Anti-fatness is Oppression
How Systems Normalize and Benefit from Bigotry in Society
Hating fat people for being fat is Bigot behavior. Bigotry being the unjust and/or unreasonable hatred of people, ideas or beliefs. We tend to associate bigotry with conservative ideologies. The act of dehumanizing ANY population being seen as an oppressive tactic to normalize the continued abuse of said group. So why do “well meaning” straight sized liberals normalize the dehumanization and oppression of fat people? Using the same reasoning that has (and still is) used to hate black and brown people, queer people and disabled people. Maybe it’s the Autism but the pattern seems incredibly clear. Systems intentionally create these hierarchies to keep themselves in power.
Steps to Manipulating Human Value
Group in power (resources ie money and freedom) convinces population that they are blessed or more valuable based on genetic traits ie skin color, cultural values and religion. Leaving populations to fight amongst themselves for left over power and resources.
Dehumanizing begins as a smear campaign, spreading information about how that population is bad, evil, worthless and thus deserving of poor treatment in society. Friendly reminder that this is not just “human nature”. This is a colonial view of life where competition is the motivator not community and survival.
Further othering population in question by deny access to resources, creating interventions that do not consider said population. This is done over decades, further normalizing the treatment of said community.
Full blown dislike across political parties and encouraging the population to abuse said group as a way to encourage personal social standing. Social standing is attached to survival further motivating populations to act out against these groups.
This system is not new and has been used repeatedly to ensure society remains complacent. We are all non consenting members in this system which means no mater your political affiliation, you have been exposed to these beliefs and social hierarchies. Now let’s take this process and attach it to anti-fatness.
Anti-fatness is rooted in anti-blackness and perceived lower levels of morality. People in power wanted free labor from enslaved humans. Creating narratives around savagery and immorality based on “non-white” features ie curves, hair texture and fat distribution. Lumping fatness with immorality and lack of control.
White Europeans used the church (huge influence at the time) to identify fatness as a sin (gluttony). Shifting away from resource hoarding to personal lack of will power evidenced by being in a larger body. Identifying thinness with self control and being morally elevated. Leaving white European women to start demonizing larger bodied women as immoral and gluttonous.
Over decades using medical research based in anti-blackness and anti-fatness to normalize the hatred of fat bodies. Biased researchers in academia identifying fatness with negative traits due to cultural bias. Using the BMI based on white men as a global measurement of health. Research being paid for by companies that benefits from anti-fatness ie diet culture. People in power creating books, laws and research based on the thin white male opinion. Treated as fact. White women perpetuate these beliefs to maintain superiority under white males.
Through media, research and capitalism fat hatred is now cemented and normalized throughout the world. No one questions this hatred, assuming that dehumanizing fat people is normal. That fat people are lesser than thin people. Allowing thin people to be elevated based on genetic differences.
This is super oversimplified. If you want more information on the connection between Anti-fatness and Anti-blackness please read the books below!
Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fatphobia by Sabrina Strings
Belly of the Beast: The Politics of Anti-Fatness by De’shaun Harrison