Josie Gibson and Alison Hammond‘s weight loss concerns me – and it’s not because I’m jealous that they’ve managed to slim down and I’m still an obese blob.
I’ve struggled with my weight since childhood and know it’s not easy to shift those pounds. I also know how cruel society can be when it comes to someone who’s bigger than the ‘average’ person. Seeing pictures of me and my chins is bad enough, but being watched by millions on a show like This Morning? I’m not sure I could handle it.
So my worry is, have Alison and Josie slimmed down for themselves and their health, which is obviously a good thing. Or are they feeling the pressure to conform to what we’re programmed to believe people on TV should look like?
Josie Gibson and Alison Hammond on weight loss struggles
The lovely ladies, who both shot to fame on Big Brother, have slimmed down significantly since becoming household names. Josie made an exercise DVD (remember those?!) back in the day, and Alison has cried while talking about her struggles with her weight on This Morning.
There’s no denying that the women look sensational, and their careers are undoubtedly going from strength to strength. But do they feel they have to conform to this size 8 TV norm in order to get ahead? I know I’ve been made to feel that way in some jobs in the past…
If they’re doing it for themselves and their health then all credit to them. Speaking as someone overweight it isn’t much fun and shifting the pounds really isn’t easy. Pressure from society as a whole when you’re overweight can be immense. And one look on the This Morning hashtag on Twitter will see many cruel jibes at the ladies over their appearance.
So are they reading these comments and feeling the pressure to slim down and conform to what people on TV are supposed to look like? I hope not, but I must admit, it’s a worry.
Being curvy is part of their appeal
Surely part of Josie and Alison’s appeal is that they look more like the people they’re talking to. And I think we need more women who look like us on the box.
The point I’m trying to make is being pressured into losing weight – for whatever reason – should never be a factor in our decision to change our appearance.
As lovely as Holly Willoughby looks, I just can’t relate to her. When was the last time she wore a dress that went up to a size 26? She tags her outfits every day on Instagram and I always think, that’s lovely, I bet it doesn’t come in my size. Perhaps if I bought two and stitched them together…
It also bugs me that for so long Josie and Alison have both been relegated to the funny slots, oh she’s bubbly (code for fat), let’s see her make a fool of herself on live TV. Is it a coincidence that with their transformations more serious TV roles have come their way?
Do it for yourselves, ladies!
Now I’m not writing this for sympathy. In fact, I’m sure I’ll get quite the opposite in the comments section. I am all too aware that being overweight is not good for your health. But they need to want to do it for themselves and not to squeeze into a sample size and conform to a TV norm.
I’m not in their inner circle, so I don’t know why they’ve decided to lose weight, but I do know how I’ve felt and I can only imagine that feeling of not being enough because of your dress size is horrendously magnified when you’re in the public eye.
Trust me, weight loss will never be sustainable if you’re not doing it for the right reasons. I lost four stone in six months once because I wanted my bum to be smaller than my ex’s new girlfriend at a wedding we were both invited to. It was, but it’s probably bigger than ever before at the moment, and that’s fine. I like eating and hate exercise.
The point I’m trying to make is being pressured into losing weight – for whatever reason – should never be a factor in our decision to change our appearance.
Josie and Alison are TV icons, and I love watching them on the box. I just hope that they feel as good on the inside as they look on the outside. If not, then something needs to be done. And it worries me that shifting society’s opinion on plus-size women might be a tough one to change.
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