In an in-depth interview with Australian Story yesterday, fitness trainer Michelle Bridges said she had never met an obese person who was truly happy.
“I think it might be seen that I have this agenda on people who are overweight or people who are deemed fat,” she said.
“Honestly if you are happy where you are, genuinely, more power to you. But I can tell you now, I am yet to have met someone who is morbidly obese and happy.”
Michelle Bridges on Australian Story. Post continues below.
Yesterday, Mamamia’s own Alys Gagnon wrote about her feelings towards Bridges’ comments, and since the interview aired last night, several other media personalities have voiced their opposition to Bridges’ claims.
On Nova 100‘s ‘Chrissie, Sam & Browny’ this morning, host Chrissie Swan touched on Bridges comments. “Michelle Bridges last night on Australian Story said that she’s never met a happy fat person,” Swan said. “And yet mysteriously I have met her many times.”
“Hi Michelle if you are listening,” Swan joked. “Remember me? I’ve known you for years. We have met many, many times … You can take it back now. I’m happy.”
Jonathan ‘Browny’ Brown also responded to Bridges’ comments, saying that he had previously associated bigger people with being “jovial”.
But Swan wasn’t having any of that either. “That is equally ridiculous,” she said.
“All we are saying is you should not judge someone’s entire character by what they look like… Every fat person is not sad or trying to change themselves or jovial.”
Over on KIIS 101.1 in Melbourne, comedian Meshel Laurie was less phased, assuring listeners, “I’m not as outraged as you might think”.
While she’s not upset about the comments, Laurie says they “tapped into” a recent conversation she had with her son, Louis.
“He’s six, he’s in grade one,” she said to co-host Matt Tilley. “He said to me, ‘Mummy, you’re fat.’ I said, ‘Yeah … and that’s OK. I’m really happy. I’m a really happy person’.”
“I meant it from the absolute pit of my soul,” Laurie said.
“I’m such a lucky person. I’ve got two arms that work, two legs that work. A brain that’s sharp. My focus is always, I’ve actually got a perfect body,” she said, reiterating the idea that the purpose of a body is far more to do with what it can do than how it looks.
“My body does everything you could ever ask for it to do. It had twins one time, it breathes properly. It is actually possible to be fat and happy, I promise you.”
Listen to Michelle Bridges interviewed for No Filter with Mia Freedman:
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Top Comments
Wasnt chrissy an ambassador for Jenny Craig? This suggests she wasn't happy with her weight.
I think she quit them realising she didn't support their message.
She specifically said "morbidly obese". I doubt she was referring to people like Chrissy or Meschel Laurie, I suspect morbidly obese is something quite different.
I weigh 96kg and wear Size 16 clothing and I am morbidly obese, so obviously it is something quite different to what you think.
Morbidly obese is anyone with a BMI over 30. Someone that is 160 cm tall and 80kgs has a BMI of 31... so yep, that would probably include people like Chrissy and Meschel.
I weigh 80kg and wear size 12 and am not overweight...but I am very tall. I think focusing on numbers is why this topic is so skewed. My sister is size 8 and 73kgs. There is no magic number- everyone's bones and height and fat distribution is different. I wish we could get away from numbers and sizes and focus on whether people feel comfortable and confident. I have clothes from size 10 - size 18 in my wardrobe, fit into them all, and have been the same size (my natural size) give or take 3kgs or so for 20 years. That says more about the clothing industry than it does about my weight/size which barely changes. What a mad world that we worry about our "number"!