Body Images

There’s been a lot of talk and discussion this week about body images and healthy body images. This has stemmed mostly from Nicole Arbour’s video called Dear Fat People. First of all, I just want to start by saying this video is one of the most disgusting and shameful videos that I’ve ever come across in the several years that I’ve been watching YouTube content. The ignorance and total incompetence of Nicole is actually astounding.

We live in a society where fat shamming is 100% real. To claim otherwise is complete ignorance. Everything from the ads we see, in all forms of media, to the dolls we give our children promote the ‘skinny’ body type. (And let me remind you to the majority of people that body type is completely unattainable regardless of how much money you blow on a dietitian or personal trainer.) If you’re anything but this body type you’re viewed as someone who is ‘lazy’ or ‘sloppy’ or someone who just doesn’t care about their lifestyle or quality of life.

But can I ask you a question? Do you think people who are overweight are blind to the fact that they are overweight? Do you honestly think that they don’t know? People like Nicole are mean. But do you know what? We are even meaner to ourselves. Like really mean.

People are complex. They are so, so, so complex. Being overweight is almost never as simple as ‘over eating’. In fact, most obesity problems stem from some type of psychological issue deep inside the person.

Even if I was going to give the benefit of the doubt and say ‘Hey, you know Nicole has a point—” Actually, what am I even saying here? She has no good points. Bullying someone into losing weight is so wrong. Causing someone to re-evaluate their lifestyle simply on the foundation of self-hatred is not okay (not to mention we’re back to the idea that most obesity stems from a psychological problem). And, honestly, do you even think that they’re going to have any type of progress if the only reason they want to lose weight is because they hate themselves? They aren’t. I can personally tell you that they aren’t and instead of losing the weight in a healthy manor, they are most likely going to turn to some type of Eating Disorder that they’ll have to battle their entire life. But you know what Nicole at least they’ll be skinny, right? (sarcasm).

Here’s what I’m going to tell you if you’re reading this and Nicole’s toxic ideas have gotten into your mind:

You are beautiful. You are so much more than the number that is on the scale or how much you’ve eaten today. Everyone is on their own beautiful journey and at different places and struggle with different demons. If you want to lose weight, then lose weight. But please, please do it for yourself. Do it because you love yourself enough to say, ‘Hey, this is my body. This is my body that loves me and cares for me and helps me live and it’s the only body I’m going to get and I’m going to love it back twice as much.’ Do it because you want to lead a healthy lifestyle and you want to live a long life. Don’t do it because someone like Nicole told you to. Don’t do it because you want to look like whatever celebrity or to say you’re a bullshit size. Do it for the right reasons. When you look into the mirror, I want you guys to see yourself as a complex human being and not some two-dimension paper person. I want you to see yourself as more than your faults and weaknesses. I want you to see yourself as a strong individual who is so much more than what they look like. You are beautiful. Becoming a healthy person with a healthy body starts with a healthy mindset. Remember that.

Brooke posted a great video yesterday on our Youtube Channel as a response to Nicole’s video so I would for sure recommend going over to watch that. Also, if you’re looking for another video to cleanse the toxic ideas of Nicole from your mind give Zoe and Louise’s Why Are You So Skinny? video a view. They talk about fat shamming and skinny shamming, which is a real problem in our world. Lastly, I would recommend watching Taylor Swift’s Clean Speech from the 1989 World Tour.

I love you guys.

A. xx