Does anybody read these?

Poster children

I am just back from a whirlwind trip across three states. It was fun, but now I am broke and tired.

Of course, after a weekend of almost completely and totally disconnecting (except for spending real, one-on-one time with family and friends), reality often hits you like a ton of bricks.

One of my many tasks at work is keeping up with the news headlines on our industry and our members. This requires me to follow a lot of news outlets, and sometimes I feel like I am on information overload. One thing that I've learned in today's world is to read news articles but never, ever click on the comments. People are just assholes, and it seems like the comments on every news story reflect this.

I saw an article today about what essential wardrobe pieces every plus-size woman needs, and I wanted to read it. I have never been a fashion plate, but I'm always looking for a few good, flattering pieces to add to my closet.

The suggestions were -- to put it politely -- interesting, so I decided to see what the comments said. I can sum them up in three categories.
1. OMG, did you really tell fat people to wear belts? What are you thinking?
2. Why are there never any plus-size models modeling plus size clothing? (With a side of "Really, size 10 is not plus-size. Jerks")
And, last but not least: 3. You bitches need to shut your traps and get on the treadmill so you don't have to wear plus sizes.

Now, I have never been the poster child for the fat acceptance craze. I accept my fat, because what the hell else am I going to do with it, but I am doing what I can to be healthy, whether weight loss is involved or not. And, my levels for everything continue to stay normal. I'm not diabetic; I don't have high cholesterol. I'm just fat. I go to the gym (although not as much as I should) and most of the time I watch what I eat. Not because I want to wear "normal" clothes, but because I don't want to keel over at 40 with a Twinkie in my hand. But I love to cook and I love to eat, and everything I make isn't always good for you. Everything in moderation, my friends.

In some ways, I give a lot of kudos to the folks who are in the fat acceptance movement. It takes a lot of courage to say "I'm fat, and you need to deal with it." However, no one should jeopardize his or her health. Whether you are too fat or too thin, if it affects your health you need to deal with it. If you're diabetic or you're having joint pain, you need to work on losing weight. Just like if you are a size 0 and you're vitamin deficient or have other issues. Everyone needs to try to be healthy, and too thin or too fat are generally not healthy.

Part of being healthy is having a healthy attitude about yourself. I have said many times that I would like to look better and be physically stronger but until that happens, this body is the only one I have. I don't sit around wishing that I were a size 2, because no matter how much I lose, that's never going to happen. My body is not made that way.

We can't put everyone in a cookie cutter. We're not made that way. We don't need to compare ourselves to one another. We don't need to base people's value on their pants size. What makes the world a wonderful place is that we are all different, and if you take the time you can find beauty in just about everyone.

We're destroying ourselves. When I hear someone say a size 10 is a plus size, it doesn't motivate me. It makes me feel hopeless. When someone minimizes my concerns and tells me to "shut my trap and get on a treadmill," it doesn't help. If someone said, not only to me but to the woman who is clearly too thin, "I'm worried about you. You would feel better if you did something to improve your weight," that would be much more helpful. But instead, everyone has to be a hater.

I don't wish weight issues on anyone who doesn't already have them. I am here to tell you after struggling for most of my life that they are absolute hell most of the time. It doesn't help that people are complete and total insensitive assholes. It's really a miracle that everyone with body issues haven't offed themselves. I wonder how many people have?

posted by Laura at 1:32 PM