Fatadelic

Is it really so radical to say that Fat Acceptance spaces need to be free of diet discussions? Actually, I don’t think it is. And I say this even though I believe that there has to be a starting point on the FA journey for everyone (as I have repeatedly stated before). I just don’t think weight loss stories are an appropriate starting point.

I’ve put together this diagram and the points below to help clarify my thoughts - but it’s really a work in progress and is intended as a starting point for discussion. Anyway, what I’m trying to say is have at it, discuss, dispute, whatever. Dive right in. The water’s fine.

Continue reading ‘Dieting and Fat Acceptance’

“I am not the beast the media depicts me as.”

What utter, utter, utter bullshit. I’m sorry, Mr-daughter-raping-imprison-your-family-in-a-dungeon-Fritzl, YOU ARE A MONSTER And that doesn’t change because you bought your daughter flowers every so often. You were not saving your daughter from “breaking the rules” and running away (which she was probably doing because of your abuse, anyway). For selfish reasons, you made a conscious decision to ignore your daughter’s rights and welfare as a human being. For selfish reasons, you made a conscious choice to kidnap Elizabeth, to imprison her, to rape her repeatedly, to have children with her, to take some of those children away from her and to doom some of those children never to see the sun. Don’t try and make it out that you are a good and kindly man with your daughter’s best interests at heart. No. Just don’t. YOU ARE A BEAST.

And, above all, you do not get to whine about how you are portrayed in the media.

When even teeny-tiny starlets are ‘dimpled’ - despite their ability and motivation to throw endless cash at endless liposuction, creams, super-dooper marine mud goop treatments, pummelling or detoxing and whatever other arcane hoodoo has been most recently dreamt up by savvy snake-oil sellers - it is time to accept the inevitability of cellulite.

Birth. Death. Taxes. Cellulite.

Cellulite IS.

Continue reading ‘Cellulite IS.’

• I do not define myself as either a “good” or a “bad” fatty. I am just fat. Fat is not a moral issue. Nor is food.
• But society does divide fat people in that manner. To some extent, a fat person can earn a ‘pass’ or at least avoid a ‘fail’ by following the ‘rules’ (wear black, be well groomed, eat only salad, exercise, blah, blah, blah) and - of course - by showing an ‘appropriate’ amount of shame and a desire to ‘rectify’ the situation. It’s bullshit, but it occurs. It’s the “I don’t think of you as a fat person” phenomenon.
• I do, myself, follow HAES - and I do, myself, advocate it as a sane, holistic approach to mental, emotional and physical health. I interpret it as discarding an arbitrary set of rules for “health” and, instead, learning to follow one’s own instinct with regards to food, exercise and the body’s needs - what works for you.
• But that doesn’t mean I am better or worse than … anyone.
• I believe that we are all learning to have perfect self acceptance and body acceptance. It’s a journey, sure, but do we every really reach the destination?
• I welcome any fat activism. Period.
• Discussion of fat and health is important and valid and serves a purpose. Mythbusting is good.
• But “fat people can be healthy” is not the only message we need to convey.
• And we (note the ‘we’) need to check our unconscious biases in at the door.
• Each of us needs to fully consider how we as individuals want to participate in that activism. What works for some, won’t work for others.
• Fat Acceptance is (clearly!) not monolithic. Nor should it be. We have a range of view points, a range of goals, and a range of ideas on how best to achieve those goals. That’s great. Every little raindrop counts.
• I am not asking anyone to moderate what they say so as “not to offend” - but I do believe that, periodically, we need to look at who we (again, note the ‘we’) may unintentionally be marginalising. This is the same for any movement.
• And discussion about the best strategy to counter the arguments of the opposition can’t be a bad thing, can it?
• Finally, asking the Fatosphere as a whole to reassess our unconscious biases and/or knee-jerk reactions (and evaluate whether they are continuing to work for us or not) does not equate to criticism, finger pointing or lack of appreciation for past and present contributions. Really.

Part 1 and Part 2

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There’s been a lot of hooha recently (as reported by Sandy and others) about the parents of fat kids being guilty of everything from irresponsibility and negligence, right through to child abuse. Not to mention all the ongoing OMG! Obesity Crisis! drama that centers around preventing kids from “dropping dead of a heart attack at 10″ - involving weighing kids, mandating exercise programs, constant ‘education’ about ‘eating right’ and what not. Somehow this is all framed as for the good of the kids mental health, as well as their physical health.

I wasn’t always fat. I have the photos to prove it. Prior to starting school, I was a petite child - possibly even underweight. I don’t really remember being that thin child. Not really. I don’t remember my transition from thin (acceptable) to fat (not acceptable).

Continue reading ‘Me and My Scales - Part 3: The Fat Kid’

The US elections may have wide-reaching consequences for the rest of the world - but I for one sick to death of hearing about the US ‘presidential race’ in Australian news coverage. You’d think we were the 50-somethingth state.

And, even worse, the US aren’t even up to the election campaign yet! And I swear, mere selection of candidates for each party seems to get more news coverage in and have far more hype and hoo-haa attached to it than the Aussie elections do in an entire 4 year term, let alone the official campaigning period.

Continue reading ‘The US Elections - why do I care?’

Finally, a leader, a government and a parliament of Australia has had the guts and common decency to stand up and officially say “Sorry” to indigenous Australians and the Stolen Generations for the pain, heartache and cultural chaos caused by families being ripped apart due to systemic and personal racism.

It’s about bloody time.

Continue reading ‘About bloody time: Australians apologise to the Stolen Generations.’