It is possible that this post might offend you. Unfortunately, I am not apologizing if it does.
How come it is that women are constantly being praised, or chastised, by what they eat? For example, I have an acquaintance that is tiny. She probably weighs 100 pounds soaking wet. She is healthy, appears to have a positive view of her body, and generally doesn’t seem to have a lot of hang ups about her body that I can tell. However, when she eats something everyone is right there, all up her ass, scrutinizing what she is eating! “Wow, I can’t believe she ate that much!”, “You must have been really hungry tonight!”, “Oh, her eyes are bigger than her appetite.” I can’t tell if this woman enjoys the constant commentary, which is basically a positive reinforcement to be totally conscientious of what she is eating all the time, or if she just lets it roll off of her.
It is so annoying! And a total double standard.
For example, I am obviously a voluptuous woman. I eat what I eat and that is that. If you have an opinion, a problem or are concerned about my weight then you can address it with me at an appropriate time. I encourage that, let’s be open and honest. Indeed, I’d LOVE to hear what you have to say. Hint: An appropriate time is not at the dinner table in front of family, in a group of friends, or generally in the company of others.
That being said you would probably not hover over my plate and comment on how little or much I ate, would you? Probably not. Why? Because I am OBVIOUSLY GETTING ENOUGH TO EAT, RIGHT?!? No shit.
Flip the coin. Boys. Do we make a big deal out of what they are eating? Sure, right out of the freakin’ vagina they are praised and told to eat, eat, be a big boy! Be strong, have lots of this, eat your meat, build muscles. On the other hand, little girls are not really treated the same way. The praise and recognition for eating lots probably ends around puberty when a little girl is beginning to fill out and likely, is ravenous, as most pre-teens are. Instead, she’s facing the media, advertisements, popstars, diet pills, all of which are telling her to stay slim, to be tiny, to virtually disappear.
I was not brought up that way. THANK. GOD. Thank you Mom for not giving me a complex about food or body image. I will forever be grateful to you (among many other things) for that.
I grew up totally aware that I was a big girl. I knew that, it was no secret. But when I started noticing I was different and was bothered I talked to my Mom. We acknowledged it. We went to a nutritionist. I started swimming. I got strong, I grew 5 inches and I became a confident, self assured woman.
Don’t get me wrong – I totally have my hang ups. I get bummed out when I don’t fit into a pair of jeans or look in the mirror and see a double chin. Sure, I mean, come on. But I also know it’s not the end of the world. I can change. I can do something about that if I choose to….and life, well, it goes on, skinny jeans or not.
