You don't want to need a plus-sized bed jacket, do you?

[resonant]

My mother is 85.



She's a little old lady now, but she reached maturity in that graveyard of female self-esteem called the 1950s, and she was a sturdy, big-handed 5'11" farm girl with a famously beautiful sister, and that shit did something to her. (And to me through her, of course.)

Now she's telling me about her healthcare as an old woman.

"I was going to the doctor, and with every visit, I would get the lecture that said, 'Now you really need to watch your weight. I'd like to see you lose a few pounds.' And then, the very next checkup, suddenly with every visit I was getting a lecture that said, 'You really need to be making sure that you don't skip meals. I'm concerned about your weight loss and would like to see you gain a few pounds.' And there was no gap in between."

There was no gap in between. There was no moment at which she was at the correct weight and her weight didn't need to change.

Comments

[ride_4ever]

Huh. *izz baffled*

[china_shop]

That's so messed up!

[princessofgeeks]

This culture is so batshit crazy.

[rhi]

If I were on Discord, you would be seeing a gif of Madeline Kahn in Clue, with 'Flames -- flames on the side of my face.' I am so damn sorry. (Mom is 84, and yes.)

[azurelunatic]

Agggghhhhhhh.

The weight loss that the doctor was heretofore encouraging, of course.

[adafrog]

Yes. It was bullshit then, and it's bullshit now.

[libitina]

Yes. grrrr...

part of it being that there seems to be only one prefect number, and even then there are points to quibble about. part of it being that older women with more fat seem to have a better survival rate, especially for falls... but no concept of how people don't just magically pick their weight and become that in a snap.

Argh. So frustrating. And enlightening to notice. And then you wonder why can't the people saying these things see how obvious it is

[minoanmiss]

Arrrrgh.

Please tell your mother that one of your Internet friends wishes her well and sends her a star.

[mific]

*casts riddikulus*

Also your icon wins!

[lunabee34]

Damn. That's some whiplash.

[mtl]

So freakin' typical.

[oracne]

Agh.

[j00j]

Infuuuuuriating.

I read _What We Don't Talk About When We Talk About Fat_ by Aubrey Gordon recently and it was lifegiving, as is her podcast "Maintenance Phase" debunking diet culture bullshit.

[jesse_the_k]

Oh lord what bullshit!