Jump to content

Fat acceptance movement: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
No edit summary
Line 117: Line 117:
| publisher = [[Reason Foundation]]
| publisher = [[Reason Foundation]]
| date = October 23, 2007
| date = October 23, 2007
| url = http://www.reason.com/news/show/123151.html
| url = http://www.4chan.org/fit/
| accessdate = 2009-08-17}}
| accessdate = 2009-08-17}}


Revision as of 07:13, 13 February 2012

Gabe Newell
Newell at the 2010 Game Developers Conference
Born (1962-11-03) November 3, 1962 (age 61)
Alma materHarvard University (dropped out)
OccupationManaging director of Valve Corporation

The fat acceptance movement (also known as the size acceptance, fat liberation, fat activism, or fat power movement) is an effort to change societal attitudes towards fat, obese, and overweight people.

Background

Activism concerning the societal acceptance of fat people covers numerous fronts but generally can be described as attempting to alter societal, personal, and medical attitudes.

The movement argues that overweight people are targets of hatred and discrimination,[2] and that obese women are subjected to more social pressure than obese men.[3][4][5] Hatred and disrespect towards fat people are seen in multiple places, including media outlets, where fat people are often ridiculed[6][7][8] or held up as objects of pity.[9] Discrimination comes in the form of lack of equal access to transportation and employment.[10]

Proponents argue that anti-fat stigma and aggressive diet promotion have led to an increase in psychological and physiological problems among fat people.[3] Proponents of fat acceptance maintain that people of all shapes and sizes can strive for fitness and physical health.[11][12][13][14] They believe health to be independent of, not dependent on, body weight. Thus, proponents promote "health at every size", the philosophy that one can pursue mental and physical health regardless of their physical appearance or size.

Through the works of authors such as Paul Campos and Sandy Szwarc, the fat acceptance movement has argued that doctors should treat the health problems of people of all sizes, believing that health issues are not defined by weight and are shared by people of all sizes, fat and thin. Some in the movement have argued that the health risks of fatness and obesity have been exaggerated or misrepresented, and used as cover for cultural and aesthetic prejudices against fat.

Fat activism remains a marginal movement.[15] Organizations such as the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA) and the International Size Acceptance Association (ISAA) have relatively small memberships, and people interested in the movement tend to be clustered in larger cities and spread across medium- to small-sized web communities.

History

During the early part of the 20th century, obesity was seen as detrimental to the community, by means of decreasing human efficiency, and that obese people interfere with labor productivity in the coastal areas of the United States.[16]

This kind of history and visibility gave rise to the Fat Acceptance movement which originated in the late 1960s, although its grassroots nature makes it difficult to precisely chart its milestones.[17][18] Like other social movements from this time period, the fat acceptance movement, initially known as "Fat Pride," "Fat Power," or "Fat Liberation," often consisted of people acting in an impromptu fashion. A "Fat-in" was staged in New York's Central Park in 1967.[19] Called by a radio personality, Steve Post, the "Fat-in" consisted of a group of 500 people eating, carrying signs and photographs of Sophia Loren (an actress famous for her figure), and burning diet books.[20]

Several groups formed during this period to promote a fat acceptance agenda. In 1969, William Fabrey founded a social club promoting "Fat Pride" called the National Association to Aid Fat Americans, subsequently renamed the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA). In 1973, a radical NAAFA chapter spun off to become an independent group, the Fat Underground, promoting a stronger activist philosophy. They were inspired by the philosophy of the Radical Therapy Collective, a feminist group that believed that many psychological problems were caused by oppressive social institutions and practices. The Fat Underground, founded by Sara Fishman (then Sara Aldebaran) and Judy Freespirit, took issue with the growing bias against obesity in the scientific community. They coined the saying, "a diet is a cure that doesn't work for a disease that doesn't exist".[21]

Shortly afterwards, Fishman moved to New Haven, CT, where she, along with Karen Scott-Jones, founded the New Haven Fat Liberation Front, an organization similar to the Fat Underground in its scope and focus. In 1983, they collaborated to publish a germinal book in the field of Fat Activism, Shadow on a Tightrope.[22] The book collected several fat activist position papers initially distributed by the Fat Underground, as well as poems and essays from other writers.

The 1980s and 1990s witnessed an increase in activist organizations, publications, and conferences.[17][18] In the 1980s, new anti-dieting programs and models began to appear in the research literature in response to new information dispelling common myths about obesity.[3]

Modern movement

Members of the contemporary movement perceive negative societal attitudes as persistent, and as being based on the presumption that fatness reflects negatively on a person's character.[23][24] Currently, the fat acceptance movement continues to strive for change in societal, personal, and medical attitudes toward fat people. Proponents engage in public education about what they describe as myths concerning fat and fat people.[25] Organizations hold conferences and conventions: including "NAAFA",[26] the "Association for Size Diversity and Health",[27] the "No Lose Annual Conference",[28] and "FatGirl Speaks".[29] Several books have been written on the topic, including Fat!So? Because You Don’t Have To Apologize For Your Size, By Marilyn Wann, Tipping the Scales of Justice: Fighting Weight-Based Discrimination, by Sondra Solovay, Largely Happy: Changing your mind about your body, by Lynda Finn, and Don’t Diet, by Dale Atrens.

In recent years, more writers have written to promote fat acceptance: related online zines include Fat!So[30] and Figure 8,[31] related blogs include Kate Harding's Shapely Prose,[32] Big Fat Blog,[33] The F Word,[34] The Body Love Wellness Blog,[35] and PeopleOfSize.com.[36] Several websites have sprung up to help connect fat people with fat-friendly service providers and products. Many books have been published challenging the medical claim that fat produces ill health and highlighting the issue of weight-based discrimination that fat people are subjected to by medical professionals and society at large.[37][38] Size discrimination has been increasingly addressed in the arts, as well. Performance art groups such as The Padded Lilies, Big Burlesque and the Fat Bottom Revue, among others, intentionally feature fat bodies in their shows.

There has also been an emerging body of fat political and sociological studies, some with a fat activist agenda, developing within the academy. The American Popular Culture Association has an area in fat studies and regularly includes panels on the subject. In addition, student groups with a fat activist agenda have emerged in a number of colleges including Hampshire, Smith, and Antioch colleges.

In addition to what the movement is doing to raise public awareness, there have been a surge in studies both for and against fatness in scientific journals. [citation needed]

Issues within the movement

Wikinews has related news:
Self-described fat activist[39][40] Kira Nerusskaya feels that how people describe themselves depends upon their comfort level with their bodies.[41]

One point of contention in the movement is found between those fat people who are attempting to lose weight and those who are not. Opponents of weight loss attempts cite the high failure rate of all permanent weight loss attempts, and the many dangers of "yo-yo weight fluctuations" and weight loss surgeries.[citation needed]

Due to intrinsic linguistic misunderstandings and differing definitions of the word "acceptance," some fat activists believe the phrase refers to any fat person fighting for equal rights and opportunities, regardless of whether or not that person believes that the pursuit of reduction in a person's body mass is feasible. Other fat activists define fat acceptance more strictly, applying that phrase only to fat people who are not pursuing a reduction in their body mass, and use phrases such as fat activist to describe fat people and allies working more generally on civil rights issues pertaining to fat people.

In practice, the only way to know the position of any particular individual member of the group on weight loss attempts is to ask, or read specific position papers on the issue.

Another common division in the fat acceptance community is the differing attitudes towards general society, specifically thin people. The fat acceptance community generally divides into two categories. One is those who feel discrimination towards thin people hinders their cause. The other side views thin people as the enemy, or the partial cause of their social stigma; some cater to this group with mockery of thin people.[42]

Michigan, Washington, D.C., the California cities of San Francisco and Santa Cruz, Binghamton, New York, Urbana, Illinois, and Madison, Wisconsin have passed laws prohibiting weight discrimination. [43]

Criticism

Health problems

Main article: Obesity-associated morbidity

Many studies show that people who are obese are more likely than others to be in poor health, at a time when health care costs are rising,[44][45][46][47][48] though activists claim this may be partially attributed to stigma that people who are overweight face in everyday life, and these people avoiding doctors because of perceived weight discrimination in the medical profession.[49] In 2006, the CDC estimated that 10 percent of current health care costs are due to obesity.[50] A Dutch study concluded that lifetime cost of obesity are less as these individuals die at an earlier age, while obese individuals have higher annual health care costs.[51]

There are many health related problems associated with obesity, including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, and joint problems caused by overloading the skeleton with too much weight. Studies show that obesity reduces life expectancy.[52][53] Public health officials regard widespread obesity as posing significant costs to society.

Social criticism

Fat acceptance advocates' positions have sparked criticism. While acknowledging that fat and obese individuals are subject to inappropriate discrimination or pressure, some critics hold that fat acceptance advocates' goal of unconditional acceptance of obesity is itself unhealthy. One study concluded that "the risk of death from all causes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, or other diseases increases throughout the range of moderate and severe overweight for both men and women in all age groups."[52] The same study also found that the mortality risk associated with "overweight" is greater for whites than for blacks, raising questions about whether one set of standards for what constitutes health can be applied uniformly across demographic groups.

Critics also contend that accepting fatness will make people less likely to aspire to achieve a healthy weight. The common fat acceptance mantra that "diets don't work" may discourage a person in need of a healthier lifestyle from making responsible and potentially beneficial changes in eating habits. Research has shown that obesity is most commonly caused by a combination of excessive dietary calories, lack of physical activity, and genetic susceptibility.[54][55]

Experts at The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine published a study suggesting that, as the obese eat 18% more than average, they are unfairly contributing to world hunger and climate change. Dr David Haslam, of the National Obesity Forum (UK) responded "Really, it (the study) is discriminatory towards obese people. They are an easy target at the moment, but I think the causes of climate change and rising food prices is much more complex." [56]

See also

References

  1. ^ Oliver Chiang, February 9, 2011
  2. ^ "Enoughdiscrimination.com". Enoughdiscrimination.com. Retrieved 2011-12-31.
  3. ^ a b c B. E., Robinson (1996). "The "If Only I Were Thin..." Treatment Program: Decreasing the Stigmatizing Effects of Fatness". Professional psychology, research and practice. 27 (2). Arlington, Virginia, United States: American Psychological Association: 175–183. doi:10.1037/0735-7028.27.2.175. ISSN 0735-7028. OCLC 8996897. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ Official Policies & Newsletters, National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance
  5. ^ "Council on Size and Weight Discrimination - Discrimination FAQ". Cswd.org. Retrieved 2011-12-31.
  6. ^ "Diet, Weight loss - Related". Health 24. Retrieved 2011-12-31.
  7. ^ "Council on Size and Weight Discrimination - Weight Discrimination on Television". Cswd.org. Retrieved 2011-12-31.
  8. ^ Greenberg BS, Eastin M, Hofschire L, Lachlan K, Brownell KD (2003). "Portrayals of overweight and obese individuals on commercial television." Am J Public Health. Aug;93(8):1342-8.
  9. ^ Malooley, Jake (2007-11-07). "Weighing in - Time Out Chicago". Timeout.com. Retrieved 2011-12-31.
  10. ^ Attention: This template ({{cite doi}}) is deprecated. To cite the publication identified by doi:10.1023/A:1007712500496, please use {{cite journal}} (if it was published in a bona fide academic journal, otherwise {{cite report}} with |doi=10.1023/A:1007712500496 instead.
  11. ^ Ikeda JP, Hayes D, Satter E, Parham ES, Kratina K, Woolsey M, Lowey M, Tribole E (1999). "A commentary on the new obesity guidelines from NIH." J Am Diet Assoc. Aug;99(8):918-9.
  12. ^ Naafa Policy On Physical Fitness, naafa.org
  13. ^ "ISAA's Respect | Fitness | Health Initiative". Size-acceptance.org. Retrieved 2011-12-31.
  14. ^ Sizediversityandhealth.org - Home - Mission[dead link]
  15. ^ Big Trouble | Bitch Magazine, bitchmagazine.org
  16. ^ Attention: This template ({{cite doi}}) is deprecated. To cite the publication identified by doi:10.1111/1467-9566.00289, please use {{cite journal}} (if it was published in a bona fide academic journal, otherwise {{cite report}} with |doi=10.1111/1467-9566.00289 instead.
  17. ^ a b "Life In The Fat Underground by Sara Fishman". Radiancemagazine.com. Retrieved 2011-12-31.
  18. ^ a b Big As Texas 2001 Event-Keynote Address, members.tripod.com
  19. ^ "Curves Have Their Day in Park; 500 at a 'Fat-in' Call for Obesity," New York Times. June 5, 1967, pg. 54
  20. ^ Fletcher, Dan (2009-07-31). "The Fat-Acceptance Movement". Time.
  21. ^ The Fat Underground, largesse.net
  22. ^ Shadow on a Tightrope: is Writings by Women on Fat Oppression, eds. Lisa Schoenfielder and Barb Wieser. Iowa City, IA: Aunt Lute Books, 1983
  23. ^ Murray, S (2005). "(Un/Be)Coming Out? Rethinking Fat Politics" Social Semiotics Vol. 15 No. 2
  24. ^ Attention: This template ({{cite pmid}}) is deprecated. To cite the publication identified by PMID 11743063, please use {{cite journal}} with |pmid=11743063 instead.
  25. ^ NAAFA has a brochure titled Dispelling common myths about fat people
  26. ^ "NAAFAonline.com". NAAFAonline.com. Retrieved 2011-12-31.
  27. ^ "SizeDiversityAndHealth.org". SizeDiversityAndHealth.org. 2003-02-01. Retrieved 2011-12-31.
  28. ^ "NoLose.org". NoLose.org. 2011-09-16. Retrieved 2011-12-31.
  29. ^ "FatGirlSpeaks.com". FatGirlSpeaks.com. Retrieved 2011-12-31.
  30. ^ "Fatso.com". Fatso.com. Retrieved 2011-12-31.
  31. ^ "Geocities.com". Webcitation.org. Retrieved 2011-12-31.
  32. ^ Harding, Kate. "KateHarding.net". KateHarding.net. Retrieved 2011-12-31.
  33. ^ "BigFlatBlog.com". Bigfatblog.com. Retrieved 2011-12-31.
  34. ^ "The-F-Word.org". The-F-Word.org. Retrieved 2011-12-31.
  35. ^ "BodyLoveWellness.com". BodyLoveWellness.com. Retrieved 2011-12-31.
  36. ^ PeopleOfSize.com
  37. ^ The Obesity Myth (2004) by Paul Campos republished as The Diet Myth
  38. ^ Sandy Szwarc’s in depth examination of obesity research in the online magazine “Tech Central Station”
  39. ^ State weighs law against size discrimination, Dan Ring, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, March 26, 2008
  40. ^ Dating in NYC, Time Out New York
  41. ^ Wikinews interview
  42. ^ "The Top 8 Things Skinny Girls Can't Do". BBWCupid.com. Cupid Media. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= and |work= (help)
  43. ^ "Weight Discrimination Laws". NAAFA Online. NAAFA. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
  44. ^ "NIH.gov" (PDF). Retrieved 2011-12-31.
  45. ^ Harvard Medicine, hms.harvard.edu
  46. ^ Harvard Medicine, hms.harvard.edu
  47. ^ Harvard Medicine, hms.harvard.edu
  48. ^ Obesity Raises Cancer Risk - MSN Health & Fitness - Breast Cancer[dead link]
  49. ^ Stigma and Discrimination in Weight Management and Obesity, xnet.kp.org
  50. ^ SciGuy: Should fat people pay higher insurance premiums?, blogs.chron.com
  51. ^ Attention: This template ({{cite doi}}) is deprecated. To cite the publication identified by doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0050029, please use {{cite journal}} (if it was published in a bona fide academic journal, otherwise {{cite report}} with |doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.0050029 instead.
  52. ^ a b Calle EE, Thun MJ, Petrelli JM, Rodriguez C, Heath CW (1999). "Body-mass index and mortality in a prospective cohort of U.S. adults". N. Engl. J. Med. 341 (15): 1097–105. doi:10.1056/NEJM199910073411501. PMID 10511607. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  53. ^ Peeters A, Barendregt J, Willekens F, Mackenbach J, Al Mamun A, Bonneux L (2003). "Obesity in Adulthood and Its Consequences for Life Expectancy: A Life-Table Analysis". Annals of Internal Medicine. 138 (1): 24–32. PMID 12513041. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  54. ^ Kushner, Robert (2007). Treatment of the Obese Patient (Contemporary Endocrinology). Totowa, NJ: Humana Press. p. 158. ISBN 1-59745-400-1. Retrieved April 5, 2009.
  55. ^ Adams JP, Murphy PG (2000). "Obesity in anaesthesia and intensive care". Br J Anaesth. 85 (1): 91–108. doi:10.1093/bja/85.1.91. PMID 10927998. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  56. ^ Obese blamed for the world's ills, BBC, British Broadcasting Corporation, Friday, 16 May 2008
  • (A) Medical Practitioners' Guide to Benefits of Adapting Environments for the Obese, Michigan State University study by Angela Berg MD and Joyce Burke MD, MSU.edu

Sources

Academic journals

  • Attention: This template ({{cite pmid}}) is deprecated. To cite the publication identified by PMID 16477791, please use {{cite journal}} with |pmid=16477791 instead.
  • Attention: This template ({{cite pmid}}) is deprecated. To cite the publication identified by PMID 10340803, please use {{cite journal}} with |pmid=10340803 instead.
  • Attention: This template ({{cite jstor}}) is deprecated. To cite the publication identified by jstor:3090142, please use {{cite journal}} with |jstor=3090142 instead.
  • Attention: This template ({{cite doi}}) is deprecated. To cite the publication identified by doi:10.1038/oby.2007.84, please use {{cite journal}} (if it was published in a bona fide academic journal, otherwise {{cite report}} with |doi=10.1038/oby.2007.84 instead.
  • Attention: This template ({{cite doi}}) is deprecated. To cite the publication identified by doi:10.1002/hrm.20157, please use {{cite journal}} (if it was published in a bona fide academic journal, otherwise {{cite report}} with |doi=10.1002/hrm.20157 instead.
  • Attention: This template ({{cite pmid}}) is deprecated. To cite the publication identified by PMID 16737356, please use {{cite journal}} with |pmid=16737356 instead.
  • Attention: This template ({{cite pmid}}) is deprecated. To cite the publication identified by PMID 12972672, please use {{cite journal}} with |pmid=12972672 instead.
  • Attention: This template ({{cite doi}}) is deprecated. To cite the publication identified by doi:10.1080/00497870590964165, please use {{cite journal}} (if it was published in a bona fide academic journal, otherwise {{cite report}} with |doi=10.1080/00497870590964165 instead.

Other publications

Fat Acceptance at Curlie

Organizations

Fat Acceptance organizations

Other organizations

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fat_acceptance_movement&oldid=476604756"