Watch Your Language!

"You think you're fat? Look at my thighs!"

 

C'mon, we've all done it...engaged in that most-curious female bonding ritual now commonly known as "fat talk." In some social circles, it's virtually a requirement; in fact, you're the odd girl out if you dare to say something positive about your body.

 

Delta Delta Delta (and, yes, if you're a long-time Saturday Night Live fan, I know you just said to yourself, 'Can I help ya, help ya, help ya?'), a national sorority, has joined with Seventeen magazine, NOW, the National Eating Disorders Association and AED to kick off "Fat Talk Free" Week, a five-day public awareness initiative to draw attention to the damage that this kind of talk can do.

 

You did know it was damaging, right? Every time we say to our friends, our sisters, our mothers or our daughters, "I'm so fat" or "I could never wear that," we're sending a message. Ever felt pretty good about the way you looked on a given day until you ran into a friend who said, "Ugh. I've gained so much weight, I look disgusting?" And she's even thinner than you are?

 

Exactly.

 

If you think that what we tell ourselves -- and others -- about the way we look doesn't really matter, think again. And watch this thought-provoking video from the Tri-Delt campaign for a little perspective.

 

Fat talk is a habit that can be changed, with effort and courage. It may not be easy, but it's worth it.

 

Comments

[Sagan]

Oh yes, we've all been subject to this one!

I'm doing really well for keeping up with the positive talk, but this past weekend I was hanging out with some friends and one of them spent almost the entire night saying how fat she was and all this. I told her she was beautiful constantly (she wasn't fishing for compliments; she actually has REALLY low self esteem), and at one point I even convinced her to take off her sweater when she was too warm (she didn't want to before because her arms are "too fat").

Even so, by the end of the night I was feeling pretty badly about myself, and I hadn't even participated in the negative self-talk! Just hearing other people engage in it can be a real downer.

Fat Talk Free week sounds excellent!

[Dara Chadwick]

Exactly, Sagan...negative talk drags everybody down.

[WeightingGame]

i just saw that DDD video - I thought it was very powerful and am happy to see sororities doing something to raise ED awareness.

I fear the day I have a daughter and a comment about my body slips out...that will be one of my number one goals - to show her how strong and smart she is, and her butt doesn't matter.