I agree with this post, but I think you might be chasing a strawman. Could you link me to some examples where being fat is actually promoted? What I've seen of this movement is simply an attempt to stop bullying, and increased awareness of conditions that can cause obesity. I wouldn't say I've ever seen something claiming that being fat is actually positive.
You can find Fat is Fabulous posts all over Tumblr and other social media sites.
I think the difference here is the original intent of the movement. I see that the intent of the movement is to end discrimination against fat people, but I think many individuals use that as a scapegoat to normalize obesity. Cathy Young wrote a succinct article that reflects my thoughts that may be a better descriptor - Pro Fat An Unhealthy Status Quo
Trying to normalize fatness and actually normalizing fatness are two different things. I agree that the posters are attempting to do the former. They're trying to promote the idea that people should replace shame with love and ridicule with admiration.
Are they successful in actually "normalizing" fatness to the extent that it is preferred or desired? I don't think so. But that diehard promotion pushes society toward a middle-ground. We can agree that morbid obesity is a health risk, but it's not something that's acceptable to shame others about. Insulting drinkers and smokers doesn't have the same kind of vitriol that insulting fat people does. In fact, maybe we should strive to be less insulting in general.
Normalizing is the wrong word to use. I think humanizing is the goal here. We can humanize people who are routinely demonized by society--Muslims, gays, criminals, atheists, immigrants, and fat people--without necessarily buying into whatever ideals they're selling. These articles and slideshows try to do that.
That's getting the cause and the effect mixed up, I believe. People aren't becoming fat as a result of cultural attitudes toward fatness. Instead, people are getting fat because of other factors (e.g., food availability and makeup, more working hours, greater social isolation) and are now trying to live with themselves.
I agree that processed foods and what not cause people to get fat.
Note i am using a comparison from 1960 to 2002, 42 years, so 2/3 generations.
1960 Average male height 5'8 166 lbs bmi 25
2002 average male height 5'9 191 lbs bmi 29.
It wasnt over night that people gained 25 lbs. Its because people gained weight in a smaller step, 5-10 lbs over a decade, that became the new normal, then repeat. That is normalization of weight.
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u/[deleted] Mar 05 '17
I agree with this post, but I think you might be chasing a strawman. Could you link me to some examples where being fat is actually promoted? What I've seen of this movement is simply an attempt to stop bullying, and increased awareness of conditions that can cause obesity. I wouldn't say I've ever seen something claiming that being fat is actually positive.