It's Not About "Health"- You're Fatphobic and Ableist
And I'm done letting you hide behind it
The absolute only time anyone is ever allowed to speak about health when it comes to a person's body size is to point out how fat phobia kills every single day.
This is just a tiny sampling. Everyone who has ever been considered fat has experienced this. Everyone who has ever been considered fat has had their body policed by everyone from complete strangers to their own parents. From doctors who kill with fat phobia. I don't want to hear a fucking thing about anyone's health when it comes to the body size unless you are fighting fatphobia and ableism.
I still deal with fat phobia, disordered eating, and shame. I have come a very long way and I will never ever allow fat to be weaponized against me or in front of me. I will call it out every single time. The first link is how I still sometimes deal with shame, but and the second is my journey about fat phobia and body image.
I still speak out against the injustice. I speak about every single time I go to the doctor, I have to apologize for my body size. I have to apologize for being fat. And I have to fucking hope that they look past my ass size and into the underlying issues.( Which spoiler alert: they don't). I am so sick of being treated like I'm less than a human because my ass fits into a size 14 dress. I was treated like less than human when I was in a size 22. and oh by the way, I was dealing with fat phobia and having my food and body policed when I was a size 4. Fat is subjective. Fat is a fact. Fat is not a reflection of someone's worth, validity, ans yes even health. I am 185 lb and my weight does not demonstrably affect anyone of my many disabilities. I have shit health, but not a single one of them can be exacerbated or relieved by the number on the scale and I'm done tolerating fatphobia.
Not only is every fat person valid, fat is never an indication of a person's worth, laziness, etc. Every single fat person has an underlying reason to their body size whether it's medical, emotional, genetic, or quite simply never being taught or also not having access to the foods that support our bodies better. I'm refuse to call food “healthy” or “unhealthy”. Food either gives more or less support to our bodily functions. That is it. Absolutely everything moderation whether it's Snickers bars or spinach. Either way, it's none of your business. This is all, of course, assuming that a person has the energy, resources, and ability to regularly eat meals that have better support of their bodies. Because it's a hell of a lot more work to cook a meal than it is to throw something in the microwave or hit up a drive through.
But we don't want to talk about that. It's so much easier to make fun of a fat person because their fat is out there for everyone to see. And because fat phobia is just the foundation of this country from our advertising, to food deserts to even the clothing that is available for us. (Do not get me started on fat tax! XL clothes being $2 to $10 more on average.) All the way to our pediatricians. It literally starts at birth
So anytime you hear someone talk about Lizzo's “health” as that Queen sings a 2 hour concert while playing the flute, invite them to get their asses up on stage and perform. Ask them why they care about Lizzo's health but not Rhianna who smokes. Or Matthew McConaughey, Drake, and George Clooney who all own alcohol brands. I mean, alcohol is a health problem that costs us billions every year, too. Or ask why they don't just fix the water in Flint Michigan?
I mean, if they're worried about “health" vote for Medicare For All and leave Lizzo's and my ass alone.