the space she takes up in the world. Her hope is that the movement will inspire others living with obesity to do the same.
“When we talk about shame, the more significant issue is not just the shame that is put on us. It’s the shame that we feel within ourselves. This feeling of, ‘Why can’t I do better? Why am I not better?’ Once you embrace and understand that it’s a disease, you wouldn’t say that to yourself if you had, you know, cancer, or if you had diabetes, or you had heart disease, you wouldn’t turn the shame or the toughness on yourself,” Brown says. “That’s why it’s vital to ensure that those living with this disease understand what it is. So we can love ourselves more and love ourselves better.”
Her advice to others living with obesity
Understand that obesity is a disease. “…If you got a diagnosis for anything else, your first thought would be a doctor. And so it takes the questioning out of it, it tells you, “Oh, so this is something that I can get help with. This is something that I don’t have to do myself; this is something that’s not about willpower. This is a disease,” Brown says.
Understand that obesity is complex. “…Obesity is so complex; it’s not the same for any one person. So it’s not one size fits all or one plan for everyone. So that’s why it’s important to talk about it being a disease so people can find the program and the path that works for them. Health is always the goal. Health is wealth,” Brown adds.
Don’t beat yourself up. “…You can love yourself and still make sure that you’re healthy. You don’t have to beat yourself up as you’re on your journey because you haven’t lost this weight,” Brown advises.
Understand that health is the goal. “…Health is the goal, not a specific size on the scale,” Brown says.
To learn more about obesity or help a loved one living with obesity, tune into the “It’s Bigger Than Me” video series on itsbiggerthan.com starting March 8.