I saw this article about Kirstie Alley and it just made me sad. The words she chooses to describe herself fat-shame not only her body, but her whole being as a person. The article quotes her as saying, "It [the scale] said 228 lbs., which is my highest weight ever. I was so much more disgusting than I thought!" She directly equates the number of her weight with herself - "I was so much more disgusting..." By seeing how much she weighed, Alley finds her personhood to be disgusting, which is just a really sad link.
People, this shouldn't need to be said, but it has to be said: You are not your weight. That random number on the scale doesn't describe you - it's just a number. You are made up of your personality, your humor, your interests, your laugh and millions of other things. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
Alley's interview includes this as well:
Q: What weight do you want to get down to?Cheers ran from '82-'93 and Alley started on the show in 1987 - 22 years ago. So she's decided on trying to look like she did 15+ years ago because someone then told her she should. I'm sorry, but that just breaks my heart. Talk about unattainable.
A: I have to be below 140 to really look good. I have to work my legs like crazy. Actually, do you want my real goal? My real goal's always too low. I love the way I look at, like, 128. One time on Cheers, I weighed about 148 lbs., and they told me to lose, like, 20 lbs. Now, I'm 5'8", so at 148 lbs., I wasn't fat. But they're saying, "You know, you need to lose 20 lbs." So what does that put me at? 128. That's where I keep getting this number.
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That is really sad. And I find this to be a difficult problem to deal with myself. It must be even more difficult for a woman in an industry that really does judge people (women in particular) based on numbers/their bodies.
Also, I'm so glad to have you back, blogging again, Lindsay! Congrats on finishing school! I'm so happy for you!
"You are not your weight. That random number on the scale doesn't describe you - it's just a number. You are made up of your personality, your humor, your interests, your laugh and millions of other things. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
This is really touching. Thank you.
I think it's also striking that she DIDN'T REALIZE how "disgusting" she was until she saw how much she weighed. She has (as so many people do) gotten to the point where a number on the scale can completely invalidate her actual experience.
I wish Kirstie Alley and Oprah Winfrew would both throw their scales in the trash - right along with their hairsuits and self-flagellation implements.
If you have to struggle that hard to keep your weight down, then your weight probably doesn't need to be that low anyway.
having struggled and struggled myself with body image, my heart breaks for Kirstie and Oprah and so many public figures out there. It was only when I let all the numbers go - calories, measurements, weights, sizes that I got some peace of mind and a bonus of physical recovery from a spiritual disease.
XO
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