Full disclosure: I’m writing this after having indulged in comfort food for a few days because of some personal stuff. No opinions in this column will be issued from any kind of high horse.
These are simply opinions. I’m not a medical professional; I’m just overweight.
The mixed messaging on obesity in this country is infuriating. On the one hand, health experts acknowledge that it’s an epidemic problem in the United States. Google “obesity in America,” and none of it is good news. On the other hand, the “body positivity movement” is getting huger (pun most certainly intended) every day. People are told they should celebrate themselves no matter what size they are. Get out there and live life to the fullest until that inevitable heart attack hits.
Far from discouraging obesity and encouraging healthier lifestyle choices, America is looking for new ways to accommodate the “Yay me!” plus-sized demographic.
Actually, plus-size travelers don’t just have the fear of missing out; they’ve historically had the near guarantee that they will miss out, thanks to fat bias and societal structures that say we are simply too big to have fun. There are the obvious challenges — too-small airline seats, intimidating pools and beaches — but other worries as well: What if the spa bathrobes don’t fit? What if the rides at an amusement park cannot accommodate bigger bodies and the only way to find that out is by waiting in line for an hour and then unsuccessfully trying to board? What if the airline loses your bag and there are no stores at your destination with clothes that fit? (Trevor Kezon, a board member of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, said he purposely packs two suitcases on trips because of that distinct possibility.)
Now a small but growing market catering to size-inclusive travel (often aimed exclusively at women) is seeking to bring joy, community and reassurance to people in bigger bodies at price points on par with standard group trips.
Once euphemisms like “size-inclusive” are used, you know that a more disturbing truth is being hidden.
I am not at all diminishing the emotional and physical struggles of people who are very overweight. What I am saying is that we shouldn’t be playing make-believe about the problem; we should be treating it as a problem. This is like glossing over an alcoholic’s addiction by saying, “Well, he’s a happy drunk.”
The aspect of the body positivity movement that I least understand is the abandonment of reality required to pretend that one feels good when overweight. I put on several pounds during COVID, which was ridiculous because my life didn’t change at all. At present, I’m 25-30 pounds heavier than I should be. This is also by far the heaviest that I have ever been.
I feel like crap.
Not just physically, either. I’m embarrassed that my clothes don’t fit. When I first went to visit family after COVID, I saw the looks in their eyes when they first saw how much weight I’d gained. I hate my reflection when I’m out for a walk and I see myself in a window. There is absolutely nothing about this that is “positive.” I’ve been able to b.s. myself about a lot of things over the years, but even I’m not capable of the level of self-delusion it would take for me to think any of this is OK.
The good news is that I’ve got a new workout regimen, and things are moving in the right direction. I’m using a mini-vacation to see family next month as extra motivation.
And yes, I am aware that some people’s struggles with weight aren’t the result of personal choices. Let’s be honest, though: that doesn’t apply to most of us. This is a country that, despite inflation, still finds a way to keep crappy food affordable. The McDonald’s “$1 Menu” may now be the “$1 $2 $3 Menu,” but that hasn’t really priced anybody out of the game.
My intention here isn’t to be harsh. I’m merely being realistic because people’s lives are too important to be endangered by a society that places disproportionate value on feelings.
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