I wrote this as a comment to a post on FitBottomedGirls.com.
(She) said “When I see the word “fat,” I think “hate” or “ugly” or, even, “not good enough.” In my mind, if you call yourself fat, you’re hating on yourself and not honoring the person you are inside and out.”
I am fat. Fat is a description. It says that I am larger than what some arbitrary person says I should be. Note: larger, not heavier. My blog is “Fat Girl Shrinking,” which is a description, and I do not think I am hating on myself when I say it. I am honoring the person that I was (at 320), that I am (240ish), and that I will be (whatever weight I will be.)
Women think they are fat because we have been told all our lives that we need to be “thin” to be pretty. Thus, if you are not “thin,” then you are “ugly” and “not good enough.” This is not any fault of the word, but rather a sickness that is in our culture.
I would rather live in a world in which ALL women (and all people), are considered beautiful for the beauty that they have, inherent to their being alive, rather than one that says our looks are the only thing that matters to them.
(See also Fat Rant 1 (and part 2 and 3!)
I love this post – it so echoes what I feel (as I said in the comments on the other post). I am fat. It’s just a statement of fact – it doesn’t mean I hate myself or am belittling myself or anything like that. I’m just fat, working on being not-fat. :)
Amen sistah!! I too am fat. I am not ashamed of being called fat or calling myself fat. I have been told that I chose my style of belly dance because I’m fat. I responded that I chose this particular style because it’s cheaper on my budget. I don’t have to be thin to be beautiful and awesome and smart and lovable. I am already all those things. Fat is what what my body is at this particular phase of my life. It’s not WHO I am.
If I call myself fat it is one thing, but if I call someone else fat than that is insulting. I can’t help but feel the word is insulting.