Love her or hate her, Megyn Kelly can never be accused of not being honest on air. The "Today" third-hour morning host was trying her best to present the case for real women, including herself, when talking to the notorious “fit mom,” Maria Kang, on Thursday. Kang brandished her ultra-toned body surrounded by her three kids and a banner that asked, “What's your excuse?” in 2013, and won a following of fans, but also gained her share of detractors. Megyn Kelly attested that even though Kang’s most recent mantra, “What’s your reason?” reflects a more inclusive message, promoting overall health, the host herself is one of those working moms who are tired, and don't usually find the motivation to work out, and is not the best cook in keeping the menu healthy.
Kang offered that her message today is more one of, “You can do it, too,” and Kelly said that that was a concept that she could support. Unfortunately, Megyn Kelly stepped right into a pile of negative media mire when she shared her own story of telling her stepfather to call her “fat-a**” if she walked toward the kitchen. Maria Kang related that she is 10 pounds heavier now than before, but for Megyn Kelly, the harsh deterrent that she asked her stepdad to employ was more a matter of life or death, and this morning, she got more personal than ever as she divulged her family’s history and struggle with weight.
More than history
Megyn Kelly was visibly tearful this morning as she recalled her mother being called “fat” by one of the kids at her school.
She defended her mom against the label, saying, “No, you're not,” when her mother agreed. Her mother reiterated to her young daughter that “in this house, we don't lie to make ourselves feel better.” Kelly went on to describe her sister’s struggle, getting to over 300 pounds before having gastric bypass surgery. She was haunted by the death of her father at 45, also the result of weight-related issues.
Megyn Kelly went through her own period of fat-shaming, being called up for her “big butt” in school during her “chubby” phase. It's clear that the issue of weight is a very personal and devastating one for Kelly, one that she cannot simply dismiss, and one that she would never use as a weapon against anyone. She brought in reinforcements to reassure anyone on a mission to better health that everyone has his or her own unique relationship with weight and health.
There is more than one path to pursuing a healthy lifestyle, and no one is ideal.
Never one way for all
Trainer Bob Harper and psychologist Jennifer Hartstein had much to say about what a personal issue food is for most people, and how everything connected to weight calls up emotional issues. Harper insisted that every goal related to good health has to be personally crafted for every client, as in “baby steps” to a bigger plan. He commended that Kelly had really “stepped into the lion’s den,” on this topic. Even in the current climate where every woman is being encouraged to “tell her truth,” it seems that the mood changes when Megyn Kelly becomes the storyteller.
“We're all in the same boat,” Harper described in getting to good health, “we're just in different compartments.” What makes a deterrent for one person doesn't become a universal endorsement, but every person has a purpose in sharing any meaningful journey.
Harstein added that for her, a gentle reminder works better than the hammer of brutal truth because she is hard enough on herself. The media has hit back hard at Megyn Kelly, portraying that her story promotes shame, when, in fact, it is simply a tidbit in her method of maintaining health. At one point, Kelly was cutting her calories to 500 per day in her effort to “fit the mold” of acceptability. Bob Harper noted that even though Megyn is no devotee of working out, her choices in life and diet are making a difference, because “you look great.”
Support is the key to achieving any life goal, and seeing oneself in the struggle of someone else brave enough to admit being in the battle, including Megyn Kelly, becomes fuel for change.
