19 Sep Should We Bring Back Fat Shaming?
It all went down last week.
Last Friday night, Bill Maher gave a 7 minute monologue about the need for fat shaming.
He argued that obesity is a severe health risk caused by poor habits, and therefore we should attach some shame to it. He argued that the body acceptance movement is counter-productive, and that we should discourage people from getting fat.
Bill Maher (presumably) thought he was taking a tough-love approach. He was coming from the “you might not like it, but you’ll thank me when you’re older” point of view.
But no one will be thanking Bill Maher. Not now, nor at any age.
Pause.
Before we go any further, let’s make one thing absolutely clear.
This isn’t an article about morality. I’m not going to tell you what you “should” or “shouldn’t” be doing. I’m not your pastor. That isn’t my job.
I’m a fitness professional. My job is to tell you what does or doesn’t work when it comes to the fitness game. So here’s what I came to tell you today:
Fat shaming doesn’t work.
I’m not telling you it’s mean. I’m not telling you it’s wrong. I’m not even saying not to do it.
I’m explaining to you that it’s ineffective. The data is clear.
It’s not just ineffective. Studies show that overweight individuals who experience weight discrimination are more likely to become clinically obese.
Fat shaming doesn’t make people thin. Fat shaming makes chubby people fat, and fat people fatter.
But I didn’t write this message to get you to stop fat shaming other people. I doubt you were doing that in the first place.
I wrote this message to get you to stop shaming yourself — which I’m positive you are at least somewhat guilty of.
Here’s what I want you to understand:
Weight loss is a mental game. It’s about identity.
Every year, millions of people attempt to lose weight because they dislike themselves. They want to become someone else; a person that they can respect.
And every year, millions of people fail.
Why?
I’ll tell you the answer that none of them would. Frankly, they probably aren’t aware of it.
Most people fail with their fitness goals because they don’t believe they deserve them.
They’re trying to achieve the lifestyle of someone who is fit and healthy, while they continue to identify as someone who’s undisciplined and ashamed.
That’s why the second they slip up and eat a half a cookie, it’s game over.
“This is the kind of person I am.”
That’s the story that gets played, because it’s the story that is already believed.
You can’t use fitness to make you respect yourself. You use fitness because you respect yourself.
The self-respect is a prerequisite, not a reward.
If you believe you are a certain type of person — no matter who that person is — you will find all the evidence necessary to prove it.
So take a look at your identity. Examine those deep, underlying beliefs that flavor your daily experience in life.
Stop telling yourself you’re undisciplined. Stop telling yourself you’re impulsive. Stop telling yourself that you’re just bad at this whole fitness thing.
Decide that you are the type of person who respects him/herself. Believe that you deserve to have an incredible quality of life.
Decide. Then take action. Day by day, provide your brain with the supporting evidence of the identity you want.
Don’t try to “get to 150 lbs”. Become a 150 lb person.
When it comes to your fitness journey, the old adage is true:
It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks of you. All that matters is how you see yourself.
Your own self-image is what drives your behavior. Your behavior drives results.
So if you want to succeed in your fitness transformation — if you want to make a significant lifestyle change — take a moment and ask yourself the question:
“Who am I?”
Then realize that the answer is up to you.
