There's this crazy phenomenon in our society today that deals with what's acceptable to talk about and what's not. Of course when it comes to controversial subjects, there's usually an understood time and place for these types of talks, but what makes a subject that falls in that category easier to talk about than another?
There's Planned Parenthood, human/gay rights, animal testing and so on, but one thing people tend to leave out is the talk about health, more specifically, weight. People scream from the rooftops their views on other controversial topics, but for some reason this is the one we tend to tiptoe around. It deals with our bodies, and while that's very personal, so are abortions, so is gay marriage so are the majority of topics considered controversial, but this topic, in particular, is the one people tend not to voice their opinion on in an extremely public manner.
Maybe the problem is that there are a wide variety of views someone could have on this, or it's something people are afraid to talk about because it's an everyday occurrence. Whether you support gay marriage or not, those interactions aren't something you typically see every day. But with weight, it's something you can't put blinds up for. It's something you live with regardless of who, what or where you are. It's something we can't escape, and I think it's sad that the one thing the majority of this world can relate to or understand because we see it, but it's the one thing we tend to tiptoe around — the one thing we tend to ignore.
I've had personal battles with eating disorders, I've watched friends obsess and lose themselves over the number of calories consumed each day and the image in the mirror they saw at night. And while that was heartbreaking in itself, the worst part of it all was that I never knew what to say, how to say it or when to say it. I didn't know if it was my place to say anything at all. I didn't think it was a topic I could talk about, even though with other topics that carry such weight, voicing your opinion doesn't seem to be a problem at all.
I have never been a fan of talking about food or exercising or health in general because it always touches such a sore subject. It makes everyone hyper-aware of the physical characteristics of those around them, and it can cause malicious thinking, whether that be thoughts about yourself or those around you. But what if you do want to talk about that subject but don't know how to bring it up? Where to begin? What to ask?
When this school year started, so many people surrounding me came back to campus with Fitbits, a little bracelet that has the ability to track your steps, your sleep, your hours active, calories burned et cetera. All of a sudden, people weren't shy about starting a health conversation, about asking if you'd gone to the gym or how you were doing, because this little symbol opened the door to make it feel okay.
On the daily, my friends were asking each other if they had reached their goal for the day, which in most cases, was a specific number of steps. If one of them hadn't, people offered to go for long walks or to go to the gym. There was this seemingly upgraded level of support and now it feels less awkward to ask if anyone is going to the gym or would like to go together. We hold each other accountable for reaching goals, and it doesn't feel like we're touching on a subject that should be left alone.
All of this because of one invention, a small bracelet, but a big door opened.
While this has only seemed to serve a big purpose in my life, I hope it can find a purpose in other people's lives. I feel like there are tons of little symbols in life that make opening up the difficult situations a little easier by asking about a transition subject or object. And although, this won't solve the problem that is our inability, or lack of want to talk about the difficult subjects, I hope it opens at least one person's eyes to the conversations that need to be happening.
Without good health how is our society to move forward? How are we to continue at top speed if we aren't giving our bodies what they need? And while I don't believe health equates to physical appearance, I hope that people realize that no matter what size they are, your health is top priority. Whether you are 100 or 600 pounds, you should be giving your body the best for its performance, not for its appearance. Open up the difficult conversation, care for your friends and family and make sure that they are caring for themselves.
