I truly enjoyed reading the article “Think a stroke is sexy?” I will begin by saying that almost 17 years ago, I lost 150 pounds and have kept it off all these years (although now I have a 3-month-old and am in the process of losing my baby weight gain).
I watched the program “Mo’Nique’s F.A.T. Chance” out of curiosity, much like when one slows to look at a car accident on the highway.
I watched with a sense of sadness and shock.
I have worked hard over the years to keep the weight off, much to the chagrin of some of my fellow African-American “sisters.”
I, like the article’s author, believe that I strive to maintain a healthy weight not because I am “buying into societal beauty standards.”
As she said, “It’s about self-preservation.”
My grandmother died of heart failure at the age of 47. My mother passed away only two years ago from congestive heart failure at the age of 54. They were both excessively obese.
I remember weighing 297 at my highest and feeling miserable.
This article pinpoints many of the issues my husband and I discussed as I watched the program.
The program seemed to glamorize a lifestyle that is inherently unhealthy.
I understand the need to feel good about oneself at any size, but I could not look beyond the fact that so many African-American women have weight-related health issues.
The numbers listed in your article were staggering.
I pray that women, especially those of color, wake up to the realization that fat kills.
To the author:
I wish you a safe journey to a smaller you, and it is a journey.
There will be twists and turns, valleys and mountaintop experiences. This is from one who knows.
I am a 41-year-old African-American woman, who was married in 2004 and who just had her first baby three months ago.
Enjoy the ride and keep getting the word out about this devastating phenomenon.
Again, I applaud you for your insightful article.
