Megyn Kelly said that some women “want” to be fat-shamed, and here’s why that’s deeply problematic

Has Megyn Kelly found the secret to staying slim? During January 11th’s airing of Megyn Kelly Today, Kelly joked that some women want to be fat-shamed. Uh…we’re really not too sure about that, Megyn.

Kelly was interviewing fitness blogger and “controversial ‘fit mom’” Maria Kang for the Thursday morning segment. In 2013, Kang was accused of fat-shaming other moms when she posted a photo on her Instagram showing off her toned abs and three young children. The photo boasted the caption, “What’s your excuse?” After finding herself in hot water, Kang apologized and has since changed her tune about how body image and beauty correlate.

But perhaps Kelly missed that memo. She instead told Kang that she should “parlay the shaming thing into a professional business.” No, Megyn. No.

"Some of us want to be shamed," Kelly said. "When I was in law school, I was gaining weight, I said to my stepfather, 'If you see me going into that kitchen one more time, you say, "Where you going, fat ass?"' And it works!"

As BuzzFeed pointed out, viewers were not pleased by Kelly’s lighthearted take on fat-shaming, a serious and harmful issue. Many took to Twitter to share their own experiences with fat-shaming and explain how her insensitive statement is highly unprogressive.

While interviewing a fitness blogger on her show Megyn Kelly told viewers that some women want to be fat-shamed, adding that "it works!" pic.twitter.com/xqgFPfhgNO

— Mary Ann Georgantopoulos (@marygeorgant) January 11, 2018

I was publicly fat shammed early on in my career and it sent me to therapy. Trust me, there are real life ramifications for fat shaming of any kind, it is NEVER acceptable. We should be fostering a healthy culture that celebrates all women of all sizes. https://t.co/dFn3hGwot6

— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) January 11, 2018

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.@megynkelly My dad fat-shamed me for most of my childhood. Guess what? I'm still fat. I have a slew of emotional disorders. And we've never been able to repair our relationship. In short: Shame on you for trying to tell anyone this is a good way to parent. It's poison. https://t.co/NA5A5BvKym

— suzie 🥀 (@suzannesamin) January 11, 2018

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The bottom line is that no one should be shamed for their physical appearance.

Fat-shaming doesn’t help anyone. It hampers self-esteem and can lead to larger emotional issues.

Don’t take Megyn Kelly’s advice — fat-shaming does not work. Set your own health and fitness goals, and let others be a source of positive encouragement only.