You’re fat, get over it

I used to be a lot thinner than I am now. In fact I used to be really thin, to the point where people would comment on my weight. It wasn’t ever an issue for me. I had a fast metabolism, was pretty active and ate a normal, relatively healthy home cooked diet.

Since arriving at Cambridge, things have changed. I don’t do any exercise. At university, who can be bothered? I can barely be arsed to get out of bed when the fire alarm goes off, never mind for the self-imposed torture that is rowing. My diet is also horrendous. I’m such a regular at McDonalds I should have a reserved table, and if I feel like it, I can go through a 20 Chicken McNugget share box by myself, no problem.

Go on, go get fat

So yeah, I am a little heavier than I used to be. I am still in a healthy weight bracket, although admittedly I’m not the skinny one like I was at school.

In this busy, stressful place quite a lot of people have gained a little weight.

A big part of a night out for me is getting ready with a few of the girls as we pre-drink and helping them chose what to wear. Sometimes disaster strikes. Someone can’t fit into something that they used to be able to fit into or has got jeans in size 6 and *Shock* *Horror*, it’s a size too small. The world has ended, “oh my god I’m so fat”

There are legitimate reasons to be unhappy with a change of weight. One friend pointed out that no, she wasn’t fat, but she was unhappy with how her clothes would not fit. Inconvenience plays a big part. When you have an outfit all planned out, having to find a new one in a hurry is not ideal.

Shove it down your cakehole

Yet often it seems to be a lament about how terrible they will now look in all clothes and how unattractive they feel and how urgently they need to go back to being their ‘normal’ self.

And everyone jumps in with ‘appropriate responses’.

“No that can’t be right, let me look at the size label”

“No way, you can’t have gained weight- that’s ridiculous”

“You are so thin and so pretty”

Something along these lines. And its bullshit.

These responses say something very distinct: skinny good, fat bad. Acknowledging that someone has gained weight is tantamount to an insult. Even in situations where weight gain is apparent, people say “Oh, you’ll have that weight off in no time”

Saying someone has gained weight is not an insult. This ridiculous style of conversation just goes to stigmatise extra weight, even when that extra weight falls in normal boundaries.

People should cut the bullshit when it comes to weight. I’m not saying you should go around calling people fat, but a little honesty wouldn’t go amiss.

Maybe you are a few kilos heavier, but it doesn’t make you ugly or unattractive. Ok, maybe I prefer people on the slim side, but that isn’t everyone.

It’s fine if you want to be a certain weight that you are comfortable with. Just don’t enter into hysteria and make it out like you’ve had your own personal Armageddon just because the button on your jeans won’t close.

Yum

The way people respond is as ridiculous. Someone seeks affirmation that they are not *gasp* fat. Then they know that because no one is ever honest, that the affirmation is meaningless, and they feel worse.

I’m sick of people talking about their weight, because often it’s just such shit. It’s time we had a healthy dialogue about weight that recognised that, to put it bluntly some people are fat; maybe alot fatter than they used to be. It shouldn’t be taboo. We should speak openly and honestly about it.

Next time I hear someone skinny talk about how much they hate their body, or how much they need to lose weight in order to be attractive, then I think I might just explode.

Just. Get. Over. It.