Fat Shaming versus Fat Acceptance.

We need to stop the fat shaming. It simply doesn't work, and it's very hurtful.

I say we need to have "Fat Acceptance" which does not mean Obesity is okay.

It means we need to stop all the negative judgement associated to our thought process when we think or talk about being fat.

Let me break it down. Obesity in America is a major health crisis. Having a BMI of over 30 puts someone in the Obese category. It also brings about other health issues that are possibly preventable if that obese person would lose the weight. Health issues like high blood pressure (hypertension), type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea (breathing problems while trying to sleep), and many more. 

Obesity affects all of us. You might not be obese yourself, but things like the economy, insurance costs, social norms of exercising, eating, and body image - it all affects all of us - so we need to work together to get this in check.

So how do we go about fat "accepting"? We need to look at our thought processes. We need a shift in how we perceive things and find a NON-JUDGMENTAL view of things.

Let's pretend that you don't have a car, and you needed to go to your doctor and you had your friend Amy volunteer to bring you to that doctor. You had an appointment and was told that the appointment was only going to last 15 minutes at most. So your friend Amy stays because that's not long enough for her to go drive home or go shopping and come back. So you and your friend Amy are waiting in the waiting room - and instead of getting in to see your doctor, it took 30 minutes longer in the waiting room.

You can either say to your friend Amy

"The doctor is 30 minutes late. You could have gone home, or gone shopping, and come back. Doctor is wasting my time."

or 

"It is 30 minutes that I get to spend with you enjoying your company."

or 

"It will take 30 minutes to get in to see my doctor."

The first statement is negative, the second is positive, and the last is neutral. It is the way it is, no judgment included. 

We need to adopt this neutral way of thinking when it comes to thinking about our bodies. We need to stop calling ourselves fat and ugly, and "can't do this" or "can't do that". We just need to call it what it is, and move on from there - sans the judgments. 

A neutral statement: "I have fat around my waist." 

instead of a negative statement: "I can't wear that shirt, I have a muffin top."

Once we have a clear assessment without any judgments, we can decide what to do from there. We can keep on track with what we've been doing - not changing a thing - if you're happy with what you've got, then awesome! Or if you want something different, then decide what you are going to do about it.

Placing a negative thought or cloud around your assessment, will not change that fact. Calling myself fat and ugly will not change the fact that I have adipose (fat tissue) around my waist. If anything, it will hurt my self esteem, and make me want to do less. Fat shaming is hurtful. Accept the facts and move on. Decide what to do from there. And that starts with leaving out any negative judgments.