Weight shaming is one of the most customary practices prevalent in our society – and this does not limit us to fat shaming but also skinny shaming. “Haye, tum kuch khaati nai ho kya” to “kam khaya kero” to “Isko tou hawa bhi lagti hai” to “itni patli taangein – beemaar lag rahi ho”.
From being called a potato to being told you look anorexic, a person’s value is NOT defined by their body weight. And while the numbers on the scale might change, your beauty never does.
And even though aunties at weddings and people on social media continue to body shame, the practice itself does no good. It does NOT motivate someone to gain or lose weight – it only affects their mental health and makes them feel worthless. And even though people tend to do this as a joke and think it’s funny, it really is NOT. It destroys a person’s self esteem to (sometimes) the point of no return. You can see women starve themselves to get to a certain weight or binge eat to a point where they feel sick – Ladies, remember, whether you are overweight or underweight, you are still beautiful just the way you are.
This does not mean that we promote unhealthy body sizes because health truly comes first. So if you need to gain weight or lose it, do it for the right reasons. Do it so that you can be a healthier, happier you but do NOT do it to look a certain way or fit in a certain dress.
Signs you are part of the problem:
*You feel superior in comparison to overweight or underweight people
*You believe underweight or overweight people don’t look good in anything they wear
*You make jokes about people’s weight in public or social media
*You comment on someone’s body in ways that are unhelpful and unkind
*You tease people about their weight in attempts to being funny
*You view a thin body as a measure of success or self control
*You blame people for their weight (they might have a hormonal problem that prevents them from gaining or losing weight)
*You look down at how much people eat
The first step to being a better, wholesome human being is to identify the problem. Ask yourself if you partake in any of the above, and if you do, it’s time to change. Create a safe environment for generations to come by learning to love others, and most importantly, learn to love yourself.