Fat. Just this seemingly simple, three-letter word can conjure up pain for many of us. Childhood memories of being made fun of on the playground. A “before picture” taken at that weight-loss program we tried. A moment full of shame in the fitting room.
Turn the TV to any channel, flip through any fashion magazine, scroll through any social media feed, and you will be thrust into a world where thin people are celebrated and fat people are nowhere to be found. And yet, fat people—a term increasingly and intentionally used to destigmatize and ultimately embolden—make up the vast majority of Americans.
In a world where discrimination can range from hurtful (fat people are routinely the butt of jokes in everything from casual conversation to big-screen Hollywood movies) to outright dangerous (doctors regularly advise weight loss without further analysis to fat patients while recommending blood work, CAT scans, or physical therapy for patients of smaller size experiencing the same symptoms), fat people are given the message that they are unworthy. And the vegan community isn’t immune to this harmful rhetoric either. Veganism and diet culture have been confused for years, and as the movement grows stronger, the prevalence of health-focused messaging combined with rampant body policing is only doing harm. How can we pry apart plant-based advocacy from society’s too-prevalent anti-fat bias and work toward a size-inclusive movement? First, we have to unpack the way we treat fat people. And it’s a big problem.
All hail Lizzo
When it comes to shifting the conversation
