Fatness is not a choice, for anyone. Period.
This is something I hear myself repeating in almost every video I make on social media, whether I’m talking about diet culture, body image or other fat issues. Inevitably, when I speak up, someone enters my comments criticising me, my body, my assumed eating habits and lifestyle.
The assumption is always the same: everyone is fat for the same reason, they eat the same, lead the same lifestyles, and are fat by choice.
Join me for episode 30 of The Culture Of It All, where we’re sitting down for a Fat Chat and exploring WHY people still believe that being fat is a choice. We’ll discuss why this belief is outdated, the misunderstanding of fat bodies, and why I still have empathy for folks who believe it’s a choice.
The belief that all fat folks are fat for the same reason completely bypasses the 30+ factors that lead to increased body weight, and is a fundamental misunderstanding of fat bodies, diet culture and the fat experience.
I’ve never denied that there are health conditions correlated to higher body weight, nor that certain foods can lead to higher body weight, and also, that’s not the point nor is it an excuse for fatphobia.
Comments like “I used to be fat, and now I’m not. I chose what I ate then and I choose to work hard and eat healthy now. No one is forcing you to eat crap all day.” have been tough to read. Besides the fat stereotypes and blatant fatphobia, the anger and complete lack of compassion is stunning. I do not understand how people think it’s okay to talk to someone like this, even if they are hidden behind their screen. Their misplaced anger towards a fat person who has made a decision not to diet is incredibly transparent; my body neutrality and anti diet beliefs are something to be feared.
If you’d asked me a decade ago, I would have told you the same damn thing, because I grew up being told that fatness is something preventable and manageable through diet and exercise.
When I struggled with that, I was told it was about motivation, and willpower.
When that wasn’t enough, I cut out food groups.
When that didn’t work, I ate even less, and stopped eating real food altogether.
When that didn’t work, I tried supplements.
When that didn’t work, I repeated the cycle again.
Because, surely if it’s THIS simple, then eventually it would work, right?
As long as we continue to be told that fatness is something to be afraid of, and something we can control — long term — then people will continue to assume being fat is a choice.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction and Welcome
01:35 Social Media and Fatphobia
06:21 Diet Cycling and Personal Experiences
10:15 Fundamental Misunderstandings of Fat Bodies
13:06 Societal Narratives and Weight Loss
17:12 Hope for Fat Acceptance and Liberation
If you’d like to suggest topics, guests or share your thoughts about this episode feel free to comment or join the chat here on Substack.
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