This letter is a response to online writer Sushmitha Suresh’s article “YouTube video sparks controversy over fat shaming”

[quote]By Mackenzie Winkler
Guest Writer
Graphic by Drew Danko[/quote]

For as long as I can remember, I have been acutely aware of the way society perceives anyone with an overweight body. Magazines, billboards, social media, and so many other toxic things in our society drill young, impressionable minds with picture after picture of what the “ideal body” should be.

As a 16-year-old weighing over 200 pounds, it is safe to say that society’s perceptions of a perfect body have majorly affected my self esteem. Fat shaming is real. It is the reason why overweight people feel self-conscious going to the gym. It is the reason why Abercrombie & Fitch refuses to carry bigger clothes because according to the CEO, Mike Jeffries, of Abercrombie & Fitch, “a lot of people don’t belong [in our clothes], and they can’t belong”. It is the reason why you rarely see a “plus-size model” that is legitimately plus-sized, and it is the reason why I spent most of my life hating every inch of my body.

According to Nicole Arbour in her controversial video, “Dear Fat People”, she believes that fat people deserved to be shamed. To sum up this incredibly toxic video, Arbour basically makes the claim that “if we offend you so much that you lose weight, I’m okay with that.” News flash, Arbour! You insulting my weight is not going to make me think “wow, you are right. I guess I’ll go lose weight now.” But instead, “Wow, I’m a worthless and disgusting person.” That then, is when people resort to things such as eating disorders and self injury because it is a temporary solution to a long term problem.

For example, when I was in seventh grade, my soccer coach used to regularly verbally abuse me for my weight. Due to the abuse, I developed some very harmful habits to try and cope that took a few years to break myself from, even after I quit that particular team. Not to mention, I can’t play competitive sports anymore without facing an overwhelming amount of anxiety.

So don’t act like you’re doing me or anyone else a favor if you insult our weight.

Finally, to any overweight person who might be reading this right now, know this: You are worth so much more than you think. You aren’t disgusting nor whatever society tries to tell you. Please take it from someone who spent years hating them self, from someone who has tried to lose weight countless times and failed, and from someone who can now say that they have found self-confidence in themselves while still being fat. Everyone deserves to love them self, regardless of their weight or body type. Thank you.