Women are getting embarrassed to talk about losing weight and going on diets as the body-positivity movement are highlighting the fact that it is no shame to be overweight or obese.
I agree it is important not to feel ashamed of your size and find compassion and acceptance for yourself whatever you weight but there is also the reality of how someone becomes overweight in the first place. Are they struggling to moderate portion sizes? Are they bingeing on certain foods? Are they emotionally eating to excess? Are they compulsively eating to escape life’s challenges or deal with boredom or loneliness? These are just some of the reasons that people can gain weight and these reasons are not healthy or conducive to a healthy lifestyle.
If the body positivity movement could stop looking at obesity from the physical appearance then perhaps we can break this attitude of people feeling embarrassed to talk about losing weight. As already mentioned obesity, in some cases, is a symptom of psychological and emotional problems. It can have many causes – it is not simply about eating too much. It is important to look at the reasons behind emotional and compulsive overeating. The so called body positivity movement is not addressing the complex nature of why some people are obese. They must stop just focusing on what someone’s appearance is.
I want to reiterate that it is not embarrassing or shaming to decide to lose weight through a healthy approach. It is important, however, to address all issues. A bio-psycho-socio-spiritual model is needed not just a diet.
