My name is Ali Khalifa, I am 17-years old. According to the BMI system, I am obese. I have been overweight for over 10 years now. This means that I have hands on experience with the bullying that anyone in my shoes will have likely experienced. I have made the conscious decision, however, to not allow any of the prejudice and hate get to me.
I have lived as an overweight individual for ten years of my life, and I have personally adapted to my situation, with confidence and poise. Yes, I am fat but I am so much more than that: I run faster than most, I am more flexible than most, and I dance better than most. In other words, I usually outshine most of my friends in the field of sports.
What I don’t understand is that fact that my physical abilities seem to be almost always predetermined and presumed by my physical appearance. Despite of the sheer fact that I have grown to outperform my seemingly “fit” peers in different fields, the stereotypes and myths regarding what my body can and cannot do have yet to be shattered.
Thus, my issue is no longer the fat-shaming that I have received because of my weight: I may be fat, but at least I have come to own, accept, and love who I am. As a matter of fact, the word ‘fat’ wasn’t created to be an insult – it is a mere adjective – so I will not interpret it as one.
Anyone can do whatever they want to do, no matter what their weight may be. You do not have to lose weight to be happy, and if you do lose weight make sure you’re doing it for yourself, not for others. This piece of writing may sound cliché, but I honestly needed to get it off of my fat chest.