Fatphobia and How to Combat it
Fatphobia, or the irrational fear of fatness, fat bodies, and fat people, is one of the most prevalent stigmas today. With social media perpetuating body ideals that care thin, airbrushed, and with fat in all the right places (whatever that means), large bodies are often ridiculed, discriminated against, and considered ugly.
These ideas start in childhood. Villains in our favorite films, like Ursula from The Little Mermaid or the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland are fat women. We are taught that fatness=bad from preschool. Fatness is often equated with poverty, less education, and clumsiness. And while obesity levels are higher in poverty stricken areas, this is merely because cheap and accessible foods are often unhealthy. Deadly Besties: Food Insecurity & Poor Body Image.
Fatphobia is taught by parents and passed down to their kids. And when 50% of 3-6 year old girls are worried about being fat, we have a real problem. Fatness is looked at as a moral failure, which is part of the reason why obese and overweight children are more likely to be bullied by their peers. But the problem doesn’t end with playground bullying, it follows overweight and obese people into adulthood. This can lead to discrimination in the hiring process, not being taken seriously by doctors, and struggles making friends.
Fat discrimination has increased by 66% over the past decade, and is a form of discrimination that is widely considered acceptable by society. Unwelcome comments about fat people’s bodies are deemed acceptable on social media. Platforms like TikTok are known for censoring fat bodies while also spreading messages by users who call fat people ugly and worthless. In this past week alone, I have seen 3 videos from men on TikTok shaming fat women. The issue is that these videos are placed on a user’s “For You Page” by a random algorithm, which means that children, with no choice of their own, can come across these videos. For fat children, these can lead to feelings of shame, low self esteem, and even disordered eating. And it can also spread and normalize fatphobia among the younger generation.
Then we have videos and posts online that compare fatphobia to “skinny shaming.” Skinny shaming is a real thing, but it is nowhere near the same as fatphobia. Skinny shaming is a prejudice from person to person, and it can hurt just like any other form of bullying, but fatphobia is an institutionalized form of discrimination. It can directly impact a person’s livelihood and health. Schools, emergency services, and healthcare discriminate against fatness, while celebrating thinness, which is why it is important that fatphobia is not compared to other struggles. It is unique and harmful.
The issue becomes, how do we fix this issue? It requires active unlearning of ideals taught to us, ideals that are decades old. But there are lessons and practices that we can take with us or teach to others:
1. Don’t make certain foods “good” or “bad”
Giving foods labels can stigmatize what people eat. Have you ever watched a fat person eat a burger and thought ‘that’s why they’re fat’? If that’s the case, you may have internalized fatphobia. No food is inherently good and no food is inherently bad. Carrots are morally on the same ground as cookies, and it’s important to remember that
2. Embrace your own beauty - no matter what size!
Constantly expressing wanting to lose weight, or pointing out your “flaws” can make others insecure by association. Just think about it, if a friend you see as beautiful is putting themselves down over and over, you may think “well if they think they are ugly, I must be hideous.” The truth is that everyone is beautiful in their own unique way. There is only one of you, and you deserve to feel beautiful inside and out, and the first step starts with using positive words to describe yourself!
3. Don’t make comments on other people’s weight
Weight loss or weight gain isn’t a positive or negative thing. It is fully okay to tell your friends “you look great/beautiful/amazing,” but avoid commenting about their size. While it may feel like a compliment to say, “have you lost weight? You look great!” it only perpetuates the idea that weight loss makes you morally better than people who are heavier and aren’t losing weight.
4. Celebrate body diversity in the media you consume
This means following people of all different sizes on social media, watching TV and movies that offer positive fat representation, and reading books with fat characters. The more diverse your influences, the more accepting you will become.
5. Call out fatphobia when you see it
Especially if you are in a thin body, it is important to use your voice to stand up against fatphobia. Maybe it’s just commenting that the fat representation in a TV show falls on stereotypes, or standing up for a friend being bullied. No matter what it is, stand up for others and for yourself. The world will be a better place for it.
Learning to be a fat ally will take practice. You will have your own internal biases to combat, and that’s okay. The important thing is to learn and teach others on your journey. Hopefully one day, kids won’t be bullied for their weight, and that change starts with you.