In case you missed it, Nicole Arbour, self-proclaimed YouTube star and “edgy comedian,” posted a video to YouTube entitled “Dear Fat People” earlier this week. Intrigued by such a crass title, I watched her six-minute rant about how fat shaming is a myth and an excuse for overweight people to garner pity while, ironically, fat shaming overweight Americans. This video struck a particular, personal chord with me. As someone who embarked on her own weight loss journey (full of struggles) only a couple of years back, I took offense to her poor attempt at addressing obesity in America. It’s clear by her title and the extremely distasteful way she spoke about such a delicate topic that she was trying to draw attention to herself and her YouTube page. She’s clearly aware of the high obesity rates in America, since she felt the need to dedicate a video to it, so why post a video making fun of something that affects so many people? How dare someone use such a sensitive topic for likes and attention? Furthermore, how dare she speak on something she clearly has no knowledge of so vulgarly?
Her wildest claim in the video is that fat shaming “is brilliant” and that it’s a good way to “shame people out of their bad habits until they stop”. I’m not sure what kind of convoluted person thinks making someone feel so bad about themselves until they change is the best way to inspire positive change, but it’s not. If anything, fat shaming has increased the rate of people, namely young girls, who are affected by eating disorders. Between the media glorifying bodies that are nearly impossible for the average person to obtain and stick-thin celebrities, the last thing anyone needs is a skinny girl preaching about how to end obesity in America. Especially since she thinks ending obesity is as easy as telling fat people they’re fat and gross. She has clearly never been affected by obesity, nor has she experienced being an overweight teen in America judging by the way she speaks about it. So for her to sit there and tell viewers that overweight people should be disgusted and ashamed of themselves is atrocious. Solving America’s obesity problem shouldn’t result in inspiring self-doubt and insecurity in those who struggle with it.
As if her dismissal of fat shaming wasn’t enough, she continues on by saying that obesity is about as real of a disease as being a shopaholic is and is an excuse fat people use to avoid getting in shape. An illness can be classified as a disease if it meets the following three criteria: it is "an impairment of the normal functioning of some aspect of the body;" it shows "characteristic signs and symptoms;" and it can inflict "harm or morbidity." By definition, obesity can be considered a disease. Something that can have such a detrimental effect on the body is not comparable to a shopping addiction. I understand that she was trying to point out that it’s curable if those who are affected by obesity work towards losing weight, but it is not that simple. Being obese or overweight is not just gaining a little weight here or there, it’s a significant amount of extra weight. It doesn’t just slip off your body as soon as you hit the treadmill. Losing weight is a combination of eating right and working out, so for someone who hasn’t been living that way it’s a huge lifestyle adjustment. And who’s to say someone isn’t working to lose that weight? It doesn’t happen in a blink of an eye.
She also took time to address the hashtag #BodyPositive that has become popular on social media. #BodyPositive was created to help people feel more confident in themselves despite their body type, figure or build. According to Nicole Arbour, it should be used exclusively by people who have ‘good bodies’. It is not solely meant for people with perfect bodies nor is it solely intended for people who don’t have six packs and bulging muscles. It was created to encourage confidence and spread a positive message to people who may struggle with their appearance. By her making fun of ‘fat people’ who post pictures under that hashtag, she’s defeating the entire purpose. Just because someone’s body doesn’t fit your definition of perfect doesn’t mean they shouldn’t post pictures or feel confident in their self. If someone is happy with his or her body than it is perfect. There are so many people that suffer from weight-related diseases and insecurities, let’s not tear them down because they’re trying to feel okay with themselves in such a pro-skinny society.
Maybe Nicole Arbour found this to be funny, but most of world, including myself, did not. Her so called “edgy comedy” is actually highly offensive and insensitive. Anorexia and bulimia are currently at the highest rates they’ve ever been, so yeah, America has an obesity problem but is shaming someone into starving or harming oneself to look perfect the better alternative? There are so many impressionable young people on the Internet that could have stumbled upon this video. I can’t imagine it having a positive effect on someone who may have already been struggling with this. There are so many better ways to address this topic, and I’m not saying that it shouldn’t be addressed, because those who are imposing on their health due to weight issues should be working to reach a healthier place, but her approach was awful. Her video promotes the idea that we should all be striving to look ‘perfect’, an idea that so many campaigns have been trying hard to eliminate and replace with body positive mentalities. There’s nothing comedic about someone encouraging others to shame their peers into conforming to a 'perfect body’ or attacking people who are proud of what they’ve accomplished with their appearance. There are people who are overweight that are totally fine with their body and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. We don’t all have to be the same size or shape to have ‘good bodies.’ A good body is one that you’re proud of, confident in and treat well. If you’re inclined to lose weight, go for it but there’s nothing wrong with being happy with yourself even if you don’t look the way Nicole Arbour thinks you should.
