Defining 7 Terms From The Fat-O-Sphere And Fighting Hate
No one who has read my blog can miss the fact that I am fat. I hope it is also clear to my readers that after a shit-ton (yes, that’s the technical term) o work I have repaired my relationship with my body, and to an extent, my mental health. However much work I do, though, it continues to frustrate me no end how people misunderstand even the most basic terms regarding the lives of fat people. So, today here is my go at defining terms from the fat-o-sphere.
Please note, I am not saying my definitions are the only or the correct definitions. I am just explaining fat-centric terms as I see them.
Obesity
This is a bullshit term, created specifically to medicalise fatness. Why would someone do that? Simple, if it’s an illness then they can state that it’s a problem and market products to “fix” it. Kerching! This is a massive industry which includes doctors, bariatric surgeons, drug companies, dieticians, diet companies, mineral/wellness companies, gyms, personal trainers and plastic surgeons.
Fatness is a billion-dollar industry. They say they want to help fat people, but if they succeeded in making us all thin their profits disappear. Can we really trust their motives? I’ll say it again, this is one of the terms from the fat-o-sphere that is complete crap.
Fat
This is an interesting place to start as fat means different things to different people. Merriam-Webster describes it as:
“notable for having an unusual amount of fat:
a
: PLUMP
a cute, fat little baby
b
: having excessive body fat”
It sounds straightforward until you think hard about it. “notable for having an unusual amount of fat” – unusual compared to what? Who defines this? The next definition has the same problem, excessive body fat according to whom? It’s possible we could use the medical definitions of excessive body fat but that’s not what people do, is it?
For a model, a mere five-pound weight gain could be considered fat. In these days of size zero, someone who is a size 10 might think of themselves as fat. It’s subjective and a constantly moving scale and that’s what makes it so dangerous. It’s also seen as a deadly insult, but that’s a separate issue.
Fatphobia
No, it’s not a fear of fat people in that you feel terror when you see one. However, it is a deep-seated fear of becoming fat. Society teaches us there is literally nothing more disgusting and wrong than allowing yourself to become fat. I genuinely believe paedophiles get less hate than fat people do.
Fatphobia is an inherent, societal bias and it affects every aspect of our lives. It’s one of the most wilfully misunderstood terms from the fat-o-sphere.
- It affects how attractive people find us
- It makes people think we are lazy, greedy and uncooperative
- It makes people feel it’s acceptable to bully us and be abusive
- It makes people feel they can make comments about our bodies, laugh at us and stare at us
Weight Stigma
Fatphobia is bad enough and no one should have to deal with it. I believe the misery, anxiety and stress of abuse and judgment cause far more health problems than the fat itself does. Then, just when you think it can get no worse, weight stigma ups the ante.
Weight stigma is when society as a whole actively discriminates against and excludes fat people. Here are some examples:
- Weight stigma can lead to fat children being bullied and receiving a lower standard of education compared to other children
- It affects how successful fat people are in obtaining a job, working in customer-facing roles, receiving equal pay and advancing their careers
- It affects the care we are given if they become ill. Many types of diagnostic equipment, from blood pressure cuffs to MRIs do not fit fat people. Treatment is often started later than would be the case for a slim person. Symptoms are dismissed by doctors. Patients are consistently told to lose weight with the health concern they came in to address ignored. There are horrific stories of fat people dying unnecessarily because doctors did not investigate their symptoms
- Clothing is limited in high street stores with many popular shops carrying no plus sizes whatsoever. Those that do often only have a small selection which is more expensive than standard size
- Many restaurants do not offer alternative seating meaning fat people can either be uncomfortable or not be able to be there at all
- Airline seats and seatbelts can be too small. This limits the airlines that fat people can use. Some penalise fat people further, making them buy two seats instead of having larger seats, to begin with
Weight stigma is real and it is dangerous. For more on the medical side, please check out the fabulous FatDoctorUk, Asher Larmie’s site No Weigh.
Body Neutrality
In the movement to fight fatphobia, there are three broad paths you take. Sometimes, people aren’t clear about the difference so as we’re defining terms from the fat-o-sphere let’s clear it up.
Body neutrality is learning to feel neutral about your body. This means that you don’t love it, nor do you hate it, you simply accept it the way it is. For some people, it can seem an impossible task to learn to love your body after hating it for so long. Body neutrality is an excellent stepping stone or the final destination in some cases.
Body Positivity
Body positivity began in the 1960s and 70s. It was pioneered by queer people of colour who were sick of only seeing pictures of skinny white people wherever they looked. They began groups that promoted and celebrate images of all body sizes and shapes.
I was a big body positivity fan for a long time. I’ve moved away from it though as it has become the domain of ever-so-slightly bigger than slim white women. It’s not what the movement is about. It is meant to be about ALL bodies. It has lost its way in my opinion.
Body Liberation
My favourite! I discovered body liberation when I was looking for an alternative to body positivity. Body liberation encourages us to stop focusing on our bodies altogether. Activist Cliona Byrne describes it as, “Body Liberation is freedom from all outside expectations of how your body should be/look, even your own.”
When you stop obsessing over how you look and focus on who you are your life changes in ways you can’t even imagine. Once your mind moves from scales, dress sizes, calories, exercise minutes and so on, you’re free to devote your thoughts to things that make you happy. You’re free to start living your life, not living to lose weight.
What Have I Missed?
If you feel there are any terms from the fat-o-sphere that I’ve missed or you would like to add to one of my definitions please feel free to pop it in the comments.
