Do I Look Fat in This?

Do I Look Fat in This?
Before leaving for Kenya I had assumed there was a universal answer to the titled question. Normally I would also assume that I needn’t tell you that the answer should be a resounding and unquestionable, “NO.” However, after a conversation with a secondary student at school earlier today I realized that not only would this question perhaps not have such a well known reputation, but that neither is the “fat” topic, quite the touchy subject we consider it to be between men and women. What exactly did a high school boy say to me today to prompt me to right such a post? It went a little something like this…
After eating my peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and a FEW pringles, I headed out to the school yard to join the students during their lunch break. Benjamin, a 19 year old sophomore Bethany and I have become good friends with approached me smiling as always, with his lunch bowl scraped clean. “Did you have lunch yet?” he asked me. Upon answering him that I had indeed and that I had enjoyed it he turned his eyes to my stomach an announced that I looked “quite full,” his apparently objective comment was accompanied by a chuckle. Taken a bit aback by his laughter I sarcastically responded in a similar fashion as to when a friend back at home told me to stop wearing horizontal stripes, and that my future husband would appreciate me doing a few sit ups. He didn’t seem to understand why I covered my stomach with my hands while telling him not to make fun of me, and consequently insisted that I remove whatever was under my shirt. “Nothing is under my shirt; it’s my stomach Benjamin…” He didn’t believe me and decided to ask our friend prudence what she thought. This whole scenario played out for at least another 5 minutes, and I am quite certain that he remained unaware and unclear as to why I thought he was calling me fat, and why that did not delight me. Needless to say, I don’t think I will ask him his thoughts on my skinny jeans, instead I will leave him to his regular comments on my hair and make-up looking “smart.”
Before leaving for Kenya I had assumed I could gorge myself on In N Out burgers and Ben n Jerry pints, since I had been well assured that missions trips inevitably lead to weight loss. I had affectionately referred to this as my Kenya diet. Clearly I had never been to Kenya and apparently neither had they…