When Allison Kimmey asked her children to exit the pool, she received an unexpected response from her 4-year-old daughter, Cambelle. Cambelle, visibly upset about leaving the water, uttered the words, “Mama is fat,” to her brother. This took Kimmey, a 30-year-old mother from Cocoa Beach, Florida, by surprise.
Perplexed by her daughter’s statement, Kimmey, determined to foster a healthy body image, decided not to let it pass as a mere insult. She didn’t want to perpetuate the notion that calling someone “fat” should be offensive. Instead, she recognized it as a valuable teachable moment for both Cambelle and her 6-year-old son, Graham.
Kimmey, who is currently working on a children’s book centered on body positivity, emphasized the importance of distinguishing between having fat and being labeled as “fat.” She explained to her children that everyone has fat, and it plays a vital role in safeguarding muscles and bones while supplying energy to the body.
