I don’t need you telling me why I need to lose weight.
New Years is a hard time of the year to be a fat woman in this country.
Everywhere I look I see someone who looks like me — as the “before” picture in a diet or workout ad.
Even worse is when the “before” picture is someone much smaller than me. I seriously want to stab someone when I see a “before” picture that’s a woman who is maybe a size 10 or 12.
You know, smaller than the average woman in this country.
According to the “National Health Statistics Reports” issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in December 2018, the average woman in the United States weighs 170.6 pounds, or 77.4 kg.
The average woman in the U.S. now wears a size 16 in clothing, not that you would know it from the myriad of clothing stores that only cater to customers who wear a size 12 or smaller.
Admittedly, I’m larger than average. I’m mostly OK with that. I have done a lot of work on body positivity and self-love to get to a place where I can be confident in my body.
I teach yoga. I wear shorts and tank tops. I speak out when businesses only offer chairs that skinny people can fit into. I call out thin privilege when I see it. Spoiler alert…
