I was at the library the other day, and there was a copy of Love Your Life: O’s Handbook for Your Best Today–and Tomorrow on a display table with a “Check me out!” flag sticking out of it. So I did.
One of the articles reprinted in the book was about the weight-related struggles between a mother and a daughter, specifically, how the mother’s issues with her own weight (her thighs, in particular), manifested in what may be described as a well-meaning but overzealous attempt to prevent her slightly overweight daughter from becoming obese. Well, the daughter ended up struggling with years of bulimia and chronic dieting before coming around to caring for herself with healthy food and physical activity, allowing her weight to fall where it may. The mother came to accept her daughter’s weight, too, but was not able to let go of her issues with her own body.
Anyway, while the entire article (written in two parts, “The Mother’s Story” and “The Daughter’s Story) was great, one quote, from daughter Jess Zimmerman, jumped out at me:
“There’s nothing healthy about fearing food and using exercise as a whip.”
Yet isn’t that what so many of us do, to some extent? Fearing that this food will make you fat or not eating the exact right combination of foods will lead to ill health. Telling yourself that if you don’t push yourself harder, harder, harder that you will never “get in shape.”
The article, “The Fat Fight,” is available online if you are interested in reading it.
