Dreaming About a New Year of Compassion

We share a dream for 2020. Perhaps it can be a year when weight talk gets an injection of compassion. Imagine how life would be if everyone thought about how they could do their part.

Here are four ideas.

1. Call out bias and fat phobia.

This is more difficult than you think as we all have ingrained fat phobia. Culturally, thinness is highly valued.

2. Recognize the obvious.

In a society where we have an abundance of calorie dense, readily available foods and 24-7 food talk, we are going to get higher body weights.

It is that simple. People aren’t weak or lazy. We’ve created this environment.

3. Push for systems change.

For too long, we’ve been asking people to outsmart an unhealthy food and built environment.

When people ask for help, we just say, “stay away from the fires that will destroy your health.” But those fires are all around us.

It is time to put out the fires. We have global food systems that don’t work to promote health. Everyone must step up to the challenge of reforming these systems.

4. Support people who choose to address their weight.

We each need the freedom to do what’s best for our own bodies, health, and lives without others judging.

Compassion is something that each of us can summon and send into this fresh new year. And the more we give, the more we will receive.

Thanks to Fiona Quigley and Patty Nece for sharing their thoughts that became today’s post. To them and every one of our readers, we send our very best wishes for a happy, healthy, and prosperous new year.

A Tender Moment, photograph by Stephanie, licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

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January 1, 2020