Perception

I have been doing something a little different on FB and twitter than I have in the past. I’ve been stating my views on certain topics lately. Yesterday it was a little sisterly advice on relationships, this morning it’s been about “titles” and “perception”
I decided to make this post about the perception because I’ve been getting a lot of feedback on facebook on twitter.
Remember, these are my views on issues that may or may not effect me but since this is America and we have freedom of speech, I will use that.
I was watching the new series with my son, starring Raven Samone “State of Georgia”. This was my first time watching it.
I immediately noticed how much weight Raven Samone had lost, and also noticed that it looks like she had a breast reduction.
Being a plus size woman, I can’t help but wonder what message young girls who are fans of Raven Samone are getting from her weight loss. Is that little voice saying to them, it’s not okay to be plus size? You have to be skinny to be healthy or beautiful?




We are constantly criticizing the media for portraying that we have to be a size 4 to be accepted, however we are constantly trying diets and exercise to be a size 4. It’s called Healthy Lifestyle, not Skinny Lifestyle.
Everyone’s bone structure or genes doesn’t provide them with the opportunity to be “skinny”. Yes, I’m thicker than I was in high school, but I’ve never been “skinny”. My body frame isn’t built like that.
I had to deal with my daughter, who was 8 at the time, wanting to eat salads when we would go to a restaurant to eat. This is a girl who played basketball and softball at the time. Whose metabolism is moving 1000 mph, and you want a salad?
Yes we all have our own lives to live, mainstream or not, but we also have a responsibility to our youth.
I’m not saying it isn’t ok to lose weight, if you are doing it for health reasons, but to do it because that’s what society says, or because you want to get this job, or a man, isn’t the right reasons.
Then there’s the point of obesity. Do some research and tell me the doctors that created these charts on obesity. Who did they use in their research? And then come back and tell me that according to my height I should be a certain weight in order to be “healthy”. My body structure isn’t the same as the people they did the research on, I can guarantee that.
I feel it’s time to start being more aware not only of our choices but the reason for them.
And this is my beautiful ugly cry for 7-14-11
~Daphne S. Ali