Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Byline: The Fat Life - A New Lifestyle
There has been a great outpouring of concern from friends, family, readers, and complete strangers who must've picked up my column online through various means. I assure you all, while this assignment might seem crazy, in some ways, that's the point. I'm going to pursue a life that others would choose not to. I am doing this not because I'm crazy, but because I'm a journalist, it's my job to report on things that my readers haven't otherwise experienced.
It would be the height of arrogance to compare myself to photo journalists who put their lives in dangers to get pictures of the front line, or hard hitting interviewers who attempt to get into the minds of a serial killer on prime time TV, but I lack another metaphor. I'm doing this so you don't have to. I'm doing this so you'll know what it's like for me, and everyone else who is classified as obese.
The change in lifestyle will go far beyond wearing a fat suit for a day. I will gain the weight, I will go out in public as 'me'. I'll buy food, buy clothes, go to the movies, and everything else I normally do. This will be observations over time, not a snap shot of one day where I'm out to prove how tough it is. Putting on a fat suit and looking for discrimination makes it easy to find. Being fat and just living life, is there as much discrimination as people say? More? Less? Whatever the answer, I plan to find out, rather than decide ahead of time.
Since my last writing I have changed my lifestyle. It's a lot harder than I thought. While skipping the gym and having an extra slice of pizza might seem like the ticket, it's not. We think we make a lot of choices through out the day when in fact we're following a routine. I've had two cups of coffee with low-fat milk before I realise I should have cream. I've asked for the salad without dressing without thinking. I take the stairs rather than wait for the elevator, finish eating when my stomach says I'm full, and go for a walk around the block with my friend because she asked.
I am learning though. I've always had a soft spot for Ben & Jerry's that I'm starting to indulge. Letting the escalator take me to the top rather than jogging up. They're little steps, but they're good enough for me to gain a pound.
More, and more of me, to come, dear readers.
It would be the height of arrogance to compare myself to photo journalists who put their lives in dangers to get pictures of the front line, or hard hitting interviewers who attempt to get into the minds of a serial killer on prime time TV, but I lack another metaphor. I'm doing this so you don't have to. I'm doing this so you'll know what it's like for me, and everyone else who is classified as obese.
The change in lifestyle will go far beyond wearing a fat suit for a day. I will gain the weight, I will go out in public as 'me'. I'll buy food, buy clothes, go to the movies, and everything else I normally do. This will be observations over time, not a snap shot of one day where I'm out to prove how tough it is. Putting on a fat suit and looking for discrimination makes it easy to find. Being fat and just living life, is there as much discrimination as people say? More? Less? Whatever the answer, I plan to find out, rather than decide ahead of time.
Since my last writing I have changed my lifestyle. It's a lot harder than I thought. While skipping the gym and having an extra slice of pizza might seem like the ticket, it's not. We think we make a lot of choices through out the day when in fact we're following a routine. I've had two cups of coffee with low-fat milk before I realise I should have cream. I've asked for the salad without dressing without thinking. I take the stairs rather than wait for the elevator, finish eating when my stomach says I'm full, and go for a walk around the block with my friend because she asked.
I am learning though. I've always had a soft spot for Ben & Jerry's that I'm starting to indulge. Letting the escalator take me to the top rather than jogging up. They're little steps, but they're good enough for me to gain a pound.
More, and more of me, to come, dear readers.
Labels: byline, fiction, weight gain
// posted by Charlotte @ 5:22:00 PM 
Comments:
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oh this one looks really promising. we'd love to hear this story, especially from a writer with your knowledge on the subject.
# posted by 
: 1:38 PM
: 1:38 PM
You are so uniquely qualified to write this, it will be amazing! There are so many great ways you could take it that it's probably a bit daunting, but please share our confidence that whatever you write will be great!
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# posted by : 1:09 AM
: 1:09 AM << Home
