Bodybuilder Says Sorry For Showing ‘Inappropriate Concern’ To Woman Who Ate Ice Cream
We all know people who just can’t seem to keep their opinions to themselves.
They’re often on social media, airing their thoughts about every little thing that bothers them. Sometimes it’s so petty, most people won’t give a second thought.
But netizens were quick to pick up on an Instastory posted by Singaporean bodybuilder and fitness trainer Shah Cutler on Monday (19 Nov).
Comments on random woman’s eating habits
From the screenshot, it looks as though Mr Shah was standing close to a line at an ice cream shop.
He spotted a woman dressed in black queuing up and saw the need to pick her out from the rest of the line.
As if drawing a circle around her wasn’t hurtful enough, his comments were even more shocking.
Wtf so fat still wanna (eat) ice cream?? Disgusting
Mr Shah’s apparent distaste towards the woman’s dietary preferences may be due to his fitness background, but it’s still no reason for him to shame her like that.
That’s two counts of insults — for her body shape and her choice of indulging in a sweet treat. We all need a bit of indulgence once in a while, surely that’s not disgusting.
Removes story after backlash from netizens
Instastories may only last for 24 hours, but screenshots are forever.
Mr Shah has removed his original story probably after backlash from netizens who had seen it. But one of them was quick enough to get a screenshot and bring the discussion over to Facebook.
His enraged, upper case caption for the post echoes other netizens’ dissatisfaction towards Mr Shah’s Instagram story.
In brief, the netizen berated Mr Shah for picking on the poor woman and uploaded a screenshot of Mr Shah’s profile which revealed that he was a fitness trainer.
He explained that the lady should be allowed to decide what she did with her body and Mr Shah had no right to criticise her choices.
After reading netizens’ angry reactions to the Facebook post, it’s no surprise that Mr Shah had removed the original story from Instagram.
Uploads an apology on Instagram
As infuriating as Mr Shah’s comments might be, we understand that he must have made them in a moment of folly.
We’ve all done things we’ve come to regret. Credit has to be given to Mr Shah for owning up to his mistake.
To do it via an Instagram post on his public profile with over 2,000 followers takes courage.
He acknowledged that he was “too rash” and that his statement was “insensitive” and “offensive”.
While his sincere apology should be appreciated, netizens couldn’t help but notice that he hasn’t allowed comments on his post.
Perhaps it’s to prevent further backlash, but some netizens continued to take issue with his explanation for his actions.
In his own words,
As a trainer, I’m deeply committed to my duty to help people achieve their health and fitness goals and I’ll continue to do so in more appropriate ways from now.
Health & fitness goals
Although we get that Mr Shah’s tendency to identify potential health and fitness problems stems from his occupation as a trainer, but the implication that this was his intention is rather unsettling.
We’re pretty sure the lady involved didn’t ask for any advice on achieving her “health and fitness goals”.
Having said that, let’s not flame Mr Shah endlessly for his error. He did publicly apologise and acknowledge that there were “more appropriate ways” for him to give fitness advice.
Let’s hope that he keeps his promise and only coaches people who seek his help at the gym.
Featured image from Facebook and Instagram.
