Lord Ram Didn't Have SIx Pack Abs...

I am flabby. I have always been flabby. And it would have been alright back in the 80's, I think, when Indian movie stars weren't ripped and six-pack abs weren't considered the epitome of male beauty. But since then, things have changed. Now, you're shamed if you have a normal body. Yeah, I said it. A normal body isn't all muscles, it is flabby, and it is paunchy. And I think the world would be a far better place if this flawed idea, that fit is good and fat is bad, was dropped by all. 

This article might sound a little bitter, but it will advocate the case for the common man, who works long hours and doesn't get time to work out and the common man who lacks the discipline to work out and would rather slouch on the couch sipping a sugar-heavy soda. My point is that the "dad-bod" is good. Refer back to the depiction of the gods in Ramanand Sagar's Ramayana or B.R. Chopra's Mahabharat. They had normal bodies, none of those big burly muscles you see so often in today's depiction of those characters. I mean except Bheem and Hanuman Ji, no other characters are described as hefty and muscular in the holy epics. So why are the Gods being shown as muscular people now? They were normal Indian folks, so at best they should have had flat stomachs.

I can accept Greek Gods being ripped. They are Greek. Great diet, less sugar intake, red meat, so their bodies being muscular makes sense. But why is that expected of Indian men now, where 95% Indians look   more like I do and less like John Abraham does? I am appalled at the unfairness of that comparison.  I think people should be okay with flab. It’s normal, natural and easy to maintain. Have you seen how much effort goes into getting big muscles? I mean, come on. It shouldn't even be a thing. Why would anyone be guilted into exerting themselves so much, just to have a body which is beefed up?

And I wonder where this obsession with six pack abs and big biceps came from? Body-building has been around for more than a hundred years, but only recently did being fit become a fad. And ever since, people with normal bodies are being shamed. And honestly, it's so not fair. You see, I have done the math. To get a totally ripped body, I'd have to work out for insane hours in a week, something I can't put into my schedule without reducing my "me time" hours. And suppose I do that, what does it get me? A few more people would think I look good? I'd probably get a little more attention? But would that be worth the effort?

You see, I have never had a problem making a good impression even with all the extra pounds on me. And I have never cared about how people look. My impression of people is based on how they behave rather than how they look. Also, I think a little flab adds character to people’s appearance. I mean, I’d be at a loss for words if I were in the presence of someone with a perfect body. Mainly because I don’t understand such people, who are so dedicated to fitness. But bring me a guy who’s chubby or a girl who is plump, and I can be completely myself with them. Am I doing the opposite of fat shaming here? Maybe.

Anyway, that's my two cents on this matter. Be fat, be chill, be unapologetic about how you look.