Are you even human if you're not looking to lose 10-15 pounds?

What is your life worth if you're not trying to make yourself smaller?

I think the title says it all. Are you even alive if this isn’t your goal? If you’re not trying to lose weight, what is your life’s purpose? Is your life just meaningless?

If you ask pop culture, the answer is, “absolutely”. If you watch any show or movie, you would be led to believe that there is one thing that unites all humans, and that is, of course, weight loss.

While watching “Bling Empire: New York” (I love watching the rich lifestyle, what can I say?), one of the characters was turning 40. She’s extremely successful, looks very young, has this amazing group of friends, and is tiny as can be. Oh, and apparently she doesn’t eat any vegetables (I’m not sure why, that’s kind of weird, but okay). She’s asked how she feels about this milestone birthday and she says something to the extent of, “blah, blah, blah (I wasn’t paying attention) I’d love it if I was 10 pounds thinner” to which, one of her friends responds, “Don’t we all wish we were 10-15 pounds thinner”.

Let me put this in perspective, these are some rich as fuck and skinny as fuck bitches. They are living what most of our dreams are made of. And here they are, wishing for THE ultimate goal, to be 10-15 pounds thinner no matter what size you currently are.

This blanket statement is quite reflective of our culture as a whole. It doesn’t matter where you start, it only matters that you aim to be even smaller. Are you 120 pounds? 110 would be better. Are you 99 pounds? Go for 89!

Do this until you are so thin that it’s apparent that you’re on death’s doorstep and then, only then, can you worry about “recovery” and gaining weight.

I’m sorry, but that’s bullshit.

Watching the movie “Trolls” with my kids, which was really good by the way, I was so appalled by one scene in which the king of the Bergens (who are evil and therefore all kind of fat because we equate fat in our culture with some sort of moral shortcoming) decided he needs to lose 30 pounds overnight because the next day is a special occasion and he’ll be meeting his new love interest, Lady Glitter Sparkles. (She’s hot stuff, right?)

I get that it’s a joke. I get that it’s something to poke fun at. But come on. Even in this kids’ movie that is so cute? It couldn’t even stay out of there?

And this shit is everywhere.

It is so normal to pat your stomach and say, “I gotta lose that baby weight” or “I really packed on the pounds there”, etc. It’s nice that people are trying to be lighthearted about it and all but the truth is, it’s hurting us all. It really hurts. No one looks in the mirror and thinks, “Damn! You’re so hot and fat! You really packed on the pounds!” That is the way people degrade their self-esteem and the problem is, it hurts everyone.

EVERYONE.

It hurts fat people because they’re the butt of the joke. It hurts thin people because they’re never thin enough. It hurts people who did gain weight and can’t lose it. It hurts people who lost weight but it wasn’t enough.

It just fucking hurts.

Who wins with these jokes? Absolutely no one.

I think it also is worth asking ourselves, why is our worst fear being larger? Can we truly not imagine anything worse? How are people who are larger supposed to feel? But some people were born larger and some smaller, this is a fact. Why is that a bad thing? Why do we think shrinking our bodies to the smallest possible size, even if temporarily, is an accomplishment up there with graduating, having an amazing career, and having people you love around you? How is that a normal thing?

“But your health!” This topic has been addressed countless times. I’ll sum it up very succinctly. If you focused on your health instead of weight loss you might just get, gasp, healthier!

Recently, my husband’s friend asked him, “Why is Asya so obsessed with this topic?” my response was, as Carline Dooner of “The Fuck it Diet” and “Tired as Fuck” put it, “our culture is obsesses with weight”. It’s fucking everywhere! It makes it’s way into every single show, it seems. Into every single conversation. And if we’re not saying anything about it, we’re compliant. And I am not one to be compliant.

Now go and think about something else and maybe even enjoy whatever you’re thinking about!

Asya