Being the 'F' word

Today, I read this post on facebook:

I unknowingly startled 2 morbidly obese ladies huddled behind a building sucking down super-sized vanilla ice cream cones as if there was some dairy prohibition. By the looks on their faces, you would have swore I was Elliott Ness!!!!

Most of my readers do not know the person who wrote this.  I was shocked when I read it.  My response to this at first was just a sad face. :(  Then the more I thought about it, the more I thought about what a horrible comment this is.  So I wrote back "I'm so glad I'm no longer morbidly obese because this would crush me if I were."  I'm not going to go into the excuses like many overweight people do.  I know how I got fat.  Yes, the 'F' word that is almost as ugly as the 'F' bomb.  I also know that even though I'm not now, I can just as easily be that same person again.  I am still that same person.  I mean, yes, I'm more confident and more out going.  But, I also can still turn to food for comfort.  I think that's what people don't understand about people who are overweight.  There is and underlying cause.  There is a reason why people are lazy.  There is a reason why they choose to make bad food choices.  There is a reason why people's metabolism slows down to a crawl.  There was a reason why people closet eat... and OH was that my specialty!!!  I could and would eat a ridiculous amount of food without anyone knowing.  WHY?   I began to make choices just like any other addict makes choices about FOOD.  I was hurting and turned to comfort just like an addict turns to pot, meth or heroine to stop feeling the pain.  I've spent an abnormal amount of time away from my husband.  I haven't been able to conceive a second child.  I lived 700+ miles away from family in a 1100 sq ft apartment.  It was a recipe for disaster!  But, I was that same woman hiding behind a building scarfing down an ice cream.  I used to pretend that it was a big secret that I was overweight.  Um, no, clearly it wasn't.  Everyone knew I was the 'f' word.  There was no hiding that.  So, yes, my heart breaks because I am STILL that person.  I will always be that person.  Now, my hope is that I won't ever be that size again, it is a DAILY struggle to keep making the right choices about food.  I still can and do occasionally turn to food for comfort.  It's not an easy habit to break.  I just thank GOD that I can no longer eat the amount that I used to eat. 

So, that's just one of the things I've thought about today. The other is how overweight people are treated.  This comment, had it been said about someone else who is sick, others would be appalled by this comment.  I was actually surprised more wasn't said about it.  In fact, I think I'm the only person who did say anything about it other than to joke about it.  When will people learn that their actions and the things they say and write have an impact on others?  I remember thinking at some point during my weight loss journey that people started paying attention to ME.  I'm not talking about my friends.  They've always been great, amazing, and supportive.  BUT, it's the strangers in the grocery store that now pay attention to me that didn't before, it's the store clerks that ask if I need help that made me realize that people do not even acknowledge overweight people unless it's to make fun of them.  I'm so glad I didn't realized that at the time.  I think I would've been even more sad and would've self medicated with MORE food.  How does that help someone who's overweight?  It doesn't.  It's not politically correct to make fun of people who look different than you so why is it OK to do it to someone who's overweight?