"Fat Aussie Swimmer"

I just read an article about an Australian Olympian swimmer who is being judged for looking "fat" in comparison to previous years.

I have one question to the Australian media:

Can you qualify for the Olympics?  No?  Then shut your mouth.

(As a side note, I wasn't able to download the picture straight from the original article.  I thought I'd try a little experiment.  I searched "Fat Aussie Swimmer" in Google.  Guess what?  Tons of pictures of her.  Breaks your heart.)

Our American media is DEFINITELY just as bad about pointing out "fat" people in the spotlight.  Kelly Clarkson is always under heat for her weight.  Britney Spears can't win: too fat, too skinny, blah, blah, blah.

Think about the journalist that took the time to bring this swimmer's size to everyone's attention.  They would have had to have seen the athlete, taken an unattractive photo, gotten approval from their editor, written the story, and then taken it to print or get it online in this case.

Media outlets worldwide pick us apart.  Imagine!  Now this woman has to deal with criticism on a world stage and still step out in a bathing suit and compete like no one's watching.  Most of us can't even wear a bathing suit in front of our own friends without some sort of cover-up.

It's no wonder we are so obsessed with our weight.  Not even an Olympic athlete is good enough for the powers that be.  That's why it's so important to love yourself and your body.  No one else will do it for you...unless you fit their expectations.  And guess what?  Once you hit a certain age, even those women won't qualify any longer.  That beautiful woman praised for her physicality will one day also be left with no one but herself to see and love her body as-is.

Next time you see an article like this, don't jump on the band wagon.  Keep up the mental exercises.  Find something beautiful in that woman's body.  Don't judge her by calling her gross or fat.  Stick up for your fellow women.  Why shouldn't you?

(Second side note: Kelly Clarkson is an awesome role model for women, because she doesn't care.  When she loses weight it's because she wants to do it not because someone else called her fat.  She's secure in her reality of beauty, and that's rare in the entertainment industry.)