My disapproval of fat acceptance was finally discovered at a recent family holiday party attended by folks related to my husband. I'm lucky enough to live in a fairly low fat part of the US, work in a low fat industry, and most of my friends and immediate family are fit or at least not fat. But over the years a few in-laws have thin shamed me, last year even making comments that I must be ill because it's not normal for anyone to keep their weight down as they get older.
One middle-aged gal like me had a tummy tuck and boob lift surgery a few years ago (she was about 30-40 lbs overweight at the time) and though she looked pretty good for three years or so, she now looks like she's gained about 60 lbs since I saw her last Xmas. She pulled me aside to have a quiet little conversation about what I might be secretly doing to stay slender. I told her I ate whatever I want. She didn't believe me, kept asking questions, and I tried to explain to her that I want to be slender so my calorie consumption follows my desire to be slender.
It was as if I were speaking a foreign language.
After I tried several ways to explain my food philosophy, she finally said, "So you think being overweight is bad?"
I'm thinking, isn't that what we're talking about?
So I said, "Well... yeah. You had that surgery and you're asking me about how I manage not to get fat so you must think it's bad, too. Don't you?"
She said "Well, now that I see how so many people are overweight and how diets don't work I don't think of it as BAD, really. We need to accept ALL sizes and ALL types of bodies and people, don't we?"
I was speechless. I really didn't know how to respond. So I just sat there with my mouth open for about 20 seconds before my (adult) daughter and her friend saved me by demanding my attention elsewhere.
Later I learned this woman told some other family members at the party that I was arrogant and prejudice against fat people.
In the car on the way home my husband and daughter (both human size) teased me about making enemies at the party because I'm such an arrogant disapproving bitch and we laughed about how the whole thing got blown out of proportion. Then we were quiet for awhile enjoying the holiday lights during the drive as it got darker.
Then my daughter said "Guess it's a good thing they don't know about your last few years lurking on fatpeoplehate."
I love you all. You keep me sane. And slender. Thank you.
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[–] mmmmdonuts ago
I just bet the new boyfriends family for the first time recently. They're all fat. I do not look forward to this. Thanks god he's a sexy shitlord :)