THIN PRIVILEGE
“Through mass media, we’ve been bombarded with messages that the “normal” size is actually thin. And this assumption that you need to be thin in order to be okay and normal gets played out frequently for people who are bigger than “normal”. If you’ve been a “normal” size your whole life, you may never have thought of the benefits of being thin. But sizeism is very prevalent, and it’s one of the most accepted “isms” in our society. It’s time we make this “ism” unacceptable, and thus make the world a better place to live in for people of all shapes and sizes. The following are examples of thin privilege that those of us who are seen by society as being physically “too big” experience regularly in our lives.” - Shannon Ridgway
You’re not assumed to be unhealthy because of your size.
Your size is usually not the first thing people notice about you.
When you’re at the grocery store, people don’t comment on or remove items from your cart in the name of “trying to be helpful”.
Your health insurance rates are not higher because of your size and perceived health.
You can expect to pay reasonable prices for your clothing.
You can expect to find your clothing sizes sold locally.
You can expect to find clothing in your size in the latest trends and styles.
You don’t receive suggestions from friends/family/co-workers/strangers to join Weight Watchers, Noom, or other weight-loss programs.
When you go to the doctor, they don’t assume or suspect you have diabetes/high blood pressure/high cholesterol/or other “weight related” diagnoses as the first/most likely diagnoses.
You don’t get told “you have such a pretty/handsome face - implying if you’d only lose weight you could be even more attractive.
People do not assume you are lazy, based solely on your size.
You’re not the butt of jokes for countless comedians and comedy acts.
Airlines won’t charge you extra to fly.
You are not perceived as looking sloppy or unprofessional because of your size.
You can eat what you want, when you want, in public and not have other judge you or make assumptions about your food choices and eating habits.
People don’t ask your partners what it’s like to have sex with you because of your size.
Your body type isn’t sexually fetishized.
You’re more likely to get a raise or promotion at work than someone who is fat.
Friend’s don’t describe you to others using a qualifier (i.e. “they’re kind of heavy but really nice though”).
The media doesn’t describe your body shape as part of an “epidemic”.
You can choose not to be preoccupied with your size and shape.
SMALL/MID FAT PRIVILEGE
While all fat people experience various forms of discrimination, there is also privilege in being a small/mid fat within the Fatness Identity spectrum. All fat experiences are valid and yet the conversation very often leaves out the most marginalized. When we talk about fat acceptance/liberation this includes ALL fats, not just the smaller/hour glass/socially acceptably plus sized bodies society is more tolerant of. This is also true when actively choosing fat liberation/acceptance over body positivity.
Notice
When you are enabling/furthering anti-fatness.
Don’t assume that all fat people share the same views/experiences.
Don’t assume our health because of our fatness - you are not our doctor.
Regard us as autonomous, unique individuals, not as representatives of our size.
Remember when you post a weight loss photo, it shows which bodies you value, no matter how #bodypositive your caption sounds. Fat women do not owe you fashion and femininity. Fat men do not owe you masculinity. Fat people do not owe you health. Fat people do not owe you anything.
Reflect
Changing the narrative that fat = bad/rewiring the way your brain thinks about fatness and size.
Remember that fat is neither good or bad, it simply is; People in fat bodies deserve to be treated with respect, dignity, and as the human beings they are without a weight limit.
Weight is not an indication of health.
Health is not an indication of value; this sentiment is often attributed to perceptions around fat folx (i.e. you are fat = you are unhealthy = you are not worthy of value).
Just because you can’t see anti-fatness/fatphobia around you doesn’t mean it's not happening. Trust fat people’s assessment of a situation.
Take Harvard’s Implicit Attitudes test on weight bias. None of us want to think we’re biased towards others but most of us are.
The other marginalized identities you hold do not absolve your anti-fatness/fatphobia; i.e. your queerness/womanhood/transness/class background/disability doesn’t exclude you from thin privilege.
Don’t assume we want to be thinner or want to assimilate. And don’t pressure us to do so.
Fatness is expansive. People can be fat and Asian and gay and disabled and trans and middle class. It doesn’t look one way. Keep this in mind.
When we talk about fatness, we’re not just talking about fat women. Intersections of fatness and gender, for example, exist.
If you have a fat partner or fat children you can still be fatphobic. You’re not exempt. If anything, you have even more of a duty to examine your behavior for the benefit of your loved ones.
Act
Living your anti-sizeism/anti-fatphobia with enacting change.
If someone tells you they’re fat, don’t say “no, you’re not fat, you’re beautiful!” - I did not say I was ugly; the two are not mutually exclusive.
Stop using fat as a feeling; you don’t feel fat - because fat is not a feeling.
Related - when you as a straight size person call yourself fat in front of an actual fat person check your thin privilege because you COMFORTABLY calling yourself fat when you are not, highlights the fact that you are, in fact, not fat.
Don’t make fat jokes. Why? Because fat jokes aren’t jokes - they’re slurs. Laughing at and sharing fat slurs contributes to the dehumanization of fat people.
Don’t dilute fat acceptance/fat liberation with body positivity - the message that “ all women are beautiful, flaws and all” is nice, but it doesn’t erase the harmful and sometimes deadly narrative that fat = bad.
Do not comment on people’s changing bodies - bodies are supposed to change. Also, praising weight loss is still a judgement - it reinforces the message that small thin bodies are good and the ideal to strive for.
Avoid phrases like “But I have/had a fat partner/friend(s)/family member(s) - I can’t be anti-fat/fatphobic!”; yes you absolutely can.
Don’t question someone's fatness if they’re a small/mid fat person. It's not your place. Other fat people can make sure that small/mid fat people are cognizant of their privilege (Fatness spectrum).
Never try and tell a fat person what is or isn't anti-fat/fatphobic. When you find instances of anti-fatness/fatphobia online, please don’t send it to us. We know fatphobia exists, thanks.
Understand that some days are even more mentally exhausting for fat people thanks to the news/media cycle. Try not to badger us for our opinions on the latest atrocity that has occurred.
But when we do have something to say about it, listen.
Share articles relating to the everyday experiences of anti-fatness/fatphobia and sizeism written by fat people.
But don’t be that person who is weird and sycophantic and loves to demonstrate their wokeness constantly to the fat people around them. Be thoughtful.
Consume media created by/about fat people. Read books written by/about fat people. Watch shows that are created by/about fat people.
Have a critical eye when watching TV and movies. How are they portraying fat people and why? What purpose does it serve?
If you have kids, expose them to dolls/books/shows with fat characters. Talk to them about body diversity.
Support crowdfunding/campaigns/small businesses for fat people created by fat people if you can.
Never try and pull any fat fetishization (which particularly targets fat women but can also be true for all gender representations).
Actively try to identify and unsubscribe from anti-fat/fatphobic tropes i.e. fat people are stupid, lazy, slobs, comedic relief. Fat people are people, not characters.
If you do have fat children, make sure that they have access to people who look like them and who understand their experiences.
Call out your anti-fat/fatphobic family members for the miscro/macro aggressions (which can be overt and covert) they say whether in person or via social media.
Confront your colleagues who say anti-fat/fatphobic things unchecked at work.
Stand up to anti-fatness/fatphobia wherever you see it.
Think about how anti-fatness/fatphobia is operating even when fat people aren’t around. Be cognizant of it wherever you are, whichever situation you’re in.
Recognize that fighting anti-fatness/fatphobia and sizeism isn't about you, it's not about your feelings; it's about liberating fat people that tries to crush us at every turn.
