Mike Byerly Photography
No excuses? 32-year-old mom Maria Kang drew criticism after she posted the above image on Facebook, prompting one emailer to call her 'a shame to women.'
She wasn’t excused.
A 32-year-old mom has drawn a firestorm of online criticism over a photo she posted on Facebook to promote her fitness expertise that some say amounts to bullying.
Maria Kang of Sacramento, Calif., shared a glossy shot of herself in ab-revealing workout gear along with her brood of three boys ages three years and under, below the caption "What's your excuse?"
"I felt that if others can overcome incredible challenges to be in shape, why would my story be any different?" Kang, a sometime model and TV fitness expert who also owns a residential care home for the elderly, explained on her personal website.
RELATED: ARE YOU REALLY AN EMOTIONAL EATER, OR ARE YOU JUST HUNGRY?
While the photo drew its share of compliments, the implication that other busy mothers have no excuse for not being as taut and toned as Kang was too much for some.
To Kang's surprise, the image - which was posted over a year ago — went viral, and she soon found herself under attack from strangers who accused her of bullying and "fat shaming."
"I don't feel this motivates people all that much, it's sorta just a prideful brag thrown onto Facebook in front of many women's faces just to tease and mock them," one critic commented September 24.
"Right...I'm sure she has a nanny doing all the work while she works out all day," sniped another.
RELATED: FAT-SHAMING CONTRIBUTES TO OBESITY: STUDY
www.mariakang.comOn her personal website, Maria Kang describes herself as a 'wife, mother, business owner and nonprofit founder.'
Kang chose not to respond to the backlash until she received a hurtful personal email, she told GoodMorningAmerica.com on Tuesday.
“It said I should be ashamed of myself and that I should take down my Facebook profile picture,” Kang said. “It said I’m a shame to women. It was deep and hurtful.”
In what she called her "First and Final Apology," Kang posted on Facebook September 25 that she was "sorry" her haters "took an image and resonated with it in such a negative way."
"I won't go into details that I struggled with my genetics, had an eating disorder, work full time owning two business' [SIC], have no nanny, am not naturally skinny and do not work as a personal trainer. I won't even mention how I didn't give into cravings for ice cream, french fries or chocolate while pregnant or use my growing belly as an excuse to be inactive," she wrote.
RELATED: NYU PROF IN OBESE-INSULT TWEET DEBACLE
"What I WILL say is this. What you interpret is not MY fault. It's Yours. The first step in owning your life, your body and your destiny is to OWN the thoughts that come out of your own head. I didn't create them. You created them. So if you want to continue 'hating' this image, get used to hating many other things for the rest of your life. You can either blame, complain or obtain a new level of thought by challenging the negative words that come out of your own brain.
"With that said, obesity and those who struggle with health-related diseases is literally a 'bigger' issue than this photo. Maybe it's time we stop tip-toeing around people's feelings and get to the point."
That post has generated over 15,500 shares to date, as well as encouragement from some followers.
"Your photo is amazing and a great example of what is possible for anyone. Having kids or not having kids should not be an excuse," one supporter wrote.
"There is no problem in showing people that sexy is possible after having kids," another echoed.
tmiller@nydailynews.com
On a mobile device? Click here for video.
