October 15, 2021: "You look amazing! Have you lost weight?" might not be as nice as it sounds…?
Back-handed compliment of the week
"You look amazing! Have you lost weight?" isn't as nice of a compliment as it sounds.
Even if people mean well
Jonah Hill's Instagram post went viral this week as he asked that people not comment on his body. Acknowledging fans mean well, he wrote, "good or bad I want to politely let you know it's not helpful and doesn't feel good."
As much as those compliments might feel good in the moment, they have an underbelly to them. For some, it might imply they looked bad or worse before. In some ways, they reinforce a thin ideal. And they focus more on a person's physical appearance than their inherent dignity and worth.
Fitness is about so much more than weight loss
As a woman in the spotlight, Adele's weight has always been a topic of conversation at every step of the way in her musical career. But last May when her 100-lb weight loss was revealed, the internet exploded. So much so that her trainer spoke out against the "fat-phobic" comments, even from people praising her transformation. One headline even described her as "unrecognizable," as if her physical appearance wasn't reflective of Adele, the person.
Recently, the singer told British Vogue, "It was never about losing weight." And she's not alone. So many people work out to help manage stress and anxiety — which is exactly what Adele said her workouts were intended for.
Body love 🤟🏽, not shame
God gave us bodies for this earthly life and they are a gift! So, of course, we are called to treat them well. The classic, "your body is a temple" line is actually straight from the Bible. BUT our bodies are a "temple" for the person God made us to be, not our actual selves.
So let's leave weight loss comments in the past, and do more to affirm the inherent dignity and worth of our friends who are struggling to take care of themselves or trying hard to do so. And if you're struggling with "diet culture," here are a few books that can help.
Here are a few other top picks for the week...
READ: A Profession Is Not a Personality
We loved this read from The Atlantic this week about how reducing yourself to any single characteristic, whether it be your title or your job performance, is a deeply damaging act.
WATCH: The Rights of Women: A Conversation with Erika Bachiochi, J.D.
The conversation on women’s rights has not ended, it has evolved. Where do we go from here? Join us for a webinar with legal scholar Erika Bachiochi on Thursday, October 21.
LISTEN: 'Easy On Me'
Adele dropped a new single this week, ahead of her first album release in six years. “I feel like I’ve finally found my feeling again,” she said. The long-awaited album, titled '30,' comes out November 19.