Behind the Weight

By Angela Olson and Donald Winthrop

My memoir describes my struggles with being overweight. I describe my encounters through these situations with my words of sarcasm all the while staying true to myself. How can we as a society focus on the person behind the weight? With the problems that surround us on a daily basis, how can we develop new ways of thinking and speaking, so that our future generations are not offended and labeled because of their size? I am happily married, a dedicated teacher and I am FAT. I provide suggestions on why we as a society should stop obsessing about weight. Everyone has problems some choose to hold them in, shrug them off, act out aggressively, talk to friends/family members and many may even seek professional help. I choose to share mine with the world. My problem is not as serious as other issues facing our world, even though it is constantly being discussed in homes, on recess yards, in lunchrooms, at social gatherings, and in the media. Seems rather serious right, why does my problem of being overweight have to be society’s problem? Why can’t we all just stop obsessing about weight?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 7, 2010
• ISBN: 9781450087698

Book preview

Copyright © 2010 by Angela Olson.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 02/16/2022

Xlibris

844-714-8691

www.Xlibris.com

566401

Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1 The Fat One

Chapter 2 Embarassment

Chapter 3 The Closet

Chapter 4 Characteristic Connotations

Chapter 5 Parental Pet Peeves

Chapter 6 Through The Eyes Of A Teacher

Chapter 7 Conversation Etiquette

Chapter 8 The Media

Chapter 9 One Guy’s Take On Weight

Chapter 10 Horrendous Heartburn

Chapter 11 The Unknown Future

Chapter 12 Social Events/Traditions

Chapter 13 Night Life

Chapter 14 Gambling

Chapter 15 Grudges What’s the Point?

Chapter 16 Obsessition is it a Good or Bad Quality?

Chapter 17 Under Pressure

Chapter 18 New York Weekend

Chapter 19 Pets

Chapter 20 Prejudice

This book is dedicated to anyone who has struggled with his or her

weight and overcame the hardships of society’s hype about fat people.

Also for those who picked us fat people up (not physically because

that cannot happen) when we were down. Thank you.

Lastly, this book is dedicated to those inconsiderate people who call us

fat or who constantly joke about fat people. It sucks, but you make me

realize what really matters in life. It is the person behind the weight that

counts not the pounds that we carry around all day long.

Introduction

My husband and I just threw another successful party at our house. It is not like our annual Olson Fest in October or our Drink Fest in July. It was our end of the summer BBQ bash in August. I never know who is going to show up for these fun-filled party events. So I make the best of it, I get my hostess skills from my mother. People always show up and it turns out to be a great time. Eventually, I wind up wrapping up half of the food because we tend to go overboard. This is due to the people who say they are coming and never show up, thanks guys.

For every social gathering I have, I can always rely on my good friends. One in particular comes to mind and that is my 5-foot friend Staci, with a loud mouth and a lot to say. She is like my little sister and whenever these social gatherings take place she ends up turning into my daughter and living at my house for the weekend. This is perfectly fine because I must say she is the only friend that I have that does not slip diet and weight into our conversations.

The day after the BBQ we went out in my yard and discussed the high points of the night. We laughed and joked as usual. We even called some of the others the next day to break their balls to see how they were feeling. Whenever we have these long weekends together we tend to come up with these crazy plans of camping, traveling cross country, vacationing in paradise and opening a bowling alley/night club. Thankfully, we have followed through with 2 out of 4 of these plans. Vacationing and camping but its a start. After reminiscing and what ifs, we started to talk about weight and diet. I just got back from the doctor and she wanted to know how everything went.

Meanwhile, my sister-in-law (who is 15 years old) joined in on our conversation. She told us that she just got back from the doctor who told her she needed to lose 30 pounds because she is in the obese category. Holy shit are you serious, we were both floored. I cannot believe this was said to her, she looks perfectly great for her size and age. We try to tell her that it is bullshit and we start to exchange weight stories.

After all was said and done I blurted out with something that I have been thinking about doing for years now. I want to write a book about this nonsense. We all have gone through it one time or another, being or feeling like the fat one. It starts from grade school and follows us through the years it seems like it will never end. Staci and I have gone to extremes at one time in our life to fit into society’s standards of healthy weight. Staci tried the throwing up thing in high school, and I went on a laxative kick then to. Look at us now, we are still considered overweight. It just drives us crazy. We live our life and have accomplished so much, all the while being labeled ‘fat.’ I wish these standards and categories would vanish, but it is not reality. I want to inspire people to be comfortable with their weight, no matter their size; because it is not how big you are it is who you are that counts. Of course, they thought it was a great idea and my mind started racing. I got to work immediately and that is how this book came to life.

Pills, weight programs, creams, throwing up, laxatives, bingeing, criticizing and obsessing does any of it really work? No, because some of us are still considered fat and the only thing we have to show for it is a smile on the outside and a battered self-esteem on the inside.

Chapter 1

THE FAT ONE

Everyone calls me for advice, help, and inspiration, to vent, bitch or complain. I guess you can say I’m a great listener. I guess you can also say I give good advice and can easily persuade you to take risks. I am a teacher it’s in my nature. No matter what the situation is I try to look at the positive for my family, friends, and students. The saying goes you need to surround yourself with positive people. I’m one of those positive people. Who cares if positive people are fat? I am one of them and always will be. The people that care if you’re fat are magazines, media, and immature and obsessive people. The magazines and media always describe the fad diet, who’s getting fat (even though they are clearly not) and how you can look thinner by following these strict regimens. The immature ones are people who call you the fat one; the obsessive ones are those who constantly talk about their weight, diet, the clothes they can’t fit into anymore and the pictures they can’t bear to look at.

In the past when I was thinner I was extremely photogenic and would jump in front of every camera or video camera that I saw. As I have gained weight, I tried to hide from the camera. However, there would constantly be an overly energetic photographer that would discover me. They would insist on taking my picture, Get together, come on everyone. Of course, before the dreaded say cheese and flashing of the camera light I would have found a way to hide in the back. On occasion, I’d throw one of my thinner friends in front of me to hide my gut. Once in awhile, when I was not quick enough to get to the back, I would secretly curse the photographer. Weeks later, somehow some way, I would be shown that awful picture and I would stick out like a sore thumb. This is why scissors come in handy. If I were given the picture that I did not want to begin with, I would make a creative cut around the obvious problem of my last minute I don’t want to be in this picture anyway pose.