Regan Chastain, "Fathelte" supreme

[Trigger warning for really mean trolls.  But it's nothing you haven't heard before.]

I want to turn your attention to Ragen Chastain, size activist who blogs at Dances With Fat.  (Also the author of the incredible Why I Quit Dieting: True Stories from Real Women: How I Quit Dieting.  My post can be found here.)

credit motherhoot.com

I actually just remembered a post that I read on Socimages last year, from before I recognized Ragen's name.  She wrote this guest post about trying to convince trolls that she is in shape.

Okay, so we all probably know that persuading trolls that fat isn't bad for you is one of the most thankless tasks on the planet.  This is one of the more tame comments that Ragen received on her blog:

5’4 and 280 pounds is not healthy and you’re just deluding yourself if you think it is. There is no way that you can work out the way you say you do and eat the way you say you do and still be that fat.  You are not healthy and you need to get real, stop gorging yourself and get to the gym.

Here's the thing, Ragen is really fit.  When the trolls aren't convinced by pictures and videos showcasing her incredible flexibility, strength, grace, and stamina, Ragen writes,

Many of the people who posted weren’t satisfied with disagreeing with my Health at Every Size lifestyle or calling me a liar, but actually felt the need to diminish my accomplishments. I can only assume that they were trying to avoid some sort of cognitive dissonance. In addition, the comments reflect an intense desire to convince me that no amount of accomplishment is enough if I am fat — as if being fat is such an utter failure that it eclipses anything else that I could possibly accomplish...Remember Jennifer Hudson’s commercial where she said “Before Weight Watchers, my world was can’t” even though before Weight Watchers she had won a Grammy for her first CD and an Oscar for her first film?

Ragen is an inspirational figure and excellent writer, so after reading this blog post, I enthusiastically refer you to her blog, Dances With Fat, also on the blogroll on the right-hand side of this page.

Ragen receives a LOT of hate mail.  If you're interested in hearing what the trolls have to say, and the funny retorts that Ragen fires back at them, you can click on the link below; also, in doing so, you'll benefit HAES-friendly companies and organizations.

http://www.danceswithfat.com/hate/