It really, really pisses me off when I am forced to defend something I detest, but the latest slew of negative comments, stories, Twitter twats, and overall comments about Kim Kardashian's pregnancy weight has given me great concern.
The Kardashians are a pox on our society, and I can't stand them. I hate that this bitch got famous for a sex tape, contributes zero to society, and that everyone loves her. I don't get it at all. However, no matter how disgusted I am by her, her vacuous sisters, her pimp of a mother, and the whole family, in general, with the slight exception of Bruce Jenner, I think it is really unfair to call her out on her weight gain during pregnancy.
Perhaps there is a fundamental misunderstanding of pregnancy weight gain. Kim appeals to a younger demographic who, maybe, haven't had the experience of being pregnant yet. There are also a fair amount of guys chiming in on the issue, as well. In lieu of a presumed societal ignorance regarding pregnancy weight, let me break it down for you.
Pregnancy weight is like no other kind of weight gain, in that, there is not a tremendous amount of control over it. Yes, you can try to diet and stick to an eating program, but my experience was that the weight comes whether you like it or not. Also, all women have different pregnancies. Kim's younger sister didn't get too large with her pregnancy, but she is a different person, and just like fingerprints or vaginas, not only is every pregnant person different, but every pregnancy is different.
One of the rag magazines claimed that Kim's eating was out of control. Clearly this was written by someone who has never experienced pregnancy hunger. With regular hunger, even if you're starving, you can usually hold out for a little while until you finish a project or arrive at the place you want to eat. No go with pregnancy. When you get hungry when you are pregnant, you need to eat STAT! There is no waiting, there is no finishing that project, food needs to find its way into your mouth immediately. The same goes for being thirsty and using the bathroom. That little critter stewing in your uterus wants what it wants when it wants it, which is the universe's way of giving you a preview of what your life is going to look like once said critter is on the outside.
It used to be that celebrity pregnancy weight was off limits. It was only a few years ago that Kate Hudson got big as a house while she was carrying her children, and none of the tabloids said a word. She blew it off by telling anyone with an absolute that she was pregnant, so fuck off. As someone whose body resembled an inflatable raft while pregnant, I respected her attitude.
This latest trend of fat shaming the pregnant is really disturbing on many levels. First off, women and girls are constantly inundated with the very clear message that fat is ugly, fat is unacceptable, you're not a good person if you are fat, and if you are fat, you have a huge moral failing and a fundamental flaw that makes you an unworthy person. To impose those negative messages on women who are pregnant will lead to, whether conscious or unconscious, unhealthy choices during pregnancy. I fear the day when pregnant women are being rushed into emergency rooms to deliver malnourished babies, because they insisted on keeping themselves on a strict, deprivation diet during their pregnancy to avoid gaining weight.
Second, what kind of message does this send to young girls? My 9-year-old daughter came to me the other day and asked me if she should go on a diet. Rachael is a very healthy weight, and an active girl. She is at that point in development where she will start bulking up ahead of puberty. It is a normal process in the development of a body, but all she can see is that she is not as skinny as some of her classmates.
In many ways, I blame myself for her asking this question. Years of battling my own weight, along with trying every diet ever invented, has likely seeped into her young mind. As of late, I've made the concerted effort to frame exercise as something you do to be healthy, and instead of talking about dieting, I discuss healthy food choices with her. A whole box of cookies, not healthy, but two cookies are okay.
In the epic battle of women vs. the fat shaming media, women need to get a little more militant. Don't buy those magazines that fat shame women, demand normal size models and mannequins at your favorite retail locations and sites, and in the home, talk about healthy choices instead of diets. This is not a problem that will go away when Kim hires a personal trainer and nearly kills herself, post-pregnancy, to get back to her fighting weight. However, it is an issue that we need to get more demanding about. Wouldn't it be nice to live, and raise daughters, in a world where fluctuating five pounds was no big deal instead of a moral failing that makes you a worthless piece of garbage?
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