Being one of the biggest girls in my class throughout my high school years, I always felt as if I was lesser in everything for having a little— more like a lot— of junk in my trunk.
Just like all kids encounter at one point or another, I had a lot of issues with bullies poking fun at my weight. It hit me hard back then, but just as almost everyone does, I grew up and became more comfortable and confident with myself and the body that God blessed me with.
Although, it has recently come to light that body positivity coincides with promoting obesity.
I have watched many videos calling out big people on their weight, fat shaming celebrities and all around just being really mean for no good reason to people who did nothing wrong. For example, Nicole Arbour posted a video about how she does not feel bad for fat people because they are “taking their body for granted.”
Though the video was deleted speedily after being uploaded to YouTube, it had a lasting effect on those who watched it. I am one of those people. Being happy with your body does not mean you encourage an unhealthy lifestyle.
Also, to say that just being fat promotes obesity is so out of this world that I will never even begin to comprehend how someone can even say that.
Body-positive campaigns have recently popped up everywhere on social media. This includes the #effyourbeautystandards campaign started by plus-size model, Tess Holliday, and the #NoBS or #NoBodyShaming hashtag coming from “My Big Fat Fabulous Life” star, Whitney Way Thore.
These and many more body-positive role models have never, not once, gotten caught promoting an unhealthy lifestyle. Thore actually encourages enormous amounts of exercise and has a “big girl dance studio” in Greensboro, North Carolina. She also has an instructional dance and exercise DVD coming out soon to the general public called “Werk with Whitney!”
An Oxford local and fan of Thore’s show, Cheyenne Bryant, had this to say about the way Thore using the forsaken ‘f-word’: “Whitney calls herself fat. She doesn’t see it as an insult, but an adjective, a way she describes herself.”
We should stop saying that being fat or being a confident fat person promotes obesity because 1) That is completely idiotic. 2) Confidence is contagious and should be something that is constantly spread. 3) Did I mention it was completely idiotic?
All in all, we should spread love and positivity every day. If we spent more time complimenting others on their confidence than we do condemning them because they do not match up to the unachievable social standards of beauty, we would be living in a much better world.
Mikala Turner is a journalism major from Bruce.
