Written by Darrell Freeman, Founder and MD of plus-size female clothing brand www.curvewow.com
Don't give a reaction
After a survey conducted by our team found that two thirds of plus-size British women had been referred to as ‘the fat one’, it was clear that fat-shaming is still prevalent in our society. Whilst it is becoming more common for people to be happy with who they are, there is still an assumption and arrogance with certain members of society who make comments on other people’s size. Below I’ve compiled a list of the 7 best ways to deal with fat-shamers.
Be proud of your own body
This first point is probably the most important to make – be proud of your own body and don’t let anyone convince you to feel any other way. If you can achieve this, not only will you feel better about yourself but your confidence will put off fat-shamers.
Wear what you want
Don’t feel you have to conform and wear clothes to hide your figure. If you want to rock short shorts, do it. If you want to wear a crop top, do it. Don’t let others put you off it. People will respect you more for not caring about what others think.
Don’t give a reaction
Fat-shamers, and bullies in general, feed off your reaction. They’re looking to get a rise out of you – so don’t give it to them. Ignoring them will show that you’re the better person (as if it needed confirming anyway), and will ultimately leave them looking foolish. This goes for negative comments online as well – getting into an argument will only feed the fire, so fight negativity with positivity.
Remember that you don’t need to explain yourself
What you do with your body is your business and your business only. You don’t need to provide anyone else with your workout schedule or your diet to prove that you’re healthy; as long as you’re happy with yourself that should be enough.
Surround yourself with body positive people
If your friends are the ones doing the fat-shaming, they are not your friends. Let them know how you feel about it and, if they continue making you feel uncomfortable, it might be time to think about hanging out with someone else. If you’re surrounded by body positive people then you’re likely to feel more positive and confident in yourself.
Aspire to better role models
As well as surrounding yourself with body positive people, consider aspiring to better role models. Influencers and models such as Ashley Graham, Tess Holliday and Denise Bidot are redefining beauty standards and showing that it is OK to love your own body, no matter what. The fact that these body positive models are so popular should encourage you to be more confident in your own body, and shows how little fat-shamers know.
Become a role model
You don’t just have to aspire to better role models, you could also become one! Remember that, by being body positive and confident in yourself, you can inspire others who might be in the same situation as you. For every negative look you get for wearing your own choice of clothes and being confident, you’ll get two from people wishing they were as brave as you are. Buck the trend and start a new one.