1. Fat-Shaming and Other Body Image Issues

2. Part I Fat-shaming

3. Discussion of the word “Fat”
Defined in this context as “Perceived as overweight”
Subjective (both cultural & personal)

4. Fat shaming defined
Negative attitudes toward a person perceived as overweight
Also called weightism, weight discrimination, and weight bias

5. Have you ever experienced fat-shaming?
Rude comments
Rude looks
Other aspects?
Do you ever call yourself fat?
Do you ever compare your body’s to others?
Haley Morris-Cafiero's Stunning Photographs Show The Strange Looks An Overweight Woman Receives In Public

6. Related to body shaming
Which other aspects of the body (NOT size-related) are also critiqued?

7. Also related to food-shaming
“Are you going to eat THAT??” Leads to secret eating (women eat a salad in Public, go home and aat what they want)

8. 3 elements of fat-shaming
Disgust—strongest predictor of anti-fat stereotypes (lazy, sloppy, etc.)
Contempt
Anger
(Source: Vartanian, Thomas & Vanman, 2013)

9. Moral insufficiency Can be similar to our feelings about drug users
How can they DO that to themselves?

10. Why should we care? Impact on physical health
Less likely to seek medical care
Women avoid gynecologist even if symptoms appear, so more cancer
More likely to binge, etc.
Symptoms ignored—”just lose weight”

11. Doctor’s comments
“You’re fat every day, so you should exercise every day.”
“I lack self-discipline.”
“I need to work harder”
“I am shameful.”

12. SW value of dignity Harm of being stigmatized
One study of older persons: weight stigma more harmful than racism or sexism
Both physical & emotional health impacted
(Source: Sutin, et al, 2014)

13. Beauty bias
Appearance discrimination—12 to 16% of workers believe that they have been affected
(Rhode, 2010)
Related to disability discrimination---person may have deformed or missing body part
Ugly laws (Berry, 2007)

14. Classism “Trailer trash”

15. Poverty & obesity
“Although there is some evidence that poverty is fattening, there is much stronger evidence that fatness is impoverishing” (Ernsberger, 2009)

16. Why is poverty fattening?
Food deserts—neighborhoods w/ corner markets and dollar stores (high-carb, little nutrition)
Fast food is cheap and filling
Barriers to exercise
Neighborhoods not safe to walk in
Time issue (2 jobs)

17. Why is fatness impoverishing?
Less likely to go to college
Less likely to be hired or promoted
Lower wages

18. Honor body diversity

19. Racism
Correlation between weight bias and bias vs. other “out” groups (Campos et al., 2006)
Lazy, lack will power and self-control

20. Uncontrolled appetites (sex & food)

21. Welfare queen stereotype

22. Impact on welfare spending?
“We're the only nation in the world where all our poor people are fat.” (Phil Gramm, 1981)
1996 TANF law—Personal Responsibility & Work Opportunity Act
People are responsible for their poverty and their weight
No other factors

23. Sexism— Shut up, you’re just a fat cow
Silencing of women (scold’s bridle)

24. Fat=Invisible
“Has anyone else found that men treat you like you are either invisible or some hideous abomination when you are fat, especially when you are single” (blog—3fatchicks)

25. Shrinking woman Video of Lily Myers poem

26. Part II: Other body image issues
India and other nations—selling “whitening” products to make “fairer” skin
Ads reinforce message that dark skin = unworthy, unlovable

27. Hair—baldness issue

28. Bad hair days

29. Hair for African-Am women— Social pressure to straighten it?

30. Clothes

31. Discussion
How do we pre-judge people based on their physical appearance?
Have you ever been pre-judged by somebody that was to your benefit?
Has anybody pre-judged you based on your appearance in a negative way?

32. References
Berry, B. (2007). Beauty bias: Discrimination and social power. Greenwood Publishing Group.
Campos, P., et al. (2006). The epidemiology of overweight and obesity: Public health crisis or moral panic? International Journal of Epidemiology 35:
Ernsberger, P. (2009). Does social class explain the connection between weight and health. The fat studies reader,
Rhode, D.L. (2010). The Beauty Bias: The Injustice of Appearance in Life and Law. NY: Oxford University Press.
Sutin AR, Stephan Y, Carretta H, Terracciano A. Perceived discrimination and physical, cognitive, and emotional health in older adulthood. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. Published online March
Vartanian, L.R., Thomas, M.A., & Vanman, E.J. (2013). Disgust, contempt, and anger and the stereotypes of obese people. Eating and Weight Disorders 18:4, pp