by Golda Poretsky, H.H.C.
www.bodylovewellness.com

Listen to the podcast of this post here:

When I first heard V Magazine was producing an issue featuring plus sized models, I was non-plussed (lame pun intended).  For my own sanity, I tend to avoid fashion magazines.  And for whatever reason, I thought that plus sized models were sometimes in fashion magazines anyway.  At the very least, they’re in the plus sized section of department store web sites and attached to the Lane Bryant coupons that I receive with some regularity.  Okay, if I’m to be honest, I haven’t thought much about plus sized models since my beloved Mode Magazine died in 2001.

That is not to say that I’m not glad that plus sized models exist.  I am so glad that they exist.  I’m so glad that gorgeous plus sized models like Crystal Renn are out there, being gorgeous and writing about healing from eating disorders.  The more that plus size models work their way into mainstream media, and the more that they are seen as beautiful, the more hope I have that more young women will grow up loving their curvaceousness and not spending money on diet programs and diet pills.

But can I just say, (more…)

by Golda Poretsky, H.H.C
www.bodylovewellness.com

As I write this, I’m 36,000 feet in the air, flying from New York City to San Diego, California. Before I left, I made plans to meet up with a bunch of new friends, some of whom I’d met at the NAAFA Convention just weeks ago.

Going to the NAAFA convention felt like coming home, in a way. Before I left, I was nervous about going by myself and whether I’d find people to connect with. As soon as I got there, however, it was so fun and easy to connect with the wonderful people there, that I couldn’t believe it.

It was only about a year and a half ago that I began to acknowledge the importance of community. Before then, my social circle consisted largely of friends I’d made in high school and college. Even in law school and nutrition school, I never really focused on making friends who had the same interests. I loved my old friends and didn’t see a reason to make more.

I used to feel that the best way to navigate my world was, essentially, alone. I thought of communities as groups of people who all thought the same way and required that sort of compliance. I wanted friends and social interactions to be on my own terms. As a result, I didn’t see the value of community. I didn’t see that you could be yourself in a community with others, and that having that sort of community could be supportive and empowering instead of oppressive.

Through my connection with the School of Womanly Arts and my involvement in the fat acceptance movement, I’ve begun to realize how important it is to have a community of people around me that shares the values that I hold dear. In the last 18 months, I’ve become friends with so many people who are allied with my way of thinking about the world. They’re not a homogeneous group, and, of course, we may disagree on certain things, but knowing that I have a community of people that is dedicated to what I’m dedicated to has really bolstered me in continuing on the path that feels best to me.

So this week, I’d like you to seek out types of communities that support you and where you’d like to be. If you’re looking for other positive fat people, you may want to join your local NAAFA or NOLOSE chapter or search Meetup.com for fun events near you. If you’re looking for people who are into what you’re passionate about, look for them, and if you don’t find them, consider how you can create a fun and easy place for them to congregate. Perhaps you’ve always belonged to a community, whether a religious one or a volunteer organization that you love, but you’ve just drifted away from them. Consider rekindling those community ties and interests if you’re still passionate about the causes that they supported (or find new groups that better understand you and support the same things). Please share what you did to create more community and how it made you feel.

Please stop by my Facebook group and become a member of the Body Love Wellness Group! Also, follow me on Twitter.