It seems EVERYONE has an opinion on this, so I thought I'd throw in my two cents. Because I can.
I'm going to be 100% honest with you right now. Her starting weight, and my starting weight are the same. I am about 4 inches taller than her, however. Still though... I feel like we have a lot in common! I feel bad for her. I'm not even going to lie. I think that people are being harsh and cruel. I don't know her whole story, but before you judge her think about a few things...
Do you know what it is like to be overweight? Really overweight? Have you had to shop in plus size clothes sections? Have you ever not wanted to go shopping with your friends or gone shopping with your friends and only got earrings, because you couldn't shop in the same stores as them? Do you know what it's like to spend your entire life having to shop in different stores than everyone else? Have you ever continued to put on weight even though you weren't eating any differently than any of your friends? Have you ever really had these experiences? Has every doctor in your life reminded you that you need to lose weight? And made sure you knew how to do that? have you ever had your BMI read out at obese? Have you ever had your body fat percentage hover around 50%? Have you ever tried to lose weight? Have you ever been so overwhelmed by possibilities, and nothing works? Have you tried diet pills, Weight Watchers, LA Weightloss, and been hyper aware of "portion control" all before you were 18? Have you continued to try everything possible to lose weight? Have you ever seen progress in weight loss just to gain it all back? Have you been SO desperate to lose weight that you were willing to do just about anything?
If you can relate some/all of these, then you know how absolutely terrible being over weight can be. How hard it is to lose weight, and how discouraging. If you can't relate, then you don't know. You may be able to sympathize or try to understand, but you probably don't REALLY get it. You don't REALLY get it until you have lived it.
That being said. I think that everyone needs to keep their judgments about her to yourselves. She may have over done it, but that's really none of your business. She may be underweight, but is it worse than being overweight? I'm no doctor, but my guess is that the risks may be tit for tat. Is her weight harming you in anyway? Nope.
Accusing someone of having an eating disorder is a terrible assumption and accusation. What a terrible today must be for her! She was on top of the world, and now everyone has an opinion. I hope she ignores everyone. I hope that she continues to be healthy. I hope that she realizes that health is a journey, and that she continues to seek the healthiest choices she can. I hope that she maintains a healthy body that makes her happy.
She and I may have different fitness goals, but we started from the same place. I would be crushed if I got to a point where I was so proud of myself and felt good just to have everyone else remind me that I still didn't fit into their box of ideal.
That being said, she's not the only one in the world who has been criticized this way. Health, weight, and body image is highly personal. Perhaps we should allow it to be personal, support appropriately, and only give suggestions when asked.
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