This article was brought to my attention this morning via MSN.com - Overweight Couples On Television: Do Fat Characters Offend TV Viewers?
I felt the writer was being quite rude (but we'll just leave my oversensitivity for another day, shall we? :-) ), and neglected to acknowledge that obesity isn't just a mind over body thing. There are different components to it - two that come to mind, are the emotional and psychological.
There are people, including myself, who society calls fat, or meaner names. For as long as I can remember, I've been bigger than the girls I've known - I was always taller, and I've had a tummy since I don't know, forever? I did one diet in the past, and dropped about 10 pounds in less than a week. However, it did mean that it was much, much easier to put the 10 pounds back on, and then some. The time I spent in the UK for my studies was probably the healthiest time of my life - I ate a vegetarian diet due to religious and personal preferences, and increased my physical activity.
Being back in my home country, I've struggled not having that physical outlet, and of course, the food. (oh, the food...) I've gained back a whole bunch of weight, and most of the reason why I stopped blogging for most of the time since I've been back is because I fell back into the role of the insecure 15 year old I was when I left to study in the UK. It took me ages and ages to get some form of self esteem back, with the help of an awesome trip to the UK to see my boyfriend after about 11 months apart.
Medically, I am termed morbidly obese. At this point in time, I feel good with my body. I feel emotionally well, apart from the fact that the man I love is about 8 time zones away. Psychologically, I'm as well as I can be with the strains I have.
My mental health is my priority, because if I don't have that, I don't have much.
I apologise, as I've completely digressed from my initial thoughts as to what this post was to be about.
What do you think about the article?
I think its interesting how overeating is seen as such an unglamours disoder, when people think its 'cool' or more understandable to be addicted to alcohol or too drugs. Or how even anorexia is seen with more sympathy than overeating, when its the same. its about control, or lack of. And I think it must be so hard to control, because with so many other addictions, although they are all tied to emotion, the goal usually to eventually stop the behavour, you dont drink, you dont take drugs, but in the end, with overeating, you cant quit food. I think if there were less stigma attached, more positive media to encourge understanding and tht if people could understand that it is an actual addiction, a problem, that people aren't just lazy and greedy, maybe more empathy and support would be availble, which in the end would help more than judegement. plus these people in the article and on Tv were aware of their problems and were trying to get help.
ReplyDeleteI also think the apology at the end is interesting, however, you cant have an opinon like that then apologise for being a bully, because if you had never thought that in the first place, you wouldnt write it!
Hey Weeze,
ReplyDeleteAgreed! The apology felt a bit, "eurgh, people complained and demanded this, so here is is.". Half-hearted, if anything!