Dodger Logic: #84: The "New Skinny" is Healthy, Not Fat

A friend posted an article on Facebook the other day, which I thought was actually really good. Here it is if you want to check it out: http://thoughtcatalog.com/carolyn-hall/2014/04/6-things-i-dont-understand-about-the-fat-acceptance-movement/. It is about the "Fat Acceptance Movement," as the author so beautifully puts it. So apparently there are some misunderstandings about what's going on in society today when it comes to accepting heavier, "healthier" body types. And I think this article did a great job of illuminating that, although I think the author doesn't exactly realize the point I'm going to make here, so I hope this makes everyone understand, including the people who agree with this article, and the people who believe that it's totally fine to be obese and happy, because you should be happy being who you are.

The article explains that the movement that's been going around lately about accepting and loving who you are, no matter what, is a "Fat Acceptance Movement." Here are the 6 things that the article highlights as making no sense: 1. America is extremely accepting of fat, 2. "Body positivity" should include health, 3. "Health at every size" seems physically impossible, 4. People are allowed to not be attracted to certain body types, 5. Food addiction is a real medical problem, and 6. Childhood obesity is something we shouldn't be accepting of. I think this article perfectly highlights how people should not be spreading around that it's ok to be obese, in the sense that people shouldn't worry about it and eat whatever they want and be lazy. I mean child obesity is at an all-time high, and it is never a good thing, because you're setting your kid up for an unhealthy lifestyle. Growing up, I was never taught to eat healthy or exercise daily, and look where I am. I've had weight issues my whole life and have tried (and often failed) at a healthy lifestyle. Furthermore, the truth is you can't really be healthy past a certain weight or below a certain weight. That's one thing I don't think this article mentions. Just like there is a stigma against people being obese, there is also a stigma against people who are so underweight that they are malnourished. Neither is healthy, and therefore, neither should be pushed and widely accepted in the sense that we teach our kids that it's perfectly ok, and that health doesn't matter. And, of course, I must agree that people should be allowed to not be attracted to certain body types. That is definitely true. Lots of people say thick is beautiful, and that thin is not, which is apart of this "Fat Acceptance Movement," but I think it's just as wrong to say thin is not beautiful as it is to say thick is not beautiful.

So even though I thoroughly agree with this article, I must throw out there the REAL agenda here, which I think many people are completely missing, including the author of the article. Lots of people, whether you agree with it or not, think its a "Fat Acceptance Movement." However, I don't think that's the real intent of the people who started this. First off, I think people are just trying to say that, if you see an obese person, still be friends with that person and love that person and treat that person nicely. Don't discriminate against him/her, just because he/she is obese. That's just wrong. I think a lot of kids in school are discriminated against based on weight, and that's definitely not ok. But the real meaning of this "movement" is something quite a bit different than how people are taking it. I believe the people who started all of this are just trying to explain that healthy does not equal skinny as a bone. Remember, up until recently, that has been the standard. That's how a lot of our super models of today look. This standard has caused girls and women to starve themselves, make themselves throw up their food, have dangerous operations to change the natural way they look, and hate themselves for naturally being a little thicker, having more curves or hips, and being a little more "disproportionate" than the standard. So I think this "movement" is just an attempt to reverse this. I don't think the originators of this "movement" were trying to say we should all be fat, or that it's ok to be obese. I think they're just trying to say you should love yourself for the way you were born, and for the things you can't change about yourself. If you have a larger butt than most people, love those curves! You can't change it, and you shouldn't feel compelled to do so. Yes, "body positivity" should definitely include health. That is for SURE. But you can be healthy and still be a little thicker or have bigger hips than most of your peers. You don't have to be stick thin to be healthy. As a matter of fact, that is generally a less healthy body type than someone who has a little meat on their bones. However, as long as both body types are healthy, they should be considered acceptable. That brings me to the point that, no, every body type is not necessarily healthy. There is a point where you have gotten too skinny or too fat to be healthy. That's why people die every day from Anorexia and from being too overweight.

Number 3 in the article is really good too. Yes, you are most definitely allowed to be attracted to whatever body type you prefer. If you like thinner girls, go for thinner girls! If you like big boobs, by all means, find yourself a curvier girlfriend. But I think what the creators of this "movement" are trying to say is that there shouldn't be one single body image that everyone likes, and that you shouldn't like any of the others. You see, when I was growing up in middle school and early high school, all the skinny girls had boyfriends, and the thicker girls with curves (not necessarily fat girls, just curvier ones) were left untouched. Why is that? Because young boys have, or at least had when I was growing up, this idea that they should have skinny girlfriends. And you know how kids are. They are worried about their reputations and want to be seen as one of the "cool kids" at school, so they won't do anything to tarnish that. So if they have the idea that curvy is bad, and that super thin is good, then they won't even come close to that curvier girl in school, who may even be healthier than the skinny girls, and who may be a really great person. So I think the point of the "movement" about loving all body types is that you shouldn't dismiss a person as being a potential mate just because she is a little heavier than other girls, and that body types other than "stick thin" are worth a shot at being investigated and tried out just as much as the "stick thin" body type is, and that people should try it out and not worry about the petty stuff, aka girls who are not perfectly thin. I think a major part of this "movement" is trying to get young boys to stop discriminating against girls who might not be bone thin like a lot of the "popular girls" in school, thus hopefully eliminating cliques in school based on weight. Also, the idea is to encourage young girls to love themselves for the way they look and the things they can't change about themselves.

Lastly, food addiction is definitely a medical problem, and child obesity is as well. Neither of these is healthy and should definitely not be acceptable when it comes to teaching people about it. It's definitely something we should fight against in order to raise a healthier America.

So here's the point I'm trying to get at. Don't take this "movement" to mean that you can eat whatever you want and be lazy and not have a care in the world about your health, and that that's totally ok. Health is something people worry about, and rightfully so. So try to maintain a healthy lifestyle as best as you can. However, on the flip side, how you live your life is no one else's business. So do what you want to do, as long as you understand and accept the risks involved. Furthermore, don't discriminate against people who are thicker than you, overweight, obese, underweight, or whatever. Treat them as other human beings just like yourself, and let them do what they do. Stay out of other people's business, and just make friends with whoever, no matter what size anyone is. And young boys should realize that thicker girls are worth a shot. They're healthy and can be attractive as well as thinner girls. And young girls need to accept themselves for who they are and the things they can't change. But if you want to change something about yourself and it's within the realm of possibility, like losing a few pounds (as long as you have some pounds to lose,) go for it! Just make sure you're doing it in a healthy way, and that it is a healthy change for yourself (like don't try to lose weight if you're already underweight.) Let's stop calling this the "Fat Acceptance Agenda" and start calling it the "Accept the Things You Can't Change About Yourself, Feel Free to Change the Things You Can Change About Yourself in a Healthy Way, and Keep Your Nose in Your Own Business Movement." That sounds much better to me.

Also, if you want more of an idea of why this is a healthy movement, rather than a "Fat Acceptance Movement," check out this new song that is all over the radio that I really like. It's about accepting your body as it is, the way you were born, even if you're naturally curvier, because men generally like more curves anyway. And check out the girl who sings it. She's not fat at all! She is a little curvy and absolutely beautiful and appears healthy. Here's the link to her music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PCkvCPvDXk.

THIS is what the "movement" is: Healthy is the new skinny. Notice this doesn't say "Fat is the new skinny." And also notice that there are several different body types depicted as "beautiful" in this picture.