No offense
Farewell Fatso! is my attempt to make light of some pretty heavy (no pun intended) matters: Obesity, childhood obesity, weight loss. When I created the blog and Facebook page I did mull the name over, ran it by my closest friends, and the final conclusion was well, Farewell Fatso! I realized that there may be some folks who would deem the name as offensive. Surprisingly, throughout all these months I’ve never had one person comment on the name. Until, today I was at the library where I’m due to speak later this month. I was speaking with the librarian and checking out the HUGE poster advertising the event on display in the lobby. The librarian mentioned that she received a complaint saying that the name was offensive. The librarian explained that it was the name I chose and so …
I can respect that some folks feel that it’s offensive, but it’s my way of dealing with my personal battle with obesity. For me losing 170 pounds to date, can’t be done in silence or without a sense of humor. This is my way of dealing with my everyday struggles with food, exercise, and becoming the best person I can be. Although I hid behind it, and dressed it up for a long while — being fat has caused me a lot of heartache. Being fat has made me feel less than. Being fat has held me back from living life to it’s full potential. So when I started the journey to shed the pounds, really shed the pounds, and find myself the name that resonated with me– was and still is Farewell Fatso! I’m saying goodbye to my old childhood nemesis, obesity and this is my way of doing it. It never was, nor is my intention
to offend anyone.
I’ve said it before many times and I’ll say it again with pride — For once and for all, Farewell Fatso!
Chrisetta Mosley
I am a product – and now a survivor – of childhood obesity. As a child, my family always told me that my extra weight was merely baby fat and I’d eventually grow out of it. I never did. Instead, my childhood is filled with memories of not being able to ride a bike, flattening its training wheels from being over the recommended weight, and avoiding P.E. classes by any means necessary. For years, I wore my fatness like a wounded soldier wears a Purple Heart - with pride. I owned the look. I dressed it up. I worked the room. There wasn't a skinny girl who intimidated me. I made sure my hair was laid just right. Nails polished. Outfits coordinated to the tee. Accessories to compliment every outfit. But everyone has a breaking point, and mine came in the spring of 2004 when I tipped the scale at nearly 400 pounds 388 to be exact. I was MISERABLE trapped inside of that body. I no longer wore my Purple Heart with pride. Rather, I was ashamed and frightened. Ashamed that I had allowed food to become my everything – frightened I would die because of it. Drastic times called for drastic measures... Today, I’m bound and determined to live a better, healthier, active lifestyle. I realize I’m no longer a passenger in my life, I’m the driver. I’m overcoming my inhibitions and I’m slowly but surely saying farewell to my old childhood nemesis, obesity. For once and for all, Farewell Fatso!