The "F" Word | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Health and Wellness

The "F" Word

"Is 'fat' really the worst thing a human being can be?"

15
The "F" Word
Huffington Post

"Fat." How many times do you hear it a day? "I'm so fat," or, "Eating this will make me so fat," or maybe even, "Don't eat that, you'll get fat!" Unlike the actual F word, "fat" receives little to no censorship; it gets thrown around hundreds of times per day.

Dictionary.com defines 'fat' as, "a natural oily or greasy substance occurring in animal bodies" or "(of a person or animal) having a large amount of excess flesh." Doesn't sound so scary, but our society has put enough of a negative connotation around it that hearing the word literally makes me shudder. "Fat" has become more than just a noun; it has become a harmful adjective, a cruel insult that we call others and even ourselves. In Jes Baker's viral TED talk on body image, she makes the claim that a group of 10-year-olds admitted to being more afraid of becoming fat than cancer, nuclear war, or losing their parents. What?!

There's no denying that there is a serious obesity epidemic in America. On the flip side, America also has some of the highest rates of eating disorders in the world. While there are numerous other factors that go into the development of an eating disorder, harmful language and society's acceptance of negative body image certainly doesn't help. Instead of encouraging young people (girls especially) to be strong and healthy, the media feeds on their insecurities and encourages them to be "skinny, toned, and sexy!" Becoming "fat" is seemingly not an option for these young girls; not because they care about their health, but because society is deeming it as unacceptable.

J.K. Rowling once said, "Is 'fat' really the worst thing a human being can be? Is 'fat' worse than 'vindictive', 'jealous', 'shallow', 'vain', 'boring', or 'cruel'? Not to me." And yet, most girls I know would much rather be called 'shallow' or 'cruel' than *gasp* fat. A simple word has become so harmful, so damaging, all because young people are trained that being overweight will make them a social outcast.

So what can be done? I believe a shift to promoting overall health and wellness is a good place to start. Instead of prompting others to "not eat that donut because it will make them fat" perhaps instead encourage a healthier option, or remind them (and yourself) that 'unhealthy' foods are perfectly fine in moderation. Part of the problem falls on the media as well, but unfortunately this is more difficult to change. If there was less pressure for young people to "Drop 10 Pounds in a Week!" and more spotlight on, say, how to be a better version of ourselves, maybe the population's perception would be different.

'Fat' is not something we want to avoid in order to please society; we should be mindful of our choices to take care of our own bodies. Our personal body condition has nothing to do with who we are as a human.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Relationships

20 Things You Forgot To Thank Your Mom For

Moms are super heroes dressed in yesterday's clothing and they deserve an award for that.

598
family
Facebook

Dear Mom,

You took care of me and my brothers our entire lives and you still continue to! I will not be able to truly grasp all of the hard work that you put into this family until I create my own one day. But, I know that there are plenty of times I forgot to give you a simple thank you or an appreciative smile. I thank you for everything that you have done for me and will continue to do for me. Here are some examples of those times where you had my back and I forgot to pat your back for saving me:

Keep Reading...Show less
pumpkin
Holytaco.com

College is hard. As people ages 18-22, we’re just trying to figure out what we’re doing with our lives, our careers, our eating habits, exercise routines, sleep patterns, and other necessities for adult life. We definitely don’t take proper care of ourselves; it’s basically impossible when we have essays, tests and readings due and somehow we’re supposed to eat right, exercise and sleep. We’re doomed to get sick. I have zero experience in science but when I get sick there are certain things I do to make myself better.

Keep Reading...Show less
Bob's Burgers
Hyannishyball

First of all, there is no shortage of fun when you're together.

And you often find yourselves entertaining each others terrible ideas.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

The Unwritten Rules Of "Talking"

What is "talking?" How does one "talk?"

8817
girl holding phone
NYCPRGIRLS

Now that it seems “talking” is the new way to date, and will stay that way until another idiotic term is used to describe the people who can’t settle down and just date someone, I feel as if it’s time to go over the unwritten rules of “talking.”

Rule 1. Having feeling without feeling.

Keep Reading...Show less
The Stages of Having FOMO in College
iamthatgirl.com

Are you one of those people that gets super upset when you miss out on anything? Well, you may have FOMO, or fear of missing out. In college it’s not hard to experience FOMO every once in a while. You just love doing everything and anything, so hen you have to miss out on something it's the worst possible thing in your mind. Whether you’re sick, have to work, or have so much work to do you could cry – FOMO will hit you hard in college.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments