Chubby

I like the word chubby. It reminds of little babies, roly poly puppies, the giggling Pillsbury Doughboy and all things made of cuteness. Unfortunately, the word chubby has been much maligned in recent times.  I’m not sure when the word took on a negative connotation, but if I had to guess, it was probably about the time the fashionistas insisted on the spindly look as the gold standard for all of womankind. I’m not bitter, just angry.

I have been lost in a sea of survival books lately. The settings are in the 18^th and 19^th centuries, on boats riddled with larvae-filled flour barrels, putrid water and fetid living conditions. Scurvy, of course, is rampant and dreams of unspoiled food keep the brave survivors from going completely insane. A chubby anything would have been welcomed. If the ship finally made it in to some faraway port and a model of today greeted them, my guess is that they would have exhaled a collective gasp of horror and wondered what kind of place couldn’t even support the nutritional needs of its denizens. Gauntness was not respected. A malnourished woman balancing on a pair of shoe stilts would have been the last sight the weary, hungry travelers would have hoped to gaze upon.

And, yet, the skeletal and somewhat emaciated images of women are exactly what are being splashed across most magazines, internet ads and TV commercials today. This time of year, there is no end of before and after images of folks who are touting miraculous pills, programs and potions in exchange for the promise of a better, more respected life of slinky dresses and smaller bathing suits. Their beaming faces draw an endless stream of compliments and enamored admirers. Oh, that we could all live such lives of adoration.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not against good health. There is certainly a poundage line that can be crossed, resulting in a reduced quality of life. However, an obsession for the thin and beautiful has grown to epidemic proportions. Anorexia and bulimia are words that were barely on the radar screen fifty years ago. Now there are websites teaching young women how to be successful at both endeavors. It’s frightening and I wish I knew how to cure the problem. I can only offer a few suggestions.

1) Stop telling people who have lost weight that they “look so good now.” This implies that who they are is contingent on how they look. I’m going to apologize in advance for not fawning over folks who Weight Watchered or power walked their way to wearing their skinny jeans. It isn’t that I’m not impressed with your willpower and perseverance. I just can’t perpetuate the myth of all things being good in the world of thinness.

2) Compliment others more often. Don’t let weight loss be the impetus for a word of praise.

3) Every time you hear a teenager obsess about his or her weight, stop them. Tell them they are valuable, no matter what they look like. Let them know that you are excited to see them become healthy adults rather than wan individuals, starving for food and attention.

Yes, I like the word chubby. I also like the words plump and sturdy. I may never board a leaky ship filled with vermin and scant quantities of food, but I frequently head out into the strong, cold winds of the upper Midwest. I am glad that I have chubby thighs, plump cheeks and a sturdy torso to keep me from blowing over to the next state.

Please pass the butter.