Kaisa Kopliste says people should be accepted as they are

Nutrition adviser Kaisa Kopliste said she was more troubled by society’s focus on appearance than by insults directed at her, ERR’s Ringvaade reported.

On this week’s Impulss programme, Kopliste criticised a “magic water” made from soda and lemon juice that beauty and health adviser Krislin Kuuskemaa, who lives in Bali, promotes on social media. Kopliste called the drink useless and said she disagreed with Kuuskemaa’s advice.

In response, Kuuskemaa criticised Kopliste’s appearance, saying she looked swollen and should try the drink. She also suggested Kopliste go on a retreat to deal with trauma, arguing that criticism reflected inner pain.

“So it turns out I’m too ugly and swollen to speak up at all,” Kopliste said. But she said Kuuskemaa’s remarks were not what upset her most. Rather, she objected to the idea that a person’s appearance should determine whether they are taken seriously.

Kopliste said she could not relate to the suggestion that nutrition advisers should be judged by the results they had achieved themselves. She advises people from many different backgrounds and asked what results she could show on their behalf. She also noted that people often say an overweight doctor cannot be taken seriously.

“Appearance is not a priority for me, but this kind of talk is unpleasant,” Kopliste said. She added that the reviewer of her thesis, a researcher she described as a thoughtful woman, had long felt that her appearance meant she was never good enough, regardless of what she did.

Kopliste said it was unfair to target people’s looks. She argued that people are often labelled based on choices such as wearing makeup or having Botox, with assumptions made in either direction. Although she said people naturally tend to sort things into black-and-white categories, she added that doing so overlooks nuance and is unfair to others.

After Kopliste shared her message, women began posting pictures of themselves without makeup or otherwise looking natural. She said seeing people support her without being asked was moving, especially because it showed how much the issue mattered to them.