I’ve watched this thread with much interest as this has been discussed on SG before. My view is as follows:
In the past and in my younger days, to be accepted I thought being slim was the only way you got accepted, naive I know. I watched my weight and exercised frantically to keep it manageable and to “fit in” and made myself poorly in the process. I wasn’t in this industry then. However, due to medical problems and getting older I’ve had to learn to live with my current stature. Although not fat, (terrible word I know), I am considered, in medical terms, to be overweight but I am in proportion. I have a few wobbly bits but on the whole consider myself to be cuddly.
When you start heading towards 40 with the menopause around the corner even the skinny ones will put on weight and struggle to keep it off.
We read constantly about body images from skinny to large and I believe this doesn’t help any industry but particularly ours. We are programmed to believe that being a size 0 is the be all and end all but in reality most people cannot achieve or sustain it. I feel that when you reach a certain age you are more accepting of people’s frame and size. I’m not being ageist here either, before I get shot down lol.
In terms of how we work, being professional, respectful and caring should be paramount, whatever your size.
Finally, as my Dad said when we started the business and looking for staff, “Remember Debbie, a lot of ladies have body issues, you cannot help them with that but try to employ people who are a little softer around the edges and with a personality to match”.
In the past and in my younger days, to be accepted I thought being slim was the only way you got accepted, naive I know. I watched my weight and exercised frantically to keep it manageable and to “fit in” and made myself poorly in the process. I wasn’t in this industry then. However, due to medical problems and getting older I’ve had to learn to live with my current stature. Although not fat, (terrible word I know), I am considered, in medical terms, to be overweight but I am in proportion. I have a few wobbly bits but on the whole consider myself to be cuddly.
When you start heading towards 40 with the menopause around the corner even the skinny ones will put on weight and struggle to keep it off.
We read constantly about body images from skinny to large and I believe this doesn’t help any industry but particularly ours. We are programmed to believe that being a size 0 is the be all and end all but in reality most people cannot achieve or sustain it. I feel that when you reach a certain age you are more accepting of people’s frame and size. I’m not being ageist here either, before I get shot down lol.
In terms of how we work, being professional, respectful and caring should be paramount, whatever your size.
Finally, as my Dad said when we started the business and looking for staff, “Remember Debbie, a lot of ladies have body issues, you cannot help them with that but try to employ people who are a little softer around the edges and with a personality to match”.
