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Fat fetishism

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Jedlev (talk | contribs) at 06:24, 21 April 2017 (Added paragraph explaining gaining/feeding as an identity (as opposed to a traditional fetish) with links to three sources). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Fat fetishism is sexual attraction to overweight or obese people.[1]

The most recent version of the Adipophilia flag, created by Kevin Seguin, also known as 'The Cosmopolitan'. This flag is more widely accepted by the community, as its colors encompass the many different facets of Fat Fetishism while honoring more classic fetish flag concepts.[2]

A variety of fat fetishism is feederism or gaining, where sexual gratification is obtained not from the fat itself but from the process of gaining, or helping others gain, body fat. Fat fetishism also incorporates stuffing and padding, whereas the focus of arousal is on the sensations and properties of a real or simulated gain.

Attraction

Physical attraction of 47 male fat admirers (FA, in red) towards 10 female figures from the given BMI range, compared with a control group (CG, in blue)[3]

A 2009 study found that heterosexual male fat admirers preferred females that were clinically overweight and rated both overweight and obese women more positively than slighter individuals. The study also found that participants reacted positively to a much wider range of figures than a control group, even rating emaciated figures higher. It concludes "these findings suggest that an explanation for fat admiration may be that FAs are rejecting sociocultural norms of attractiveness".[1]

Gaining and Feeding

Gainers and feedees are people who enjoy the fantasy or reality of gaining weight themselves. Encouragers and feeders enjoy the fantasy of helping someone else gain weight. Gainer and encourager are common labels among gay men, while both straight men and women and gay women often identify as feeders and feedees. [4] Gainers and feedees have a wide array of personal weight-gain goals--only 10 percent of gainers and 13 percent of feedees express interest in immobility as a fantasy or reality. [5] [6]

While gaining and feeding are often considered fetishes, many within the gainer and feederism communities report viewing them more as a lifestyle, identity or sexual orientation. [4] As a result, gainer and feederism communities online have formed tight connections, with many seeking out friendships and relationships with other self-identified gainers, encouragers, feeders and feedees. [7] In an analysis of profiles on one feederism website, more than two-thirds of single people indicated that they were seeking a relationship with someone who shared their interest. [8]

The gay gainer community grew out of the Girth & Mirth movement in the 70s. By 1988 there were gainer-specific newsletters and in 1992, the first gainer event, called EncourageCon, was held in New Hope, PA. In 1996, GainRWeb launched, the first website dedicated to gay men into weight gain, ushering in the internet era. [9]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Swami, Viren; Tovee, Martin J. (1 January 2009). "Big beautiful women: the body size preferences of male fat admirers". The Journal of Sex Research. 46: 89–96. doi:10.1080/00224490802645302. PMID 19116865. Retrieved 25 November 2010.
  2. ^ http://www.gayfetishgoth.com/resources/flagdetails/fatfetishism.html
  3. ^ Swami, V.; Tovée, M. J. (2009). "Big Beautiful Women: The Body Size Preferences of Male Fat Admirers". Journal of Sex Research. 46 (1): 89–96. doi:10.1080/00224490802645302. PMID 19116865.
  4. ^ a b Bestard, Alyshia (September 2008). "Feederism: an exploratory study into the stigma of erotic weight gain". University of Waterloo Thesis Paper: 27–28.
  5. ^ Feederism Community Report
  6. ^ Gainer Community Report
  7. ^ Prohaska, Ariane (October 2013). "Feederism: Transgressive Behavior or Same Old Patriarchal Sex?". International Journal of Social Science Studies. 1: 104–111.
  8. ^ Feederism Community Report
  9. ^ Textor, Alex Robertson (July 1999). "Organization, Specialization, and Desires in the Big Men's Movement: Preliminary Research in the Study of Subculture-Formation". International Journal of Sexuality and Gender Studies. 4: 218–220.

Sources

  • Giovanelli, Dina and Natalie Peluso. 2006. "Feederism: a new sexual pleasure and subculture". Pp 309–314 in The Handbook of New Sexuality Studies. Edited by Steven Seidman. Oxford, UK: Routledge.
  • In the RTÉ TV series Katherine Lynch's Wonderwoman, one of the characters had a Polish boyfriend who chose a larger woman over her and she referred to him as a feeder by saying "I'd only landed myself with a bleeding feeder."
  • Kathleen LeBesco. 2004. Revolting Bodies?: The Struggle to Redefine Fat Identity. Univ of Massachusetts Press. ISBN 1-55849-429-4
  • Don Kulick and Anne Meneley. 2005. Fat: The Anthropology of an Obsession. ISBN 1-58542-386-6

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