September 13, 2012
I am not a skinny girl. That’s not to say I never have been. In fact, I suffered from anorexia for eight years, and have only been in recovery for about three years. I’m 5’8”, have a figure and some extra meat on my bones. Some may even classify me as fat. People tell me all the time about how others are treated differently because of their weight, but I’d never found this myself. At Hamilton, I am accepted and made to feel proud of who I am and what I’ve overcome.
Nearly two months ago, I arrived in Australia for a semester abroad, and while I instantly fell in love with the country, I found that I was treated very differently than I was in the States. People automatically judged me as un-cool, stupid, and not worth associating with. Australians wanted little to do with me and most of the time didn’t even bother asking my name, despite my attempts to talk to them.
At first, I chalked it up to being American. Americans don’t have the best reputation in Australia, so I figured all I had to do was prove that I didn’t fit those stereotypes. However, I found that my American friends were getting very different reactions. People found them interesting, they were getting asked out on dates and connecting with other Australians even though some of them fit the American stereotype more so than I did. I then began looking at the differences between my friends and me. We interacted with Australians in similar ways and were equally educated. The only difference is that they are thin and I am not.
After being in the country for two months, nothing has changed. People still approach my friends before they talk to me, and often only talk to me to be polite. This is frustrating to no end. I am constantly made to feel that I am unattractive, unimportant and not worth getting to know, simply because I am heavier.
I know what you’re thinking: “Poor little fat girl. Why don’t you just lose some weight and stop complaining?” The thing is, I shouldn’t have to. I may be heavy, but I am very healthy. I work out everyday, I’m gluten-free and pescatarian, I eat my five servings of fruit and vegetables, I don’t drink excessively and for the most part I stay away from junk food. I am probably in better shape and healthier then some other people my age; my body just tends to hold onto weight.
Every day, we are bombarded with different ways to lose weight or better our image. I’m not just talking about women either; men get the same societal pressure to lose fat and gain muscle. I’ve recently taken to blocking weight-loss ads on the Internet because I shouldn’t be told on a daily basis that I am not okay just the way I am.
It is disgusting to me that when I was at an unhealthy weight of 115 pounds, people treated me with greater respect than they do now. I feel like I am living in a world where eating disorders are encouraged rather than seen as the danger that they are. Not only that, I’m pretty happy with myself. I’m a strong person and I know that I can do anything I put my mind to. I shouldn’t have to change my appearance so that other people will accept me.
With all this being said, I have never been made to feel unworthy at Hamilton; so I commend you all for your acceptance. But I also know that it is human nature to make snap judgments about others based on their appearance.
So before you evaluate someone’s character, intelligence or importance based entirely on who they appear to be, remember that physical attributes have no bearing on these factors. Every person has a story and the capability to contribute positively to the world, and you’re not going to know it just by looking at someone.