How Did You Get So Fat?

mylifeinthefatlane:

• You do not have to tell fat people they are fat.  They already know.

• You do not need to tell fat people what to eat. They know what to eat. If they had the time and finances to eat that way, most of them would. I know this is true because I am fat. Don’t tell me what you don’t know.

• Not all fat people are lazy. In fact, some people are fat because they are too busy to take proper care of themselves. Fat people are some of the most nurturing, giving, tenderhearted people you will ever know.

• Middle-aged fat people are in physical pain most of the time. They don’t need you adding to it by criticizing them.  If they could walk faster, they would.

• I don’t criticize your body size. Stop being so mean about mine. Do you think people are fat on purpose? Did they wake up one day and say to themselves: “oh gee, I think my goal in life is to be fat?” No. They wake up with dread each day praying not to eat certain foods. But their bodies don’t just stop being hungry because they are fat. They still have to eat to live. In my opinion our bodies shouldn’t get hungry until they need more calories, but our bodies just aren’t made that way. So we dread another day of existing as a fat person, and cry ourselves to sleep at night because no one respects us.

• Why is fatness criticized more than alcoholism or drug addiction? Why don’t you get it? It’s an addiction if we are overeaters. If we aren’t overeaters, then we have something wrong with the way our bodies metabolize calories, and there are many reasons for this besides the thyroid.

• People on anti-depressants often gain a lot of weight. It has nothing to do with how undisciplined they are. It has to do with choosing between being suicidal or being chubby. Give them credit for choosing a chubby life over no life at all.

• Stop lumping us all in together and painting us with the same colored brush. Obesity has more than one cause, so quit being so critical about what you know nothing about.

• Walk a mile in our own moccasins before you judge us. You have no idea of the painful journey that got us to where we are now. You do not help us by judging us. You only help us when you inspire us.

• Don’t offer help unless we ask for it. Until then - mind your own business.

• Don’t give us your fat clothes you no longer need. Just because we’re fat doesn’t mean we don’t have feelings.

• Don’t stare at us in public, point at us, or discriminate against us because of our size. We are more uncomfortable being in public than you are, I assure you.

• Find compassion in your heart for people who struggle with this part of their lives. They wear their weaknesses and secrets on their body. How would you like it if everyone knew all about yours every time you walked out the door?