Fatphobia and Fat-shaming on Social Media
- Ankita
- Feb 10, 2021
- 2 min read
My biggest fear when I first experienced weight gain was the fat-phobia on social media. I’ve been creating content for 10 years and having gone through my turbulent twenties; 8 years of an abusive relationship, leaving a traditional career path to start all by myself in a new industry, moving countries twice, struggling with PCOD, endometriosis and depression, eventually a divorce, OF COURSE, my body has changed over 10 years!
I’m no stranger to fat-phobic and fat-shaming comments thrown my way. Fat-phobia is an irrational fear of being fat or being around fat people. Fat shaming is viewing and judging someone through the stereotypes of being lazy, gluttonous or unconcerned about health.
This is damaging because -
☝🏼you don’t know my diet or lifestyle
☝🏼you don’t know what health conditions I’m dealing with
☝🏼you don’t know the mental and emotional trauma or conditions I might have
These days, the bigger and more frustrating issue is Concern Trolling (thank you @theswaddle@rajvieee for introducing me to this term!) a more subtle and sneaky way of shaming and fat loss advice; talking about BMIs, obesity-related diseases etc. All seemingly well-intended and totally unnecessary!
We need to stop making assumptions about people’s health just by looking at them. The measure of someone’s health and fitness level is NOT in what size of clothing they wear. Don’t take it from me, take it from the experts (thank you @rujuta.diwekar for opening my eyes to this one!). We NEED to do better as a community and society to stop fat-shaming and fatphobia and accepting body diversity.
And that is my motivation to do more full-body/outfit shots on my platform now. REPRESENTATION for bigger women, for curvier women, for women with soft tummies, jiggly arms and dimpled thighs. To show them that it’s possible to love yourself, to accept yourself & still make positive changes for yourself, not motivated by fatphobia but kindness and love towards your body!
I want to help YOU FEEL better about your body. Because I wish I knew everything I know now 10 years ago. Help me in this mission by sharing this post and sharing your stories with me in the comments below ❤️
Вот никогда не думала, что мой первый опыт с онлайн-казино случится не где-нибудь, а в детской больнице. Но жизнь, знаешь, преподносит сюрпризы. У моего младшего, Степана, был запланирован небольшой плановый осмотр, ну как небольшой — на сутки нас положили. Ребенок-то после процедуры спал, а мне вот сидеть в этой палате с выцветшими обоями и слушать, как тикают часы. Телефон почти разряжен, книжка дочитана, а до ночи еще часа три. От нечего делать листала ленту в инстаграме, и тут выскочила реклама какого-то казино. Обычно я мимо пролистываю, а тут, видимо, от скуки, решила посмотреть, что там да как.
Зарегистрировалась, просто чтобы убить время. Думала, покручу условные барабаны на тестовом режиме и выйду. Но когда я увидела приветственный бонус, ажиотажа, честно, не…
Thank you for sharing this honest post about fatphobia and fat shaming—it’s an important topic that needs more attention. Your words help others feel seen and supported. How can we better respond when we see fat shaming online? Also, for those looking to enjoy a simple and comforting meal, the captain d’s fish and chips is a classic option worth checking out.