It’s become an American pastime to comment on people’s weight. Watch any celebrity gossip show or read any celebrity magazine and you’ll find out who is gaining and who is losing pounds, who looks great (lost weight) and who has let herself go (gained weight).
This constant critical commentary on people’s weight has given us the impression that it is permissible to tell someone that she is fat and what she needs to do about it.
So many of my clients and students feel powerless to do anything about a parent or sibling, co-worker or friend who criticizes her body.
Fat prejudice is the last form of acceptable prejudice in our society. And it is a form of bullying that needs to change. We can change this kind of oppression by standing up to people who criticize our bodies. We can say, “It is not okay to make comments about my body.” or “My body is my business, not yours.”
I was thrilled to see news anchor Jennifer Livingston take a powerful stance against a viewer who calls her fat. Watch her On-Air Response and be inspired!