So the Fat Woman Says

My brother made a comment the other day about the weight that I had put on, so in retaliation, I had told him that even though I had put on the pounds, I was still lighter than him. What he said next made me think. He said, "I'm a guy. I'm given the allowance to be fat." Hmm...

You know, although I knew he was kidding when he said that, what he said is certainly valid in society today... you only have to flip through mags to know what I'm talking about: female celebs are frequently criticised when they put on weight, and even when they lose (weight), they still lose! whereas male celebrities can be as fat... or thin... as they want to be without it making the front page of some tabloid. So why is that?

Throughout these past few years, I've come across quite a few people who have commented about how fat I've gotten and how much prettier *YUCK* I'd be if I shed the pounds. I hate that. Others keep telling me that the extra weight will be detrimental to my health if I don't do anything about it. YES, I KNOW THAT!! And I HAVE been trying... without much luck. I blame my lack of discipline for that... not to mention the media, who only make it worse by portraying this made-up ideal of what beauty should be... make no mistake about it, the 'ideal beauty' IS made up. A few decades ago, full-figured women were considered to be the beauty ideals... in some cultures, having certain body types made you a choice bride... These days, unless you're a matchstick with boobies, you practically have no place in this world.

To me, what I look like on the outside really doesn't have anything to do with who I am as a person. It doesn't impede my ability to do my job as a teacher or a mother or a wife or a sister or a daughter. I'm comfortable with myself as I am but I have to admit it still hurts when I'm judged based on how I look or make uncalled-for comments about my size. Like Oprah said, this is really the only discrimination left in the world.