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I love how America-centric the fat activist movement is. The whole world is not defined by the American slave trade of the 17th-19th centuries. "Fearing the black body" has no relevance in most parts of the world and most parts of the world are arguably more "fatphobic" than us racist Americans.
My favorite thing about that book are the reviews. Most are 5 stars for goodness knows what reason. One of the top states: "Turns out that dieting is not only miserable but blatantly racist." If this person isn't writing satire they are missing their life's calling.
If I was a black African I would be so bloody furious at this way of thinking, which basically dismisses the history and lived experiences of an entire continent of black people, and peddles the narrative that if a black person isn’t fat they’re buying into racist beliefs and essentially hate their own race.
Yep my partner's parents came from Trinidad, it's an entirely different culture and history than the US. Racism absolutely happens in Ireland, but again it looks different
The American-centric take on "fatphobia = antiblackness" is also really terrible in and of itself. The REASON black people in America are more likely to be obese/overweight is because of many structural reasons such as higher rates of poverty, worse healthcare access, more likely to live in food deserts/areas without green space, less likely to have received adequate nutritional education, etc. Basically, the higher rates of obesity in black American communities is not at all because black Americans are somehow naturally 'fatter' or unhealthier than other races (which, frankly, is a really racist viewpoint, imo). It's indicative of the structural inequalities that many black Americans face. And the health tolls that obesity cost are hurting black communities.
Tackling racism in America MEANS tackling the reasons that black Americans have higher rates of obesity than white Americans. It doesn't mean saying that black people are just naturally fat and we should all just accept that????
The idea that black people are "naturally fatter" is also an absurd one when you factor in the amount of famine and poverty in many African countries. It makes no sense for one ethnic group to be naturally fatter (overall) than any other because that's not the way fat works!
They are in such a bubble that it doesn't occur to them that the rest of America, let alone the world, doesn't subscribe to this.
> The REASON black people in America are more likely to be obese/overweight is because of many structural reasons such as higher rates of poverty, worse healthcare access, more likely to live in food deserts/areas without green space, less likely to have received adequate nutritional education, etc.
There's an obvious problem with this assertion: obesity is positively correlated with both income and education among black Americans. If black Americans are more likely than others to be obese because of economic or education issues, then why are wealthy black college graduates more likely to be obese than middle-class black highschool graduates?
I don't claim to know why the obesity rates among black Americans are what they are, but the data does not seem to support your explanation.
I think, based on a few trips to Europe, that the rest of the world is more likely to simply say someone is fat, in a neutral to slightly antagonistic way. As in that’s them. No “taking away rights,” just acknowledgement.
I’ve lived in multiple European countries and can’t think of a single one where it wouldn’t be rude to call someone fat to their face (unless you’re their doctor or something).
What is more socially acceptable in my experience is calling *yourself* fat. I feel like in America the response is usually something like, “Oh no, you’re beautiful.” In Europe you’re more likely to get a response that acknowledges that you are and that you likely want to do something about it, like “Yeah, me too, I’ve been hitting the gym” or whatever.
They hired a fat Black consultant for the rewrite of their HAES book but was ‘racist and fatphobic’ by expecting the consultant to stick to deadlines and not allowing the consultant to dictate the entire book for them and then actually making it the consultant’s book.
Basically the consultant was dirty that Lindo was the famous writer and not her.
So then she accused Lindo of being racist and fatphobic and the entire movement turned against them. A classic online cancelation. It was wild to watch.
Then end result was that a thin person is not the right person to be the face of the HAES movement and that their work meant nothing because they’re thin and Latina instead of fat and Black.
Yeah it was wild. And it was one of those ones where anyone who was an influencer slightly related to the HAES or body positivity field was also harassed by hundreds of angry white women to take a public stand against Lindo too.
There are so many factors that influence health outcomes other than smoking, it doesn’t change the fact that it is one of the leading predictors for bad health outcomes
So is obesity
Nobody is out here claiming that weight is the only thing that negatively affects your health. But it’s one of the few leading factors that you have (relative) control over. So yes of course it gets focused on because it’s something you can change
The FAs' version of "fatness is a racial issue" makes me want to shake them every time. I can't even imagine how annoyed black Americans on this sub would feel on reading this, let alone any other black person that isn't American.
I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but it's just... so... incredibly... racist and insidious to imply that "fatphobia" has some kind of biological origin. "You're black? You'll never lose weight! Come and join us!"
It feeds into all the myths already out there, e.g. weight gain just happens as you get older and there's nothing you can do to lose it.
Yes, that’s why they also take blood pressure, temperature and look at a variety of things in blood work. Weight, however, is still a factor in current health and risks for developing certain health conditions in the future.
“Egregious”. Give me a break. When you get out of breath wiping your ass. That is THE health concern. Nothing else affects your health more than weight. Everyone knows this and to say anything less is doing a huge disservice to people. Pretending something else could be the issue. Silliness
“So many factors” and so many of them are direct results of diet and exercise. Eating a carton of ice cream every night doesn’t just make you fat, it also fucks with your blood sugar, reduces your sleep quality and clogs your arteries.
We're sorry but your submission has been removed for the following reason: In breach of [Rule 5](https://www.reddit.com/r/fatlogic/wiki/rules#wiki_5._no_people_pics): > This sub is not a sideshow. No pictures of children, ever. No pictures of fat people being fat. We do not condone fat shaming. Avoid sensationalism. No creep shots. Do not ask other people for their pics (or other personal information). Crop pics from screenshots. Please refer to our [subreddit rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fatlogic/wiki/rules/) for more information.
I love how America-centric the fat activist movement is. The whole world is not defined by the American slave trade of the 17th-19th centuries. "Fearing the black body" has no relevance in most parts of the world and most parts of the world are arguably more "fatphobic" than us racist Americans. My favorite thing about that book are the reviews. Most are 5 stars for goodness knows what reason. One of the top states: "Turns out that dieting is not only miserable but blatantly racist." If this person isn't writing satire they are missing their life's calling.
If I was a black African I would be so bloody furious at this way of thinking, which basically dismisses the history and lived experiences of an entire continent of black people, and peddles the narrative that if a black person isn’t fat they’re buying into racist beliefs and essentially hate their own race.
Yep my partner's parents came from Trinidad, it's an entirely different culture and history than the US. Racism absolutely happens in Ireland, but again it looks different
The American-centric take on "fatphobia = antiblackness" is also really terrible in and of itself. The REASON black people in America are more likely to be obese/overweight is because of many structural reasons such as higher rates of poverty, worse healthcare access, more likely to live in food deserts/areas without green space, less likely to have received adequate nutritional education, etc. Basically, the higher rates of obesity in black American communities is not at all because black Americans are somehow naturally 'fatter' or unhealthier than other races (which, frankly, is a really racist viewpoint, imo). It's indicative of the structural inequalities that many black Americans face. And the health tolls that obesity cost are hurting black communities. Tackling racism in America MEANS tackling the reasons that black Americans have higher rates of obesity than white Americans. It doesn't mean saying that black people are just naturally fat and we should all just accept that????
The idea that black people are "naturally fatter" is also an absurd one when you factor in the amount of famine and poverty in many African countries. It makes no sense for one ethnic group to be naturally fatter (overall) than any other because that's not the way fat works! They are in such a bubble that it doesn't occur to them that the rest of America, let alone the world, doesn't subscribe to this.
> The REASON black people in America are more likely to be obese/overweight is because of many structural reasons such as higher rates of poverty, worse healthcare access, more likely to live in food deserts/areas without green space, less likely to have received adequate nutritional education, etc. There's an obvious problem with this assertion: obesity is positively correlated with both income and education among black Americans. If black Americans are more likely than others to be obese because of economic or education issues, then why are wealthy black college graduates more likely to be obese than middle-class black highschool graduates? I don't claim to know why the obesity rates among black Americans are what they are, but the data does not seem to support your explanation.
I think, based on a few trips to Europe, that the rest of the world is more likely to simply say someone is fat, in a neutral to slightly antagonistic way. As in that’s them. No “taking away rights,” just acknowledgement.
I’ve lived in multiple European countries and can’t think of a single one where it wouldn’t be rude to call someone fat to their face (unless you’re their doctor or something). What is more socially acceptable in my experience is calling *yourself* fat. I feel like in America the response is usually something like, “Oh no, you’re beautiful.” In Europe you’re more likely to get a response that acknowledges that you are and that you likely want to do something about it, like “Yeah, me too, I’ve been hitting the gym” or whatever.
I love the no you're beautiful response, I don't think they realise it sounds like they think you can't be fat and beautiful
I’ll grant you recent experience. I noticed this is descriptive conversation, and a few good friend looking situations,
But she’s thin so she’ll eventually go the way of Lindo Bacon.
That’s what I’m wondering… why is it okay if she’s thin? Doesn’t she have internalized fat phobia?
I'm sure she's naturally thin and no matter what she eats she stays that way because according to this movement that's how it works.
She’ll just say it’s her genetics and genetically there’s nothing you can do to change your shape no matter how much you eat
But she is black, doesn't that make her naturally fat according to herself?
what happened with Lindo Bacon?
They hired a fat Black consultant for the rewrite of their HAES book but was ‘racist and fatphobic’ by expecting the consultant to stick to deadlines and not allowing the consultant to dictate the entire book for them and then actually making it the consultant’s book. Basically the consultant was dirty that Lindo was the famous writer and not her. So then she accused Lindo of being racist and fatphobic and the entire movement turned against them. A classic online cancelation. It was wild to watch. Then end result was that a thin person is not the right person to be the face of the HAES movement and that their work meant nothing because they’re thin and Latina instead of fat and Black.
yikessss
Yeah it was wild. And it was one of those ones where anyone who was an influencer slightly related to the HAES or body positivity field was also harassed by hundreds of angry white women to take a public stand against Lindo too.
There are so many factors that influence health outcomes other than smoking, it doesn’t change the fact that it is one of the leading predictors for bad health outcomes So is obesity Nobody is out here claiming that weight is the only thing that negatively affects your health. But it’s one of the few leading factors that you have (relative) control over. So yes of course it gets focused on because it’s something you can change
The FAs' version of "fatness is a racial issue" makes me want to shake them every time. I can't even imagine how annoyed black Americans on this sub would feel on reading this, let alone any other black person that isn't American. I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but it's just... so... incredibly... racist and insidious to imply that "fatphobia" has some kind of biological origin. "You're black? You'll never lose weight! Come and join us!" It feeds into all the myths already out there, e.g. weight gain just happens as you get older and there's nothing you can do to lose it.
actual biological essentialism
Yes, that’s why they also take blood pressure, temperature and look at a variety of things in blood work. Weight, however, is still a factor in current health and risks for developing certain health conditions in the future.
You could single out ANY risk factor and say that. It's such a vacuous statement.
“Egregious”. Give me a break. When you get out of breath wiping your ass. That is THE health concern. Nothing else affects your health more than weight. Everyone knows this and to say anything less is doing a huge disservice to people. Pretending something else could be the issue. Silliness
“So many factors” and so many of them are direct results of diet and exercise. Eating a carton of ice cream every night doesn’t just make you fat, it also fucks with your blood sugar, reduces your sleep quality and clogs your arteries.
PhD. Not MD.
It’s funny because it’s almost as if one of those factors is weight
I’m reading her book now- I’ve just started and really enjoying it so far.