1 post tagged “gyms”
When I found this article from mamamia, I identified with the title instantly.
Is the only thing making fat people unhappy, the prejudice of everyone else?
It is refering to an article by Tanya Gold, in which she writes:I'm posting it because I have always thought the sentiment is true, but didn't realise other people agreed with me.
"According to the advertising industry, I am unattractive; men don't want me. Or if they do, they certainly won't tell their friends about it. Clothing shops don't cater for me. In fact, they detest me. In Bond Street, I am literally waved away from the racks of precious clothes."
Recently the Australian Government began a campaign to encourage Aussies to measure up.
TVC, print, outdoor and even online ads are everwhere, and they look like this:
When I saw these I got very annoyed at the government and the way they are giving people the RIGHT to judge you on your waistline. Because I'm not a bad person if my waist is over 80cm.
I've always thought of myself as a fat person. Even as a kid. But when I look at photos of me in primary school i'm perfectly normal, and same as all of the other kids. I might be slightly bigger, but nothing too bad. Doesn't matter though, because the damage had already been done. I'd already heard the comments and murmers, and that was enough for me to not care about my weight.
(On a side note, this is why I get annoyed when I hear the words "childhood obesity". I think just saying the worlds makes a kid eat a mars bar, instead of a banana. It gives the skinnier, prettier, more popular kids another reason to persecute the larger, more lonely kids. This campaign is the adult version of this and I've had enough).
Through my life I still hear lots of comments which hurt my ego. The other day I asked if there was a Krispy Kreme around here (work), and got told off, that "you don't need that, do you?". Not that it was even for me, instead my half brother was coming up from the country, and I thought it would be a nice gift cos he probably wouldn't have tried them before. One place I worked at my boss wanted pringles and I got told to go up to the shops and get them "because I could use the exercise". Just the other day I got told that if I worked out then I probably wouldn't have had so much period pain. Because strangers have the best insight into how my body works. Even my psych, subtly noted that a fitness first was opening in my area, and therefore "there were no more excuses for a lot of people". There are many more I could add to this list but will stop for my own sanity.
What frustrates me about all this is 99% of the time I'm perfectly happy with my weight. I've accepted who I am and D loves me and my body and I don't care about my size. Sure I have the fitting room freak out when I go to buy clothes, but people get that at any size. Its when I hear the comments, get the looks, that I feel like shit. Like fat people really are the cause of all bad things on earth. Quick, fat people are hiding terrorists behind their great asses. Fat people are the downfall of the economic crisis, and they are responsible for this earths demise because they consume so much more resources.
But what perplexes me the most is that I don't know what to do about it. I'm sure the government awarness ads will help some people who are on their way to being overweight to stop and think about what they are eating and how much they are exercising. But for the ones who are already over the 'waistline threshold' its too late. The damage has been done and unfortunately will continue to be build. I mean, how many people looking at that ad are going to feel good about themselves. Try stopping them from reaching for a mars bar.
Now I know I have my own issues. Gyms just freak me out, and even walking sends me into anxiety territory. But I also know that I have done it all before. Before this anxiety bullshit started I did go to the gym. Nothing. I played soccer. Nothing. I ate salads everyday. Nothing.
The only time I have ever lost weight was when I wasn't trying. D and I were dead broke, and I would walk out the door to go to work with no money, no food, and only eat dinner when I got home. It was a low point and i'm sure it was part of the reason I am where I am now. Once we had a bit more money the weight went back on, and I continued my life as normal.
In a perfect world our media would be saturated with both thin and fat people. Designers would make clothes for a resonable size, not a stick. Gyms would be a place of relaxation and not torture. And food would be something you appreciate, not judge on how many calories make up your meal. Unfortunately we don't live in that world. At least I know that there are other people out there who feel the same. (And that we will be the ones fighting over the last mars bar in the vending machine).
I've always thought of myself as a fat person. Even as a kid. But when I look at photos of me in primary school i'm perfectly normal, and same as all of the other kids. I might be slightly bigger, but nothing too bad. Doesn't matter though, because the damage had already been done. I'd already heard the comments and murmers, and that was enough for me to not care about my weight.
(On a side note, this is why I get annoyed when I hear the words "childhood obesity". I think just saying the worlds makes a kid eat a mars bar, instead of a banana. It gives the skinnier, prettier, more popular kids another reason to persecute the larger, more lonely kids. This campaign is the adult version of this and I've had enough).
Through my life I still hear lots of comments which hurt my ego. The other day I asked if there was a Krispy Kreme around here (work), and got told off, that "you don't need that, do you?". Not that it was even for me, instead my half brother was coming up from the country, and I thought it would be a nice gift cos he probably wouldn't have tried them before. One place I worked at my boss wanted pringles and I got told to go up to the shops and get them "because I could use the exercise". Just the other day I got told that if I worked out then I probably wouldn't have had so much period pain. Because strangers have the best insight into how my body works. Even my psych, subtly noted that a fitness first was opening in my area, and therefore "there were no more excuses for a lot of people". There are many more I could add to this list but will stop for my own sanity.
What frustrates me about all this is 99% of the time I'm perfectly happy with my weight. I've accepted who I am and D loves me and my body and I don't care about my size. Sure I have the fitting room freak out when I go to buy clothes, but people get that at any size. Its when I hear the comments, get the looks, that I feel like shit. Like fat people really are the cause of all bad things on earth. Quick, fat people are hiding terrorists behind their great asses. Fat people are the downfall of the economic crisis, and they are responsible for this earths demise because they consume so much more resources.
But what perplexes me the most is that I don't know what to do about it. I'm sure the government awarness ads will help some people who are on their way to being overweight to stop and think about what they are eating and how much they are exercising. But for the ones who are already over the 'waistline threshold' its too late. The damage has been done and unfortunately will continue to be build. I mean, how many people looking at that ad are going to feel good about themselves. Try stopping them from reaching for a mars bar.
Now I know I have my own issues. Gyms just freak me out, and even walking sends me into anxiety territory. But I also know that I have done it all before. Before this anxiety bullshit started I did go to the gym. Nothing. I played soccer. Nothing. I ate salads everyday. Nothing.
The only time I have ever lost weight was when I wasn't trying. D and I were dead broke, and I would walk out the door to go to work with no money, no food, and only eat dinner when I got home. It was a low point and i'm sure it was part of the reason I am where I am now. Once we had a bit more money the weight went back on, and I continued my life as normal.
In a perfect world our media would be saturated with both thin and fat people. Designers would make clothes for a resonable size, not a stick. Gyms would be a place of relaxation and not torture. And food would be something you appreciate, not judge on how many calories make up your meal. Unfortunately we don't live in that world. At least I know that there are other people out there who feel the same. (And that we will be the ones fighting over the last mars bar in the vending machine).
