Weight loss a good essay topic?

myscreenname568
Sat, 22 Oct 2016 12:54:16 +0000

One of the common app essay questions is something along the lines of “tell a story that you wouldn’t be the same without”. I think weight loss is the best example I have. Previous answers to this question say to stay away from it because it shows image issues, vanity, an inability to deal with stress, and/or a possibility of “relapse”. Here are a few more (non-specific, of course) details about my particular situation that I think make my story different.

Image issues: it’s something I’ve overcome, and it’s not just because I’m “not fat anymore”. I’d say that I’m more equipped to deal with insecurities now, not that they’re totally gone.

Vanity: this kind of ties into the first one. The weight I’ve lost is a significant amount, and no reasonable person can argue that where I started wasn’t a very unhealthy position. As a middle schooler I had a BMI of about 32, which is in the obese range. And my motivation wasn’t vanity either, what got me started was really seeing how unhealthy I was and more importantly how dangerous it was to be that heavy.

Inability to deal with stress: I really don’t want to brag, but I think my high test scores and AP-heavy workload prove that I can deal with stress just fine. Isn’t that one of the main reasons to take those courses in the first place? Academically my application is incredibly strong, I just hope this essay can supplement it.

Possibility of relapse: I don’t think I can predict this since who knows the future? But to be perfectly honest I don’t see it happening. I already addressed the stress thing, so really the only reason to think it would happen is if the independence of college life would make me go astray and screw it up. Of course the only reason this would happen is if my family created an incredibly controlled environment so that I could lose weight (making healthier dinners, taking junk food out of the house, playing sports together). My family has been incredibly supportive, but in reality I did all the work myself. This happened during high school, so it’s not like some abstract thing that I very vaguely remember. It’s not like I’ve “always been like that”.

So, what do you think? Still a bad idea? I really don’t have any better topics. No sports, no music, no drama, no academic competitions to write about. I genuinely feel like this is my defining story up to this point. As to what it “reveals” about me (motivation, character, self-discipline, etc.), I think I’ll leave that up to the admissions officers to decide. Show, don’t tell, right?