get on a soapbox

Today a young women I know asked me if I had ever been on the birth control pill. My answer was "yes". She then asked if I had gained weight from being on the pill. My answer..."I guess a bit, but nothing significant". She was quiet for a while, and said that's what I'm afraid of. My response was "Do you hear yourself? What you are essentially saying is that you would rather take the risk of becoming pregnant with unprotected sex than be fat." This to me sounded ludicrous. The absolute ignorance....

"better to smoke a pack of cigarettes a day, filling your lungs with nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide (don't we have detectors in our houses for this?), than be fat",

"better to not be on the pill, possibly get pregnant, possibly have an abortion several times over, than be fat",

"better to be an alcholic, dealing with your problems through booze, than to be fat".

The ridiculousness of these statements makes me want to scream. Yet we see them everywhere in written format and insinuated through photographs, advertisements etc. Young women are suffering because of it. I would rather have anyone of my friends, family members, co-workers, etc be fat than be poisoning their bodies with drugs, or going on abortion number "x".

I'll get off my soapbox now.