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Regardless of aesthetics, just about everyone in the world has experienced some type of physical insecurity. Whether it’s internal or brought on by bullying, it sucks and it’s hurtful, and body shaming (particularly by internet trolls on social media) has only made matters worse. But now overweight people are speaking up about their experiences with the trending hashtag #FatSideStories, where they reveal the struggles of being bigger and how society has treated them differently because of it.
Their stories range from infuriating to heartbreaking to straight-up mean:
https://twitter.com/HeidiBelleau/status/763371332918661120
https://twitter.com/Artists_Ali/status/763336572800495616
#fatsidestories being told "You're not fat, you're beautiful" because fat is SO synonymous with being ugly you can't possibly be both
— lottie l’amour 🐻 (@Lottie_Lamour) August 10, 2016
https://twitter.com/ptxnotonfire/status/763294860631769088
When someone tells you "I love big girls" as if you're supposed to clap for them. 🙄🙄🙄 #FatSideStories
— Alysse Dalessandro Santiago 🌈 (@readytostare) August 10, 2016
getting sit on, on public transit. walked into like i don't exist.
rarely hear an apology. #FatSideStories— Amber Discko (@amberdiscko) August 10, 2016
Fat girls have the best personalities because they grew up ugly #fatsidestories pic.twitter.com/fejsHLwG0x
— Fat Girl For life🍰 (@fatgrrrlforlife) August 9, 2016
Others exposed the cruelty they had to deal with. “Never being able to shake the feeling that when people show romantic interest they’re just doing it as a cruel joke,” Melisa wrote. “See a therapist for mental health issues… ‘Have you considered losing weight?'” @Kiddotrue posted. “When skinny girls post pics of big girls with boyfriends and go ‘But I can’t get a text back,'” Venny tweeted.
The hashtag, which is still gaining traction, has also shown that people who identify as fat can’t catch a break from society or themselves, as poster Rachel pointed out. “My #fatsidestories are much less about what other people have said and much more about what I’ve internalized and now I say to myself,” she wrote.
Here’s hoping this will have people thinking before they speak from now on.
