"Hot Mom" Maria Kang has received backlash for her comments about the obesity epidemic and how mainstream media tends "normalizes" a big health issue in the United States.
Her comments allegedly stemmed from watching an unnamed news story about how obese woman should love their bodies. She was "annoyed" by what the news reports was saying, and took to her Facebook to post her stance on the issue, which caused her to mistakenly get banned from the social media site. You can read her full deleted statement here.
Many took Kang's words to mean she was "fat-shaming" woman for not leading her "healthy" lifestyle. Kang is a mother of three young boys and claims she doesn't let having children for being an "excuse" to not take care of her body.
On Nov. 28, the fitness enthusiast took to her restored Facebook to release a statement to set the record straight about the statements that were deemed "fat-shaming" by many.
"There are many misguided things being said about me - so disappointing that many are coming from feminist camps and TV news shows expressing their contempt for me and my message. THIS is the backward-ness I am talking about. These are the reasons why we are a nation in crisis," Kang wrote.
"Did I say you shouldn't love your body? NO," the fit mom continued. "Did I say we are normalizing obesity? YES. Is obesity an issue? According to the Journal of Health Economics the annual medical spending for an obese person was $3,271 compared with $512 for the non-obese in 2012."
Kang then went on to point out what she believed to be contradictions in society's messages about health:
Why can an obese woman stand half naked and say "I'm proud!" and a healthy woman do the same without being criticized?
Why are people shaking their heads at me for saying "obesity is a crisis" when according to the CDC more than 33% of adults and 17% of children are now obese .
Why can a post-baby celebrity pose proudly in a bikini on a magazine (and be applauded) and an everyday working mom (me) do the same without hitting nerves?
You can read Kang's full statement here.
However, Curvy Girl Lingerie owner Chrystal Bougon, whose news story reportedly inspired Kang's deleted rant, told Yahoo! Shine Kang could "F*** off." Bougon's comments were in response to Kang's rant about the obesity problem. Bougon she understand the fitness enthusiast has her opinions, but felt they had no place on the forum she created. (Read the full Yahoo! Shine story here)
"For most of us Curvies, we will have rolls, bumps, lumps, scars, stretch marks, surgery scars, breasts that are natural and that have breast fed our babies. And we can still be STUNNING and BEAUTIFUL," Bougon wrote on her store's official Facebook page.
Do you think Maria Kang is "fat-shaming" or does she have a point? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
