Summer is rapidly approaching and bikini season is beginning. That means that I’ve heard the words “weight,” “fat,” and “diet” at an increasing rate lately, and quite frankly, I’m getting tired of it.
I have friends telling me, “oh, I’m just losing a couple of pounds to get in shape and tone my stomach for when I hop into my swimsuit.” I’ve heard from others about how they’re cutting out certain foods, or even restricting completely. They’re trying to attain that “ideal body” so that they can feel better about themselves when they slip on that yellow polka dot bikini. But you know what? Losing weight, controlling food intake, starving yourself…these things won’t make you happy.
Yesterday I had a conversation with a friend about her high school-aged daughter’s temptations to lose weight. She said that she’s been feeling like she needs to stop eating in order to be accepted. She is a beautiful girl with many talents, but her weight has been at the top of her mind lately, clouding everything else out. And it breaks my heart.
How did we become such a weight-obsessed society? Why are there more articles and websites promoting weight loss than love and respect for our bodies? Why does it have to be this way? It doesn’t. We can stop this trend and turn it around. I dream of the day when I can pick up a magazine in the grocery store and not see any ads for weight loss pills or information on the latest diet trend.
I’ve gone down the diet route. I went so far down that road that I landed myself on a cold, hard bed in the emergency room, wires strapped to my chest, being told that I was on the brink of death. I had starved and worked myself to the point that my body was no longer functioning. I could barely muster out a single word because I didn’t have the energy to make a sound. Only broken whispers brushed past my lips as I answered the slew of questions being thrown at me.
I thought weight loss was my key to happiness. I thought that if I toned up and wiggled my way into a smaller size then I would be more loved and the memories of my past would disappear. I thought that I would be free, happy, and beautiful. Well guess what? None of that happened.
In the end, I learned that with every pound I lost, I also lost a part of who I am. I lost my happiness, my joy, my ability to hold a conversation, my friends, my relationships with my family, my grades, and so much more. I was completely trapped in my own mind, and no matter what other people said, I didn’t feel like it was ever enough.
Now, I’m not saying that every diet leads to anorexia or that we should all just slam down billions of calories a day. I understand that there are medical reasons that would necessitate a reduction in weight. But most of the time, people who start these diets do it because of an inner struggle of identity and self-esteem. They think that cutting out certain foods or spending hours upon hours in the gym will magically cure all their problems. This is where the problem is. This is what needs to change. The idea that weight=worth. That, my friends, is simply not true.
So, before you consider that summer diet or bottle of pills, take a moment to think. Is dropping a couple of numbers on the scale really going to make you feel better? Are you going to wake up and feel like a new person once that swimsuit finally fits? I’m willing to bet that if you can’t accept yourself for who you are now, losing weight will only lead to a reduction in mass, not a decrease in sadness or increase in friends, love, or self-worth.
I think we should start a new kind of diet. One that focuses on the positive aspects of ourselves and silences the lies that says we’re not enough. I suggest we begin to actively embrace our bodies for what and how they are at this very moment. If you’re reading this, that means you’re alive. And if you’re alive, then that means that you have a functioning body that is working hard to make sure you are still able to breathe, read, and live. Why are we so quick to reject this beautiful creation?
Let’s choose to spread love and stop dieting. Let’s decide to live healthily but not in deprivation. Let’s make up our minds to respect our bodies and take care of them like they’re the only ones we’re ever gonna get. Because, well, this is it. As long as you’re on earth, you’re stuck in this body. You might as well learn to love it.
College on Crutches 