Fat Bashing

I recently watched a couple episodes of "How To Look Good Naked." I'll admit that I didn't understand the body image issues slender women had and I was less empathetic to their "oh, I'm so fat" complaints. They weren't fat, but they detested their bodies as though they were because fat, after all, is something to be disgusted by, isn't it?

I find the concept of the show commendable, but I don't understand why self-esteem is partially derived from the "approval" of strangers - the same strangers who also have the ability to make a person question their self-worth if they weigh more than what is deemed acceptable.

Opinions are fickle and while people might look at someone and form an opinion, they're the ones who have to live with themselves and it would be a shame if they didn't feel comfortable in their own skin, especially if it had anything to do with outside influences.

One of the episodes of "How To Look Good Naked" featured a beautiful, overweight woman who was tortured by feelings of inadequacy. Upon watching a video clip of her 'reveal' on youtube, I read these charming comments:

1. If they REALLY want to look good naked, those women will take their jiggly stomachs, and fat rumps to the gym, and start pushing away from the table. That's the only way. Period. Fat is repulsive.

2. Why do we want fat people to feel good about themselves? It's disgusting and I think we should tell them so- maybe it'll motivate them to get off of their asses. The rest of the world is starving and we're here telling people that it's okay to be gluttonous? gross.

Such eloquent offerings of kindness don't you think? Perhaps those doing the condemning do so because it gives them a false feeling of superiority. They may think they're better than others, but what's inside of them is ugly. And that right there does far more harm to humanity than extra weight does. After all, weight can be shed easier than ugly personalities can.

What's more, aside from their display of intolerance, they are ignorant as well. Not all overweight people are lazy, and not all thin people are healthy.

So why is it acceptable to point fingers and to pass judgment? Are they so perfect? Are they really any better?

I once wrote that I believe human beings would be kinder to each other if they were forced to see with something deeper than their eyes. Maybe we would be kinder to ourselves as well.

Judge me all you want, just keep the verdict to yourself.
- From a Winston advertisement