Internalised Fatphobia A List Of The Warning Signs
We’ve talked a lot about fatphobia here, and today we’ll discuss signs you have internalised fatphobia. I think it’s vital we discuss it as it’s the most pervasive and difficult to eliminate type of fatphobia there is. It’s something I battle against almost daily.
Before I begin and explain what it is and signs you may have it, I want to make one thing crystal clear. I am not saying if you recognise any of them that you are a terrible person, or not body-positive, or “part of the problem”, urgh I really hate that one!
I’m saying that after a lifetime of being fed fatphobic thoughts daily, it’s going to take a long time to remove the toxic thoughts and behaviours it has caused.
What Is Internalised Fatphobia?
It’s two long words that describe a simple concept. After years of oppression and bad treatment, the person on the receiving end starts to buy into it and starts mistreating themselves. In the case of fatphobia, a person believes they deserve to be badly treated because being fat is disgusting and wrong, and they should be ashamed.
They fully commit to diet culture. Fear ordering what they want to in a restaurant because of judgement. Accept being fobbed off with weight loss suggestions from their doctor when they know there’s something wrong.
It’s awful, but in a sick way understandable. Even primary school children nowadays understand being fat is bad. If you’ve been told that fat is bad and thin is good your entire life, it’s a huge battle to fight this belief. Thinness is everywhere you look and held up as the ideal, something to envy and strive for.
Even when you embrace fat acceptance and self-love, it’s tough to root out all fatphobic thoughts. So what are they?
Signs Of Fatphobia
You still see foods as good or bad. Yes, any foods. Ice cream, chocolate, fried chicken, pizza, crisps, salad, fruit, boiled chicken are all just food. Some have more fat; others have higher protein; some contain lots of vitamins. They have no moral value whatsoever. If you believe they are good or bad, the fatphobia is still there.
You have any food rules at all. Here are a few examples:
You can’t eat pizza two nights in a row
No dessert because you had a starter
You must stop eating at 7 pm
If you had a big lunch, you need to eat a small dinner even if you’re as hungry as normal at dinnertime
You need to always leave something on your plate
No rules. Period. Listen to what your body wants. You can trust it.
You feel upset or disgusted if you catch sight of yourself naked. If you have these thoughts, it’s natural to an extent. You’ve been made to feel this way a long time. If you catch yourself, try to stop and re-educate yourself. Turn the bad into good.
You feel you can’t wear certain outfits cos they make you look fat. All outfits make me look fat because I AM! I still rock them, though! So can you. Bodycon dresses, horizontal stripes, crop tops, bikinis, all of it!!
You do workouts you don’t enjoy. There are so many fantastic ways to move your body. If you’re still killing yourself five nights a week and don’t love doing it, ask yourself why. If it is genuinely to build a healthy, strong body, that’s fine, although you still may want to consider finding an enjoyable way to do it. However, If even 1% of your goal is to make you thinner, then internalised fatphobia rears its ugly head again.
You make jokes about your weight or appearance. This has been a standby of the fat community for decades. Get in there first before others do. Be self-deprecating. Subtly let people know you’re ashamed of your weight. Let them know it’s ok to see you as a joke. It’s not cool, and it needs to stop.
You believe it’s ok that you pay extra because you’re fat. Buying an additional seat on an aeroplane. An identical top being £5 more expensive as a size 18 than it is as a 14. That it’s ok that only a small percentage of stores carry clothes in your size. No, it isn’t. The average woman’s size in the UK is 16, only carrying small sizes is bullshit.
Any More?
I’m sure by now you get the idea. This list is by no means complete. What I want is to get you to complete an inventory of your own internalised fatphobia. I’d love to hear what you come up with. Let me know in the comments below 👇
