Weight For It The Origin of a Break Up
Oct 3, 2024
Elna Baker, a former producer for This American Life and author, shares her journey of living with weight and its cultural pressures. She discusses her emotional reaction to a fat suit proposal and how losing over 120 pounds changed her identity and social interactions. Elna reflects on an intimate conversation with her husband that contributed to her marriage's end, revealing deeper issues of attraction and authenticity. Through personal storytelling, she explores the complexities of weight and identity, ultimately addressing the emotional impact of her experiences.
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Life After Major Weight Loss
- Elna Baker lost over 120 pounds after years of being fat and felt the world treated her differently afterward.
- She describes feeling reincarnated into a new life where opportunities opened because she was thin.
The Cost Of Killing A Former Self
- Elna realized she had 'killed off' her former fat self and felt shame about past photos and identity.
- That realization reframed her work on the This American Life episode and began her reclaiming of her authentic self.
Missing The Old Self After Change
- Elna's journals show ambivalence: she missed aspects of her overweight life even after losing weight.
- This tension revealed that thinness didn't automatically equal happiness or authenticity.
