After reading an article in one of the local dailies some time back criticising fat women and observing the reactions of ‘victims’ of the article, I am tempted to join the drama.
First, obesity in my opinion is a chronic medical condition and NOT a lifestyle choice. Therefore, no one should be blamed for being obese as it were. Losing weight is not easy, those people saying that these women have not made any effort to lose weight clearly have no idea what they are talking about.
Obesity is linked to many factors, some of which are uncontrollable, so it is unreasonable to judge these women without knowing what each one of them is dealing with in their own private life.
Body size does not determine if you are healthy or not. To determine if a person is obese their Body Mass Index or (BMI) should be greater to or equal to 30.0. Taking a person’s weight in kilogrammes and dividing it by the person’s squared height in metres gets you BMI. As long as you haven’t done these to anyone of these women please shut up or admit you know nothing, really.
SEE ALSO: HOW JANE ORINDA IS HELPING WOMEN LOSE WEIGHT
Truth be told, these women’s weight or their health condition is not anyone’s business but their own personal business. Okay, even if you are genuinely concerned, fat-shaming women or men is not the right way to go about it.
The way a message is delivered makes a huge difference, it can either solve or make a situation worse and in this case Saturday’s Nation City Girl’s approach made the situation worse. The words used were careless and lacked empathy. Dragging their children into this was DISGUSTING and BANG out of order. As a mother I advise you to research, read and understand the reality that lies beneath. Keep OFF people’s children.
Fat-shaming women in a very public way because it’s not up to your standards of what you perceive as beauty is cruel and counterproductive. Shaming someone makes him or her feel disempowered and disgraced.
By shaming these women you end up causing them stress. Stress is one of the most significant causes of weight gain because, when stressed, people may turn to food for comfort.
They are aware that it’s a health risk and they need to do something about it. Until one is ready to make that first step towards change, we as a society should look for ways to encourage them to make that step and not shame them.
Some Ayurvedic tips for weight loss
- Early morning: A glass of warm water with lemon, honey and black pepper (honey is a very good home remedy for weight lose).
- Breakfast: Oatmeal porridge, stewed apples or pancakes made Ayurvedic style.
- Mid morning: A glass of orange, pineapple or carrot juice.
- Lunch: it should be your main meal, make sure it has a wide variety of warm, cooked food.
- Dinner: Steamed vegetables, soups, whole grain chapati and seasonal fruit except banana and apple (they are hard to digest) take them for breakfast instead. Exercise, massages with oils and herbs are also very effective in weight lose.
- Avoid: Fatty fried foods and chocolates (Junk food)
The most important is to try and eat right according to your body type (Dosha).
This habit of fat-shaming should stop and instead women should be encouraged to do what is necessary and helpful towards losing weight. Everyone should mind his or her own body size! Some claim to have a size 8 body, and that’s fine! But honestly of what help is telling us or calling these women all manner of names without offering any sensible solution?
YOUR BODY, your own YOUR PRIDE.
NEXT READ: KEEP A PERFECT BODY SHAPE WITHOUT SPENDING A CENT
Jane Orinda is the founder and Managing Director of MORI Ayurvedic centre, which helps women lose weight. Email: [email protected]
