Hysteria

I just want to say this because it's been screaming around in my head for a while now, but especially since last night.

FAT DOES NOT EQUAL UNHEALTHY.

HEALTH IS NOT A MORAL IMPERATIVE.

So what does this mean to you and me? Firstly, fat does not equal unhealthy: A person can be thin and unhealthy, can't they? It's not to say that a fat person cannot be unhealthy, but fat itself is not synonymous with being unhealthy. Being fat is not synonymous with being unhealthy.

Secondly, health is not a moral imperative: Being unhealthy does not make you a bad person. Even if (IF! It doesn't!) fat made you unhealthy, it wouldn't make you a bad person for being so. Because I am fat, I am not a bad person. You wouldn't say a person is bad and unworthy because they have cancer, would you? Fat is no better understood by the medical community, and those who are fat deserve the same respect anyone else gets.

Let's clue in, folks. Being fat doesn't make me a bad person. Being fat doesn't make me unhealthy. I don't owe it to anyone to explain why I'm fat or how I'm fat. I don't owe it to anyone to change my body. I don't deserve to be treated differently because of my body.

I am a human being.

So let's remember that when your snot-nosed little brat espouses this "cultural wisdom" that I get bestowed upon me every so often to put me in my place. That ain't my place, Junior. I'm fine with me, and I don't need to change for you. Nor do I need to explain to you why this is my choice. I'm just trying to live my life. I am a human being, after all.

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