You may have seen in the news lately that an Adelaide gym owner has faced serious backlash after being accused of 'fat-shaming' women in a post he shared on Facebook.
Here's just a bit of what he posted:
“Let me guess ladies??? Some of you feel unfit, unattractive, self conscious and worthless… especially when standing in front of the mirror naked...
Some of you feel embarrassed & ashamed getting naked in front of your partner..You are sick & tired of picking outfits that hide fat...
Some of you want to feel comfortable in your own skin, wear your favourite outfits, feel fit, confident, attractive & sexy.”
You’re too embarrassed, ashamed, self conscious, worried about being judged & most of all, you’re just too nervous to commit. But that STOPS NOW.”
Like you, I'm not surprised he was hit with a tonne of angry comments, berating him for assuming women who aren't in tip top shape are "uncomfortable, feel unattractive, ashamed and worthless".
And rightly so!
My question is though, why are we attacking him for simply putting into words what the whole fitness industry depends on us believing?
Let's face it:
Gyms, personal trainers or any sort of 'diet-related' brand relies on us believing that our self-worth and level of attractiveness is tied to a number on the scale. That the way to feel sexy and confident is to fit into a smaller dress size. That if we just lose a few kilos, our lives will improve exponentially.
This guy has just articulated what all the entire fitness industry wants us to believe.
Coming into the warmer months we'll hear gyms and personal trainers hit us with advertisements telling us how we can be 'confident this Summer with a bikini body' or a tea-tox company claiming they can help us 'get rid of the Winter bulge'....
All of this with the aim of making us believe that to not be bikini ready or to have some excess weight from Winter is not only a confidence killer, but just plain unattractive.
Dirty marketing tactics, I know, but this is how they get our money.
So what can we do?
We can educate our young boys and girls that beauty is an inside job, not a number or a measurement. That our bodies should be nourished and cared for and that NO BODY is perfect.
That yes, we should aim to be a healthy weight and to exercise, but for the RIGHT reasons.
To help our hearts keep beating, to keep our legs strong...
To stop exercising for 'bikini bodies', and to start exercising for longer, healthier lives.
What do you think?
Have your say in the comment section below...
