dianoetic:

I think people are scared of body positive people, especially fat women. It makes everything they’ve ever known and been taught about beauty a lie. If we didn’t shame fat women, how would we feel better about ourselves? What would we laugh at during romantic comedies or cartoon shows? How could we force them to have to buy more expensive clothes because straight sized stores don’t have anything over a size 12? How would diet companies make their money? What would we call other women we hate? How could we sleep at night without the “ideal goal” of bodily perfection on the horizon (if only I could stop eating carbs/count calories/go to the gym etc. etc.)?

We are taught to hate our bodies, mold them to “perfection”, be a cookie cutter size, shape, and weight. I see an endless cycle of mothers, sisters, aunts, and grandmothers who project this onto younger girls— “no one will marry you if you’re fat” “why can’t you be like your thin sister?” “you need to be on this diet to be pretty” and so forth. “Fat” is considered one of the worst things you can be called, as a woman. We are taught that fat =/= sexy and that lessens our worth as women. We are taught to cover rolls, hide fat arms, avoid this material, avoid that color, get rock hard abs before bikini season— why? Why?

Because loving ourselves makes other self conscious people uncomfortable. I have seen so many posts on tumblr of “I’m a little chubby myself and I worry about this obese person’s health. HAES is making people unhealthy!” No, it doesn’t. It gives women courage to love themselves, despite all the negativity we receive. If a person you don’t know has high blood pressure or diabetes, why does it matter to you? It doesn’t. Thin people can have these diseases, too (omg shock!!!) Self conscious people just want to shame fat people into losing weight without looking like assholes.

Well, guess what? We’re on to you. Your faux health concern does nothing to hide your scorn. “Healthy = beautiful” is ableist and gross and wrong. Before you pass judgment on someone— anyone— take a good look at yourself. Look deep inside. Maybe body positivity is something that will help you.