by EMILY SZPAK Social Media Coordinator
An actively fit mother of three, Maria Kang, recently came under fire when she posted a photo that got her banned from Facebook back in September. The photo showcases the mother’s fit body surrounded by her three children, all under the age 3, with the caption “What’s your excuse?”
The photo attracted a lot of negative attention, most saying the photo is fat-shaming. The mother of three is less than remorseful, and claims she did not mean for the photo to be interpreted negatively, claiming it is not her fault for the interpretations.
Kang is not happy with the accused fat shaming and says she is just trying to promote a fit message. She says when you see a picture of a big girl in lingerie, you get positive comments like “you go girl!”, but when she promotes her fit body, she is scolded for daring to put herself out there.
Promoting curvy women is fine, but convincing America that it is okay to be obese is not. Realistically, it is not okay to be obese; it is unhealthy and can lead to heart disease and a series of medical issues.
There is nothing wrong with promoting fitness to the public. In fact, it should be encouraged. However, we live in such a sensitive society, it is almost as if it is offensive to be thin. If you work hard to achieve something, much like Kang did, she should be allowed to be publicly proud of herself. She did work hard as she admits she is not naturally thin, and after three kids, you must work hard to achieve a body like that.
Kang is only promoting her appearance because that is the only way she can show her health in a picture. She is not encouraging sex appeal, she is encouraging fitness. It is unfair to say people like her are the reason girls are insecure about their bodies.
Kang is not saying, “What’s your excuse [for being fat]?”, rather “What’s your excuse [for being unhealthy]?” She is simply implying that you need to be able to fit exercise into your routine instead of making excuses. If her message does not apply to you, you are an ignoramus to get offended.
Kang wrote on her Facebook page, issuing an apology, “I’m sorry you took an image and resonated with it in such a negative way…What you interpret is not MY fault. It’s Yours. The first steps in owning your life, your body and your destiny is to OWN the thoughts that come out of your own head. I didn’t create them. Your created them. So if you want to continue hating this image, get used to hating many other things for the rest of your life. You can either blame, complain or obtain a new level of thought by challenging the negative words that come out of your own brain.”
Kang speaks a lot of truth while addressing the photo, and is extremely defensive. The people who claim to be offended are not happy with themselves, and choose to take it out on Kang. There is a difference between social pressures and motivation.
Though we women have lot on our plates, we have to sometimes remember to put aside time for our health, which is exactly what Kang is promoting. After all the hate, she deserves a loud “YOU GO GIRL!”
How do you interpret the fit mom’s message?