I’ve lost a lot of weight recently and with my hair cut really short I look quite young. I get these young guys cruising me. I say to myself, “Leave it out, sonny – I’ve got knickers older than you!” Please note, I’m not sexually attracted to men.
When I was eighteen, if I was thin-ish I used to get a lot of unwanted attention from men. I’d get men staring at my breasts or following me down the street making loud comments about my bottom. I really didn’t like it. I learned that once I went over a certain size most men no longer found me attractive, hence most of my adult life I’ve been quite plump.
“What’s the relevance of this?” you may ask? Obesity – is it a disability? Are fat people just lazy? My instincts tell me that the core reason for obesity is psychological, with sexual abuse being a common problem. The last few years in the UK at least, we’ve recognised that young boys and girls, poor, working-class, socially excluded don’t get listened to. I think the “obese” person may well be a physical manifestation of a silent scream.