Sara Miller
Lana Oweidat
ENG 3060J
April 24, 2014
Struggles Due to Obesity
We
live in a world where image is a huge society issue between both females and
males. Most people strive to have that “perfect body” because they just want to
fit in and feel accepted with the peers around them. I for instance fall into
the category of constantly worrying about how I look compared to the people
around me. Everyday I wonder why I have this obsession of being healthy and not
becoming overweight, and it finally hit me. When I was younger I struggled with
my weight, and because of my weight I had a hard time in elementary school when
it came to fitting in. I believe because of the problems I faced I find it hard
to accept what I look like, and everyday I constantly find something wrong with
me that needs to be changed. Loving friends and family surrounds me, but why do
I still feel the need to look perfect? Why can’t I just accept what I look
like, and enjoy my life without constantly watching what I eat and comparing
myself to others? Shouldn’t we focus what is on the inside, isn’t that what
really matters in the long run?
First Grade
When
I started first grade I just moved and was starting a new school and I didn’t
know anybody, so that was already hard as it is. Not only was I known as the
“new girl” I was also known as the “fat ugly new girl”. I was pushing 100
pounds, with chubby cheeks and a gap in the middle of my teeth. I heard this
nickname going around and I tried to keep my head up tall because I didn’t want
to be known as the “fat ugly new girl who tattle tales”. According to the
article “ Bullies Target Obese Kids” being overweight increases the risk of
being the target of bullying by 63 perfect. This statement doesn’t surprise me
because during this time it was hard to make friends because I thought they
were judging me for the way that I looked, and at this age no person should
ever feel left out because of their size and appearance. As time eventually
passed the nickname got dropped and I made a really close friend named Lauren
who really helped me get past people making fun of me. She was the first one to accept me for who I
was, and for what I had to offer. She always stood up for me, and encouraged me
to get involved with sports and she would do them along with me just so I
wasn’t alone going into them.
Fourth Grade
As
we moved along grades I still struggled with getting bullied by other fellow
classmates, and it was more in the classroom with not wanting to be my partner
or wanting to sit by me because they might catch the “fat cootie”. When we
entered fourth grade this was the first year we started to switch classes and
each teacher in the fourth grade taught a specific subject, and everyone’s
homeroom teacher taught them English. At this age everyone had their certain
friends they wanted to hang out with and never really let people join their
groups unless they were “cool”. I precisely remember going out for recess and
thinking to myself it’s a new year why don’t I try to play some kickball with
the kids in my class. Kickball was the huge thing to do during recess and the
games were always a mixture of the third and fourth graders. We would pick
captains and from there the captains would pick whom they wanted on their team.
As they were picking I noticed I was the last one standing there, and one of
the guys said “I’d rather be a player short than have the fat girl on my
team”. This was the first time I was truly
hurt by the words someone had told me because it was told straight to my face.
I remember after that day going home and telling my mom what happened and I was
torn apart by it. I could see in my eyes that my mom was heartbroken but at
this time there was nothing that could really be done because she had already
complained multiple times about the bullying I received in previous years. This
moment in my life will always have an affect on my life, and I really do think
this exact experience has shaped who I am today.
7th Grade
Seventh
grade was the turning point in my life to make myself a new person and with a
new identity. I was lucky enough that in sixth grade my puberty started to kick
in, I started eating healthier and by getting involved in a lot of sports I was
able to knock off the weight that I carried around in elementary school. I felt
like a completely new person because I could actually wear clothes that weren’t
in the “plus size” section, and I could share clothes with the new friends that
I made. I thought nothing could affect how I was feeling during my middle
school days. But to my surprise one day when I was riding the bus home, I
wasn’t getting made fun of because I was fat, but it was because I got skinny
too fast. People kept saying I was bulimic and anorexic because it’s impossible
to lose as much weight as I did. For once I was finally feeling confident about
myself, and now I couldn’t help but think am I too skinny now? I carried this
image and rumor all around the rest of my education experience at Strongsville.
I constantly would worry if I looked too tiny in an outfit just to avoid being
accused. I started wearing sweatshirts and sweatpants, and I even played
basketball not only because I loved it, but also because the uniforms were baggier.
Still till this day I stray away from anything that is form fitting because I
feel uncomfortable and when I look in the mirror I always find something that
is wrong with my image.
Present
After
reading “ Conquering the Fear of Body Fat” I couldn’t help but relate my
growing up to a quote stated, “Growing up I was constantly admonished about
what I ate and how I looked”. As I look back to my past I can’t help but notice
that everything that has happened to me back then has shaped who I am today. I
try to live a healthier life by eating healthy, exercising regularly, and
comparing myself to others around me. Not only do I do this for myself, but
also I have found that I try to help others around me, and in my future career
I want to help others.
When
I was younger I use to eat fast food at least three times a week, and I don’t
like to blame my parents for this, but they were so busy that they never had
time to make dinner for the family. As time passed they realized what this was
doing to both my brother and I and my family changed their way of eating. Now,
whenever friends come over they always bring their own junk food because my
parents refuse to stock the fridge with any type of junk food. Don’t get me
wrong we indulge sometimes, but it has its limits. As I moved into my house at
college I found myself shopping the way my mother does now. I try to keep as
much fruits and veggies in the fridge so I don’t indulge on the bad stuff. I
know in the long run this will benefit me, but sometimes I wish I wouldn’t feel
so guilty eating a bowl of ice cream.
Exercising
is a huge part of my life now, and I always try to find a way to fit it into my
schedule. When I was younger my parents tried to get me involved in a bunch of
different sports such as; swimming, soccer, and running around the block. I was
never about the exercise when I was little, and my parents would have to reward
me with something at the end of each workout I had. Now, it drives me crazy to
go a day without exercising and I hate the feeling of not being active each
day. I know that eating is what really
affects how much we gain or lose, but I feel so much better about myself when I
get myself to the gym, or run around the block. I will get my roommates to join
me in my exercise routine just so I don’t have to do it alone. I wish I didn’t
obsess over working out because sometimes I feel like I push myself too hard,
but I refuse to go back to the way it was when I was little.
As
I look at what I find myself interested in I realized I have taken this liking
into my future career goals. Before I even started college I wanted to work in physical
therapy because this involved working out to strengthen and better yourself as
a whole. After long consideration I thought I’d enjoy doing this but it’s
already apart of my life and what I do for myself, so why not help people in a different sort of way. Through education I am helping others and this is a
rewarding feeling. Some people may not think I will be able to implement my
strong desire to live a healthy life in my classroom, but actually there are
plenty of ways to do this. I will be able to make lessons that involve physical
activity and some how incorporate healthy eating into the everyday classroom by
students bringing in a “healthy snack”. After reading the article “Obesity in Young American children plummet”
I found out that obesity among children from 2 to 5 years old has declined from
14% to 8%. I feel hopeful after reading this that in my future classroom I will
be able to help make those numbers decrease some more. I have always wanted to
be a teacher and I think I have finally found what I am suppose to do with my
life, and find ways to incorporate what I am passionate about. I also believe
that since I want to be a teacher and a lot of my bullying has happened during
the elementary ages, I want to make a change when it comes to bullying. I know
this is a issue that will always be around, but I would love to find ways to
help minimize this issue. I never want any child to go through the hardships
that I faced when I was younger. I want to try to help children understand that
some people can’t help the way they look, and I want them to try to accept
their peers for what they have to offer not how they appear.
In
conclusion, I know my early childhood has shaped who I am, and to be honest I’m
not to positive if I am ashamed of it or not. I hate the fact that I feel the
constant need to watch what I eat and work out as much as I can because I know
I look like the average girl, but my mental mind won’t let me stray away. In
the long run this will benefit me with my future self and also future family,
but in the present I need to accept myself for who I am. The key to a finding
yourself beautiful is to see what makes you beautiful inside. Who cares what
others think about you, you have to live in your own body and nobody else does.
Why not do the things that make you happy, instead of the things that make you
blend in with others, don’t you want to be different?
Works Cited
Gordon, Serena. "Bullies Target Obese Kids." U.S. News.
N.p., 3 May 2010. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.
<http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/brain-and-behavior/articles/2010/05/03/
bullies-target-obese-kids>.
Healy, Melissa. "Obesity in Young American Children
Plummets." Los Angeles Times.
N.p., n.d. Web. 28
Apr.2014.<http://articles.latimes.com/2014/feb/25/science/la-sci-sn-obesity-children-plummets-20140225>.
Williams, Regina D. Conquering the Fear of a Fat Body. Ed.
Ophira Edut.Print.
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