Accelerate Health and Performance: Fat Shaming and Skinny Shaming Isn't a Thing... You're Probably Just a Jerk

WARNING: This is a bit of a rant that brewed for a while and reared its ugly head so it was updated accordingly. There are some rude words throughout. I, personally, feel it is warranted. I don’t mean to offend but punches will not be pulled.

Yesterday morning my friend, client and the big cheese of Sunny Coast Health & Fitness, Kylie, witnessed two women behaving absolutely abhorrently, ridiculing another female who was busting her arse climbing Mount Coolum. Suffice to say there was fitness and size differences between the two culprits and their victim.

These two people thought they were within their rights to take photos of this lady and openly laugh at her...because she was out and about doing her best. Trying to better improve her health and fitness, trying to change her circumstance, trying to go about living her life. When Kylie told me what had gone down I saw....whatever colour is beyond red.
I can’t fucking stand this shit and I knew I had to dig out this blog and revive it two years after its original release.

I’m going to throw something out there and it’s going to piss some people off…I don’t care one bit. Sadly, it needs to be said far too often. Here and now, I’m going to be one who says it, again. If you don’t like what I have to say then there’s a good chance that you’re probably guilty of exactly what I’m talking about – have a good hard look at yourself and sort your shit out. I mean no offence I just think what you’re doing is really shit and you’re only bringing more shit upon yourself as a result of your nastiness.

Stop Categorising Being An Arsehole Into Names Like ‘Fat Shaming’ And ‘Skinny Shaming’.

It’ the 21st Century for fucks sake!? It’s not about fat or skinny it’s about people. You’re a person, he’s a person, and she’s a person...not a fat person, not a skinny person...a person.
STOP sharing photos online with sayings like…

“Real men want something to hold onto, not a stick”

“Skinny girls look good in clothes. Curvy girls look better naked.”

“Slim girls look good in clothes. Fit girls look good naked.”

FUCK OFF. It is nobody’s right to ridicule anyone for their appearance. ANYONE!

And the insane thing is that people now think that it’s ok to ‘skinny shame’ people because ‘fat’ people have been the victims for so long.

For FAR too long overweight people were the victims of horrible insensitivity. In TV and Movies they still are. It’s WRONG…but if you think that gives you the right to turn the tables on ‘skinny’ people, I’ve got news for you...Making someone else feel shit about themselves doesn’t undo all the horrible things that have been said to you and it won’t stop the chances of it happening in the future. It just makes you an arsehole too.

Meghan Trainor is a prime example of just how far we’ve gone wrong on this front. Her recorded company should be ashamed of recording her bullshit if they weren’t too bust counting $100 bills.

This is not empowering. This is just as degrading as a slim woman calling you “fat”. Don’t be a hypocrite. Being proud of yourself does not require questioning someone else’s worth. It only shows that you really don’t value yourself all that highly at all.

Is this ok because it’s guy? Fuck no. He’s still a person!

Skinny girls are beautiful too. Beauty is an opinion, not a defined any specific quality. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Some men are attracted to curvy women. Some aren’t. That’s ok. Some are attracted to women with no curves. Some aren’t. That’s ok too. What isn’t ok is for you to make someone feel less attractive because they don’t have the same body shape as you. What isn’t ok is when you to imply that someone is less of a man for the woman that he is attracted to
.

And this…when you’re using a horrible disease like Anorexia Nervosa to make yourself feel better…why not go to a kids cancer ward and poke fun at them too?

I’m not defined by my size and shape and I’m not defined by the size and shape of the woman I am attracted to. In part, I am defined by the woman I married. I’m happy to say that she is an incredible woman. Her qualities as a person stretch far beyond her physical appearance. Her size and shape is not the reason I married her…to me she’s a total babe but that is not why I married her. She is a kind, caring, compassionate woman who is an amazing mother. If she was a size 4 or a size 40 she would still be all those things.

But it’s not just Women who need to stop hammering each other in this way. Women need to ease up on Men, Men need to ease up on Women and Men need to ease up on other Men. 

I can’t grow a beard and I don’t want tattoos. I still have a penis though. I’m as much of a man as this guy…

And don’t for one second sit there and say ‘Oh...he’s a Personal Trainer, it’s easy for him.’ You haven’t got a clue! As a Personal Trainer I’m held to the highest and most bullshit of all aesthetic standards!
“When you see a Personal Trainer who needs a Personal Trainer”
Ever heard or read that? I’ve had it said to me and written about me.
My job as a Personal Trainer is to provide that training programs and nutritional guidance to my clients to achieve their goals...nothing more.
I’m not a model, I’m not a body builder, I’m not professional athlete.
I’m a guy with a burning desire to help people live a happy and fulfilling life with the understanding of the human body I was blessed with and worked my arse off to develop.

I could look like this guy...that doesn’t impact my ability to be a great (and modest) trainer with a large client base of very happy, healthy men and women of all ages, shapes, sizes and needs.
It’s 2017. It’s time that we stop defining what a “real man” is and what a “real woman” is and start letting people define themselves by the sort of man and woman they choose to be and the actions they are responsible for.

I truly hope the two arseholes that Kylie encountered read this. I truly hope they feel like jerks. They acted like jerks. But they can change, they can learn and they can never do it again. They can leave that identity behind and bring value to their world in the future.

To the victim of this hideous bullshit...I hope you read this too. MAD PROPS TO YOU SISTER! Congratulations on doing something good for you and your world! You’re welcome in my gym anytime! Hell, I’d love to just buy you a cup of coffee and have a chat...I really like coffee. But please, don’t be disheartened. The arseholes of the world are outnumbered...the majority of us love you and are behind you all the way!

To all men and women…
Our self-worth and character is defined by what we contribute to the lives of the people around us and to the world – not what we look like or the size of our pants. 
So do you contribute puppies, memes and ice cold beers to the lives of the people around you or shins kicked on towballs, bindy eyes and paper cuts?

Mitchell Knight
Accelerate Health and Performance
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/acceleratehealthandperformance/
Instagram: @mitchellknightpt @acceleratehealthandperformance