I just watched a segment on the Today show with a family intervention for a young woman names Allison Hertz, who is overweight and it is part of a reality show called “Addicted to Food.” The family confronted her about her weight, the young girl weighed over 300 lbs. Her Dad said “we’ve tried everything,” but her Dad needed to take a look in the mirror! He’s very overweight too!! OMG, I can only imagine how that girl was feeling. Here she was, in what she probably thought was her safe place and her family, the people you’re supposed to count on to help protect you are betraying her right there on camera, before thousands of people. Her brother talking about going to Starbucks and there was someone in there that she didn’t want to have them see her. Thanks dear brother, do you think she’ll ever be able to see that person again and not think about your betrayal of her. He would never have known she was out there, if you didn’t just tell the world!
Shame on all of you for betraying the trust and the sacred place of your daughter and sister. Shame on you for exposing her to the eyes of the world. Having been in her shoes, previously weighing close to 400 lbs (although I still say there was a point in my life I was well over 400, but I just don’t have written proof of that), I think I know how she was feeling. Her mind was probably racing, not knowing what to do or say, being put on the spot like that.
Why not just love her and accept her for who she is. I’ll bet she is a beautiful person and has a great big heart, but you are all so close minded that you can’t see that. You only see her weight. Shame on you.
So many people make unfair and untrue judgments about others, about what they look like on the outside. Why? Why does the world have to judge others because of what they look like? And, I’m not just talking about race here, I’m talking about physical aspects. Weight seems to be one of the last things that society deems as “acceptable” to make fun of people. Sure, there is plenty of racism still in the world, which in itself still baffles me, but there’s also lots of discrimination based upon weight and weight alone.
If you’re overweight, that automatically means that you’re fat, you’re lazy, you’re stupid, oh you just sit there and eat and eat. Well, I have news for you….THAT’S NOT TRUE!! OK, I didn’t get to be almost 400 lbs back then by not eating. I had a pretty shitty childhood and found food as a sort of self love. It made me feel better, even if for just a moment. But, as an adult, I tried and tried to lose weight, and I most certainly wasn’t parked on the couch in front of the television just shoveling food in my mouth like people think. In fact, there were often times, I would only eat one meal a day, yet I still didn’t lose weight and I could never understand why.
It wasn’t until I really did a lot of self reflection about my life and where I wanted to be. I worked on me…no one did it for me and no one pushed me into it. I decided that it was time for me to make myself a priority and that is when I learned everything I could about my body, about diet, about food, about metabolism, about exercise and more. I found myself an incredible support system to help me along the way. I also found people who were not supportive and those people were removed from my life, as quickly as they had come into it.
Today, I am 146 lbs and maintaining…even that takes hard work. But, I am able to do it by remaining ever conscious of what goes into my body and being diligent and sometimes even to this day selfish about taking care of myself and remaining focused on me.
My message to Allison’s family….just love her, support her and Dad, lead by example! How about you drop some of those pounds and stop putting your belt under your belly and actually wear your pants around your waist when you get one. How about you work hard on you and invite her to join you on walks. Don’t sign her up to a gym, the people there can be just as mean and she will be just as self conscious. Love her for who she is, STOP making her think that because she is overweight that there is something wrong with her. Just love her. Allison, I love you and you are beautiful!!
Comments on: "Just love me for who I am inside!!" (2)
I know this family personally. They are as supportive as they can be. You talk about judging people.. well, that’s what you’re doing to them. Of course, they love her and they support her. This was NOT a surprise, this “intervention”. Allison knew about it, she wanted help. She is getting it. You should know your facts before you write your blogs. In addition, her family may need help as well (in learnign about self-control; food wise), learning to control weight, but maybe they can learn from her, or maybe it’s just in the gene’s. Please keep in mind, she is in her early 20′s.. if she takes control now, she won’t get to 400# like you did.. Curious to know how old you were when you decided to finally lose weight and what sparked it… She will be ok, she is a strong minded, determined young woman.
OK first of all her father and brother both support her, and second of all lady…that was Peter who is her friend who told her about the Star Bucks thing! So why don’t you watch the show again and get your facts STRAIGHT!!! Thanks!