In a society where the ideal woman has a perfect slender figure, obese women find themselves victims of social discrimination and blame.
As some studies have shown, those dealing with obesity feel that media, health practitioners, and the general public have a blaming attitude towards them.
As a consequence, obese women may feel disheartened and overwhelmed and develop a sense of inferiority. Here are some signs that you feel inferior for being obese.
- You don’t dress to feel good about yourself but to hind your body.
- You always comment against your body when you are in the company of slender women.
- You always think people are looking and commenting about your body size.
- You generally don’t like how you look; you hate yourself.
However, obese women can live a more positive and self-appreciating life. Here are 3 ways you can overcome the negative attitude from others and build a strong sense of self-worth.
Find your worth beyond obesity
Self-perception has a major impact on our life. This is why working towards a more positive sense of self should be of primary importance.
Even though we can’t control the comments, looks, and reactions from others, a positive sense of self will help you control what you do with those reactions.
Here are 3 few ways to feel more positive about yourself even when others direct negativity towards you.
Affirm yourself
Affirm yourself by activating positive thoughts about yourself and repeatedly thinking them or saying them out loud when you are alone. This will neutralize the negative comments that others may direct to you.
Love and accept your body
Looking at yourself in the mirror and liking what you see is another effective practice.
You will need to avoid the intimidating ideas on media and from the public and consistently repeat to yourself, “This is who I am and I love myself!”
After all, you need less emotional energy to love yourself than you need to fight what others think about you.
Ignore them
Yes, that’s right! Consciously ignoring the nasty looks, reactions, and comments from others will eventually get them tired of directing the reactions towards someone who does not seem to be affected by them. And there is no better way to stop them than that.
Consider weight loss and think of it as self-care
Away from the physical and emotional impact of obesity, the fact remains that it is a health issue.
The WHO indicates that obese persons have a BMI of 30 and above, deviating from the normal adult range of 18.9-24.9.
This has negative effects on other areas of life and can predispose you to other life-threatening conditions. And no one wants their life at risk, or do you?
So, think of working towards a healthy BMI as self-care. Conscious self-care also comes with a lot of benefits:
- You will feel better about yourself.
- Your self-awareness will be enhanced by the care you give to yourself.
- You develop a healthy sense of always wanting to be a better you.
- You can take better care of others, which comes with a sense of fulfilment.
- Your social life will improve for the better if you feel good about yourself.
- Work on an individualized health program
Working with a professional physical trainer on a personalized workout plan is advised.
You may want to do it at home so that you stay away from the negative comments and gazes from those in a gym.
If you want to prove your will power, you can also do your workout in the gym and ignore the negative reactions.
Pair your professional workout with a healthy diet by working with a professional nutritionist. Eating right is the heart of a healthy lifestyle.
Parting thought
In all these aspects, ensure that you are doing it for yourself and not for others. It will be easier to achieve something that is meaningful for you rather than something you are doing to please others or avoid negative feedback. In the end, the power to feel good about yourself is solely in your hands.