Why Are We So Afraid of Fat?

I’m sure we’ve all heard it, probably been called it, and maybe wondered if it was a joke or not.

“Fat.”

When’s the last time you heard someone use that word without meaning to offend themselves or another? When’s the last time you ran across someone using that word without having to explain to others that they’re okay with it? That having a “fat” body part which they may admire, does not bother them. That they should not have to explain themselves but have to because people, by default, assume that fat must be an inherently bad thing.

The negative connotation of the word “fat” chokes it out of its purpose. If someone uses the word “fat” to describe something, let alone someone, it seems to automatically target the object or person in discussion. It’s almost sinful to use that word now because we are so used to using it as an insult.

Why is this? Why has a simple descriptive word, one that could easily describe nude figures depicted by famous artists or the wealthy royalty in the past, turned into a near-curse word?

Well? We’ve transformed into a society that wants to hide fat.

Hide it. Burn it. Cut it off. And do so discretely, so that no one knows and no one sees.

Be anything but fat.

Our focus has drifted from true, vibrant health, to whatever works to get rid of the fat. While this may seem like a hasty generalization, it is evidently expressed through multiple forms of media on a daily basis. You can lose X many pounds in Y many days and look just like person Z. If you’re lucky, you might even keep it off for an extra day. If you’re not so lucky, there’s another crash diet headed your way.

This alarming trend that’s infiltrated into the entire world, and for all the wrong reasons, remains startling. Why have we lost the focus of what the wrong types of fat can do to our bodies and well-being in turn for inducing other health and mental health problems related with fad diets? Why have we begun to shoot each other down for not looking a certain way? How have we allowed our initial judgment of others’ external shells to skew our views of their worth?

Size does not dictate health. One can be tiny and beautiful by the standards of the modeling industry but malnourished and suffering from extreme health problems. One can be on the opposite spectrum, but active and eating well and managing their health. Yet, we’re constantly pinned by media for any slight increase in one’s weight as a sign of worthlessness. We’re surrounded by images of emaciated models as walking “hangers” for designer clothing. We’re more apt to developing eating disorders, in both men and women, at far higher rates than ever before.

Our priorities are clearly strewn across the board.

What’s even more startling is the misinformation concerning healthy, sustained weight loss and living a lifestyle that nourishes without depriving. It’s never one size fits all but regardless, the flock is headed towards low fat this and low fat that and lower calorie packs and sugar free and ultimately living unfeasible lifestyles on chemical storms that wreck havoc for our internal mechanisms.

We need fat.

We need healthy fats in our diet to help our bodies function smoothly, to protect us and to serve as insulation.
We need fat reserves to tap into when low on energy. It is vital to our existence.

It’s unfortunate that there’s millions upon millions of dollars fueling the beauty, weight-loss, fashion, and fitness industry and mostly in an attempt to fit people into paper cut-outs of set ideals. The health and well-being of others are not as important in this industry as how much profit is generated.

Remember that beauty is subjective. It is not concretely what’s dictated in media.
Women don’t have to be size zero and have “impeccable” features.
Men don’t have to have washboard abs and always remain “clean-shaven.”
Those qualities do not guarantee anything.

Our bodies are not responsible for validating our self-worth. We should extend much farther than the vessels that we’re moving around in. The focus should linger more on our performance as physical beings and our characteristics as humane individuals.

The fear of the way others will objectify our bodies or what they “should” be must dissipate.

The poor ideals that outside sources may be pressuring us into becoming must be fought and broken. We have to bring awareness to our capabilities as living, breathing, and moving beings and learn to love our bodies. We have to take back what’s rightfully ours.

Fat.

Don’t let that three letter word get you down.

*Note: I am not speaking about any detrimental health factors associated with having too much fatty tissue. This piece is not for the purposes of allowing ourselves to become unhealthy and lethargic individuals, but rather for bringing awareness to the stigmas glued to certain words.