[hippieflowergirl]

Originally Posted by June

I know, Irish. And I know the thread was started with very good intent and there has been some great conversation in here. And also, as per usual, there has been asshattery, misunderstandings and hurt feelings along with a few reconciliations.

I remember a few years ago, there was a thread like this on another forum, and someone very dear to me, who is not a person of size talked to me about how she felt about it as someone who struggled to be a healthy weight for her. I never forgot that. Body image issues come in all sizes.

when i was teaching (it was a massage school) i got to teach A & P, kinesiology, clinical practicum and massage theory & practice classes. one of the things that was NOT built into the curriculum was what it would be like for the client, if they had body issues, laying on the table nude (under a sheet). each area of the body is exposed to work on it if the client allows, right? so...when the students practiced on one another (which they did 4 times a week for a year) they had to take off their clothes.

for the most part, the new students were always freaked out about taking off their clothing as part of the learning process. after a while, that fear was greatly diminished for most of them...but definitely not all. it inspired me to make time in my first term classes to have a round robin discussion about body image. one of the best things to come of it was this:

our opinions about our bodies arent innate...we arent born loving our physical selves (or our intellectual, emotional and spiritual selves for that matter). we're handed our self image by others...friends, family, lovers, culture, media and so on...and expected to assimilate what's "right" or "wrong" from all of that information. some of us get great images...most of us dont. most of us learn that there's something wrong with us somehow and we spend an inordinate amount of time trying to fit the paradigm we've been taught.

no one wants to be unhealthy. but as has been said before, fat does not necessarily equal unhealthy; just as slender doesnt automatically indicate good health.

i know that my doctor does not like that i smoke, but she also knows that smoking increases dopamine interaction and that makes my drugs work more efficiently. she now also knows that i'm smoking more because i'm struggling not to put unnecessary food in my mouth. i know a lot of people who smoke in order to avoid eating more. i know one man who uses chewing tobacco for the same reason...and he's in his 50s. he knows better. he's always been active. but as he's gotten older tobacco is part of what he does to stay slim.

what have we learned from our friends/families/lovers/culture/media...?



that the risk of cancer is better than extra weight?