When Kaling was in elementary school, she noticed that she was larger than many of her classmates. Kaling’s mother was a doctor who lived in India and Africa before coming to the United States. Having seen more of the world than their daughter, her parents were unconcerned about Kaling’s weight: “She and my dad didn’t mind having a chubby daughter. Part of me wonders if it even made them feel a little prosperous” (11). Kaling compares her parents’ attitude to the American obsession with appearance. Americans have many monikers to describe various types of weight sizes, including “chubby” and “pudgy.”

When Kaling was in the 9th grade, a boy named Duante ridiculed her for her size. Kaling dieted and lost weight, but Duante continued to bully her. Kaling explains that she likes dieting but lacks discipline, so she assumes she will continue to be considered overweight for the rest of her life.

Kaling was never athletic and did not enjoy sports as a child. While playing on the climbing ropes with her brother when she was five, she made it to the top but did not like how the rope had chafed her legs. To the embarrassment of her older brother, she was too scared to return down the rope and had to be rescued by an adult on a ladder.