To: Marie Claire From: A "Fattie"

Yesterday I read on article on the Marie Claire website about "fatties". The author, Maura Kelly, discussed her opinion of over weight people and how disgusting they are. I have never been so appalled by an article in my life!

I am not a skinny girl, and I have always struggled with body issues. I have always felt like people stare at me, or that I am not pretty enough or good enough or that people look at me and think I am gross. I am so self conscious about my looks I sometimes worry that my husband will stop loving me because he is thin and I am not. He tells me that I am beautiful, but after years of bullying from people about my weight, I have a hard time believing it some days. It is something I am working on and I don't really talk about with people, but this article made me so angry I had to share.

This is my favorite part of the article, "So anyway, yes, I think I'd be grossed out if I had to watch two characters with rolls and rolls of fat kissing each other ... because I'd be grossed out if I had to watch them doing anything. To be brutally honest, even in real life, I find it aesthetically displeasing to watch a very, very fat person simply walk across a room." That just makes me feel so good about myself!

She continues on in her article with nutrition advice for us "fatties" out there, because I have NEVER tried to lose weight, or read a diet book or gone to weight watchers. She also says that obesity is something that the "fatties" have a TON of control over. If I had all this said control over my weight, do you really think I would be heavy and feel bad about myself? I know there are things I can do, but it isn't as easy as she makes it out to be.

I am absolutely outraged by this article! How can someone pass judgment like that, especially on a website for a well known woman's magazine? Furthermore, how can someone approve that to be published?? We should be teaching acceptance of not only other people, but of our bodies, not hate. Apparently, according to Maura Kelly, not all women (and men) are good enough.

After Marie Claire received over 28,000 emails from people about this article, Maura Kelly posted an apology. It's a sad attempt at an apology, and in my opinion it really only makes things worse. In her apology she said that anorexic (which she used to be) and fat people make her uncomfortable. I guess unless you are a size 2 or 4, you are going to gross her out. *Marie Claire stands by what Ms. Kelly wrote* This magazine disgusts me! I know that I will NEVER purchase another copy of Marie Claire again!

No matter who you are or what you look like...YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL! Remind yourself of this and don't forget it!