Why I Hate "My 600 Pound Life"

Hello my sweet fudgies,

Let me just talk about something that seriously bothers me.

Last week, I was visiting some American colleges and browsing through TV stations we don't get here in Canada, such as TLC. Now this is not an attack on TLC as a whole, because let me tell you, I live for "Say Yes To The Dress"(crying brides and pretty dresses? sign me up) But I stumbled upon a rerun of "My 600 pound life".



Don't know what that is? Trust me hon, you're not missing out.
It's basically a documentary, if you dare lower this label to such an trashy degree, that follows the struggles and the subsequent weight loss of a 600 pound-ish human.

Again, nothing wrong with TLC, although it is called the "Learning Channel". I don't know what I'm learning by watching Honey Boo Boo dive in some mud, but that's neither here nor there.
Many other networks produce shows like this all over the globe.
It's a freaking epidemic.
And it infuriates me. Why?
Here are 5 reasons these shows should be burned at the TV stake:

1. It portrays the obese population as less than human, as animals: 
Watch as Human A eats an entire box of chocolates in its regular sofa habitat. How gross. 
Wow! She ate that all in 15 minutes! That's insane, but that's how they do it in their house. 
...

Doesn't that sound a bit like an episode of Animal Kingdom?
The way they observe and dissect and judge their behaviours, like we would tigers and whales, changing their status from a simply overweight person to an entirely different creature.

Would they make a TV show about a human who eats a lot?
No, that's not good television. It's too moral, it's too boring?
But making a TV show about a gross fascinating creature? Now that's showbiz.

2. It's purpose is to make others feel better about themselves

Now I must admit, I was once guilty of this action.
I would watch Teen Mom when my life wasn't so great and think to myself: "well at least I'm not pregnant".

But the problem here is that this is the same destructive concept as bullying:
to boost yourself up, you tear others down

So when viewers see these overweight people on TV, they cannot help but enjoy the feeling of superiority. "Well at least I'm not 600 pounds", they think. No wonder these shows are uber popular; it's an instant pick-me-up!

But here's the catch: not being pregnant or not being obese doesn't make you better.
It gives you a false sense of entitlement. Unfortunately, most carry that feeling into the real world, judging and shaming others who are different to feel that same rush of superiority.
Welcome to how regular folks become a-holes, my loves.

3. It puts the emphasis of their existence solely on their weight

The title really says it all: my 600 pound life.
Their life is reduced to their weight.
That is all they are, all they ever have been, all they ever will be.

Only towards the end when they lose the weight can you see a diversity of life scenarios, a complex and intricate life, like "regular people" live.
How. Rude.

Being overweight is not all a person can be.
They have jobs, families, friends, hobbies.
They are human before they are fat, you know, TLC.
or WORLD, really, because few seem to understand.

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These shows can have dangerous consequences on the human psyche, ones that can control the way you see others different than you for the rest of your life.
Sure, these shows can be good entertainement, but at what body negative cost?

xoxo

Gabby

Fat Girl, by Megan Falley

Hello my loves!

I hope you enjoyed my long reads post about self love and sexuality. If I had the time to write articles of that length and depth all the time, trust me girl I would.

Today, I am sharing with you a poem I found on thebodyisnotanapology.tumblr.com.
It's entitled Fat Girl, by Megan Falley.
I love how simplistic and direct it appears without compromising its depth and importance.
I recommend checking out her performance of the piece as well.
Check her out at meganfalley.tumblr.com

Hope You Enjoy<3

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Fat girl, fat jokes.

Fat girl, skinny friends.

Fat girl stand next to fatter people to look thin.

Fat girl, fat camp, five years.

(True)

Fat girl lost 2 pounds and you didn’t notice.

Fat girl love your garlic bread.

Fat girl, vegan.

Fat girl, but red velvet cupcake taste so delicious.

(They do, try them)

Fat girl, pretty face.

Fat girl, Dean’s list.

Fat girl want fries with that.

Fat girl, don’t touch her stomach.

Fat girl, turn the lights off.

Fat girl, keep her t-shirt on.

Fat girl not pregnant.

Fat girl, food baby.

Fat girl named her dog taco.

Fat girl, bad bulimic.

Fat girl, binge and no purge.

Fat girl can’t even throw up right.

Fat girl unbutton her pants at dinner.

Fat girl heard, “nothing tastes as good a thin feels.”

Fat girl certain spicy, crunchy tuna rolls taste better than being thin feels.

Fat girl threw out her scale.

Fat girl, you are what you eat.

Fat girl, double stuffed Oreos.

Fat girl got her father’s genes.

Fat girl’s brother didn’t.

Fat girl’s friends come over to stare her brother’s chiseled abdominals

And ignore fat girl.

Fat girl don’t hate her body.

Fat girl hate the world.

Fat girl, fat mouth.

Fat girl, fatter fist.

Fat girl, fuck you.

Fat girl, heart so fat it needs it own zip code.

Fat girl, heart so fat, it uses the equator as its belt.

Fat girl, seafood diet: fat girl see food, fat girl eat it.

Fat girl heard all the jokes.

Fat girl finish the punch line before you do.

Fat girl cry in private.

Fat girl, thick skin.

Fat girl, dance anyway.

Fat girl, shirt off.

Fat girl, lights on.

Fat girl, lights on.

Writing Q&A (Part 2)

Hello my darlings!

Here is the second part of my writing Q&A. I have some actually interesting research articles prepared, because I know I have been seriously lacking in that aspect, but as you can imagine they take up a bit more time than the average post. So for right now, enjoy these questions and answers, and have a lovely day:)

What is your favorite article you have written for the blog?

That's a tough question, because all of them are so thought-out and Pulitzer prize-worthy. Kidding, of course, 99% of what I write is ridiculous. On one hand, I'm very proud of well-researched articles , like Is Fat An Insult? or The Danger of Thinspo. I feel like they help me prove myself to those who scoff at a young adult trying to play with the big boys of blogging.

However, many of my research analysis articles go to my freelance writing blogs, so I don't get to be as snarky or sassy or facetious as I'd like. That's why articles such as "Collarbones:WTF" and "Food Shame and Eye Contact" hold a special place in my heart: they reflect my personality, my sarcastic sense of humor, while discussing issues that are very important to me. My total lack of self-editing may not be as professional as some of my editors would like, but these posts are some of my most popular articles ever. Being yourself never fails in the long run, and these articles have helped validate that for me.

But pageviews and traffic aren't the only things that make an article standout in my eyes. Some of the pieces I have written, especially in the early FP days, may have appeared to be simple self esteem tips, but to me they meant, and still mean, so much more.

For example, How To Love Your Reflection, is not very long, it's not well-written, it's ridiculous and dramatic, but it's also a trick I have practiced every day for over 2 years. It represents how far I've come, how far I still have to go; it's a trick that was given to me when I was sitting in a hospital bed, waiting for some sort of miracle cure for the destructive self-hatred I was inflicting on myself.

That trick didn't make everything better, didn't fix my brain forever, but it proved to me that my recovery wasn't a worthless cause. If I could feel better about my reflection for just a few seconds a day, maybe one day I'd love myself again.  It's just words on a screen, I know, but it's also a little piece of my heart.

***Not a Writing Question, but I get it so often I thought I'd just tack it on at the end of this post:
WHO IS THE GIRL KISSING THE MIRROR ON THE FP PROMO PICTURE? IS THAT YOU?

No, that girl is not me. Her name is Laurence, she was a classmate of mine while in high school. She was one of the many volunteers who helped me make the first FP promo video. I would link to it, but it was made by a 16 year old (me) with zero editing or filming experience. It's not that cute:P

I haven't kept in touch with her since graduating, but I'm honestly glad she is the face of the FP blog.
She was always very sweet to me, very supportive of my work. She was gorgeous, but in an amazing natural way. She was smart, she was hardworking, but she wasn't afraid of having fun and being silly.

I could have picked any one of my friends to be the face of the blog, but I unintentionally chose the best girl for the job. It wouldn't feel right to have anyone else on the cover, come to think of it. so thank you Laurence:)

xoxo

Gabby

Is "Fat" an Insult?

Hello my beautiful fudgies:)



I recently watched a Laci Green video, link on your right or click right here, in which she discusses fat shame. One of the ideas she proposed to diminish or eradicate fat shaming is to simply call fat by its name: FAT. Not fluff, or pudge, or any other childish name to "soften" the blow of what society has made its most devious insult. Yes indeed, the way we avoid mentioning the word "fat" is oh-so telling about the way it is portrayed in the 21st century. So is fat an insult, but most importantly, SHOULD it be?
I dish out my personal opinion on the topic.

The Times, They Are A-Changing

As Laci mentions, the way we view fat as a society has not always been so negative. While it is true that throughout the Middle Ages the dominant Catholic church in Occident shunned gluttony, one of the 7 deadly sins, which can be associated with overeating, it's important to point out that finding enough to eat was still a daily struggle for most of the population. Appearing opulent was something only the privileged could afford, and it was regarded as noble, attractive, and, contrary to where we stand nowadays, healthy!

When crop growing and agriculture technology boomed during the Renaissance, the disparity in food supply between rich and poor slowly decreased, creating a shift in the "fat"mentality. It was no longer a sign of wealth, but of lack of self control. Of course, different societies, such as the Chinese Dynasties, have had a different evolution, but most share a fat-loving era in their history.

With the continuous transformation of "fat" and its implications throughout the ages, in the occidental society, as well as its various meanings across the globe , how can we collectively label the word as an insult? 

Warped Images

Ever since Antiquity, painters, sculptors, and artists alike have been slaving over the accuracy of their portrayal of the human body. The exact, realistic proportions were all the rage. So when did we get so accustomed to untruthful representations?
Well, many art historians would claim that many representations of power figures, such as royalty and political leaders, dating back many centuries ago, were embellished by the artist to please their boss.

However, the main perpetrators and arguably the most influential originators of the warped image era we currently live in are clothing brands.

Fuelled by the arrival of fashion magazines and catalogues in the late 19th century such as Vogue, these brands now had a platform for their ads, in which their models could look as beautiful and thin/curvy/flat/wide hipped as the period's beauty expectation required. Whether it was a specific instruction to their campaign artist who sketched the clothes by hand or a lengthy Photoshop transformation on the computer, their eye was and still is on the money, no matter what kind of societal consequences their ads may lead to.

We live in a time that fat just doesn't sell the way thin does. So if we choose to use "fat" as an insult, aren't we just perpetrating an idea we are being sold?

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Most importantly (again, as Laci said, but she's amazing i cannot HELP but paraphrase her every word!), fat shouldn't be an insult, because it isn't a trait that denotes any negative characteristics. 
It doesn't imply in its pure, unadulterated  mean, or stupid, or even lazy. It's just a loose connective tissue composed mostly of adipocytes (wikipedia knows what's up). 

Therefor no, my answer is it should not be an insult. So don't let it be one. 

have a fantastic week my loves!

xoxo

Gabby

Scouts BMI Controversy: Fat Shame

Hello my darling fudgies!

(New article for drop of pink out this week! confidence without makeup: http://www.dropofpink.com/2013/07/24/confident-without-makeup/)

I know I have not been incredibly present on the blog or on twitter, but I am working on a little project, and I am also writing some blog posts for next fall!

Today I want to explore the recent controversy surrounding the Boy Scouts Jamboree BMI controversy http://mobile.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2013/07/boy_scout_jamboree_new_rules_based_on_body_mass_index.html). But the basic gist of their new rule is that as of this year, scouts and adult leaders with body mass indexes of 32 or higher could attend the Jamboree only after consultation with camp medical staff, and those with BMIs over 40 were banned from coming altogether.
(here is an explaining in further detail for all of you who may not know what is going on:

Now let's explore this rule from 3 perspectives: rationally, statistically, and emotionally.

RATIONALLY:

 I suspect the Boy Scouts of America made this decision on with a purely rational logic. They must have assumed that by presenting a goal for the weight loss, this new rule would incite both overweight children and adults to lose weight and become healthier, which leads us to a rather substantial problem: statistics.

Statistically: 

Time and time again, research has proven that the BMI is an inadequate measure of someone's healthy weight, and most of all their health (I will let you conduct your own research but beware: it is shocking and slightly depressing). Among these limitations, it doesn't take into consideration a person's body frame or their lean body mass (muscle). Many body builders are, by the BMI's standards, obese, and therefor in the world of Boy Scouts are not fit enough to participate in activities.


But what I find most frustrating about this new regulation are the emotional consequences.

EMOTIONALLY:

 If all our decisions in life were taken rationally, the expected aforementioned consequences of this new rule would be 100% effective.

But we know that is not the case.
For most of the overweight population, food is a coping mechanism, much like drugs, alcohol or self harm. Their emotional reaction to struggle leads them to eat excessively.

Therefor: Will shaming and excluding members of the Boy Scouts community make them lose weight?

No; if anything, it will most likely make them eat.
If long term health is the goal, that is certainly not the way to go.

I also want to include a video by boogie2988 that really explains the vicious cycle of fat shaming

I will be writing a new article about the more general topic of childhood obesity soon.

Have an amazing Monday my loves<3
Xoxoxo

Gabby