT! Throwing it around like free spam coupons.
It is everywhere. On billboards, advertising how you can lose fat and get your beach body ready. On the cover of the latest edition of that glossy magazine you read on your way to work, doubting your self-worth, and dreaming of the fact that only if you had a body like that, it would, miraculously, solve all your problems and make your life perfect.
It’s sad and funny at the same time, how we relate everything to a person’s weight. How we think that a person weight is, somehow, a direct insight into their personality.
But it is not really our fault. The society has induced these toxic thoughts in our minds since the beginning. From a very young age, we are taught to always notice the teeny tiny superficial details about a person and judge them accordingly. We are so deluded by the ideals of a hypocritical society based on half-baked standards of beauty that we fail to see its impact psychologically.
Criticising and harassing somebody about their body weight or eating habits, in order to make them feel ashamed of themselves falls into the category of fat-shaming. And it does not make you a worthwhile person, even if you are doing it out of concern. Rather, it makes you a horrible human being.
It is alarming how we don’t consider fat-shaming as damaging since it is the most prevailing form of body-shaming, which is why most people consider it to be fairly normal and acceptable. Sadly, no one ever told us that a person’s body weight is not judging criteria. No one stopped us when we were laughing at those ‘Yo Mama, so fat’ jokes.
I mean, what is wrong if you just lightly suggested to somebody to skip dessert because they are fat, or if you have an opinion of how fat people should be dressing or living their life. Just because someone is fat, it does not mean that their lives have to be under constant public scrutiny.
People need to understand this. And when you come across those who don’t, explain it to them gently or harshly, whichever works. Or when you have kids to raise, teach them. Teach them that how it is inappropriate and not even remotely funny to make fun of that fat kid in their class.
Teach them that they don’t have to criticise or belittle somebody, in order to feel good about themselves.
Teach them that they should not be judging someone on the basis of their physical appearances, and to look beyond their flaws, nobody is perfect, not even them.
Teach them that it is absolutely alright if their body weight does not fall under the idealistic norms of the society, or if they don’t look like those models flaunting their perfectly carved bodies. Teach them to accept themselves as they are.
Teach them that every person they will ever come across in their lives deserves the same kind of respect, irrespective of appearances. Period.
Teach them all this and so much more. Teach them, even if nobody taught you.
