| It happens everyday. People point, stare, tease, or | | | | must watch from the sidelines, you are not only |
| demoralize others who are larger than the western | | | | showing sizeist behavior yourself, but also teaching |
| body ideal. Children do it too, don't they? | | | | others to do them same. |
| How do children get that way? Here are 6 ways | | | | (5) You show it in the way you accept yourself: Do |
| children can become sizeist in a sizeist culture: | | | | you joke with your family over the holiday table about |
| (1) You show them in your physical reactions: Imagine | | | | needing to lipo your "huge gut?" Do you look in the |
| that every time a parent is approached by a fat man | | | | mirror and bash your "fat thighs" [fat=bad] or curse at |
| or woman, s/he is rude, belittling or snotty but every | | | | your "skinny" jeans that don't fit anymore? Your |
| time a parent is approached by a thin person s/he is | | | | children hear this—they see it—and they |
| positive, courteous, and relaxed. You might think that a | | | | process it. If we don't accept who we are exactly as |
| child won't pick up on your body language—but | | | | we are, how can we expect our children to accept |
| they do. The message is clear; "Fat people make my | | | | themselves? In this case, parents are teaching children |
| parents feel uncomfortable, therefore they must be | | | | to reject these features in themselves as well as in |
| bad." | | | | others. |
| (2) You say it in your words: Little ears hear | | | | (6) You show it the way you surround yourself: When |
| everything! That means that what you shout at the | | | | it comes to our children, they tend to absorb what they |
| TV, the comments you make when leafing through a | | | | see and hear from those who are around them most |
| magazine, or what you whisper to a friend at coffee | | | | of the time—it's part of positive assimilation with |
| when a fat person walks by may just be embedded in | | | | a group. Therefore, when you surround your children |
| a young child's lexicon forever. | | | | with sizeist people who make statements laced with |
| (3) Your reactions towards them teaches them: The | | | | prejudice, your children have a great chance of |
| way you react when your child says something rude | | | | adopting similar prejudices. |
| about a plus-sized person will speak volumes. If a | | | | As adults, it's crucial that we admit when there's a |
| parent laughs, agrees, or adds on to the joke, it will tell | | | | problem and then work to take responsibility to deal |
| your child that it's OK to say demeaning things about | | | | with the pertinent issues. Watch your actions, your |
| people of size. When you say nothing at all, it can have | | | | reactions, and your words. Otherwise, we are breeding |
| the same effect. | | | | hate—not just of others—but also of the |
| (4) You show it in your choices: If you allow thinner | | | | children themselves. They become so scared to gain |
| children to do things that you don't allow heavier | | | | weight that we have a whole other problem on our |
| children to do, you are feeding into a sizeist culture. If | | | | hands. We must protect our children by teaching them |
| you only take pictures of your thin child or allow your | | | | tolerance rather than fostering hate and prejudice. |
| thin children to do special things while your fat children | | | | |