Most people have heard about racism or sexism, but what about fat phobia? Are there really people out there who discriminate against a person for their weight?

I began thinking about this subject after recently reading The Devil Wears Prada where the magazine staff are constantly being reminded to stay thin. It made me realize that fat phobia could be a very real thing so I decided to do a little research on the subject. The first thing to know is that there is fat phobia scale. Yes, you read that correctly, and no, it is not a pun. The fear of fat is so prevalent in our society that they had to develop a scale to measure it. On the fat phobic scale of 1-5, a score of 4.4 or above indicates a high level of fat phobia, while a score of 3.6 or below indicates an average level of fat phobia.

What is Fat Phobia?

Fat phobia, as the name implies, is the fear of being fat or of fat around you. Another name for this phenomenon is ‘weight bias.’ Quite simply it is judging the personality of someone or their intrinsic characteristics based solely on their body weight and outward appearance.  Over recent years many people have argued that this situation is limited to the United States, but this comprehensive study about fat phobia shows that the problem is a global one. Fat phobia is even starting to occur in Fiji, a country normally pleased with a plump figure, possibly as a result of American T.V. shows according to this news article titled “Fat-phobia in the Fijis: TV-thin is in.”

Significance

Now that we know that fat phobia is a real issue with enough research to have a standardized scale, how prevalent is it?

According to the information provided in the study “Fat Phobia of University Students: Attitudes Toward Obesity,” women are more likely to experience fat phobia then men. Women were also more likely to give fat phobic scores to certain adjectives such as “overeats,” “no will power,” and “shapeless.” It is intriguing to consider the statistically significant differences between men and women on this matter. Why are women so much more averse to fat than men? Even more interesting is the idea that weight bias is often accompanied by thinking that weight is purely a willpower or choice matter. The less people are aware of the factors influencing weight loss, the more likely they are to have an internal weight bias.

According to this fact sheet from the National Eating Disorders Organization gives some alarming statistics about how soon fat phobia starts. By age 6, girls begin to worry about their weight and body shape. To be honest I had to read that statistic twice to make sure I was seeing the number correctly.  From age 6 to 12, 40-60% of all girls are concerned about their weight or are fearful of becoming fat. This type of attitude doesn’t stop when a girl turns 13, but can continue into a life of body image issues and low self-esteem.

But I’m Not Fat phobic, Why does it matter?

It is incredibly important to be aware of problems facing society to keep from continuing harmful practices such as stigmatizing fat.  Society needs to begin to educate itself on the difference between fat and unhealthy. In the same way, positive body image needs to be reinforced starting very early in life. Teaching young children that being fat is negative or makes you less than someone skinny is a poor investment in our children.  After all, how can you tell a 6 year old that looks aren’t the most important thing in life when all she experiences is the harmful repercussion of fat phobia? No person should be denied or discriminated against because of their weight.

Opposing Viewpoints

Some people may argue that fat phobia isn’t a real problem in society or that being fat means being unhealthy. While it is true that there is a correlation between weight and heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and specific types of cancer, it is important to note that much of weight is influenced by outside factors and conditions. Pushing society to be physically fit is good, pushing everyone to fit a size 2 is not. Discriminating against someone who doesn’t fit your proposed schema of ‘healthy’ is not okay. Judging someone’s characteristics by their weight is much like judging someone by the color of their hair. Useless and non-descriptive.

Something to Chew On

The more I researched this topic, I realized how big of an industry fat phobia provides our country. Just think of how many diet plans, gym memberships, healthy foods, weight loss videos, and TV shows permeate our lives everyday. Think about it for a second and you’ll realize just how huge this industry is. Every single one of these items is either fully or partially motivated by the desire to lose weight, implying once again that fat is bad and skinny is good. To me, this scenario sounded eerily similar to the cigarette issue discussed in class. Once again there is a significant problem with a large industry standing in the way.

Conclusion:

Fat phobia is  real issue with real repercussions that could negatively impact the future of individuals and our society as a whole. The problem is there, but there aren’t any steps being taken to correct it for the future.

Thoughts

Do you think fat phobia is a problem? Have you experienced an event that you would like to share? Do you have an opposing viewpoint? Join the discussion by commenting below.

That’s all for now.

Meghan