Food was no longer something that nourished our bodies. It was a reward for mastering control of them. I’m a survivor — of fat camp. I know it sounds like I’m exaggerating. After all, how terrible could a weight-loss camp for girls be? Well, it was bad enough that I’m still dealing with its after-effects decades […]
Wake up: you don’t get to decide what I can and can’t wear. I am so, so tired of being told what’s right for my body. For once I’m not talking about politics here. I mean literally being told what’s right for my body, how if my body is apple shaped I should wear one […]
In Schumer’s world, the only thing funnier than a fat woman is a fat woman who thinks she’s beautiful. If you ask the the directors of Amy Schumer’s new movie, I Feel Pretty, what its message is, they’ll tell you it’s about self-empowerment and not letting society’s perceptions of you dictate your self worth. The […]
I’m fat, and the fear of getting fat is no longer viable. I grew up in a fatphobic household — one that was created by my mother’s fear of getting and staying fat. Her fatphobia, often directed at me, was then reinforced by my brother, and unconsciously supported by my father. My parents were extremely […]
There are still mornings I look in the mirror and struggle not to tell myself that no one could ever want me. It is exceedingly difficult to come to terms with your own sexual identity, in any respect. While sexual exploration is by no means the taboo it used to be, it’s still considered “alternative” […]
Do we really want our daughters to grow up thinking they’re not good enough because of their size? Fatphobia, or the bizarre fixation a good chunk of our society has on being terrified of becoming/being/seeing/touching anyone or anything that has to do with fatness, hurts everyone. As someone who identifies as being a fat woman, […]
There is a tangible, real-world economic cost to being a fat person in America. Years and years ago, I used to be thin. I used to live a beautiful life wrapped up in my thin privilege, calling myself an ally to my fat friends. I was blissfully unaware of the many joys and freedoms my […]
As much as the conversation about body image has spread to men, society saves its most vicious scorn for women. I think it was sixth grade when a tougher kid made me do the “truffle shuffle,” in the gym locker room. The shuffle originates from The Goonies movie where a chubby kid shakes his belly for […]
When you focus on dieting and weight loss, you’re feeding the cultural nonsense. I’ve sat with hundreds of clients who are breaking out of the diet/binge trap and developing a healthy relationship with food and their body. But then they have to go out into a fatphobic, food-obsessed world where their friends, family, colleagues, acquaintances, healthcare providers, and […]
Depression isn’t something you can control, and it certainly isn’t something caused by being a certain weight. “You know, you should really just lose weight,” the psychiatrist says to Caley. I’m sitting in the counseling office with my sister, Caley, who is currently experiencing a difficult episode of depression. Her sense of self-worth is low, to […]
