MY BODY IS BACK! (Er... where did it go?)

Last night Ted and I were on the pre-snowfall bread and milk run (not really, I just needed yogurt and we were out on date night. Date night after eleven years of marriage involves grocery store side trips) and I saw the below magazine cover while we were waiting in the checkout line:

I think this is one of the Cardassian folk who are famous for… er… something I’m not aware of. She’s extremely pretty, and has a figure I certainly would love to have.

My confusion is over the words on the cover: “MY BODY IS BACK!” Was she existing as a disembodied head for the last couple of months and everyone failed to notice? (Holy American Horror Story, Batman!)

Obviously the implication is that she used to be (probably slightly) heavier and now that she’s thinner she once again possesses a body whereas she er, I guess didn’t possess one… before. This leads me to wonder, what is it that fat people have below their necks if not bodies?

People really need to think before they say this stuff.

Also right below the big, strange headline the magazine states that she slams “fat bullies” and yeah, the fact that she was bullied for her appearance just stinks. Whoever she is, whoever you are, nobody deserves bullying for ANY body shape or size. And how is she “getting revenge” by apparently putting her body into the shape that her bullies were telling her she should? She basically just did as they told her to, didn’t she?

All that matters is: does her body look and feel the way SHE wants it to? If it’s this way, then cool (like I said, it’s an awesome body) but if it’s another way then that should be totally cool too – whether that other way is heavier, thinner, or well… whatever she wants. It’s hers and hers alone.

If I ever wind up on a magazine cover for reaching my goal weight (highly doubtful, but who knows) I will never say something like: “MY BODY IS BACK!” For one thing I’ve been fat since I was twelve and I’ve managed to successfully not lose track of my body the whole time, in fact I presume it will actually get less easy to locate as it grows smaller.

No, my title will read: “I ALTERED THE WAY MY BODY LOOKS FOR PERSONAL REASONS!” Because it’s simple, honest, and the truth. I didn’t even do it to save my life or my health, my health was good when I started and I very nearly lost my good health by trying something too drastic. I simply did not like the way it looked. And that’s more than enough of a reason.

I think this cover should read: “I AM CONTENT WITH THE WAY I LOOK NOW AND I DON’T CARE WHAT ANYONE ELSE THINKS!” Because hopefully it’s true, and it would be a refreshingly empowering thing to see a woman say.