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Fat Bashing...Do You Participate?
I had two sisters, was a dancer as my sport, became a dietitian which is a mostly female profession, only to become the mother of two teen girls who spend a lot of their time at a dance studio. You could say I've been around a lot of women. One thing is for sure, when swimming in estrogen-infested waters, some women like to trash talk themselves in front of other women. I guess some call it "fat talk" and they even like to "discuss" other peoples bodies too. And it doesn't seem to matter what age the women are, even in their 40's they are spending time talking about physical appearance.
You know what fat talk sounds like, right?
"I had such a fun weekend but now I'm paying the price...my jeans are so tight." "I wish I could wear a swimsuit like you-but I would look like a beached whale."
Some women skip the fat talk and go straight to the pounds.
"I can't believe I gained 2 pounds on vacation!" "I have to lose 2 pounds by Friday."
Granted kids are walking around in leotards and such at the dance studio but some mothers like to comment on the teens bodies too. When my oldest daughter was going through puberty, her "thinner" body seemed to be a popular topic of conversation. And I'm asked occasionally if my other daughter (who is naturally a bit more curvacious) has "lost weight." I usually answer, "I don't think so-we don't have a scale in our house and she's not trying to."
Then there are the women who tend to talk about diets or dieting what seems like 24/7. They always know what the latest diet book is. They can tell you which celebrity women have gone on which diet without skipping a beat.
You know what I tend to do when women around me start bashing their bodies, pondering pounds, or dishing about dieting? I just walk away. I don't participate in it. I don't try to convert people to the "love your body" camp. I just walk away. Oh, don't get me wrong, I've been in that circle plenty of times before telling women, "you look great!" or sharing post baby weight gain stories.
I would like to think I've moved beyond this. There are more important things in life to talk about with your girlfriends. It's simply not good for women. This doesn't feed our hearts and souls to participate in fat talk and it's certainly not good for children who might be within earshot of this sadly socially acceptable body bashing.
If you feel the same way I do, then next time the women around you start talking the talk, boycott the bashing and just walk away or politely change the subject to something that truly matters. The truth is "fit and healthy" comes in all shapes and sizes and thank goodness we all look different.
Related Topics:
You know what fat talk sounds like, right?
"I had such a fun weekend but now I'm paying the price...my jeans are so tight." "I wish I could wear a swimsuit like you-but I would look like a beached whale."
Some women skip the fat talk and go straight to the pounds.
"I can't believe I gained 2 pounds on vacation!" "I have to lose 2 pounds by Friday."
Granted kids are walking around in leotards and such at the dance studio but some mothers like to comment on the teens bodies too. When my oldest daughter was going through puberty, her "thinner" body seemed to be a popular topic of conversation. And I'm asked occasionally if my other daughter (who is naturally a bit more curvacious) has "lost weight." I usually answer, "I don't think so-we don't have a scale in our house and she's not trying to."
Then there are the women who tend to talk about diets or dieting what seems like 24/7. They always know what the latest diet book is. They can tell you which celebrity women have gone on which diet without skipping a beat.
You know what I tend to do when women around me start bashing their bodies, pondering pounds, or dishing about dieting? I just walk away. I don't participate in it. I don't try to convert people to the "love your body" camp. I just walk away. Oh, don't get me wrong, I've been in that circle plenty of times before telling women, "you look great!" or sharing post baby weight gain stories.
I would like to think I've moved beyond this. There are more important things in life to talk about with your girlfriends. It's simply not good for women. This doesn't feed our hearts and souls to participate in fat talk and it's certainly not good for children who might be within earshot of this sadly socially acceptable body bashing.
If you feel the same way I do, then next time the women around you start talking the talk, boycott the bashing and just walk away or politely change the subject to something that truly matters. The truth is "fit and healthy" comes in all shapes and sizes and thank goodness we all look different.
Related Topics:
- WebMD Video: Being Big and Fit: Is it Healthy?
- Study Gives the Skinny on 'Fit and Fat'
- Obese and Healthy?
Labels: body image, fit
