Quite honestly, it is unfortunate that at a time where we are pushing for tolerance in our society, we still have people who find it easy to ridicule someone over their body weight. The recent case involving Sylent is one of the million instances where men are being made to feel miserable because of the way they look or weigh, I am a victim. What is depressing all this, is that the person at the receiving end of the slur is expected to accept it because it usually comes packaged in “health” or “grooming talk”.
Phrases like, “You need to hit the gym bro”, “I don’t think you should be eating fries with your weight” and the notorious, “I need to give you this girl`s number she is a Zumba instructor, In a week`s time your stomach will be gone”, get dropped on a frequent basis. We, the fatties, aided by our wit gladly rub it away with a counter statement justifying our choices. Why should a person have to come up with creative excuses every time they feel a hotdog could be the best remedy to what their heart and stomach are yearning for?
Whenever someone mentions my weight, I feel powerless as to what was going through their mind prior to them gathering the audacity to lecture me on how life should be lived. Speculation is worse than the truth and the things I imagine is usually worse than what they would have been thinking, rest in peace my self-esteem.
I also want to dance to songs without someone whipping their phone or coming to you with that patronizing “Go Leroy” chant as if I am penning an against all odds chapter, when I am just expressing joy at the sound of my favorite song. Weight shaming has been an unspoken reality embedded in people from a tender age. Words like “dhunda”, “madhafinya” and other related words are loosely used in households and parents do not teach their kids against throwing them around.
This gives some a shrewd obligation to comment on someone`s weight regardless of how weird it may be for them. The norm has been, “never call a woman fat,” well the truth is never call anyone fat regardless of their anatomic inclination. It is wrong and sickening. No one has to deal with insensitive comments or disrespectful remarks because of their weight, especially in a country filled with claimants to the educated tag.
Pushing the scale a few centimeters to the right is not a crime, neither is having an extra “L” on my shirt. And if I do decide to swim or go to the beach with my T shirt on, please respect my decision, I just want to enjoy the nice things in life too. This is by no means a rant, just a public service announcement saying people of weight, are warm blooded mammals with emotions and despite our insulated hearts, we catch feelings too.
In future interactions, do tread with utmost care. Love and blessings.
Gurukota.
