The Talk of the Village

Well, that is exaggerating a bit, but I am at least the talk of a few people. My host mom mentioned to me, over a bowl of borş, that everyone is asking her if she feeds me. A few women in my village have noticed my slightly svelter self and come to the conclusion that I don’t eat, so my host mom does not feed me. They meet her in one of the many stores in the center of town and inquiry about my well-being. Whenever I go to school and am in the presence of my director, she practically pins me down and force feeds me cookies or whatever food is within reach. She tells me I have simply lost too much weight, and that it scares her.

I have been engaging myself in Billy Blanks, and his many Tae Bo exercises, since August. I have toned up and am proud of my lost pounds, the one or two of them. I often get the “oh, you are exercising so you won’t be fat,” or “you aren’t eating bread because you don’t want to be fat.” To which I reply, “I exercise because it makes me feel good,” and “I would rather have room for the delicious food my host mom makes.”

I have come to understand that weight loss in this country is not a New Years resolution or a personal goal for many. At least, this is the mind set of the older women in my village. I am pretty confident the 40+ crowd throughout the country also share this thought. If you lose weight, in this country, then you aren’t eating and it is a serious cause for intervention. This is a country that enjoys hosting visitors and presenting to them a large table full of food. This country, from my personal experience, loves entertaining people and food is just an expression of their appreciation and respect for their guests. Gaining weight is the result of being respected and invited to many masas (gatherings with tables of food). It also means that you have the means to eat well. If you gain weight in this country they say, “Bravo! You are eating well; your host mom must be a great cook! Congratulations!”

In America, if you are a little heavier than the last time someone saw you they think, “Wow, she really let herself go. She is lazy and isn’t taking care of herself.” Taking care of yourself, in this country, means eating well. Eating what you want when you want. How much someone is eating isn’t a big issue and isn’t what keeps people up at night. People aren’t spending thousands of dollars a year on toning devices, unused gym memberships, and diet pills that cause heart attacks like oh so many people in America.

It is really true, that in some countries, being a little plumper is something to be proud about. It isn’t a cause for stress or low self-esteem. There are many other things floating around in the world to keep your self-esteem low. Don’t let your weight be one of them.

Don’t get me wrong, being healthy and exercising is good. Your weight shouldn’t be a main point in your life, subjecting you to happiness or despair depending on which way the scale tips. Just be happy with yourself. That is a lot easier.

And remember, not everyone in the world thinks skinny is best, just Americans. Maybe you just need to move to a different country. J