The Weight of Other People’s Words

The Weight of Other People’s Words

As a teen, I was bullied.

I was called fat, and I believed them.

Even at seven stone, doctors told me my health issues were “because of my weight.” At seven stone. Imagine being so small and still being made to feel like you took up too much space. Imagine being in pain, looking for help, and instead being told you were the problem.

That was my reality. And it stuck. Those words stitched themselves into my skin before I even had the chance to understand my body.

Around this same time, I began modelling alternative fashion. I worked with companies, stores, even catalogues. It should have been a time where I felt proud, where I celebrated myself. I wasn’t “stick thin” — but I wasn’t fat either. I was me. Yet no matter what size I was, the hate followed.

The bullying didn’t stop when I changed environments, when I put myself in front of a camera, or when I shrank myself down. Because it never really had anything to do with me. It was never about my body.

Now that I’m older, now that I’m bigger, I can see the truth clearly: hate stems from them. It always did. Their words were reflections of their own fears, their own insecurities, their own discomfort with bodies — with difference.

But when you’re young, you don’t see that. You carry it. You carry the weight of other people’s words until it bends your back and makes you question whether you deserve to stand tall.

I share this because weight stigma is everywhere. It’s in the playground, it’s in the media, and it’s in the doctor’s office. It silences people. It stops them from seeking care. It makes them internalise shame that was never theirs to hold.

And I want to say this to anyone who’s felt it: your body is not the problem. Your pain is not imaginary. Your worth is not measured in stones, pounds, or sizes.

The problem has always been the way the world treats us.

Sarah Wingfield 

Independent Disability Advocate 

#weight #weightofwords #modelling #model #disabilityawareness 

Alt text:

A young woman stands in profile wearing a bright red fitted t-shirt with a cartoon graphic, a blue belt, and large red circular earrings. Her blonde hair is tied up with colourful clips and scrunchies. The photo has a retro, grainy filter with doodled stars and sparkles around it. White text on the left reads: “I was bullied. I was called FAT. I believed them.” At the bottom it continues: “And now that I'm a bigger woman I see that other people's hate – stems from them.” The Instagram handle @KawaiiDollDecora appears vertically on the right-hand side.