Yes, you CAN be fat and fit.

"Fat people are lazy, stupid and lack self control".  Why this myth and its associated prejudice prevails is a great source of personal irritation.  And yet I internalised it when I was about ten years old and didn't consign it to the rubbish bin until far too recently.  An article, which recently appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, speaks the truth and does so eloquently.  

Written by Thea O'Connor, it profiles some yoga instructors who are larger women. One is Sarah Harry.  I've met Sarah in the past and I'm an admirer of her work at Body Positive Australia (http://bodypositiveaustralia.com.au/).  Those of you based in Melbourne, check out the group therapy offering.  And wouldn't I like to be on that Byron Bay yoga retreat!!

There are some comments and quotations in the article that I feel are so pertinent and relevant to our society and our thoughts about ourselves, that I've reproduced them below for emphasis.  Get the entire article at http://www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/diet-and-fitness/big-bodies-can-also-bend-it-20140308-34dhk.html

The article's theme is not just about fatness and fitness, its about prejudice - the way we, and others, think about ourselves.

So think about that.

Fat prejudice runs deep in Western culture, including among those who are at the forefront of promoting physical activity. Physical education students displayed higher levels of anti-fat prejudice than their fellow psychology students or other health professionals, according to a 2007 study published in the International Journal of Obesity, involving 344 university students.

''There's a fear that if you accept fat people, you are condoning an unhealthy lifestyle,'' says Guest-Jelley. ''But I want to challenge the notion that shame is what's going to encourage people to be healthy. What could make you less excited about being healthy than feeling like you're worthless?'' says Guest-Jelley.

‘‘Fat but fit people tend to have better health outcomes than thosewho are normal weight but unfit,’’ says Professor Steve Blair, of the Department of Exercise Science at the University of California. He bases his finding on 25 years of research and a sample of more than 80,000 people.

p.s. Thanks to Sue for sharing this article with me.