Nurse Body-Shames and Bullies 13-Year-Old Girl, Mom Hits Back

Julie Venn, a mom from Glenview Illinois posted her frustrations on Facebook when she experienced something infuriating in the doctor’s office. It happened when she took Riley, her daughter for her yearly check-up. As a mother who is teaching her daughters that weight is just a number and that strong is beautiful, it can be very disheartening to hear anybody talk down and body shame young girls – especially her daughter. Not to mention that it happened right in front of her, I can just imagine seeing flames as she flared up in anger.

Julie couldn’t believe that the nurse who started Riley for her checkup can actually do that. Riley, a baseball and basketball player answered the nurse’s question casually. She was asked about her diet, school, sleeping habits, and exercise habits. They were just seemingly normal questions until the nurse said something that made Julie stop and stare.

Riley Softball
Facebook

“Tell me, Riley, how can you explain all of this weight you’ve gained.”

As someone who advocates for young girls who are body-shamed and fat-shamed, she knew this was something she wouldn’t sit and watch. Add to that the fact that no medical professional should be saying that to anyone, especially young girls who are just embracing the changes in their bodies. It can be assumed that this is not the first time that the nurse says this to a young girl, it’s sad to think how those girls felt.

But Julie is not going to sit and let that nurse do that to her daughter. She knows that Riley has gained weight, but she has also gained 4 inches in height. But the nurse still said that the weight Riley gained does not add up with her height. Right then and there, Julie put up her hand and said,

Riley Fat-shamed
Facebook

“STOP! You need to stop talking to my daughter about her weight. She is 13, she is strong. She is healthy and she is PERFECT. You need to move on!”

Julie was nearly speechless. But this mama bear’s not going to let this nurse bully her daughter. She went on to tell the nurse how beautiful and perfect her daughter is. And that she should stop talking like that to young girls. The nurse doesn’t seem to understand how serious her words are, she cluelessly asked Julie to join her in the adjoining room out of earshot of Riley. In there, she even had the audacity to ask Julie why her reaction was like that.

The answer to that question became obvious as women from all ages approached Julie after her Facebook post spread. Women who had daughters who were fat-shamed, and women who were actually fat-shamed and are now suffering from anorexia, bulimia, or even had suicide attempts found support in Julie’s post.

Needless to say, bodies come in different shapes and sizes. Nobody has the right to ever tell anyone what is appropriate or not. Especially to young girls who are experiencing too many changes in their bodies. They do not need to be swayed by what society says. Most especially, they do not need to start having doubts and losing their confidence.

Featured image via Julie Venn, Facebook