Open letter to those with fat people in their lives

During this holiday season, please give us the gift of reading this and really taking it to heart.

As you tuck into overindulgence over the holidays, remind yourself that you are making that choice and that on some level it is because of comfort, and that you are enjoying it. Now remember that everyone else is potentially overindulging for the same reason. Even if you are not overindulging, it still is pertinent to remind yourself that if others are doing so…it’s not anything that you need to comment on.

When you are eating your stuffing, potatoes, gravy and the like, refrain from the extra diet talk that seems to feel compulsory. You don’t need to punish yourself or anyone else for eating holiday food. Read that last sentence again. When you talk about how you are going to have to make up for…or in other words repent for eating it feels pointed to us. When you talk about how gross you feel…think about the message that sends to other people around you. All I want for Christmas is people to not imply that fat is gross.

It’s not helping us, it’s not going to magically make us slimmer for people to “health shame” us either, so please keep your concerns safely tucked in your pocket and just enjoy the time together. Diet talk doesn’t help anyone, not even you. No one needs it, it is most often ultimately harmful.

So spread the love, enjoy your time together this holiday. Share your interests with your friends and family and the things that are important in your life. If that is hitting the gym and eating a certain way, there are ways to talk about it without making it sound bad or shameful to live differently. Most people, including your fat friends and/or family, are thrilled to hear about your accomplishments and interests, we just don’t want to be kicked in the process. You’ve lost weight and are proud of it, great! Talk about it as a personal accomplishment and goal meeting, not that there was something wrong with you before. There wasn’t, your body is great and does amazing things at all sizes…just perhaps differently.

The crux of the issue is joy and peace, we have enough division and hurt splitting families and friends apart. Don’t add to that by adding more hurt to a loved one’s holidays.

Oh, and as ever…BUY THEM BOOKS 😊 Let more people know that there is a source for finding fat representation in books and that we are stoked to bring them more resources!

Be merry, friends. We love you.