I don’t quite know how to frame this in terms of thin privilege, but it certainly is a fucked-up example of so-called healthism or thin=healthy arguments overruling all other reasons for doing something.

As many people will be aware, it is currently Ramadan. [Note: This one’s been in the queue a while.] During this time, many Muslim people are choosing to fast. While I’m not Muslim, I deeply respect the spiritual reasoning behind the choice to fast and was interested to read the English NHS guide to healthy fasting for Ramadan. What I was not expecting right from the very first line in the article was to read “Don’t break your fast with a feast or you may put on weight instead of losing it”.

As I said, I’m not a Muslim but I think I know enough from the people I know who are to understand that fasting during Ramadan is not about losing weight. The last thing on someone’s mind when entering into a spiritual fast is “I’m sure I’m going to get really thin doing this!” Similarly, the Suhoor and Iftar rituals of Ramadan are deeply significant and steeped in family and tradition as well as providing vital sustenance to get the person through the day’s fasting during daylight hours. Suggesting that you should restrict yourself rather than nourish yourself during this time is deeply, deeply disturbing.

I work in the NHS and I am disgusted by this article and the message it puts out. Rather than promoting a physically and mentally healthy fast for those participating, it takes a similar viewpoint to so many crash diet pushers and makes a spiritual and very personal pursuit into nothing more than a race to lose pounds.