Liz Paul / Verywell
Liz Paul is an obesity advocate who has lived with obesity since childhood.
I have lived with obesity my whole life.
This wasnt because I was inactive.
Liz Paul / Verywell
As a kid, I played soccer, ran around, and ate the same foods as my sister.
We didnt have junk food at home.
My First Diet
I went on my first diet in the sixth grade.
My parents bribed me into losing weight so I could earn pocket money for a school trip.
My mom was trying to be helpful, but that messes with your head when youre so young.
It was mortifying and the opposite of empowering.
Dieting Into Adulthood
Idietedon and off, sometimes losing weight through sheer will and peer pressure.
I would lose 30 pounds and then gain 40.
I would lose 60 pounds and gain 70.
It became harder to lose weight.
I joined Weight Watchers again.
I lost 80 to 100 pounds while blogging about it online.
Everything was going well until it wasnt.
I didnt know then that obesity is a disease.
No one had told me this.
I was just brought up to believe it was my problem to fix.
I lost all this weight, but then my body started saying,No, you need more calories.
No, youre starving yourself.
No, were not going to lose any more weight.
I was training for a half marathon, and Itore my meniscus(cartilage in the knee).
I couldnt exercise for a while.
I spiraled downward and regained all the weight.
I was so depressed because Id had the motivation and drive, and I still couldnt do it.
Why wasnt I strong enough?
Public Failure
Online trolls told me the things my own brain was telling me at its cruelest.
It was like having an external reminder of my internalized weight bias.
I was driven into a deep depression.
I found solace in the body positivity and fat acceptance movements.
Those movements gave me the gift of realizing we shouldnt have to put up with bias.
We deserve to love ourselves and take up space, regardless of size.
Learning Obesity Is a Disease
A friend invited me to anObesity Action Coalition(OAC) conference.
This message was transformational for me.
It was a completely different message from the one Id been given throughout my life.
Finally, I felt that I had the mindset to manage both my mental and physical health.
Obesity is a disease, and its not your fault, but itisyour responsibility.
Barriers and Stigma
There are still social and systemic challenges.
I still face stigma in medical parameters.
That was not the time or place.
I just needed antibiotics.
Becoming an Advocate
I have moved into obesity advocacy.
Although my story is, unfortunately, very common, sharing it is empowering.
People with obesity are used to so much bias and blame.
Our weight is seen as our fault rather than the result of a complex disease with many coexisting factors.
But theres no other disease that youre told to cure through willpower alone.
People with obesity deserve access to care and treatmentwhether or not society thinks theyre worthy.
I find comfort in the mantra that obesity is not my fault; its just my responsibility.
I love myself enough to be well, which encompasses my physical and mental health.
