The Power of F-A-T

You've seen me call myself "fat" here in nearly every entry. Hell, it's even in my blog's title. I am fat.

And when I call myself this, my beloved friends and family tend to jump to my side to defend me from myself:
"You're not fat!" 
"You're just big-boned!" 
"You're just fluffy." 
"You're not fat, you're Rubenesque."

I appreciate the thought. I appreciate that the people who love me most don't want me to be down on myself for my current body type. These are amazingly wonderful people who only want to spare me from the truth of what I am.

I am fat.

That being said, being fat doesn't define me. It's only a part of a whole. Yes, I am fat. I am also smart, stubborn, hard-working, lazy, and compassionate. None of these things are the one end-all be-all label for me.

The word "fat" has become this horribly dirty word in our society. And I get it. I really do. No one really wants to be fat. No one wants to be unhealthy and riddled with a laundry list of medical conditions due to being "morbidly obese". But why all the sugar-coating? Why are there so many euphemisms for this one little three-letter word? Why can't we just call it what it is?

I use the word simply to take away the power that we, as a society, have given to it. Fat is not a bad word. It has neither positive nor negative connotations. It just is. No different than being called tall, short, blonde or brunette. It is just a descriptive word that I find currently fits me. Fat is just a word. I refuse to let it have any power over me.