Is it harder to be an overweight woman or an overweight man?
Having an overweight husband, and being an overweight woman, I think men have it easier. I'm not talking about the health related issues of obesity, or even things like trying to fit into small spaces as a larger person (like airplane seats), but socially there seems to be much less judgement on fat men vs. fat women. It's like we've broken some unwritten code of femininity by getting large. Like we've broken the universal pact that women be petite and pretty - because petite=pretty. My husband might not love the way he looks, but he is certainly not ashamed of his appearance. It hasn't prevented him from going out and being seen, being vocal in his opinions, getting involved in things. He is respected and admired, and I'm sure if he were single ladies would go after him because he is smart, confident, and successful. Why is it that the larger I became, the more invisible I became? The more weight I gained, the more I stayed at home, the more I didn't want to be seen, the more I disengaged from the world and society at large? I've been reading blogs by heavier women who reject the way they've been made to feel, and I realize I wasn't alone. I thought maybe I had agoraphobia or some kind of mental illness that suddenly developed in my late 30s - which coincidentally was when I became fat. I think fat shaming is primarily a women's issue. Am I wrong?
I agree with you. There is a lot of pressure for women to be thin/petite/beautiful/whatever... I mean if you look at celebrities there are way more overweight men than women in the entertainment industry and their looks aren't scrutinized NEARLY as much.
It is definitely harder to be an overweight woman. Because you know, a woman's job is to please the man. If she is unappealing to her man, then she is not doing her job. Please note my sarcasm, lol.
There is a TON of pressure for women in comparison to men. I live in Los Angeles. The expectations can be totally unrealistic. Not to mention if you're in show business. Never mind the weight, when a lot of women hit 30 they're considered too old for a lot of roles here. Ridiculous. In any case, men have is much easier. Which is why I remind some of my peers the crap ladies are given go beyond anything we have to deal with.
Men have it easier no matter what their weight, age, or general physical appearance. This is not necessarily about weight. But from an early age girls are repeatedly told that their appearance is the most important thing about them. Think about how many times you've said to a little girl "look how cute you look" or "I love your dress!" Think about being a little girl and hearing this from everyone you encounter. Men and boys don't get these messages. They are always valued for who they are and what they do, never about what they look like. The girls clothes sections are enormous compared to the boys' sections. Girls' toys are rampant with clothes, makeup, purses, and hair getups. Boys toys are all about making things, science experiments, building things. This is not about weight, this is about steering our girls into believing that appearance is everything. What can you do to change things? Be careful about how you treat little girls so they don't grow up to be insecure about their bodies.
Is it harder to be an overweight woman or an overweight man?
Please note my sarcasm, lol.
