Atlanta media maven calls out fitness trainer for body shaming her
Preparing for your big wedding day can be stressful, but one Atlanta-based media maven endured an unexpected challenge when a fitness trainer body shamed her in an attempt to solicit their services.
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Earlier this month, Cassie Young, web director of The Bert Show, took to social media to share an exchange she had with a trainer who offered to workout with her. When she politely turned it down, the trainer continued to message her, body shaming her in the process.
👏NOT 👏DEFINE 👏YOU 👏OR 👏YOUR 👏WORTH. Don’t let people like this try to convince you otherwise, because they’ll try - but it’s because they don’t understand yet. They’re caught up in the game and can’t see it for what it is. You can. Life is waiting for you. It's too short to be spent worrying about a belly roll. Go be happy and live it to your fullest.
“I know you want to look your best...If you don’t hire (me) hire someone. Those pictures last centuries,” one of the eight screenshots read.
But he didn’t stop there. He also wrote, “You can lead a horse to water but you (can’t) make it drink.”
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Although the trainer’s comments became increasingly offensive, the bride-to-be wasn’t deterred.
She reassured the trainer that she loved her body and wasn’t interested in meeting society’s standard beauty.
“I’m sad for you that your self-worth is wrapped up in your appearance. You clearly place a lot of stock in looks, but fail to understand that not everyone wants to be chained to that insecurity,” she said. “You are perpetuating the problem and I refuse to play that game.”
While the exchange was private, Young thought it was important to post, because she wants “every woman and man to know that it does not MATTER what you look like.”
Young made sure to keep the trainer's name private, but the upload has since gone viral, garnering more than 4,000 likes across Facebook and Instagram.
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About the Author
Najja Parker is a multimedia journalist covering Black culture for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She is an engaging on-air talent, who has served as a host for the newsroom’s special projects and events, such as the movie premiere of “The South Got Something To Say,” a documentary chronicling the rise of Atlanta hip-hop.
