Maria Kang has sparked outrage once again with her latest contentious “What’s your excuse” campaign.

This time around she is provocatively illustrating the excuses that she does not allow to hold her back from her fitness goals, the campaign sparking many an outraged woman’s response.

As a mother of five children myself, I can see how a woman such as Maria Kang would be proud of her achievements. She looks amazing for a mere mortal human, let alone one that has mothered three offspring. Although these are her achievements, her fitness goals, her obsession.

I don’t understand why she must thrust what makes her feel good as a women, into the vulnerable faces of completely different human beings with completely different interests and priorities in life.

On a personal level I just find it ludicrous that because this woman feels good about the way she looks on the outside, she must boast about her physical attributes?

Physical attributes. Let me remind you once again, physical.

She is not promoting health. She is not promoting exercise as a means of combatting debilitating mental illnesses such as postnatal depression or anxiety. She is not promoting weight loss initiatives to help women with infertility issues. She is not promoting women holding other women up. NO.

She, as a woman, in this day and age, is promoting sick packs and biceps and mean girl arrogance.

You know what makes me feel good about myself as a woman, Maria Kang? Cooking Italian Food. How absurd would it be if I were to start showing you pictures of myself in the kitchen cooking spaghetti Bolognese, while I mock your grilled chicken and salad?

It would be rude of me. I would even say I’d be intimidating you. Bullying even.

A friend of mine is really good at math. She is an accountant. That is her passion.

How ridiculous would it be if she started chasing English majors down with a calculator, screaming calculus at them while they attempt to read quietly?

It’s insanity.

If I were so passionate about cooking spaghetti Bolognese and I wanted to get people just as passionate, my approach would be much different.

Perhaps I would engage with people who I thought needed help with cooking and I’d say “Hey there, you with the fish fingers. I really enjoy cooking spaghetti Bolognese and if cooking spaghetti Bolognese looks like something you would be interested in learning how to cook, I’d love to teach you some time.”

I would not say, “Hey you with the fish fingers. You’re pretty shit. Look how good my meatballs are.”

Humility is a wonderful thing Maria Kang.

Humility in itself is a motivator. As is kindness and empathy. Attributes I’d hoped a mother of three would have.

If tomorrow, something happened to your looks Maria Kang, where would your self-esteem come from?

If you give yourself no excuses, no room to be human, what happens to your humanity?

If only our eyes saw souls instead of bodies, how very different our ideals of beauty would be.