Satisfied with weight gain: ‘But body positivity is still needed’

Eight years ago, Oliviera decided to change course: Her food plan went in the trash and she decided to stop feeling insecure about her extra boyfriend. “At one point, I noticed that I did it primarily for the sake of the outside world, but not for myself,” she told EditieNL.

plus size clothing

Her insecurities were mainly due to the lack of fun and fashionable oversized clothes. “It’s not really fun if you can’t find nice clothes in town. It does something for you.” Oliveira’s fashion sense pushed her out of the hole. “I have come to love myself more by doing my best in my form.”

Nowadays, the choice of plus-size clothing has become much larger. This appears to be linked to the arrival of the body-positive movement and programs like #EerlijkeFoto and Curvy Supermodel, which show that it’s okay to have a curve.

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Between 2018 and 2020, 26 percent of adults who were severely overweight reported being satisfied with their weight. Between 2015 and 2017, this was still 22 percent. Serious weight gain occurs when your body mass index is above 30.

equal treatment

Internist and endocrinologist Liesbeth van Rossum on Erasmus MC sees a lot of grief in her consulting room about it. “People don’t want to be fat,” she told EditieNL. Research shows that obese people are less likely to take on leadership positions, less likely to find a new job and be treated differently in health care. “There is still a lot of shame. A body positive movement like this can help with that.”

Saskia Oliveira calls the fact that people with curly hair are not treated equally. “We only look at what someone looks like, and so we no longer look at who someone is. I think that’s too bad. This constant exclusion and bullying has serious consequences.”

Respect and Communication

Although there has been progress, according to the influencer, we still have a long way to go. “You still see women fighting each other. Those skinny women think fat women get a lot of attention because of this movement.” She believes that we should not put each other down, but that we should respect and communicate. “A lot can still be gained in terms of equal treatment.”

On the other hand, we should not underestimate the risks of obesity, emphasizes internal medicine and endocrinologist Lisbeth Van Rossum. “It really is a disease and it can have serious consequences. Just because you are satisfied with your body doesn’t mean you don’t have to do anything about it. Fat is an organ that produces hormones. If you have too much you will get sick. Weight gain is a silent killer.”