Body+Image+-+Fat+Acceptance+Movement

In the United States it has long been the norm that size, [|specifically weight] is, in part, a depiction of beauty (Mazur, 1986.) The diet industry in the US makes approximately $58.6 billion per year (Poretsky, 2014.) In response to this, a movement has gained momentum that has people discussing our cultural ideals of beauty and what that means for those who do not fit the mold. The Fat Acceptance (FA) movement in the United States began in the late 1960's with the formation of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance by Lew Louderback (naafaonline.com.) Louderback started out by writing an article, "More People Should Be Fat" in response to discrimination he and his wife received for being fat (http://healthateverysizeblog.org.dy) With the formation of NAAFA, began years of work towards equality. To understand fat acceptance, it is important to touch upon the reasons why this movement was started: discrimination and body image/self esteem issues.

**Discrimination of Fat Bodied Individuals**
According to NAAFA, discrimination against fat people is a prevalent problem in US culture and is only getting worse. In 1995, weight discrimination was reported by 7% of adults in the United States. That number was almost doubled in 2006 at 12% (naafaonline.com.) In addition, a survey of discrimination in the [|workplace] showed that [|weight discrimination] ranged from 5% in men to 10% in women, with a higher risk of discrimination of those above a BMI of 35 (Puhl, et al., 2008.)

Discrimination, unfortunately, does not end in the workplace. The Fat Acceptance Movement also targets discrimination from [|health care providers and education] as problematic parts of our societal culture. According to the Rudd Report (2008), one in three children have experienced discrimination from a teacher, while two in three have experienced it from a classmate. In addition, studies show a correlation between weight and college acceptance as well. Fat students are less likely to be accepted to a college despite comparable academic performance to their thin peers (Canning, 1966.)

Healthcare discrimination is something that many fat people report experiencing (Puhl, 2006.) One out of three doctors in a survey of 400 doctors reported that they associate obesity with non-compliance, hostility, dishonesty, and poor hygiene (Klein, et al, 1982.) These feelings of being discriminated against, can be detrimental to fat people's health beyond the mental concerns that discrimination can cause. A study of 500 women showed that 68% of them reported delay in seeking medical care because of their weight. In addition, 85% of these women reported that weight was a barrier to receiving appropriate medical care (Amy, et al., 2006.)

Self Esteem and Body Positivity


A 2004 study showed that chronic dieters in the United States had lower self esteem than those who did not chronically diet. This survey also determined that because of this body dissatisfaction, it could prevent people from incorporating lifestyle changes or behaviors that would be beneficial to them. Researchers stated that it is important to, instead of pushing dieting, to address the body image dissatisfaction to give individuals a better change at improving their overall health, regardless of body weight or size (Gingras, et al.) Often, this is called body positivity; teaching people to think more positively about their bodies in an effort to build self esteem to make choices for themselves about how they treat their bodies.

Often backlash or misunderstanding concerning Fat Acceptance, is centered around not understanding why this movement is necessary or the health and well being of overweight individuals. The misconception that fat bodies are a direct result of poor eating or lack of exercise and that being fat means lower life expectancy is common among those who attempt to discredit the Fat Acceptance Movement. However, research has been done suggesting that these misconceptions are indeed, not accurate (Bacon & Aphramor, 2011.)

Fat Acceptance is a movement attempting to teach women that they have value beyond what they look like. While, many women are making strides for themselves, there are still areas where improvement could occur. According to Melissa Fabello, one such way the body positive movement could improve is to have body-love coaches. Both the Fat Acceptance Movement and Body Positive Movement talk about loving oneself, but it's difficult to get to the destination with no direction. How does one learn to love themselves? It is not as easy as someone telling you to do it. Fabello thinks that the movement could work on coaching people, showing them how to love themselves, and do a little less pushing towards a destination (loving oneself) without any idea as to //how// to do that (Fabello, 2014.)

The movement is still evolving and changes will certainly occur over time. Every day, new articles, blog posts, and movies are being made that focus on body image in the United States. One thing is certain, women in America are held to high standards when it comes to our society's ideals of beauty. Challenging this ideal can certainly be an uphill battle, but it brings to light long held beliefs that might not be as accurate as their are simply a part of our culture we have never bothered to examine closely before.