My Personal Story: Growing Up as a Fat Child I was born into a family that had one top priority – FOOD! Both of my parents were overweight. How do you trim down in the midst of a family whose home is stocked with every kind of exotic food just waiting to be eaten? I can never remember a time during childhood when I didn’t feel fat. At the age of five, I watched a home movie of myself and my brother and saw myself as an "ugly fat girl" in the movie. My most traumatic memory of being fat came at age six. Nine-year-old Tom was teaching me and my new friend Sue how to bat. "Step up to the plate, Fatso," he said to me, and I was so embarrassed in front of Sue that I said nothing. I kept silent and hoped it would go away. Then, to make things worse, Sue said, "Don’t call her Fatso. That’s not her name." I wanted to disappear when Tom replied, "That’s what you call fat people." From that day on I knew I was fat. I cried myself to sleep the next few nights, and that memory stayed with me through adulthood. Of course when I went to college I majored in food, seeking to find something familiar away from home. As an adult, I intentionally began to lose the fat. My new trim body brought on a whole new life and – because I could no longer hide behind the fat – new adjustments. Interestingly enough, Tom became my first true love. Years later, when I mentioned the Fatso incident, he had no memory of it and apologized profusely. It is well known that our weight is linked to our emotions. Most of my clients come to me to lose weight and they leave beginning to realize their true identity. When we make the decision to take responsibility for our health and bodies, we are also saying, "I’m ready to get to know myself." A successful weight management program addresses emotional, mental and spiritual health in addition to the physical. In my case, when I lost the weight in early adulthood, I was forced to face myself and my emotions. At that time, I had very little outside support. It is my hope that when you decide to make the move to a slim lifestyle, you will have the support you need. I offer you that support when you are ready.

>close window