It's officially summer! And you know what that means: toxic media messaging about weight gain! Fun fact: the Quarantine 15 is also what Sam called the heist team she put together during lockdown. They never wound up stealing anything...except each others' hearts. 
The weight loss industry is continuing their crusade to make people, particularly women, worry about their weight. While there's never a good time for weight loss fear mongering––right now, as we emerge like cicadas, ready to shed our skin & hump, it's really not the time.
The $78 billion dollar weight loss industry lost almost 1/4 of its value in 2020 because people were too busy trying to survive to put losing weight on their to-do lists. Sam only had 1 thing on hers last year: figure out how to get out of virtual happy hour with her friends.
As states ease up pandemic restrictions, the pressure to lose weight has intensified. When it comes to weight, many factors are out of our control, like metabolism, genetics, or the stress of staying inside for over a year because we're afraid to breathe someone else's nasty air.
Last year, scientists published research that showed Covid-19 could result in more severe symptoms for people who are overweight. It was intended to help at-risk people, but the way the media portrayed that research actually added to the stigma leveled at fat people.
If we really want people to live healthier lives post-pandemic, we should focus on giving them the resources they need to take care of themselves: universal health care, increased accessibility to mental health care providers, and encouragement to see their doctors.
Fuck off with the fatphobia and body shaming. So what if our bodies look different from the way they did in 2019? Who cares? It's a different world. Back in 2019, there were only 7 Taylor Swift albums. Now there are 123. Let’s celebrate that instead of punishing ourselves.
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