Traditionally, when a woman uses the word “fat,” it comes loaded with negative connotation. It is an emotion (I feel fat); it is an enemy (fighting fat); it is a defining characteristic of self (I’m so fat); and it is a derogative term (you fat, lazy_____). But as more and more women slide towards the hefty side of the scale, a fat revolution is taking place. According to the self-proclaimed fat activists, big is beautiful. It is not shameful, unattractive, or unhealthy. Being fat is reason to rejoice.
A Hefty Hoorah
There are parties, like the annual FatGirl Speaks, a “size, self, and sexuality” celebration that takes place in Portland, Oregon. ’Zines, like Figure 8, ask readers to “refuse to feel shame about their bodies.” A squad of hefty cheerleaders has chants for the chubby (“hey, hey you, get out of my way, cuz this fat girl is gonna rock it today”), and there are so many pro-fat bloggers that a recent New York Times article called the online community the “Fatosphere.”
Of course, defending fat is nothing new. Organizations like the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance have been around since the 1970s. The movement has its roots in civil rights and feminism; challenging discrimination and the cultural norm that says all women must conform to an unrealistically thin ideal. But what started as a movement to defend the rights of the minority has expanded to include the majority. In the 1970s, around 47 percent of Americans were overweight or obese; now 66 percent of us are. In addition, the number of just obese people has doubled, from 15 percent of our population to 30 percent. And the advocates are no longer just defending themselves; they’re on the offensive, challenging the popular belief that fat is unhealthy.
A Big Fat Lie?
For instance, some feel that the medical problems associated with excess weight are exaggerated. Gina Kolata, a New York Times science writer questions the notion that thin is a realistic or necessary objective for most. In her book, Rethinking Thin, she asserts that weight loss is an unachievable goal for many, and that losing weight isn’t so much about health as it is about money, trends, and impossible ideals.
Recent research also challenges the idea that being overweight is bad. A study in JAMA found that being twenty-five pounds overweight did not increase the risk of heart disease and cancer, and may even help stave off infections. Bloggers extol the virtues of fat over thin. On the Figure 8 Web site is the unreferenced statement, “More Americans die from weighing too little than weighing too much.” Another blog called Jezebel has an article with the title “Thin May Be in, but Fat’s More Fun,” referencing research which found that overweight people tend to be more outgoing, while thin ones are more anxious. A blog called Chubby Mommy Running Club dispels the notion that overweight means lazy.
But at what point does self-love and acceptance distort the underlying problem? Though our culture makes fat and thin almost purely cosmetic issues, this obsession detracts from the real issue, and that is health and well-being. Despite some claims, the overwhelming amount of research indicates that being at the extreme ends of the scale has very real consequences.
