WE NEED TO STOP TELLING PLUS-SIZE INFLUENCERS THAT THEY'RE GLAMORIZING OBESITY BY EXISTING

I couldn’t help myself in writing this post even though, by the time you’re reading this, the post that set this off in me is several weeks old.
 
I came across a post that included a quote from Jillian Michaels who said that we shouldn’t be glamorizing obesity, but we should be inclusive of everyone. To me, this statement makes absolutely no sense.

Photo by Gage Skidmore

​To begin, as a society, we do not glamorize obesity. By definition, glamorize means to “make something seem glamorous or desirable, especially spuriously so.” Basically, it means to make something that is bad for you seem like it is good for you. Some people use cigarettes or cigars as examples. People say that it is glamorizing smoking to put it in films and music.
 
The difference is that Michaels seems to say that the mere presence of a plus-sized person in the spotlight is glamorizing obesity. Why do I believe this is wrong?

​Because I have yet to see a large group of influencers encourage their followers to pack on the pounds to be pretty, valued, or worthy to society. As a matter of fact, I’ve seen much more of the opposite. I’ve seen the promotion of eating very little, following KPOP idol diets, and so on. I’m not saying that there aren’t people who say that eating more means you’re more beautiful. There are fetishes for that specifically. However, it is not a thing in society.

​If you look in pop culture, there are VERY few plus-sized music creators or actors and actresses. In acting, plus-sized people are always the funny friends who make self-deprecating jokes literally every second.

​They aren’t “cool” roles, they’re “goofy” roles. That goes for people like Rebel Wilson, Jack Black, and Melissa McCarthy to name a few. I love them all, by the way!

​In the music world, everyone gets up-in-arms when Lizzo wears an outfit that shows her butt cheeks, but everyone is cool with Nicki Minaj or Cardi B twerking with her cheeks out because they’ve got fat in the “right” places. They’re all completely fine with the Kardashian/Jenner family walking out in sheer clothes where you can see everything. But not when Lizzo does it. Absolutely not!
 
As someone who aspires to be an influencer, I’ve personally gotten several comments on different social media about my size, all of which is attached to content like this where I call out the haters who are mad that one of my videos blew up. I won’t lie, there is WAY more acceptance now than there used to be. However, people have called me “delusional,” “part of the problem,” and more for simply saying that one person’s existence is not glamorizing being overweight or obese.

View this post on Instagram

Going into 2020 glowing and in love â–¡

A post shared by Gabbie (@gemusiclover) on Jan 2, 2020 at 4:15am PST

We have a right to live our lives and be successful. The very opinion that we are “glamorizing obesity” by letting plus-sized people shine is offensive and downright discriminatory. We glamorize eating disorders on the daily, and there is almost nothing ever said about it. We glamorize celebrities who spend 4 hours in the gym every day while mothers who are trying to balance work, their marriage, a home, and a job are wondering why they can’t lose their baby fat as fast as those celebrities.
 
I want to reiterate that I’ve never seen a show, person, or group with a wide impact to glamorize obesity. This means that glamorizing, in Michaels viewpoint, must mean that the promotion of people who happen to be obese is glamorizing the body type.
 
The issue I have with this is that, for most people, being thin is a privilege. You either lucked out genetically, have no medical issues that cause weight gain, can afford to upkeep a very healthy diet and exercise plan, and have time and resources to make life super healthy.

A lot of people claim that eating healthy meals is rather affordable, but it depends on the size of your family and your income. If you can buy enough to make spaghetti for five people vs. a high-protein and high-veggie meal, you’re going to be eating a less healthy meal.

If you have to juggle four or five children, a household, a full-time job, and so on, you won’t have time for everything you need to do for others, let alone yourself.
 
But do you know who has time, money, and resources to live this way: upper-middle-class and upper-class people like Michaels. Celebrities can afford to hire nutritionists, personal chefs, nannies, and so forth to maintain their healthy lifestyle. They have the resources to do these things for themselves. 

​Can you live a healthy lifestyle when you aren’t making much money and don’t have a lot of time? Yes, if you work super hard. Because you’re still going to be eating that boxed meal, and you’re going to have to sacrifice time you use to make money for time for your workouts.
 
I myself am going to be trying extra hard to lose weight for my health, not for my looks. However, I take comfort in knowing that I will never ever change or feel ashamed of my body because Jillian Michaels told me I should. I will not stop trying to be a positive influence on a bunch of people because Michaels told me I would be glamorizing obesity by being a blogger who happens to be plus sized!