The Pandemic Has Exacerbated Society's Fatphobia
By Cicely Belle Blain
Pandemic pounds? Quarantine 15?
I'm sure you've heard one or more of these examples of body terrorism over the past year.
“Body terrorism” is a concept coined by Sonya Renee Taylor in "The Body is Not An Apology" that describes 'the historical and contemporary violence associated with body hatred.' Sexual assault, involuntary sterilization and abortion control are examples of how a white supremacist, patriarchal society controls and marginalizes certain bodies.
In a world in which the safety of everything from cars to medical procedures are tested on a 171-pound, 5-foot-9-inch dummy that was first standardized in the 1970s - women, trans and non-binary people, disabled people, Black and Indigenous people and people of colour and fat people are at greater risk of harm and violence. Not because of their bodies - but rather because society has been intentionally structured around the expectation of our death.
Ask any fat person - the number one microaggression they experience from strangers and relatives alike is the supposed 'concern' for our health as a justification for invasive questions and comments about our bodies.
At a minimum, this is annoying because it is disingenuous and misguided. Western pseudo-scientific constructs like the Body Mass Index (BMI) are harmful and unreliable. These 'health concerns' are formed entirely on unfounded stereotypes about what a 'fit' or 'healthy' body looks like. At their worst, these narratives endanger the lives of fat people who are disbelieved when trying to access healthcare. From an intersectional perspective, this is worsened for fat people of colour, as Sabrina Strings outlines in her acclaimed book Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia.
In a public health crisis, fatphobic narratives exploded. Despite all of the significantly worse outcomes of being in quarantine (depression, anxiety, domestic abuse, hunger, isolation, suicide) the thought of gaining weight seemed to spark fear in many people.
Memes, TikToks, YouTube videos and Tweets quickly circulated mocking weight gain. Even articles telling us to be gentle with ourselves if we gain weight in quarantine are implying that it is ok to have a bigger body only in the context of the pandemic - that weight gain related to trauma or stress is mildly acceptable but being fat in 'normal' times is reprehensible.
We live in a society in which someone's weight is seen as inextricable from their worth. In white supremacy and capitalism, we equate worth with labour and productivity. Fat people are demonized as being lazy, unproductive, lacking in self-control and a burden on the system, positing us as the opposite of society's ideal. The phobia in fatphobia stems from witnessing the very visceral discrimination and violence fat people face. Fat people are not scary - in fact, stereotypes also position fat people as 'bubbly' and harmless - rather, being fat in our society is terrifying. And the easiest way to distance yourself from fatness is to align yourself with fatphobic rhetoric - to buy into the harmful messaging that the worst thing that could happen to you while you stay home to observe public health orders, is becoming fat.
Fat people experience the brunt of fatphobia but toxic diet culture and unattainable (and ever-changing) beauty standards impact everyone. According to the National Eating Disorder Information Centre, people who diet may have a higher risk of developing an eating disorder. One study showed that teenage girls who dieted were 18 times more likely to develop an eating disorder than non-dieters and these dieting habits were almost always predicted by their mother's dieting patterns coupled with images they saw in magazines and on social media.
Fatphobia, sizeism and toxic diet culture can become overwhelming, especially if they are occurring in the workplace.
Examples of Fatphobia and Toxic Diet Culture in the Workplace
Small and limited seating; seating with non-moveable armrests or booth seating
Restrictive food options at social events
Constant talk of diets, exercise and weight loss
Emphasis on participation in exercise-based 'wellness' activities
Unconscious bias in hiring practices
Limited sizing in uniforms and clothing
Partnerships with diet or weight-loss brands
Congratulating weight loss, exercise or dieting
Lack of anti-fatphobia policies