When to Recognize Body Shaming for What It Is

Many people will jump to accuse others of body shaming. In this day and age, people seem to have been switched to being hyper-sensitive about everything. So much so that even the media is set to shame you if you’re even a smidgen overweight. But are they really?

The media is full of weight loss commercials, covering everything from gym memberships, weight loss pills and shakes, facilities that freeze fat cells to exercise gadgets. Magazines are full of thin, fit people. Victoria Secret models and other fashion models are all thin to damn near anorexic.

Is this body shaming?

In my humble opinion, these things are not body shaming. They represent an ideal that our society has adopted. And if you look at history, it didn’t start off that way. The ideal before was being on the plump side. It meant that you were maybe in a higher economic class and could afford finer foods. But that’s changed. Now, I think even the anorexic looking models are frowned upon and not viewed as healthy. But even the fit model, although she might be the ideal health-wise, she is far from the norm.

Why?

The simple answer is that according to the CDC, two-thirds of the United States falls into the overweight to obese categories. For those that fall into this area, many do take offense to constantly being shown fit to downright skinny models. I knew a supervisor at my old job who was seriously morbidly obese who would get up and leave angrily if she heard anyone talking about diets or exercise. She clearly took offense to the conversation.

But here’s where the difference lies…

If my coworkers were innocently having this conversation without any intentions regarding this supervisor, then it wasn’t body shaming even though she took it that way. If my coworkers struck up the conversation because of the supervisor, intending to get under her skin, then yes, it was definitely body shaming. But I happened to be there on numerous occasions where the conversation was going on before the supervisor even got there and she still left in a huff. Not body shaming. But obviously, and understandably, she was sensitive about it.

If people are ridiculing you, calling you names, putting you down, or referring to you in a negative manner based on your weight…that’s body shaming. And it can get downright nasty. It’s bullying and harassment, plain and simple.

However, I believe that the media these days, has swung around to what we now believe according to science is healthy. That is why the anorexic look has lost its appeal in fashion and fit models have become more the media norm. Most Victoria Secret models these days are fit and of a healthy weight and physique. As science has uncovered that being overweight or anorexic is unhealthy, media has followed suit. Still, some will be offended and call it body shaming. This site might offend some. But the intention of this website is to promote being healthy and reflecting the science involved in why it’s important to be a healthy weight along with the dangers of being overweight. I also have to believe that if you’re here, you are looking to change towards being healthy also.

Education and knowledge are key.

Many overweight or obese people tout loving themselves just the way they are and that’s a beautiful thing. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that it isn’t healthy. Yes, you should absolutely love yourself no matter what. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be concerned about your health. One could argue that loving yourself would lead you to want to be as healthy as possible in order to honor the one body you were given. The other half could argue right back that they love themselves the way they are and they’re going to enjoy life on their terms eating whatever they want to eat, regardless of the risk for chronic and dangerous health risks or shorter lifespan.

Whatever you choose is up to you. Everyone knows it’s not healthy to be overweight, much less obese, but not really the reasons why. This site is here to educate you and help you with the healthy option.

No body shaming involved.