by ALANA HOUSE
OK, there, I’ve said it. So shoot me.
It feels like some shameful secret I’m supposed to hide – my joy that my children have strong, lithe, healthy bodies.
When I enter my local aquatic centre, I shudder at the size of some of the kids in their cossies. I murmur a prayer of thanks that mine aren’t carrying all those spare tyres.
Yet.
Don’t get me wrong – I wouldn’t love my children less if they were large. They will always be my sweethearts, no matter what. And I will always foster their self-esteem, no matter what. But I really hope – for their sakes – that they stay thin.
Perhaps “thin” is the wrong word. It’s been bastardised to mean size sub-size-zero celebrities tottering down beaches in bikinis with every rib clearly showing.
What’s the word I’m looking for then? One that means “not fat” … whatever it is, that’s what I want my kids to stay.
I wish “thin” hadn’t become such a corrupted, dirty word. It’s the way nature/God had in mind when it/he/she created us. He/she meant us to be lean, mean fighting machines, not sweating, shuffling mounds of fat.
Australia is one of the fattest nations in the world – fourteen million Aussies are overweight or obese – yet we encourage our children to embrace their shape, no matter what.
I have difficulty stomaching articles like “Making the case for size acceptance”, which makes dubious points like “fat people eat the same as thin people”. I’m sure they do sometimes, there are medical conditions that mean obesity is unavoidable. Or Plus-size bodies what is wrong with them anyway? with its outrage that “50% of women wear a size 14 or larger, but most standard clothing outlets cater to sizes 14 or smaller”.
Top Comments
I'd say I'm fairly healthy. I've been active my whole life- softball, karate, soccer, waitressing for an extremely busy sports bar (anyone who has done it can tell you how active it is). I jog regularly with my dog in the mornings. I eat fruits and veggies, only drink water, don't eat much fried food.
Oh, and guess what. I'm fat. And not just a little fat, but medically "morbidly obese". And I've been this way since I was 13.
The issue shouldn't be if your kids are fat, it should be if they're healthy and happy. How sad for your children that the thing you're glad for isn't their joy, but something society deems acceptable.
And another thing, I don't need you to "shudder" at the sight of me. I know I'm fat. I've accepted it, and after many years, I'm okay with it. I have a (thin) husband, ex-military, who loves me this way and tells me all the time how beautiful I am. If I don't have a problem with my weight, and neither does he, why should your opinion matter?
Obesity is a huge burden on the health system already and it seams is only going to worsen. The demand for treatment of obesity related diseases and complications is on the increase in a health system that is already failing to meet demand. I think the big picture needs to be addressed and individuals need to stop taking offence when this issue is tackled.