Since starting BFD, I’ve been reading a lot of body-positive and anti-fat-shaming blogs. There’s a lot of good stuff being written out there that encourages a healthy life that doesn’t focus on the number on the scale.
Yesterday, I came across something really interesting, and, frankly, terribly sad.
Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale study, 2006:
4,000 respondents in varying numbers between 15% and 30% said they would rather walk away from their marriage, give up the possibility of having children, be depressed, or become alcoholic rather than be obese. 18% would rather give up 10 years of their lives than be obese.
5% and 4%, respectively, said they would rather lose a limb or be blind than be overweight.
I know that having a thin body is extremely important to a lot of people, and that society and the media perpetuate the myth that if you are thin, you will have a perfect life, but I can’t believe people would actually give up years of their lives to be thin. Or give up a limb!
I need both my fat, healthy legs to walk half marathons.
I need both of my fat, healthy arms to lift weights and throw kettlebells.
And I need all the years of my fat, healthy life to enjoy my world and everyone in it.
What would you give up?
