There seems to be no end to the epidemic of body-shaming and anti-fat abuse. People feel entitled to criticise other people’s physical appearance as much as they like.
Men are less likely to be criticised than women, even men
with huge beer bellies, which are very common in Northern Ireland.
But women are castigated for any number of supposed physical
faults – being fat, being too thin, being ugly, being badly dressed, being
dowdy, you name it.
Luckily I’ve never been criticised for being fat, as I’ve
always been thin and if anything I’m underweight. Being constantly reprimanded
for being fat must be infuriating.
There’s a general assumption that a woman is fat because she
eats too much, though of course that’s not necessarily the case. But the
critics don’t care about the actual causes, they just want to be viciously
judgmental.
There’s also an assumption that a fat woman is less
intelligent than a thin woman, which is equally absurd.
I admire those women who don’t care over-much how they’re
seen by others and just carry on regardless. It takes a lot of determination
and self-confidence when other people (mainly men but not always) are happily
picking holes in you.
