Gabourey Sidibe is tired of other people congratulating her on her weight loss . In a recent interview with Refinery29 , the actress talked about staying body-positive, receiving bariatric surgery to reduce the size of her stomach, and losing weight as a result. And she has one message for all her fans, followers, critics, and haters: Stop celebrating her change in body size.
"What had been happening is, since Ive been losing weight over the past year, people have been saying, 'Congratulations on your weight loss!'" Sidibe explained. "It just annoys me, because Im just like, dont congratulate me on that. If youre going to congratulate me on my weight loss, also congratulate me every time I pee. Congratulate me every time Im burping." As far as Sidibe is concerned, these are natural bodily functionsand they're no one's business but her own. "My body actually has nothing to do with you," she continued. "I dont really need your support for it. It seems ill-placed."
Sidibe's point is an important one: Congratulating someone on their weight loss can seem like a nice gesture, but the truth is, it's way more complicated than that. When you celebrate someone's weight loss, they might think you're suggesting that they're prettier, better, or more praise-worthy now that they're thinner. That's a dangerous (and false) idea to perpetuate.
Thinner bodies aren't inherently more beautiful than heavier bodies, and they're not necessarily healthier, either. What's more, losing weight is not always intentional, and sometimes it's a result of a difficult physical or mental health condition someone's dealing with. Like Sidibe said, a person's body is their businessnot yours. That's why it's important for everyone to be careful before doling out "praise." Something that seems like a compliment might not come across that way, and Sidibe's interview is a great reminder of that.
Later in the interview, Sidibe talked about her personal journey to becoming more confident and self-loving. "I think what really pushed me to think differently is just exhaustion," she explained. "Exhaustion from feeling bad that somebody else thought I was too fat, or thought I was too black." Sidibe said that society handed her a laundry list of everything all of her so-called "flaws," and she responded by creating a mental tally of all the things she loves about herself. Someone might try to tear her down, but she'll always stand back upand she hopes to inspire her fans to do the same. That's just what makes Gabourey Sidibe the self-loving force that she is.
Related:
You might also like: This Body-Positivity Clothing Line Will Change How You Think About Wedding Dresses
Go here to see the original:
Gabourey Sidibe: Stop Congratulating Me for Losing Weight - SELF
