Fat Thinking

I am a round person, have been my whole life and while I am not ashamed of a body that works and holds a good bit of power, I do wish I was smaller. Lately I have been working with a team of people who are much smaller than I am and I observed something interesting. They throw out food with no guilt.

Let me say that again, they throw out food with no guilt! They do not eat to please others. When something is offered they smile and say no thanks. They live in a different world than I do, with different expectations.

Many skinny people think differently than I do, they react differently. I am not sure I understand their culture, and I am pretty sure they do not understand mine. In my world food is IMPORTANT! Making food takes time and care, so throwing it away is like a crime. Eating it all is deserving of praise. Tasting some of everything is admirable, going back for seconds is a compliment. Refusing food offered could hurt someone’s feelings. Letting food spoil is a lack of respect, and leaving food on the plate could be seen as a weakness.

As I analyze this culture I grew up in, no wonder I come from round people, a collection of great cooks, and lovers of food. We use food to celebrate, to mourn, to laugh, to relax, and to commemorate occasions of all kinds. We gather as a family with food, for food, around food, and finish with dessert. So we are round and enjoy our culture of food, but understanding it, I may find a way to be less round and still eat my cake. 😁