My Parents And Friends Called Me Fat

Many years ago I was told a very touching story which has stayed with me. It touched me because it made me realise that what you deal with when you are younger can very much carve out the rest of your life, and so the vicious circle begins. Can this circle be broken, well in this case thankfully it has.

It all started many years ago for him in the very confusing teenage years. From starting life out as a fairly slim child the teenage years hit with a vengeance, pounds and pounds piled on without even noticing. The once slim child had ballooned. Now he wasn’t overly concerned until his parents would be talking to other family members and they would mention, my hasn’t he put on weight.Constantly walking in on conversations, or hearing family talking about him behind his back which was worse. Their reply being nothing to worry about it’s only puppy fat! Which on the face of it, they probably were trying not to mean any harm, but then turning round to his face and saying this did more harm than they will ever now. Maybe it was their way of dealing with this ‘problem’.

Not only did he have the battle with his family but also then the bullying at school started. This went on for a number of years, nothing really really bad – well apart from being punched in the back! More constant nasty words. His weight continued to be an issue. Did anyone offer any help or advise no. The same old words you’ll grow out of it. Worse was to happen. You think by starting work it would get a bit easier but alas no, the very kind people at work decided to give him a lovely nickname. Most of us remember bullseye and the what you would win if you lost, oh yes his nickname was bully. Not exactly a confidence builder for him, but caused much amusement for his work colleagues.

This story sort of has an ugly duckling to beautiful swan sort of twist, or so you would think after reading this next. From what he remembers literally overnight from starting work, walking a lot more and eating regularly the weight dropped off. For a few months wearing clothes were a pleasure, people looked rather than laughed. Then his weight went the other way and the jibes started all over again. Parents accusing him of being on drugs, friends being nasty saying how thin and gaunt he looked. He didn’t care all that mattered to him was being thin and fitting into clothes he never had done before. His past haunting him and giving him the willpower never to go back.

He then started on ever diet going to keep the weight down, but as we all know as you get older it is a lot harder to keep the weight down. He’s done them all slim-fast, Weightwatchers, Atkins and many many more. Then the exercising started, which on the surface was fine but it became obsessive.

So does he still struggle with his weight, whether it is the worry of putting on or the worry of going to slim. Well I would love to say he doesn’t but no. All the hurt of his childhood is still there and with years and years of ‘dieting’, but his own admission all he wishes for is to be in control of what he eats and for it not to rule his life. The one thing that he is able to do and that is to bring his children up to be confident about who they are. Making sure they eat healthy and exercise regular,something he was never helped to do. The result very happy and contented children and a happy father as history won’t be repeating itself.