Why is challenging weight bias and fatphobia important?
We live in a diet-culture ridden society that equates weight to worth, and tells us that a higher weight body is a problem to be fixed through restrictive diets and exercise regimes.
This is harmful and we need to realiZe, as a society, that your body is not wrong and is not a problem to be fixed.
Weight stigma, discrimination, weight-based bullying and teasing can have a sometimes life-long negative impact on a person’s mental health, their body image and also the relationship they have with food and exercise. Weight stigma is also a real barrier to many people seeking support.
Weight or body size does not determine the health of an individual. Health and wellbeing are multi-faceted and determined by much more than body weight; health is a “state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (WHO, 1948).
Health can exist on a spectrum of body sizes, including those in larger bodies, and a person’s health, eating and exercise behaviors should not be assumed based on their size or appearance.
Diversify your feed
Follow people who don’t look like you, follow people who do look like you. Follow people who showcase diverse bodies, and follow people who disregard editing and applying filters to their photos. Remember that what you see on social media isn’t always a true reflection of the individual and that we are worth so much more than our appearance and bodies.
Challenge weight bias or fatphobic thoughts you find yourself having
When you find yourself thinking negatively about people in larger bodies, take a minute to unpack these thoughts and challenge them. Remember that you cannot tell the health of someone just from their appearance, and that it is not your concern to judge their lifestyle habits. Everyone, regardless of body size and shape, is worthy of dignity and respect!
Challenge your friends, family and those around you
Because of diet culture, weight bias is ingrained and takes active participation to challenge it; some people may not even realize they are being discriminatory or offensive. Share what you have learnt with those around you and encourage them to look beyond appearance.
Learn to appreciate and accept your own body
“Learning to appreciate your body is the most powerful armor you can possibly have against weight stigma and fatphobia.” – Gillian Brown, The Body is Not an Apology
When we negatively comment on our own bodies, we send the message that this is where our body acceptance ends, not just for ourselves, but for those around us, too. Start small and acknowledge parts that you do like (e.g. your eyes, your nose) and work towards body parts that you don’t like. Unpack why this is the case – is it because diet culture has told you so? Instead of thinking with hate, try to focus on appreciating the certain body part and what it does for yourself.
Ways to encourage acceptance of body diversity
CELEBRATE, embrace and accept all body shapes and sizes.
challenge businesses that use advertisements to reinforce weight stigma and unhelpful appearance
Be mindful of, and reduce toxic and unhelpful diet, body and appearance talk.
Avoid judging a person’s health, or eating and exercise behaviors, based on their weight, shape, or appearance
Avoid using language that increases feelings of guilt or shame around eating or weight
Adopt a zero tolerance for weight and appearance teasing, shaming and bullying