Weight Bias That Hits You Coming and Going

On the subject of obesity, personal responsibility is a popular trope. We hear lots of messages that gently blame people with obesity. “You oughta do something about that” is a common form of unhelpful advice. But it doesn’t stop there. All too often, after a person is well down the road to wellness, harsh judgments and unhelpful advice follow. The weight bias hits you coming and going.

Jacqueline Adan: “How I Feel About Myself Is What Matters”

Jacqueline Adan shares her experiences with losing 350 pounds and dealing with life along the way. She’s incredibly generous, sharing her story on Facebook, YouTube, and on her personal blog. And most recently, she had one of those viral moments when she described her first experience on vacation at the beach after losing so much weight.

Having lost all that weight, she has a lot of loose skin. Even though she’s had some of it removed for comfort and health, she still has a lot on her legs. So when she went to the beach on vacation, she had to muster incredible courage to shake off people who stared and pointed. She wrote:

I want people to know that if I can feel confident and beautiful in my body, with lots of loose skin, even after losing 350 lbs., then I hope they can focus on who they are and forget everyone else who tries to bring them down!

Finding Grace
Despite Loose Skin and Loose Ends

Every one of us needs the grace that Adan has found for herself. Whether it’s loose skin or loose ends that make us feel judged, it’s a burden. And the burden can hold us back.

Putting that burden on others – judging them, their bodies, and their choices – only multiplies the harm. The only answer is finding grace to set aside the judgments, set aside the guilt, and move ahead.

Click here to read more from Adan on Facebook and here for more on her story from People.

Two Ways, photograph © Thomas Hawk / flickr

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September 26, 2017